Sakura Matsuri comes to Brooklyn!

The cherry blossoms are blooming in Brooklyn! The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival is this weekend.  You can get the schedule of events for this celebration of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture here.

Waka Fest comes but once a year to The Reiki Digest. To submit your waka or cherry blossom inspired art, send it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com 

A celebration of impermanence

This article explains the Japanese aesthetic, in poetry, the garden, and beyond.

It's Waka Fest and cherry blossom season here at The Reiki Digest. To submit your waka this or any time of the year you can send it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com, and be sure to include the word "waka" in the subject line!

The weekly waka

Today, an ending to the beginning published on April 14th.


Through an open door,
morning: birdsong and cool air
thunderstorms
stirred up sleepy eyed dreamers
they sit silent, with their tea

by Beth Lowell

To submit your waka, please send it to waka @ thereikidigest, and be sure to include the word "waka" in the subject line!

A lesson in hakanasa

National Public Radio's Anthony Kuhn reported on Japan's celebration amid devastation and the injunction against hanami on April 25th's Morning Edition show. You can listen to the feature, or read the article here.   

Last call for Reiki focus group participants

On March 9th, we announced our first ever focus group here at The Reiki Digest. Response has been enthusiastic and we have just a few spaces remaining. The purpose of the focus group is to find out if and how art enhances your practice.

You can participate from the comfort of your own home or professional space. Four participant groups include those doing: self treatment, treatment of others including pets, distant treatments, and meditation.

Participants will be asked to use a mandala, which will be provided,  a small number of times and answer a survey. One person from each group will win an archival print of the mandala created by artist and Reiki practitioner Pam Turczyn valued at $200.00.  

To participate, please email bethlowell @ thereikidigest.com.  

Cherry Blossom Live Cam 2011

You can enjoy the Sakura and the view of the Japan Alps live via webcam! The Castle Park is lit up only through April 21 so you won't be able to see the night views too well, but you can browse through photographs that include both daytime and evening views. 

It's Waka Fest 2011 here at The Reiki Digest. To submit your waka or cherry blossom inspired art, send it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest and be sure to include the word "waka" in the subject line! 

Hanami on the Okawa: A cherry blossom celebration with art, music and poetry

Each year people gather along the banks of the Okawa River in Osaka to celebrate the cherry blossoms that grow along its banks. Cherry blossom season inspired this art and poetry.

Stay tuned for more waka here at The Reiki Digest. Waka Fest continues for another two weeks, so there's still time to submit your waka or cherry blossom inspired art. Send your suibmissions in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com and be sure to include the word "waka" in the subject line.

Collaboration through time: Ancient waka and modern day reflections

The Early Women Masters website is a fascinating place to visit in itself, featuring everything from prehistoric pottery to Ragtime compositions by women. There's quite a selection of poetry, and this page features waka by Buddhist nun Otagaki Rengetsu (太田垣蓮月) (1791-1875). Accompanying each waka is a reflection on her own music by marimba virtuoso Keiko Abe...a beautiful collaboration to contemplate on a Saturday this cherry blossom season.

Waka Fest continues here at The Reiki Digest. To submit your waka, waka articles, or cherry blossom inspired art, please send it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com, and be sure to include the word "waka" in the subject line.

Waka poll update and Animal Waka Friday

On April 13th we posted a poll that asked how often Reiki practitioners incorporated contemplation on waka into their practice. So far, a whopping 62% of readers said: Never! 25% said they use waka often, and 12% said seldom. You can weigh in and tell us your answer here.  

Animal waka Friday

'Poetry has its seed in the human heart and blossoms forth in innumerable leaves of words ... it is poetry which, with only a part of its power, moves heaven and earth, pacifies unseen gods and demons, reconciles men and women and calms the hearts of savage warriors.' 
                                                       
                                                          -- Ki no Tsurayuki, Preface to the Kokinshû, Ninth Century

So opens the introduction on the 2001 Waka for Japan 2001 website. What follows is a brief description of waka, and a wonderful collection of waka, the first 2001 (!) of which have been posted in historical order.   (You can also do a search by subject matter.)

In celebration of Animal waka Friday, we offer this one for today's contemplation.


It's Waka fest here at The Reiki Digest! Share your waka, articles about waka, or cherry blossom inspired art with us by sending it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com.

Cherry blossoms in waka poetry

This article, titled The Cherry Blossom in Heian Waka Poetry sheds more light on both the significance of the cherry tree to Japanese culture and how poets wrote about it. The nature of the tree, the diffused shade it casts when in bloom, how the petals fall and the wind all play important roles in the theme of cherry blossom poetry.   Inspirational food for thought!

Sakura - a reminder of the fragility of life

Waka fest and the celebration of cherry blossom season continues here at The Reiki Digest. Cherry blossom season in Japan is a little different this year. From Kataku.com, an article on sakura, the defining motif of Japan.

The weekly waka

Statue of Mary
watching over the valley
halfway down the hill
almost hidden by trees
below the county trail

by Beth Lowell

Waka fest continues here at The Reiki Digest. Along with waka we also accept articles about waka and cherry blossom art and photography. Please send submissions to waka @ thereikidigest.com. 

Waka and a book review

Pansies,
purple and yellow
stalwart
in the rain
a bright spot in the day

By Beth Lowell

Waka fest continues here at The Reiki Digest. Submit yours today! You can write a waka about just about anything. You can start or finish one. Send your submissions to waka @ thereikidigest.com (be sure to use the word "waka" in the subject line) and join in the festivities of Waka fest and Cherry Blossom season.

Book Review: The Reiki Man by Dominic C. James

By Beth Lowell, Managing Editor

Who holds the secret key to Reiki’s past, casts superhuman spells of protection, can cure cancer and perhaps even defy death itself? It’s…The Reiki Man!

Follow chief of security and ex- Special Branch agent Stella Jones on a gripping adventure as she seeks to find the murderer of her billionaire industrialist boss Henry Mulholland – and the mysterious reason for his killing. Accompanied by Special Branch agent Jennings, Stella finds herself reunited with her ex-lover, ex-alcoholic Stratton in a race against time to find a mysterious box carved with mystical symbols that Stratton’s grandfather came upon in Burma during World War II.

Full of twists and turns and double and triple crossings, new enemies are made and unlikely alliances are forged as an international host of characters including biker gang criminals, members of the British elite, an American soldier of fortune, a Hollywood legend and a Japanese Ninja, all of whom have a stake in finding the mysterious box plot against each other in order to gain control of it. The history of Reiki as discovered by Usui and the fate of the world lie in the balance, as Stratton knows that in the wrong hands, the thousand symbols contained within can and will be used for evil.

In Dan Brownesque fashion, author and Reiki Master Dominic C. James weaves a tale of Reiki fact – and fiction, leading all the way back to the days of Jesus. Non-stop action will keep you turning the pages, but Reiki purists beware – All four Reiki symbols and are depicted and mantras exposed. The discovery of Reiki is noted as being in the late 1800’s, although research has shown that Usui’s discovery was actually in the 1900’s. Reiki practitioners will appreciate Stratton’s description of Reiki during conversations with Stella and others as he attempts to explain a concept foreign to many westerners, although he perhaps goes a bit overboard in explaining how energy blockages cause disease.

All in all a good fun read – and first in a trilogy. With its surprise ending, The Reiki Man will leave you ready for more. Published by O Books, you can find The Reiki Man at O Books or on Amazon:

Understanding Japan through poetry and understanding the nuances of Japanese poetry

Waka fest continues ths week with two news items...

The first is a National Public Radio  interview with Japanese literature scholar Donald Keene of Columbia University and Japanese-American poet Kimiko Hahn, distinguished professor of English at Queens College of The City University of New York, who offer  recommendations for readers who would like to learn about Japan through its literature.



The second article appears in the Kalamazoo Gazette  In it, Jeffrey Angles, an associate professor of Japanese literature and translation studies at Western Michigan University and  award-winning translator of Japanese poetry and prose speaks about the intricacies of Japanese poetry and the challenges in translating it.

Weekend waka

Silver sky
over an April evening
Twilight
blossoming trees
before the night

by Beth Lowell

Animal Waka Friday

The cat
lying in the sun
smug
stretches lazily and smiles
as the crazy leashed dogs pass

by Beth Lowell

It's Waka Fest here at The Reiki Digest. To submit your waka, animal or otherwise, send it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com and be sure to include the word "waka" in the subject line.

Waka and a new beginning

Earth drinks the water.
New growth forms and opens its leaves
The leaves embrace skyfire.
Plants flower... wind scatters seeds.
Mother Earth is in balance.

by Robin Dildine-Gwin

Last year several waka writers started a waka by writing the first two lines and invited others to finish it off with three lines of their own. You can see two examples here.  Today, we offer these two lines as a starting point.

Through an open door,

morning: birdsong and cool air

To submit your waka or finish this one, please send it in an email to waka @ thereikidigest.com and be sure to use the word "waka" in the subject line.

waka, waka resources, and a waka poll...

a cold front
after thunder
singing birds
and the world muffled
under a stratum of mist

by Beth Lowell

Waka resources

For readers interested in reading more about waka this article includes a brief history of the waka, its evolution, the differences in perspective between east and west when it comes to subject matter and some exercises to explore waka more deeply.

This link contains English translations of some beautiful waka written by Minosuke Noguchi (1875-1972) who immigrated from Japan to the Unitesd States in 1898.

A waka poll

Waka fest 2011 kick off!

Our first waka submission arrived this morning!    

Moons


Evening’s moon waxes,
A crescent catching starlight
In the twilight gloom;
The morning moon wanes, tilted,
Spilling its light into the day.

By budo adana

Waka Fest runs for a whole month here at The Reiki Digest. To submit your waka send it in an email with the word "waka" in the subject line to waka @ thereikidigest.com. We also accept cherry blossom art and photography and articles about waka, the contemplative poetry form used by Mikao Usui in meditative practice.

Reiki perspectives: ask. ask, ask

Have you ever just given up on something you wanted or needed rather than risk asking for it? Have you ever asked outside for information when what you really needed was to reach into your practice for deeper understanding? Hawayo Takata can help us understand when to reach out and when to reach in. Read more.

Welcome to Waka Fest 2011!

By Beth Lowell

Photo by Buddy Don

Today marks the start of our annual Waka Fest here at The Reiki Digest! Waka Fest coincides with cherry blossom season and all month long we publish waka written by our readers. Last year, we received over 40 contributions from readers all over the world, meeting and surpassing our goal of at least one waka a day.

We're starting to establish a small library of articles about waka, the often neglected aspect of Reiki, so if you're new to The Reiki Digest or want to review more about this ancient form of poetry and how it was used during Usui's time, you can peruse these two articles published in 2009, Waka Rules! and Following the waka into Japanese history. Last year we included this interview with Beverly George, in which the poet talks about the difference in structure between eastern and western forms. We'll be including more articles about waka (called tanka in modern poetry) throughout the coming month.

This year we once again invite writers to share their waka with us over the next month. Our latest waka project will be to publish a book of waka poetry written by you, our readers. To get a jump on the process,
we'd like to collect all waka submitted during Waka Fest for inclusion in the book. If you would like to submit a waka for Waka Fest and do not wish that it be included in the book, please note that clearly in your email submission. All waka will be credited to their authors.

Writing a waka is simple. Each poem contains 5 lines. You may write in the established syllable count of 5/7/5/7/7 or, simply follow a format of short/long/short/long/long. keeping your poem to 31 syllables or fewer.

Here's one from last year following the 5/7/5/7/7 count:

Only I can choose
Moods and Attitudes I share
With Wonder and Joy
Life is always "WONDERfull"
Each moment in Joy, Enjoy!

By Rickie Freedman

And here's one following the short/long/short/long/long format:

Twilight

one June evening

I remember
clinking ice
and a low slung moon

By Beth Lowell

If you are an artist or photographer and are inspired to submit cherry blossom artwork, we welcome that as well.

To submit your waka or cherry blossom art work, please send it via email to: waka @ thereikidigest.com , and include the work "waka" in the subject line.

Happy writing!

Classes and gatherings in NYC with Pamela Miles

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Are you looking to improve your skills and deepen your Reiki practice? Pamela Miles is offering this Spring/Summer lineup of classes and gatherings in New York City.

Everyone finds boundaries challenging from time to time, whether at home with family and friends, or with co-workers and clients. If you want to feel clearer and more empowered, join Pamela for Six Steps to Spiritual Self-Protection: How You Can Maintain Healthy, Compassionate Boundaries on Sunday, May 15, 11 AM to 2 PM. This workshop is open to everyone, so bring your friends, even if they aren't Reiki practitioners.

Reiki is easy to practice and really hard to talk or write about. Pamela Miles should know ...She writes a weekly blog, a monthly e-newsletter, and the ReikiMed facebook page. Over the years, she's also written a book, several peer-reviewed medical papers, and many popular articles. Every day Pamela works to communicate Reiki in a more straightforward manner than what we usually see.

Pamela created her Communicating Reiki class to teach students and practitioners what she's learned about how to communicate Reiki in clear, neutral language. This workshop will help you sharpen your communication skills, clarify your understanding, and deepen your practice. This class is open to all Reiki students and practitioners, at any level, from any practice style. Click here to sign up for the workshop on Saturday, June 18.

Reiki lineage founder Mikao Usui considered the Reiki Precepts an essential part of daily practice. Today they are too often overlooked. Join Pamela on Saturday, July 10 if you are ready to dive deeper into these jewels, which Usui referred to as the Secret to Inviting Happiness.

There are a few spaces left in the First degree class on the evenings of April 11-13. There will be a weekend class May 13/14.

The annual JCC Spa Day for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer is Sunday, June 12. The JCC is reorganizing the day, and final details are not yet available, but they will be posted here when they are firmed up. This is a powerful opportunity to offer service to women who are addressing a serious health crisis. Most of them would not likely come across Reiki treatment if not for this offering. Read about one of the past JCC spa days here. 
 
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Please welcome this month's guest editor, Colin Powell

Colin Powell at the Golden Pavillion

Dear readers,

Please welcome this month's guest editor, Colin Powell. Colin has been a longtime waka contributor to The Reiki Digest. Based in Eccles, Greater Manchester, UK, Colin has been a Reiki teacher since 1998. Colin has a particular interest in the history and development of the system of Reiki and strives to teach and practice in a way that is as pure and simple as possible - hence the name of his website and facebook page, Reiki: pure & simple.

Reiki shares: more than just a place to share Reiki

By Colin Powell

So, you have been attuned to Reiki.

You practice self-Reiki daily (don’t you?).

Do you get to practice Reiki regularly on friends, family or the general public?

Do you get the chance to regularly receive Reiki through another person?

Do you get the chance to chat about Reiki to your Reiki Teacher or meet other Reiki people?

Not everybody wants to practice Reiki on the general public and many are quite happy practicing on themselves and/or friends and family but how many of us get the chance to receive some Reiki from another person? Yes, Reiki is wonderful: you can give Reiki to yourself and, indeed, that was the original way of things but it is even more wonderful to receive Reiki through another person and it can be sheer bliss to receive Reiki through more than one person simultaneously!

Some of my Reiki share group

Photo by Colin Powell

Many people lose contact with their Reiki Teacher for one reason or another and can begin to feel isolated if they do not know any other people who are attuned to Reiki. They have no one to ask questions of or discuss their experiences with. This is where Reiki shares are invaluable.

What is a Reiki share?

No matter what the frequency, length or location of the meetings, Reiki shares usually have one thing in common: a group of people interested in Reiki who are willing to give and receive Reiki with others in a safe environment.

Reiki shares developed in the West as Reiki became more widespread (since the 1970s) but in Japan they have always had regular training meetings (Kenkyu Kai), where students meet with their teachers to meditate, recite the Reiki Precepts, learn new techniques, receive Reiju (the forerunner of Reiki attunements) and continue their spiritual development.

Some Reiki shares are only open to the students of a particular teacher but others, including mine, are open to anyone attuned to Reiki or just interested in learning more about Reiki.

What happens at a Reiki share?

Most Reiki shares follow a similar format: a “meet and greet” phase, with general chat/introductions as people arrive, maybe with some refreshments. Although there is usually a group of people who attend most shares, there are often many “new faces” who may become regular attendees or disappear after one or two visits – so don’t be afraid to turn up at Reiki share on your own for the first time: you may not be the only “new face” there. Of course, you can always take a partner or friend with you for moral support!

When the share proper begins there may be an opportunity for people to share their experiences or news about Reiki. This may be followed by a guided group meditation. At this point, in my shares, I guide the group through Hatsurei ho, a Japanese Reiki practice that is designed to energetically purify the body outside and within and strengthens the connection with Reiki energy. During Hatsurei we recite the Reiki Precepts three times and everyone receives Reiju, which enables even those who are not yet attuned to Reiki to channel Reiki energy in the sessions which follow. A distant healing element may also be added to the meditation to allow everyone to put forward, or just think about, people or situations they are aware of that would benefit from Reiki.

Following the meditation, there is the opportunity for more refreshment and discussion, before we split into small groups around couches and/or chairs and take it in turns to receive Reiki from as many pairs of hands as are available! If you are receiving Reiki from 4 practitioners for 15 minutes, this is thought to be equivalent to at least 1 hour of Reiki from one practitioner – it certainly feels like it!

When everyone has taken their turn, we may finish with a Reiki Mawashi or Reiki Circle, where everyone joins hands and lets the energy flow around. Then, more chat and refreshments followed by Reiki hugs all round as people begin to make their way home, relaxed and ready to face a new day!

Where can I find a Reiki share?

A good source of finding Reiki shares is Reiki people! Try contacting local Reiki Teachers or practitioners to see if they are aware of any local Reiki shares or maybe even run one themselves. Use a search engine on the internet to search for the words “Reiki share” plus your town or general locality (there is also a list of UK Reiki shares on my website – see below) or have a look in your local health food or “new age” shop. Many areas also have a local magazine dedicated to new age, alternative or complementary therapy events where you can find lists of Reiki shares or Reiki practitioners.

If you can’t find a local Reiki share, why not start one of your own? You don’t have to be a Reiki teacher to run a Reiki share – you just need enthusiasm, some common sense and the support of other people who are interested in Reiki. Reiki shares don’t have to be large, formal affairs either – an occasional meeting in someone’s house to share Reiki with two or three people can be a wonderful experience, socially as well as spiritually.

Some Reiki shares are free of charge but a small donation may be requested to cover costs, especially if they are held in a hired venue.

So, Reiki shares can be great places to experience Reiki for the first time, meet other Reiki people, share experiences, learn new techniques and develop your enjoyment of Reiki as well as “just” a place to share Reiki!

Colin Powell, a Reiki Teacher in the United Kingdom, has been practicing and teaching Reiki for over 12 years and also has a passionate interest in the history and development of Usui Reiki Ryoho.

The Reiki Roundup

The articles listed below reveal the variety of ways that Reiki is currently showing up in the world and in the news.
 

New York, NY, USA:

In a story in the New York Times, a home care organization in Washington has won a two year grant to trial the effects of Reiki on elderly patients with dementia.

Plymouth, NH, USA:

Reiki is now being used as part of the care offered to Oncology patients by Speare Memorial Hospital and is likely to be rolled out to other departments! 

Birmingham, UK:

A Welsh National Opera singer, the “Madame with the Butterfly Hands”, studied Reiki to help her relax and now she often has other cast members queuing up  for a   pre-performance session!

Shropshire, UK:

A dog-loving Reiki practitioner has launched a special service called Reiki 4 Dogs at internationally renowned Crufts Dog Show. However, please note that Reiki is not ancient, as described in the Editor’s notes to this article. The system of Usui Reiki Ryoho only appeared at the beginning of the 20^th century.

Pocono, PA, US:

A patient a Pocono Medical Center describes how he enjoyed a Reiki session while in hospital.

Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada:

The Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society has found that Reiki can help keep its horses balanced, healthier and easier to ride.

Somewhere, US:

Meanwhile, an ultra-skeptic “surgeon scientist”, who hides behind the pseudonym Orac, explains, at great length, why Reiki is a sin. This is a great reminder that Reiki practitioners should put their brains into gear before opening their mouth (or publishing a webpage) and not make any claims that cannot stand up to scrutiny. Otherwise they may become easy prey for the likes of Orac and his equally fanatical followers.

Lexington, KY, US:

How Reiki can help you recharge a flagging relationship.

Celeb-Reiki

Wade Morissette, twin brother of singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette is a Yoga Instructor and Reiki Master.

Music we love to practice Reiki by: “peace of mind”

According to his biography:

Fridrik Karlsson has been a professional musician since the age of sixteen. He completed a degree in Classical and Jazz/Rock guitar and had his first international success with the group Mezzoforte in 1983 with the U.K. top 10 hit, Garden Party. Fridrik moved to England in 1996 from his native Iceland and has since been involved in various projects including guitar work on the movies Evita (with Madonna) and Phantom of the Opera, the Musicals: Jesus Christ Superstar and Saturday Night Fever. He has appeared on TV, accompanying world famous singers and artists, such as Madonna, Jose Carreras, J.K. (Jamiroquai), Marty Pellow (Wet Wet Wet), Andy Williams, David Cassidy, Ronan Keating , Tom Jones and Fridrik is also residence guitarist for The X-factor(hosted by Simon Cowell). Fridrik has played on various albums and singles including, Jose Carreras, Ronan Keating, Sheryl Crow, Will Young (UK pop idol), Clay Atkin, Kelly Clarkson, Leann Rhimes, Cat Stevens and Il Divo.

Fridrik has great interest in personal development and relaxation practises and holds a Master Practitioner certification in NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis and has also studied the Indian Ayurvedic science in depth as well as Yoga, Reiki and ancient Hawaiian Huna. In 1996 Fridrik started his own label River of light records to devote time to his favourite music practise that is writing and performing New age and spiritual music that he has labelled as the Feel good music collection he has produced more than 15 albums to date.

His music is tuneful yet not distractingly so. It seems to blend wonderfully into a Reiki session and the slow rhythms mark the passage of time but without the timed bell sounds found on some CDs that can detract from a more intuitive approach to Reiki. I have several of his CDs and I like them all but one of my favourites, and a good introduction to Fridrik's style is Peace of Mind.

Click on the button to listen and buy, or click here to check it out on Amazon.

Editor's note: I would like to share a handy tip with those who like to have gentle background music even while they teach. To avoid having repetition of tunes during several hours, as would occur if you simply put a CD in repeat mode, I like to rip my favourite Reiki CDs to mp3 files and then copy them from my PC onto a 1 Gigabyte USB drive. This allows my about 10 hours of continuous music when I plug the USB drive into a CD player that has a USB port. CD players that can automatically change between several CDs are also useful for several hours of music but they often make quite a lot of noise when they change to the next CD.

The weekly waka

I look to the sky
and the night is black velvet.

Stars shine like pinholes
but nearer, with steady glow,
the full moon shines the brightest.

By Colin Powell

Reiki Art

Here is a poster I made in response to a question I saw posed on a Reiki forum: "Should Reiki attunements come with a warning?". That got me thinking about what such a warning might look like:

By Colin Powell

Book Review: Healing Power Beyond Medicine - A Guide to Remove Obstacles and Reclaim Joy by Carol A. Wilson, Ph.D.

By Beth Lowell, Managing Editor

Carol Wilson’s extraordinary book, Healing Power Beyond Medicine, A Guide to Remove Obstacles and Reclaim Joy is an inspiring work, densely packed with fact, case histories and personal observations about what she calls the biopsychosocial-spiritual paradigm.

Don’t let those words scare you though; they mean simply: body, mind and spirit.

Wilson explores not only the dire health situations we face today from cancer and suicide, to the prohibitive expense of medical care and the toll prescription drugs take on the human body, but also offers solid and easy techniques to achieve optimum health, wellness and joy.

One quiet sentence not far into the first section of the book that discusses how the present model of healing got to where it is today reveals a basic truth: “If we recognized and understood that most diseases are caused by lifestyle behavior, conventional medicine would probably fade away into obscurity.”

What follows is an exploration of actively incorporating spirituality into lifestyle, how to remove obstacles to healing (and what they are) and a comprehensive and clearly written explanation of five tools for healing: mindfulness, meditation, sound healing, Reiki and aromatherapy using therapeutic grade essential oils.

Quotations from Buddha, the Bible, Rumi, and a host of other poets, saints and spiritual leaders are peppered throughout along with inspirational poetry and transformational stories taken from case histories of Wilson’s clients.

Her message is a call to recognize the value of the body, mind and spirit connection in healing, to integrate science and spirituality in friendship and to “raise the bar and learn to speak a new – and much needed – global and universal language that understands and experiences the true nature of heart and mind.”

This book is published by O Books and is available at Amazon:

Music we love to practice Reiki by: A review of Celtic Reiki by Chris Conway and Llewellyn

Composer Llewellyn, musician Chris Conway, and guest singer Juliana collaborated on this four selection CD that embraces the Celtic tradition of reverence for Earth and the essences of nature. Each selection takes the listener through its own elemental experience: Earth, fire, water and wind.

Traditional Irish musical instruments, along with bamboo flute, acoustic and electric guitars, among others, sounds of nature and layers of the human voice blend to create a new age fusion of east and west. Liner notes include guided meditations for those who wish to take the journey, but this CD is also perfect for Reiki treatments or other meditation.

This CD lasts just 58 seconds over an hour and will leave you feeling refreshed, renewed and connected to nature.