Karuna® Reiki

Saturday, I completed level 1 & 2 of Karuna® Reiki. It was an all day class, surrounded by 8 other Reiki Masters.  It was an amazing experience.  Reiki is a Japanese healing technique discovered by Dr. Mikao Usui, a seeker of the healing ability that Jesus passed on to his disciples.  Dr. Usui felt that Jesus would not have passed on this ability to folks on earth if He did not want it to continue, so he made it his life mission to discover what happened to it.  After many moons of searching.. and fasting on Mount Kurama, he had a divine enlightenment and became a powerful healer, legendary in Japan.

I have been a Traditional Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master Teacher for a few years now.  That means that I have been attuned to 4 degrees of Reiki, attaining the highest level of the Usui practice, given the ability to attune and teach others, in addition to being taught Tibetan style Reiki for teaching purposes.  I have been amazed at the miracles I have witnessed in my Reiki journey, never having dreamt of some of the things I have seen.  I am astonished at watching the changes Reiki has created in my students lives and feel supremely blessed to have been given such a gift.

Karuna® Reiki is a system developed by William Rand, a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher who felt led to explore beyond Usui Reiki.  When I first heard of it, I felt it was just a gimmick, just a way for Rand to make money, something made up for when students were finished the attunement process.  I felt that the Usui lineage was pure, the healing perfect, why try and improve upon perfection? But when a class became available in my area, I was intrigued.  I'm a learning nut, perhaps I needed to continue on... why rest on my laurels if there was a possibility of continuing to refine myself? Maybe I was being too judgmental.. or maybe Rand was just crazy.  I waffled back and forth, even posting on facebook to get advice from my buddies, who were all united in the feeling of what did I have to lose? (except a couple hundred bucks LOL)

The long and short of it is: it's amazing. Karuna® is referred to as the Reiki of compassion since it uses symbols from other traditions representing peace, love and wisdom. Karuna is a sanskrit word meaning compassion.  All Reiki works with symbols, sort of a way to really focus your intentions quickly.  Think of drawing a heart in the air.. instantly you feel love, it's a conditioned response.  In Reiki, our symbols condition us to hone in on what our client needs.  In traditional Usui Reiki, there are 3 symbols in level II,  a master symbol in level III and 3 more in the teacher level.  Each time you are attuned to a symbol, it raises the vibration of your energy a bit more. On Saturday, I was attuned to 8, that's right, 8 more symbols.  Lordy.  All in one day.  Each one really refines the original Usui 3.  They are not meant to replace Usui, in fact, they are quite an enhancement.  Usui symbols sort of remind me of the Christian tradition of Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  Karuna® reminds me of  the Hindu tradition of different gods for different purposes, Karuna® is love, peace, wisdom, grounding, etc. Together they create a full circle of healing.

We had a Reiki Share today that was so wonderful. Our Healers got the opportunity to work on some new brave souls who had never tried Reiki before. They got to work on each other. Everyone was exclaiming all day about how powerful the energy was today, even more so than usual.  What they didn't know was that before they got there I had infused the room with both Usui and Karuna® symbols. I think this is going to be a wonderful addition to our practice.

Now if I could just figure out how to shorten my "title".  Traditional Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master Teacher &  Karuna® Healer seems a bit excessive, don't you think? :)

Love & Peace coming your way...

Happy New Year!

We had such a wonderful time today in our new center, filling both our "wondrous blue" yoga studio and "amazing violet" workshop room with beautiful yogis.  Linda and I are so grateful to have had our center blessed with such positive yoga energy. Many thanks to so many of you who contributed your efforts, energy, time and prayers into making this dream a reality.

In January we hear much talk about New Year's Resolutions, which often feel like unattainable goals.  I prefer to think them as my best intentions. The beginning of a new year is a great time to think about what has been working for us, what hasn't, and what we are willing to do about that.

I have recently been meditating on the Reiki Creed:
Just for today, I will not worry.
Just for today, I will not anger.
I will do my work honestly and diligently.
I will show kindness to all living things, and
I will be grateful.

I think it's the Just For Today part of of the creed makes it feel more possible - although sometimes I think "just for this moment" is a big enough commitment.  The whole year seems too big.  I know I will worry. I know I'll get angry, but maybe I can lay those aside just for today, just for right now.

 And "doing my work honestly and diligently" isn't the same as doing my work perfectly.  What a relief that is to realize.

Barry reminded me about showing kindness to all living things today when he was ushering a fly out of the yoga studio before our big opening today. Sometimes flies are easier to be kind to than people, but just for today, I will show kindness. 

And I have so much to be thankful for, so many people, so much love. Today I am deeply grateful.

Reiki Healing

The last 2 weeks have been very busy with Reiki appointments.  Reiki is great for stress reduction and try as we may, we do get caught up in holiday frenzy; my regular clients know that Reiki will chill them out, help them relax and remind them of what is really important.  Spending an hour resting on a massage table, with soothing music playing, an aromatherapy pillow over your eyes, having someone hold your hand, can make all the difference in how you approach the nuttiness of the season.  Sometimes it can even make the difference between life and death, sadly. It doesn't matter whether you believe in the Reiki or not, whether you meditate or sleep, or whether you talk and laugh or even cry through the whole hour.  It seems to work no matter how much we try and get in the way!

The blessing of Reiki is that it works for both the Healer and the client.  I've been REALLY stressed lately, Ann & I have had some big decisions to make with our new partnership, I really think the Reiki has saved us!  When we pray for our client, we pray to be a conduit or a channel, allowing the energy to flow through us into wherever the client needs it.  Since it's not our energy, we can't help but be healed in the process as well.  Many times I will come into an appointment feeling depleted... and come out rejuvenated and energized, what a gift!  The prayer is for the highest intention of the highest good, that we may both be blessed and blessed we are.

While I LOVE getting a massage, sometimes it feels like work, especially if I am drained or feeling fragile.  Let's face it, when you are already feeling pounded by the world sometimes it's hard to take one more thing.. even a beautiful massage.  Reiki feels more gentle, you are hardly touched, and when you are, it is soothing, loving and kind, which is what most of us hunger for.  Many people are stunned that they are brought to tears, they ask why, they can't figure it out, "what am I crying about?".  It's that deep need to be touched, to be held, to be comforted, unconditionally, without reciprocation, to just receive.  It's my deepest pleasure to see a client finally let go, take a deep breath, and allow themselves to relax and be comforted, it never ceases to bring a smile to my face when I see them release all those years of tension into Reiki bliss.

You really should try it yourself sometime :)

Just for today, I will not worry.
Just for today, I will not be angry.
I will be kind to all living creatures.
I will do my work honestly and diligently.
And I will show gratitude for everything.

Reiki Creed~Dr. Usui Sensei