What does Reiki look like?

Everyone who practices or receives Reiki knows what it feels like -- but how do you convey that to someone who's never experienced this subtle yet powerful energy? What does Reiki look like to you?

That's our challenge to you as The Reiki Digest approaches our first anniversary in a few weeks. Send us a photo, drawing, painting, or any other visual depiction of Reiki, and you could win a valuable prize.

It isn't easy to illustrate Reiki energy, though many practitioners have tried, most often using images of glowing hands or human forms, mysterious temples, or intricate patterns that don't always seem connected to either the practice or the energy.

If you're reading this, chances are you already know something about Reiki. Maybe you've even tried to explain it to someone, maybe you've even used an image or two in the process.

So here's the deal: send your image of Reiki to editor@thereikidigest.com or mail it to:

The Reiki Digest
Healing Movement LLC
P.O. Box 3146
Hoboken, NJ 07030
USA

If your image is chosen as the best visual representation of Reiki energy, we'll turn it into a Reiki greeting card, T-shirt, mug, poster, or other product of your choice at our new Healing Movement Gifte Shoppe at Cafepress.com. You'll receive that product, plus a royalty for each product sold through our store.

The fine print: The image you submit must be your own intellectual property to which you own all rights. Do not send originals, and be sure to retain a copy for yourself. The Reiki Digest and Healing Movement LLC take no responsibility for lost or damaged photos, artwork, or other images. Your submission will not be returned. By submitting your image, you grant Healing Movement LLC the nonexclusive right to use your image on all products, for which you will be paid a royalty of 13 percent of the sale price for each item sold, if yours is the winning image. Royalties will be paid annually. Digital images should be 200 dpi resolution. All entries must be submitted by August 1, 2007. Winner will be announced by Sept. 1, 2007. All submissions must include the owner's full name, address, telephone and e-mail.

Good luck!

Although The Reiki Digest staff isn't eligible, we've created some examples in our CafePress shoppe's first custom products: Reiki-filled greeting cards, postcards, and even a teddy bear. Among practitioners, it's fairly common to send someone Reiki from a distance. We don't need cards, flowers, or other physical objects to do that. But if you're sending Reiki to someone who may not be familiar with the energy or the practice, sending an object infused with Reiki can make it a bit more tangible, maybe even more understandable.

For example, here's the front of our new Reiki postcard:



Speaking of Reiki and photography, our Special Correspondent Michelle Shinagawa has published another post on her Reiki Photography blog about her recent trip to Japan, this one headlined, "Etiquette for paying respect at temples."

This week's Reiki Roundup begins with the breaking news that we now have readers in 51 countries (welcome, Hungary!).

Our first stop is Ottumwa, Iowa, in the American heartland, where the Ottumwa Courier wins kudos for reporting that Reiki is "sometimes confused with massage therapy." Congratulations on getting that part right. The interviewee, practitioner Daryl Stangl, not only opened up to the reporter, he also opened a book containing symbols (some Reiki, some not) for a photographer.

Next stop, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, where we meet Dr. Mark Sherman, a medical doctor and Reiki practitioner featured in a National Review of Medicine article on natural healing.

On to Pasadena, California, for some unhappy news: the Mystic Sisters bookstore, a longtime home to, among other things, Reiki hands-on healing, has closed.

We move on to Cumbria, United Kingdom, where a group of young carers are not only getting a week off from looking after their family members, but also getting free Reiki and other treatments. You may be a carer yourself without realizing it. To find out if you are, check out this fact sheet from the Carlisle Carers Association.

This week's Celeb-Reiki is motivational speaker and Reiki practitioner Anuj Khare, who's currently featured in the Hindu Business Line newspaper.

And in this week's podcast of The Reiki Show, hosts Bronwen and Frans Stiene of the International House of Reiki discuss Reiki and yoga with New York City Reiki and yoga teacher Dayna Rittenburg.

Frans and Bronwen will be back in New York in October for another 3-day Shinpiden (Master/Teacher level) workshop sponsored by The Reiki Digest, followed by a special one-day advanced workshop for Shinpiden graduates.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to reviewing your entries in our "What does Reiki look like?" competition.