Wellspring Reiki

March Meetup

2009-03-23T10:46:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone who attended the March 22 Atlanta Reiki Meetup. It was great seeing old friends and new faces as we gathered to discuss healing approaches and practice Reiki.

If you don't yet know Reiki and are interested in learning more about it (including a Reiki experience), these regular Meetups are a great introduction. To get on the e-mail list for future events, sign up at http://reiki.meetup.com/294/.

I typically hold an event every other month, regularly attracting about 20 or so folks. It's free, and it's fun.

These events are open to Reiki practitioners are open not only to my past students, but also to those who've learned Reiki other places. All are welcome.

I'll be scheduling a May event soon. Stay tuned.

Feeling Fine in 2009

2009-02-17T09:40:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone's 2009 is off to a strong start. If you pay close attention to the news, it's easy to believe that the sky is falling all around us. And, indeed, times are tough for many people.

But at times like these, it's helpful to remember that the universe is endlessly abundant. If we focus on what we want (instead of negativity), we can manifest many wonderful experiences and opportunities in our lives.

Here's a Louise Hay affirmation that I think is perfect for these times: "I now go beyond other people's fears and limitations. It is my mind that creates my experiences. I am unlimited in my own ability to create the good in my life."

In addition to Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life," Wayne Dyer's "Manifest Your Destiny" is a great book on harnessing the creative power of your mind and intention. It's not just about amassing stuff. His book is a great reminder to be the best person you can be.

Cheers!

Brad

Master Cleanse

2008-11-09T11:45:00.004-05:00

This is my seventh day on the Master Cleanse diet (essentially a fast for 10 days, or longer). I'd been thinking of doing this for over a year, but finally decided the timing was perfect this month and set a start date. It helped that one of my Usui Reiki Master students (also a neighbor) decided to do it at the same time. It's always great to have someone to help motivate you.

I'd never read much about this diet until another Reiki student of mine in October 2007 told me he'd recently completed it, raving about the health benefits he received. I was intrigued, but not eating for 10 days and only receiving nutrition from a lemonade concoction seemed rather daunting, I'll admit.

Easier than Expected

But it's been a lot easier than I thought. They say (and I agree) that the third day is the worst. After that, you just keep feeling better and better, for the most part. I've experienced periods of greater clarity than I've known in quite some time, and I've had a surprising amount of energy (enough for intense workouts), even feeling Reiki flow through me more powerfully.

And hunger pangs have been few and far between. That has to do with what's in the lemonade. You make it with freshly squeezed organic lemons, organic grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. The lemons have lots of vitamins and enzymes, the syrup provides multiple minerals and glucose fuel, and the cayenne pepper's heat increases metabolism and stimulates circulation, increasing detoxification.

All You Need

According to Stanley Burroughs, who developed the increasingly popular Master Cleanse decades ago, the lemonade provides the body with all the nutrition you need for the 10 to 40 days you fast.

I won't say it tastes terribly good. In fact, it's pretty bad. But I've grown to look forward to my 6 to 12 glasses a day because they do immediately satisfy my hunger. You also do a salt water flush in the morning and drink laxative tea at night to help keep your bowels moving.

As of the start of the 7th day, I've lost a little more than 10 pounds. But weight loss shouldn't be one's only motivation for undertaking the Master Cleanse. The greatest benefit for me, I feel, will be cleansing from all the toxins I've accumulated over the past 39 years (particularly in my unhealthy youth). I'm hoping any remaining allergies disappear into history.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

After I complete the cleanse, I'm committing to maintaining a much healthier diet consisting primarily of raw foods (virtually vegan), a lifestyle I've flirted with for stretches in the past. They say if you don't make healthy dietary adjustments (not necessarily vegan), most of the weight (and more importantly the toxins) you lost will come right back.

I know I'll feel a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the 10th day as I prepare to ease back onto solid foods. But who knows, I may be feeling so great that I decide to go for 20.

Do Your Homework

I did quite a bit of research on this cleanse before deciding to undertake it. There are "experts" who say cleansing is unnecessary because the body already has amazing powers of detoxification.

However, I strongly believe our bodies are breathing and ingesting an incredible amount of environmental toxins that we simply weren't build to handle. I see plenty of people come into my office who need all the detoxification help they can get.

I've also noticed that the fiercest critics of this cleanse are people who've never tried it. I haven't found a single testimonial from a Master Cleanser who didn't feel great about doing it.

Of course, not every diet is for everyone. Before considering starting this, do your homework. Maybe talk to your doctor if you have some complicating health issues (diabetes, pregnancy, etc.).

But give it some thought.

Calling All Angels

2008-09-19T11:21:00.008-04:00

I don't know much about numerology. But one of my past Karuna Master students who does wonderful angel readings told me awhile back that numerical sequences are one of the ways in which spirit communicates with us.

Recently I felt nudged to do a little reading on it, checking out angel expert Doreen Virtue's Website, reading excerpts from her new book Angel Numbers.

Virtue writes: "Number-sequence interpretation is an easy way to receive messages from your angels. Numerals are everywhere, from digital clocks to billboards to license plates. Each number has a unique vibrational frequency relating directly to its meaning."

Ever had the experience of seeing the same numerical sequence repeatedly? Maybe something like consistently happening to look at the clock when it's 11:11.

Virtue listed meanings for some of the sequences, including 444:

"444 - Thousands of angels surround you at this moment, loving and supporting you. You have a very strong and clear connection with the angelic realm, and are an Earth angel yourself. You have nothing to fear—all is well."

When I was first starting my Reiki practice years ago and bought a cell phone for the business, the number I got was 404-444-6924.

I e-mailed Sherri, my former student who's the angel intuitive, about it the other day, and she replied: "It's funny you mention that. Your 444 phone number stood out to me from the very beginning -- and that, among other things, made me feel like I was being led to you."

I think that's pretty cool. Angels are there for all of us. All we have to do is ask for their guidance and help.

Count me among the believers

2008-09-18T11:14:00.004-04:00

From TIME:
Guardian Angels Are Here, Say Most Americans
By David Van Biema Thursday, Sep. 18, 2008

More than half of all Americans believe they have been helped by a guardian angel in the course of their lives, according to a new poll by the Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion. In a poll of 1700 respondents, 55% answered affirmatively to the statement, "I was protected from harm by a guardian angel." The responses defied standard class and denominational assumptions about religious belief; the majority held up regardless of denomination, region or education — though the figure was a little lower (37%) among respondents earning more than $150,000 a year.

Research Shows....

2008-06-13T18:05:00.002-04:00

Just saw this news article on Reiki online. Very interesting story from the University of Arizona.

UA Researcher Takes Energy Healing From the Laboratory to the Corral

By Janet Stark, Arizona Health Sciences Center June 12, 2008

Ann Baldwin has spent years studying Reiki, or "universal energy healing," and has now expanded her research beyond the walls of the laboratory to work with horses and dogs.

Baldwin, a research professor of physiology in The University of Arizona College of Medicine, has written about her observations in an article published in the current issue of International Therapist.

Baldwin studies emotional and environmental stress and how both increase vulnerability to disease. She also studies the damaging effects of such stress and how it might be neutralized.
Several years ago, her interest in these areas led her to a study of Reiki.

She explains that by using their hands, Reiki practitioners are able to sense energy fields that surround living creatures. Practitioners also can detect areas of imbalance. Giving Reiki is purported to alleviate stress by adjusting imbalances that may be present in the mind, body and spirit.

When first introduced to Reiki, Baldwin was skeptical. But she was able to observe that the practice did, in fact, produce beneficial physiological changes. This compelled her to look more closely and to become a Reiki practitioner herself.

Since then, she has published research about the therapeutic effects of Reiki on stress in laboratory animals in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, with the most recent article published in April.

She has documented the effects of Reiki on Reiki practitioners, measuring changes in blood flow, skin conductance and heart rate variability.

In her recent article, "Reiki: What Animals Can Tell Us," Baldwin describes her work with dogs and horses and suggests that the animals' responses to Reiki might bring us closer to understanding how it works.

She notes that animals are more sensitive than people to energy fields – their own and others' – and that this is how they gain information about people and other animals.

Citing a 2003 study from the University of Florida about dogs that are able to detect impending seizures in their owners, Baldwin notes one explanation for the phenomenon: Animals may be detecting changes in the electromagnetic fields of their owners' brains.

Also, she has found that horses respond immediately to Reiki – even if given from a distance – by coming to the practitioner and sniffing the backs of his or her hands. The smell they notice seems to appear only when Reiki is given.

Baldwin suggests horses will allow Reiki to work on them to bring them back to balance, promoting natural healing. She also said they will give the practitioner a sign, such as a nudge with the nose, when they have had enough, thus controlling how much they will take and under what circumstances.

For both horses and dogs, Reiki produces profound relaxation. Horses respond with classic signs – licking and chewing, lowering the head, allowing the eyes to close. Dogs often sit or lie down, lower their heads and close their eyes.

Convinced that Reiki produces beneficial physiological effects, Baldwin hopes to discover how it works. She looks to the animals for their authentic responses, noting that animals are not biased either by skepticism or positive expectations.

Observing the animals' responses, she says, can bring us closer to understanding how Reiki produces its beneficial effects by helping us learn what questions to ask.

"Then," she said, "we can use this knowledge to enhance our communication skills and bring balance to ourselves and to others."

Personality Type

2008-05-02T12:32:00.003-04:00

A friend sent me a link to an online Myers-Briggs personality test today. It had been years since I'd taken one. Apparently, I'm an INFP (introverted, intuitive, feeling and perceptive), which sounds about right. Here's a description I found online:

"INFPs are quiet, creative, sensitive and perceptive souls who often strike others as shy, reserved and cool. These folks have a rare capacity for deep caring and commitment--both to the people and causes they idealize.

"INFPs guide their behavior by a strong inner sense of values, rather than by conventional logic and reason. Forced to cope with this facts-and-figures "real" world we inhabit, INFPs may appear to have been imported from another galaxy!

"They gravitate toward creative or human service careers which allow them to use their instinctive sens of empathy and remarkable communication skills. Strongly religious, spiritual or philosophical people, INFPs may see the purpose of their lives as an inner journey, quest or personal unfolding.

"More practical or rational types may tend to discredit the INFP's sources of understanding as mystical. The search for a soulmate is a preoccupation for many INFPs, who must balance their need for privacy and peace with their yearning for human connection. If there seems to be an air of sadness in the INFP's spirit, blame it on this type's longing for the perfect in all things."

I especially like the "imported from another galaxy" part. I wonder how my cats would score :)

Here's a link to the test, if you're curious about yourself:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

Power Thought for the Day

2008-04-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

"My work is deeply fulfilling. Today I give my best to that which I do, knowing that when one experience is complete, I am led to even more fulfilling and rewarding experiences."

- Louise Hay, "Power Thought Cards"

April Reiki Meetup

2008-04-24T11:21:00.002-04:00

I'm very pleased by how the April 20 Reiki Meetup went last Sunday. The event drew many of the regulars from the local Reiki community as well as some new faces.

During my turn on one of the tables, I was overcome with wonderful feelings of gratitude and blessedness for manifesting so many great people into my world.

I've noticed recently that more of my past students and others in the community are getting serious about starting their own practices (Reiki or other types of workshops). I've very excited about the ripple effect we're all having as lightworkers. The world needs many more!

Spring into Action

2008-03-21T13:33:00.003-04:00

It's March 21 and spring is here! Time really flies. I just had to push back my appt. with my tax helper. Running my own business makes that process more complicated than it used to be.

I can't believe it's been more than a month since my last blog entry. What can I say? It's been a busy month. Lots on my mind, but not a lot of time spent recording it here.

Upcoming things I'm excited about it:

* In April, I'm going to begin teaching La-Ho-Chi, a powerful energy healing system, to those who are already Reiki Masters and adept at working with energy. Stay tuned for details on my Website.

* On April 20, I'm holding the next Atlanta Reiki Meetup event. See http://reiki.meetup.com/294/calendar/7576758/ if you're interested. Since taking over these events last September, their popularity has far exceeded my expectations. The March event filled up completely with 24 people. I just posted the April event, and it's already more than half full. Sign up quick!

* I've learned how to do regressions in my ongoing hypnotherapy training, and I'm excited about using these to help people not only identify the roots of problems in their lives, but also heal those issues. The first person I gave a serious regression to in my class is a professional counselor, and she kept telling me I have a real gift for this -- which was a real confidence boost, considering her background.

* It's time to spring clean and let go of a lot of stuff I don't need (starting with the bedroom). I'm getting a wonderful new bed tomorrow, which will require me to clear out a lot of stuff. I won't be able to use the underneath of the new bed like a storage closet. Having good feng shui in my sleeping area is important!

* I'm going to an Easter-egg painting party (for adults) tonight in my 'hood. Can't make the Egg hunt on Sunday, though, because I'm teaching a Karuna Master class.

Springtime Happy Thought (courtesy of Louise Hay):

"My future is glorious. I now live in limitless love, light, and joy. All is well in my world."

Synthesis

2008-02-20T18:51:00.006-05:00

I'm really excited about how everything is evolving with my healing practice.

I've know for a long time that hypnotherapy would ultimately be an important part of what I do. I just didn't realize how naturally it would integrate with the Reiki.

Now at the 'professional hypnotist' level of certification, I have to perform 100 hours of documented hypnotherapy sessions outside of many class hours to earn the 'certified clinical hypnotherapist' title.

I've got a long way to go, but I'm off to a good start. Thankfully, some of my regular Reiki clients have been open to my hybrid Reiki/hypnotherapy work. I've gotten terrific feedback, too!

These experiences have made me realize how just how valuable my extensive background as a professional writer is going to be to the evolution of my practice.

Over the past 15 years, I've interviewed hundreds and hundreds of people about their lives and careers for stories in various publications. I've learned how to make people feel relaxed and comfortable about opening up, and I've greatly enhanced my intuition about the right lines of questioning to pursue.

All that experience is paying off because the interview is the first part of a hypnotherapy session. The client tells me the issue they'd like to work on, and I get them to tell me all about it as a confidential listener.

Then I take a quick break to compose some related affirmations to suggest verbally to their subconscious mind during hypnosis.

If you've read through this blog, it's pretty obvious that I love affirmations. I like to call them "Happy Thoughts."

And I'm just delighted that all my years of drafting PR spin and fluff (sounds like a laundry cycle) have turned me into such a natural at writing these. My hypnotherapy teacher and fellow students have commented on this gift.

I could be the next Louise Hay of Happy Thought writers!

So after the interview and composition of around 10 appropriate affirmations, I get clients on the table and start with a short hypnotherapy induction (circulating relaxation throughout their body, counting down from 5 to 1, etc.) to get them into a deeply relaxed alpha state (a suggestable state).

Then I begin giving Reiki with the suggestion that their body take all the energy it needs to heal deeply on all levels: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritual. I've not been surprised at all that people tend to pull much more Reiki through me after that suggestion.

Then I continue on with the Reiki session, following my intuition about appropriate times to give verbal suggestions during the session. I'm actually silent for most of the session.

I'm finding that as I work on particular parts of the body, the perfect-seeming suggestion often pops into my head (sometimes completely different or significantly more polished than the ones I'd planned on). Sometimes it even feels like my guides are feeding them to me.

I might also give suggestions involving visualizations designed to improve their energy flow.

Sometimes a simple suggestion can generate an instantaneous physiological response. For example, a lot of people carry tension in their necks, which feel superhot when I work on them. I've found that simply saying something along the lines of "all the muscles in your neck going loose and limp" immediately changes the energy for the better.

While I've got a lot of training and experimentation ahead of me, the healing possibilities of hypnosis combined with energywork is seeming pretty boundless! I once ran across a Website for a center somewhere offering "Reikinosis." That's not what I want to call my services, but I like the concept!

During my sessions, I bring clients out of the hypnotic state feeling freshed after I finish providing Reiki. Then we go over the affirmations that resonated most with them.

After they leave, I make an audio recording of the induction and those suggestions. I send or give the recording to them later so that they can listen to it on their own to deepen the reprogramming in their subconscious.

I recently worked with one woman on the issues of feeling empowered to stand up for herself as well as following intuitive/spiritual guidance. She sent me the nicest note later:

"I have to tell you again that I think that hypnosis was really good for me. I've had several instances and situations hit me in the face with the 'standing up for myself' issue, as well as one thing after another of clearly reading guidance. I was already heading down that path but I think the hypnosis just kicked it into high gear! Like I said originally, it was no coincidence that I was led to you so strongly!"

Please note: I continue to provide sessions that are pure energywork. Sometimes adding in the hypnosis is the right way to go; sometimes I feel guided otherwise. I would never try to force hypnosis on someone who wasn't comfortable with it.

Wisdom for the Day

2008-01-29T00:34:00.000-05:00

"I create wonderful new beliefs for myself. Life is very simple. I create my experiences by my thinking and feeling patterns. What I believe about myself and about life becomes true for me."

"I love myself totally in the now. I am gentle, kind, and comforting to my inner child as we uncover and release the old, negative messages within us."

- Louise Hay, "Wisdom Cards" deck

Inner Peace

2008-01-25T11:25:00.000-05:00

"I am at peace. Divine peace and harmony surround and dwell in me. I feel tolerance, compassion, and love for all people, myself included."

- Louise Hay, "Power Thought Cards"

Always Do Your Best

2008-01-24T11:35:00.000-05:00

"Your best is changing all the time. Your best will depend on whether you are refreshed in the morning or tired at night. Your best will be different when you are happy as opposed to upset, or healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret."

- Don Miguel Ruiz, "Four Agreements" card deck

New Chapter

2008-01-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I just completed my first intensive weekend of training to become a certified hypnotherapist. I plan to finish the 300-hour course by July.

I'm very excited about the opportunity to help others using hypnotherapy. It's something I've regularly used on myself for years (see the self-hypnosis page of my Website: http://www.wellspringreiki.com/wellspringhypnosis.htm).

I believe it will serve as a powerful complement to the energywork I perform. Many self-sabotaging programs have been absorbed by people's subconscious minds over the years.

The subconscious is very childlike (about the level of a two year old) and believes much of what it's told. Think about how many negative beliefs about yourself and life (often untrue) probably reside in your subconscious.

What kinds of self-criticism do you feed yourself? Probably much more than you consciously realize (your "coulda, shoulda, woulda" thoughts).

Many people employ positive affirmations ("I'm good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like me") to help reprogram themselves. Such suggestions are much more effective if they're communicated directly to the subconscious through hypnosis.

Many people believe that they can't be hypnotized. This is essentially a myth. People who consider themselves immune misunderstand the nature of the hypnotic state.

The "alpha" state is a hypnotic state. We all spend at least half our day in the alpha state: when we become deeply engrossed by movies or books, daydream, or perform daily activities on automatic pilot. Ever arrive at your destination in the car and realize you can't really recall the last five miles?

My first experience with intentional hypnosis was in 1997 when I visited a psychologist to help me quit smoking. She got me deeply relaxed and guided me through a series of visualizations related to my life experiences with smoking.

When we were done, I could remember everything she suggested. I wasn't sure whether I'd really been hypnotized, but realized I had been in the coming days when the urge to smoke basically vanished (and I'd been a hardcore smoker, even though I knew I badly needed to quit for my health).

I sent a friend to the same counselor. He dismissed the idea that the hypnosis had worked, but he didn't smoke for the next six months (and he'd been a pretty heavy smoker, too).

He only returned to his old habit when he allowed himself to have "just one" while visiting a smoky bar with his chain-smoking mother in New York. The hypnotherapist had warned us that people who'd quit for more than a decade often return to smoking full force within days of trying "just one" because the body has memory and always remembers the pattern.

Hypnotherapy can't make you do anything you don't really WANT to do on some essential level. If you don't have a strong urge to quit smoking, it probably won't work.

Nobody can make you cluck like a chicken for the rest of your life without your permission. People who do crazy things in hypnotic stage shows understand what they're agreeing to when they volunteer to participate. The stage hypnotists can really influence those people, but only because they have some element of hammy performer within themselves that can be engaged.

Most hypnotherapists aren't interested in entertainment. They understand the nature of the mind and want to help people change their lives and reach those goals.

The self-hypnosis technique I've included on my site (see link above) is an easy meditation that almost anyone could learn to master. But it might not be the right technique for everyone. Some people might respond better to the suggestions of a professional hypnotherapist who can easily guide them into that alpha state.

I foresee that I will often hypnotic techniques in conjunction with Reiki to help people get deeply relaxed during energywork sessions. I could guide them through visualizations about healing particularly physical issues and remove obstacles that at the subconscious level that people prevent people from healing.

I have much training to complete before I fully understand all of the possibilities.But I'm certain that hypnotherapy will become an important part of my practice, enabling me to do more than ever to help many, many people.

I actually identified hypnotherapy as inevitable part of my career path shortly before I decided to start a Reiki practice. It's taken me six years to get around to taking the training, but I really feel that I'm doing it at the perfect time. I needed to strongly focus on pure Reiki for a long time before pursuing this path.

I believe there's much truth to the saying the student will find the right teacher when they are ready.

I actually identified the woman I'm training with, Jane Ann Covington of Hypnosis Institute International, several years ago, but when I called her she was taking an extended sabbatical from teaching. But in hindsight, it wasn't the right time (certainly not financially).

I started feeling strongly compelled to find the right training program again in the fall, but the one I was considering just didn't feel right. When one of my recent Master students brought up the training hypnotherapy program they were about to begin at the last Reiki Meetup Jan. 12, I just intuitively knew it was the right option for me as well.

I'm very thankful to be going through the program with someone I already know (who's actually a neighbor to boot!). We plan to practice on each other a lot!

During the first part of the course, the hypnotherapy exercises I performed on my self and others just came so naturally to me.

I've often been told over the years that I have a "soft, soothing" voice. Playing back the recordings of myself from the class made me realize that my voice is really a gift (even though I've felt critical of it at times in the past). I plan to eventually market professional hypnotherapy recordings of myself.

I'm extremely excited about all the possibilities!

New Day

2008-01-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

"Surrender and let go of the past. Whatever like takes away from you, let it go. When you surrender and let go of the past, you allow yourself to be fully alive in the moment. Letting go of the past means that you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now."

- Don Miguel Ruiz, "The Four Agreements" card deck

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T20:07:00.000-05:00

The hectic pace of the holidays has kept me away from my blog for too long. I've been so busy with the trip back to North Carolina and a subsequent house guest here in Atlanta that I haven't given much thought to what my New Year's resolution should be.

There are plenty of things I'd like to manifest personally and professionally in 2008, but I'm going to follow Wayne Dyer's advice and refrain from discussing these goals and desires here.

In his terrific book, "Manifest Your Destiny," which is about the law of attraction, Dyer advises that: "What you want to attract is a private matter between yourself and God. Discussing it with others will dissipate the energy in the direction of ego and the opinions of others.

"Outwardly, be mysterious and silent while inwardly you have faith in your ability to make conscious contact with the energy that is the source of existence. Let go of the need to convince anyone of the rightness of your position. Remain independent of the good opinion of others and keep yourself fixed on your ability to attract whatever it is that you previously thought was missing in your life."

Right About Now

2007-12-20T14:42:00.000-05:00

"The point of power is always in the present moment. The past is over and done and has no power over me. I can begin to be free in this moment. Today's thoughts create my future. I am in charge. I now take my power back. I am safe, and I am free."

- Lousie Hay, "Power thought Cards"

All Will Be Revealed

2007-12-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

"I am at peace. I relax and enjoy life. I know that whatever I need to know is revealed to me in the perfect time and space sequence."

- Louise Hay, "Wisdom Cards"

Right Course of Action

2007-12-12T00:10:00.000-05:00

"Take action without expecting a reward. Do your best and take the action because you love it, not because you expect a reward. When you take action without expecting a reward, you enjoy every action, and you can even receive greater rewards than you imagined."

- Don Miguel Ruiz, "The Four Agreements" cards

Noncompetitive Spirit

2007-12-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

After recently teaching one of my day-long Reiki classes, I met a friend for dinner who asked me, “Aren’t you glutting the market with Reiki teachers?”

My own teacher said her family thought it was crazy that she was training so many people to do her job.

However, many members in the Reiki community discourage the idea of competition between various practitioners and teachers, believing that such rivalry goes against the harmonious spirit of Reiki.

The thinking is that there aren’t nearly enough practitioners and teachers to give Reiki to the billions and billions of people who could benefit from healing sessions and training classes.

And thankfully it is true that Reiki is rapidly gaining in popularity as more and more people look for holistic alternatives to Western medicine and seek deeper spiritual connection.

It would be wonderful to live in a world where everyone was interested in healing themselves and others through practices like Reiki. Our collective consciousness and vibration could be raised to the point where the cooperative spirit pervaded more than the competitive spirit; where we realized that helping worked so much better than hurting one another.

I feel so blessed to play a small part in that consciousness expansion through my Reiki classes and hope that the ripple effect of my work is much greater than I can even imagine. Those ripples swell into much greater waves of change when my past students start practices of their own.

Many people who take Reiki classes have little or no intention of ever starting a practice, and that’s perfectly fine. Reiki is a wonderful tool to have for one’s personal evolution on all levels (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) and to use to help loved ones.

When I took my introductory Reiki class in 1996, it was purely to help myself heal physically from six years of chain smoking. I had no clue I’d be doing this professionally by 2002.

It took me six years to get around to starting my own practice. There’s no telling how many of my many students to date will eventually feel called to share in this work.

In fact, a lot of my students have expressed interest in eventually starting their own practices, and a handful of them already have. A couple of those have started and stopped, for whatever reasons.

Three of my students, Jim Leach (Kevala Reiki in Marietta, Ga.), Levar Nevers (Soul Expression Reiki in Atlanta) and Nancy Flaherty (A Reiki Experience in Snellville, Ga.) recently posted Websites for their new practices (see the Links section of my main site). I know that more are on the way.

I tell everyone interested in starting their own practice that a Web presence is really important in this day and age when we’re much more likely to Google (in the verb sense) than “let our fingers do the walking” in the Yellow Pages.

That’s why it’s really important for any business (and a Reiki practice is a business) to turn up high in the search engines. When people look for Reiki in Atlanta, I want my site to come up near the top, and I employ the necessary strategies to make it so.

Which leads me back to competition. Sometimes I feel a little competitive (gasp!). My concern over search-engine placement is a perfect example. We can’t all show up in the top 10, although I wish we could.

Since childhood, we’ve had the notion of competition ingrained deeply into us (in birth order, school, sports, etc.). It’s what capitalism is all about, right? The way we Westerners think the whole world should work, even though our society is far from perfect.

Can we humans evolve past the Darwinist notion of “survival of the fittest” or is that further separating ourselves too far from the reality of nature? I don’t know.

I can say that whenever I catch myself feeling competitive or even threatened (blush!) about another Reiki startup, I remind myself that the universe is limitless in its abundance. I can be as successful as I make up my mind to be. It’s my thinking that creates my reality.

For those interested in starting a Reiki practice, what’s far more important than worrying about Google searches or other specific marketing strategies is to keep choosing this profession over and over – to be unwavering in one’s resolve to manifest numerous clients and students.

The International Center for Reiki Training advises the early step of showing the universe you’re serious by simply printing up some business cards.

My first business cards after my Usui and Karuna Master training immediately advertised Reiki classes, but my teacher advised me to focus exclusively on Reiki sessions for a good six months before beginning to teach.

I needed to amass lots of hands-on, practical experience to inform my teaching. And like the saying goes, I found that the students began to appear once the teacher was ready (just as the students find the right teacher once they’re ready). And that started to happen after about six months of concentrated session work.

Though the title Reiki Master is quickly earned through an attunement, attaining true “mastership” of energy work’s many mysteries can be a lifelong process, perhaps stretching across lifetimes. Healing is certainly an endless process.

Five-plus years in my Reiki practice, I definitely feel like I’m still making breakthroughs, and that my commitment to this healing art is deepening all the time. As it does, so grows my Reiki practice.

I’m thankful to say that the last few months have been the most fruitful both fiscally and fulfillment-wise to date.

It seems inevitable that I’ll be doing healing work full time at some point, but for the foreseeable future, I’m content to maintain my dual career as a writer/editor for Georgia Tech. I certainly value the steady paycheck, health care coverage, and other benefits, and I find the work reasonably stimulating.

The irony is that I’m writing marketing-oriented materials very focused on competition (beating out other schools for rankings, students, grants, donations, and media coverage). I work for the business school, for Pete’s sake.

So it’s not surprising that competitive thoughts occasionally discolor my idealistic perspectives on Reiki.

I was recently placed in the uncomfortable position of having a prospective student call me and ask what the difference was between my teaching and that of Amy Weeks, my teacher whose practice is called Southeastern Reiki Center.

I emphasized my many strong points without disparaging my teacher, telling the student she’d be well served whichever way she decided to go (and most importantly, to trust her intuition about the right teacher for her).

But that was a pretty easy situation. Amy and I both follow the guidelines of the International Center for Reiki Training, which has done a commendable job of standardizing instruction in this healing art.

Of course, some Reiki instruction is much better than others. I’ve encountered a teacher whose ego depends so much upon being the “Master” that she rarely lets her students progress to that level, throwing up many hurdles. But at least she creates a strong sense of respect for Reiki.

I’ve heard of other teachers who’ll perform all the attunements in a half hour or lesss, then send people on their way with only a textbook to guide them, and not any hands-on instruction.

William Rand, founder of the International Center of Reiki Training, writes that people leave these experiences "with little training of what Reiki is, or how to practice it. These students go on to attempt to practice Reiki but without all the necessary information or training, simply abandon Reiki or even worse, pass the debased training they received onto others.”

Many offshoots of Reiki have developed (from Rainbow Reiki to Heart Reiki to Tera Mai Reiki to Crystal Reiki). The list goes on and on. While the International Center preaches tolerance and cooperation among various types of practitioners, there is concern that Reiki could drift too far from its roots into some misguided directions.

People’s ego trips or eccentricities can certainly get in the way of a good thing.

Maybe I should start “Brad Reiki” or “Feline Worship Reiki.” Please note that “Wellspring Reiki” is simply the name of my business, not an individual system of Reiki.

What approach is best? I’m sure that a lot of these nontraditional systems have validity and some effective techniques they’ve added. I also practice Karuna Reiki, which is a well-established evolution of the Usui system.

The best course of action for me is to not worry about competing with other systems of Reiki or other teachers of Usui and Karuna Reiki.

I like to believe that students will find the right teacher for them. And that may not always be me.

Sweet Forgiveness

2007-12-03T16:51:00.000-05:00

"I am willing to forgive. Forgiveness of myself and others releases me from the past. Forgiveness is the answer to almost every problem. Forgiveness is a gift to myself. I forgive, and I set myself free." - Louise Hay, "Power Thought" cards

Nothin' Personal

2007-12-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

"Embrace your freedom. You gain a huge amount of freedom when you take nothing personally. No spell can affect you regardless of how strong it may be. And if you live without fear, if you love, you will be happy with your life."

- Don Miguel Ruiz, "The Four Agreements" affirmation card deck

A Gathering of the Tribe

2007-11-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow evening I'm hosting my third event as organizer of the Atlanta Reiki Meetup Group. I filled a void in leadership in September after first learning of the group. I hadn't realized Meetup.com had become a gathering place for people of all sorts of interests.

It's looking like my third event is going to the best attended event so far. I've gotten RSVP confirmations filling up all 18 available spots for the free event.

Of course, there might be a no-show or two. But 15 or 16 would be just fine. That's about how many attended the first two events.

At tomorrow’s event, we'll have social time for about 45 minutes as people arrive, munching on healthy treats in my large, party-perfect kitchen.

Then we'll break into a couple of groups, trading Reiki on two different tables: one in my home Reiki studio and another set up in the living area.

Everyone will get a turn on the table as multiple practitioners provide Reiki at once. I might even get a chance to hop on there.

Of course, a host's work is never done so I'll be running back and forth, making sure that everything's progressing smoothly.

And I'll be answering questions off to the side from several guests who haven't yet learned how to perform Reiki but are interested in learning. These folks will receive Reiki demonstrations, but obviously won't be able to participate in giving Reiki.

Over the past five years, I've periodically scheduled events like this for my past Reiki students (maybe once a quarter). I'd often thought about opening it up to the broader Reiki community, but didn't have a mailing list of people who've studied Reiki other places.

Now through Meetup.com, I can reach lots of folks who are interested in sharing Reiki. Membership has grown substantially in just a few months, up to 183.

Of course, not everyone can make it to the dates I choose. And I couldn't accommodate them all at once if I could. But my hope is that everyone truly interested will be able to attend a Meetup eventually.

Through the "Live Chat' page of my Website, I scheduled an online discussion Meetup a couple of months ago that went really well. We covered a range of interesting healing-related subjects, ranging from Reiki to even shamanistic animal totems.

It was educational for all six or so people who participated (again the perfect number). I plan to schedule another in the near future.

My goal is host at least one in-person Meetup and two online chat Meetups every month.

These are great opportunities for people who've learned Reiki to meet others with similar interests and share different perspectives on the healing art.

A lot of my students learn Reiki without any intention of ever starting their own practice. They want to have the ability to evolve themselves as well as help family and friends.

But some people don't know many, if any, folks open to receiving Reiki. And some have confidence issues about it, even though I do everything I can in class to emphasize that Reiki is something anyone can learn to do. You really can't mess it up, so use it!

Sometimes people jump into Reiki all gung ho at first, and then gradually drift away from channeling it. Even though it's always at their finger tips, it becomes like the piece of home exercise equipment that sits dusty and neglected in the corner.

My hope is that through Meetups, people who've drifted off-course will rediscover the power of Reiki. In my early days as a practitioner, I quit using it for quite awhile well after I healed the issues I initially got into Reiki for (healing my damaged lungs from smoking and quitting that horrible habit through hypnotherapy).

But the beauty of Reiki is that once you're attuned to whatever level, you never lose the ability to tap into this universal source of divinely guided energy. It's always there for you. All you have to do is simply intend to use it.

Let's Get Physical

2007-11-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

While Reiki is wonderful for stress reduction, sometimes sweating it out is the best solution. Exercise is another very important form of energy medicine. You can move a tremendous amount of energy through such activities as running, cycling, aerobics, swimming, and even brisk walking.

I just did my cardiovascular workout for the first time in about a week (way too long!!!), and I feel so good.

Why did I wait? Well, first I missed a day because of my hectic work schedule, then I came down with a little cold on Thanksgiving. I essentially kicked it within a couple of days, but decided I should rest a couple of more days before putting my body under too much stress.

I like to work out until I'm drenched in sweat, wondering if I'll really make it through the whole half hour. My goal is to do this four times a week, but sometimes life gets in the way.

When I woke up this morning, I just felt yucky. Not from illness, but from inactivity. Teaching a Reiki class this past Sunday was great for my energy, but that was an entire day of sitting and lying down. I needed to move!

Because I like my knees and want to keep them, I usually opt for equipment like ellipticals, stair climbers, and exercise bikes instead of running. I belong to Georgia Tech's gym, but most often, I use my home exercise bike for cardio.

At the start of every workout, I set the intention that it "help clear my body of all energy blockages." While one workout is, of course, not going to solve all my problems, it really does help on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

What I personally like about intense cardio more than weight training is that I can get into a largely uninterrupted meditative state. It really clears my mind. I set the equipment at tensions high enough that I really need to stay focused on breathing properly.

During tough stretches -- when I start to think, "Oh my God! How much longer!?" -- I'll keep my mind occupied by doing chakra visualization work and sending the Usui and Karuna Reiki symbols to the energy centers in my legs and feet.

While I like to continually challenge myself to improve my performance during these workouts, you don't have to exhaust yourself to reap major benefits from exercising.

I do like to sweat, though, because the skin is a major route for toxins leaving the body. My skin does so much better when I'm regularly sweating them out. I have sensitive skin, so sometimes the process of sweating makes me feel a little itchy, but it's well worth a little temporary discomfort.

To be honest, I can't say I always enjoy cardiovascular exercise while I'm doing it. It's how I feel the rest of the time. The endorphins released by rigorous exercise provide an overall healthy sense of well-being.

I've read a few reports cautioning that extreme fitness fanatics can get addicted to endorphin rushes, but part of me wonders if the authors of those studies are just trying to justify a couch-potato existence.

Then again, people who work out two or more hours a day who aren't training for a sporting event might be taking it too far.

Sort of like my sister. In addition to her HR career, she's worked part-time teaching aerobics since college. I've heard she's developed a reputation as the "psycho spin class instructor" at her current gym. Even I might steer away from that class.

If you haven't really been doing any exercise at all, then start small. There's no need to push yourself too far right away. Try taking a walk or even "Sweatin' to the Oldies," if Richard Simmons doesn't make you crazy. Whatever you choose, do it for at least 20 minutes three times a week.