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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The weekly waka

Nick
 
Moon glow, crystal snow
Velvet diamond studded sky
Up over, down 'round
Magic flying through the air
A presence seen, felt and heard
 
by Jean Bromage

Monday, November 28, 2011

Hands on Healing under the microscope in the UK - what will it mean for the future of Reiki?

By Heather Alexander
A full experimental trial into hands on healing on patients suffering with bowel disease is underway in a UK hospital. It’s the brain child of Dr Sukhdev Singh, a Gastroenterologist. He put together a team including researchers from the University of Birmingham and supporters from the Holistic Healthcare charity Freshwinds to look into into the effects of Healing Therapy on 200 of his patients. Healing Therapy is not exactly Reiki but the level of credibility of the study means the results could be extremely helpful for the analysis and evaluation of all forms of hands of healing.
“In some people the results have been amazing,” Dr Singh says. He started pushing for the study after working with a hands on healer for 5 years. She volunteered to give 20 minute sessions to his bowel disease patients alongside their regular healthcare treatment. “I’d seen so many people I didn’t have a solution for, they would have abdominal pain, diarrhea, sometimes I wouldn’t even have a diagnoses for them.” Plus he found those he could diagnose, like people with Crohns disease, he might not actually be able to help. “I felt frustrated and was keen to better serve people.” Cue the hands on healer he had met. Dr Singh says he noticed patients symptoms were better even after just one treatment and that made him want to study what was going on in a more in depth way, “I have seen some amazing results, but still want to be scientific and objective so that the results will be credible to a broad range of people.”
The study involves 200 volunteers, all have some form of bowel disease or disorder; Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel Disease which includes Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns. These are conditions where very little can be offered as conventional treatment, only reactive, after the event medications are available. Half will receive 30 minutes of hands on healing per week for 5 weeks, the other half will wait for three months, then they will also receive Healing Therapy. This provides 12 weeks to directly compare the results of those being treated and those not. “We have had pilots before but they don’t really mean enough,” says Tom Kingstone from the Charity Freshwinds, a partner in the bid to get the trial funded.
In the pilot, 180 patients were surveyed after a single 20 minute session of Healing Therapy. Afterwards patients reported feeling more relaxed, less physical discomfort and a general increase in well being. The pilot also revealed a wish that the treatment be more readily available. Tom says, “The results of the pilot were particularly impressive, especially considering the small duration of the therapy received by the patient. However, in order to confirm the effectiveness of Healing Therapy, a high quality clinical trial is required.” This time they will use a set of questionnaires to measure what they call ‘key criteria’ which will include severity of symptoms and quality of life. If the results show enough of a positive impact the trial could be used to argue for Healing Therapy being offered as standard in UK hospitals for people with these illnesses.
Of course some might not accept that the results show us anything about the effectiveness of Reiki as it’s not the focus of the trial but it is difficult to see a huge difference between the two practices. Healing Therapy is taught by the Healing Trust which was founded in 1954 and has 50 healing centers throughout the UK staffed by volunteers. They describe healing as a completely natural process, thought to be the flow of beneficial energy between the healer and the recipient. According to their website “they work with their hands at a short distance or just touching the body” and advise that patients may feel “tingling, heat, coolness or even discomfort coming to the surface to be released as the healing energy works”. However, one of the reasons Healing Therapy was chosen for the trial was because their standardized training program gives a high level of accountability. Practitioners have had a minimum of 2 years training, must pass standard final assessments and adhere to a professional Code of Conduct. This highlights a common problem for Reiki practitioners; how do we rate our service in a way that people can understand and fairly judge when there are so many differing ways of training and practicing?
The trial has been running since July 2010 with the results due in 2012 - they should garner quite alot of interest. It is funded by the UK’s National Lottery fund which is a national grant scheme. When this project was awarded two hundred thousand pounds last year ($320k) it made the UK’s national papers with some angry that public money was being used to research what a minority branded “voodoo”. Dr Singh says there were some negative comments from outside the hospital but he doesn’t really have a strong feeling about them, “I have a scientific background, I studied molecular biology, if I’d heard about laying on of hands I would also have been skeptical.”
Within the hospital (Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, England) people have been mostly supportive of his open minded approach. “My colleagues have got used to me,” he says. Dr Singh’s been making use of mindfulness, yoga and meditation for some time, “I’ve found most people to be really quite welcoming because I am one of them.” He says some therapists borrow language from doctors and use it in a way that they don’t understand which can put people off. “I’ve managed to avoid doing that because I only claim what I can fairly claim.” As well as thorough research trials like the one at his hospital, Dr Singh has taken Reiki levels 1 and 2, has studied Qi Gong and had Qi Gong healing sessions. He says he’s also very interested in mindfulness because he found it was something he can actually participate in which he sees as the most important thing. Wisely he states, “You can talk about all this but in the end these are practical things, you need you own meditation practice, it’s the most grounding thing you can do.”

You can read more about Freshwinds here, and The Healing Trust here.

What are your thoughts about using Reiki for Bowel disease? Do you have experience of Healing Therapy or have you ever come across problems because Reiki training isn't standardized? Let us know here....



Brooklyn Reiki expands to Texas!

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Brooklyn Reiki and it’s founder Heather Alexander will now be teaching and offering sessions in Houston, Texas.
Heather has a new country abode near Clearlake so if you are in the area and interested in Reiki get in touch via her website brooklynreiki.com or by emailing brooklynreiki@gmail.com
Classes and sessions also continue once a month in New York City - the next practice night is December 12th 7pm at Reflections Yoga studio in Manhattan. She would love to see you there!
All teaching is based around a classical Japanese approach. Heather is pleased to have studied with Frans Stiene of the International House of Reiki, the late Margaret Ann Case of Reiki Arts Continuum and Allison Brice from the Aurora Reiki Center in London’s Convent Garden. She also practices Qi Gong with legendary Chinese Master Robert Peng.

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Reiki perspectives: Reiki, grounding and meditation

Meditation is the mother of healing, and of Reiki practice, yet many Reiki practitioners find meditation elusive. If you think you can't meditate, think again. Lovingkindness meditation is arguably the easiest meditation practice, one which builds on our natural inclination to wish others well. Read more     

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Reiki perspectives: Reiki practitioner care and feeding

Yes, Reiki practice is safe. That said, practicing Reiki professionally, and giving initiations, creates a certain wear and tear on the system. The ancient knowledge of Ayurveda offers easy remedies that are as relevant today as they've ever been. Read more ...

Friday, November 04, 2011

Please welcome guest editor Lilia V. Marquez!



Dear readers,

Please join us in welcoming Lilia Marquez as November's guest editor! Lilia is a Critical Care RN, Holistic Nurse, Reiki Practitioner/Teacher-trained in Western and Japanese Reiki, NGH Consulting Hypnotist, Holistic Health Coach, Holistic Healthcare Practitioner, Author, Speaker, Motivator, Blogger, Parent, Friend, and in her words, "Student of the most amazing and greatest school on earth called Life."  She is also one of the Assistant Organizers of NYC Reiki Meetup and Energy Healers NYC.

Thanks, Lilia!

The Power of Gratitude (With thankfulness)


Reiki Precepts
Just for Today
Do not anger
Do not worry
With thankfulness
Work diligently
Be kind to others

The mission of Usui Reiki Ryoho(Healing Art) is to enhance mutual well-being for oneself and others, on one hand, by fulfilling a peaceful and joyful life mentally and physically and, on the other, healing the sick. -USUI Mikao Sensei (1865-1926)

By Lilia Marquez

As a Reiki Practitioner, I strive to live a happy, healthy and peaceful life through my Reiki practice.  Just for Today,  with thankfulness is one of the Reiki precepts.  An attitude of gratitude reminds me to be humble and to be thankful for the many blessings that I have each and everyday. Being grateful and thankful helps me to connect to my Higher Self, to be One with the Higher Source-to the Divine Love and Wisdom. I'm mindful that,  the farther I am from my ego, the purer I am as a Reiki channel.  Reiki is non-duality, the Art of Letting Go and Surrendering.  When I offer Reiki healing, I remember to place my hands, surrender and smile.  It is Reiki who's doing a great job of healing, not me.  As a Reiki practitioner, I am a channel/conduit of the energy of the universe, that is, Reiki. Each one has an innate ability to heal onesef and there's Reiki within all of us.  Reiki awakens the power inside YOU.

Each one has a story and a journey. Life is a journey. This is my story and this is my journey. My Reiki journey began a couple of years ago when I felt I needed healing myself-Mind Body Spirit. Holistic Nursing was introduced in the hospital where I work. I was 3 months away from my graduation from Holistic Nursing when Reiki came to my life. I didn't know anything about Reiki, didn't know of anybody who had Reiki healing, I was intrigued and curious what Reiki is and what Reiki offers as a healing modality for myself. Little did I know at that time that one day, I'll be teaching Reiki myself. Reiki is one of the many healing modalities that one can use to heal oneself. It is very easy and simple to learn. Children can learn Reiki. My 10 year old niece is my youngest Reiki Chuden (Second Degree/Intermediate Teaching) student.

Rei is  mysterious, miraculous, ethereal, transcendental and sacred. Ki means the energy of the Universe. As a Reiki Teacher, I tell my students to remember METS. The Japanese word Reiki can be defined as the miraculous/mysterious, ethereal, transcendental and sacred energy of the universe, which sustains life. Reiki is the name used by Usui Mikao Sensei, Founder of Reiki Ryoho(Healing Art) for the energy of the Universe. Reiki Ryoho (Healing Art) has twofold purposes: healing and spiritual. Reiki is a practice, a way of life guiding me in my spiritual path.

As a Reiki Practitioner/Teacher, I have to be mindful that non-doing and non-thinking is everything. Deeds are criteria of a good Reiki Practitioner and a good Reiki Teacher-what I think, what I say and what I do are very important.  
In 2007, my daughter and I went to Japan, visited the Usui Memorial in Tokyo and climbed Mt. Kurama in Kyoto.  Standing in front of Usui Mikao Sensei's gravesite and Memorial was a humbling experience. I didn't know what to expect, what to think, what to say or what to do.  I asked Sensei for guidance, I want to teach Reiki the way he wants and not what I want. I want his presence in all the classes that I'm planning to teach presence especially during 
attunements. I asked for a sign.... waited for a sign ... Lo and behold... crickets...yes crickets and lots of them singing.  

Mt. Kurama-yama is Reiki's Birthplace, a sacred mountain north of Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan.  Climbing Mt. Kurama with my daughter in 2007 was one of the most amazing and unforgettable experience of my life. USUI Mikao Sensei  attained enlightenment and a healing ability in 1922 at the age of 57 while fasting and meditating in the sacred mountain.
It was almost a three-hour trip from Tokyo to Kyoto via the Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Train, running at speeds of up to 300 km./h).  Mt. Kurama has many temples and shrines. It was an amazing journey walking on the path and feel the energy where USUI Mikao Sensei was 89 y
ears ago.
Reiki is one of the many blessings in my life. With my deepest gratitude and appreciation to  my family, my friends, my Reiki Teachers especially Kathie Lipinski and Inamoto Hyakuten Sensei, my students, my clients, my patients, and to all of you who have been part of my healing journey thus far -Mind Body Spirit.

Gassho,
-Lilia


Contributing Editor's Note
Reiki Precepts are guidelines for Reiki practitioners to strive to follow to live a happy, peaceful and joyful life through Reiki practice. Gassho is a position used for greeting with the palms together and fingers pointing upwards in prayer position. Gassho is an expression of respect, request , faith, thankfulness, prayer and devotion. Because the two hands (duality) are joined together, it expresses the "One-Mind"

The Reiki Roundup


Lake Leelanau, MI,USA: Living, Laughing and Learning - Gail Robinson, an experienced Montessori educator and Hatha Yoga and Reiki practitioner, introduced the technique of "Laughing for No Reason" to cardiac support groups and human service workers and their clientele, as well as to people with Alzheimer's, cancer and MS.

Littleton, MA, USA: Healing Garden in Harvard offers breast cancer patients nature as a backdrop for healing A Lowell resident, she was a member of the first support group at the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, where she learned to meditate, had acupuncture and Reiki treatments and other healing modalities.

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada: The healing power of energy  "Reiki involves placing the hands lightly on or near specific areas of the body. Reiki is spiritual in nature, involving a healing energy to help you find balance in your life."

Queensland, Australia: Enlightening Words from The Diary of a Modern- Day Sufi Webster is a practising Reiki master, an instructor of Reiki, and a qualified natural healing therapist with diplomas in several vibrational therapy techniques.

Conway, NH, USA:  Chronic disease sufferers find relief through Reiki An article written by a Reiki Master about the use of Reiki  as a healing modality and how his clients find relief through Reiki.

Robertsdale, AL, USA
Healing Acres - A Wellness Retreat, opens in Robertsdale  This wellness center offers massages, essential oils, Reiki 1 and 2 and other natural therapies for health and well- being.

Oak Park, IL USA:   My Introduction to Reiki Lisa Browdy says, "I love that Reiki is the empowerment between you and the Source, and I'm just the conduit."

Celeb-Reiki - Nandinii Sen and other celebs!

It is important to live in the present moment Former model and life coach therapist Nandinii Sen talks about her spiritual turn.

Reiki celebrity fans reported to include Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Kate Bosworth, Sandra Bullock, Ellen DeGeneres, Macy Gray, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudsoon, Helen Hunt, Sharon Stone and Naomi Watts.

Music we like to practice Reiki by: Reiki by Llewellyn

Reiki by Llewellyn is one of my favorites, except for the Reiki kanji used in the CD cover, my overall rating (1-5, 5 as the highest rating), I will give this CD 4.5

The selections are very relaxing  and soothing to calm the Mind Body Spirit.   This CD is available on Amazon.

The weekly waka

The gift of Reiki
Healing and spiritual
Just today only
To be happy and healthy
Through the practice of Reiki


by Lilia V. Marquez