Usui Virtual Retreat June 2005 - Week Two

Using Reiki to Connect with the Heart and Mind of God

Meditating with Reiki energy is very simple. If you have found it difficult to meditate in the past, Reiki can help you experience new levels of relaxation and peace.

Remember that Reiki is Divinely Guided Life Force Energy. It is guided by the Wisdom and Love of God. The meditations offered here are very simple, there is very little for you to DO, because Reiki will do it for you. Just intend to follow the steps in the meditation, and let the energy carry you wherever you need to be.

Please take a moment to relax and quiet your mind.

Breathe deeply, and slowly.

Imagine a sphere of shimmering, white, iridescent light floating above you.

Recognize that this sphere contains the full power of the Reiki energy, the essence of Divine Love.

Gently invite this energy into your crown chakra and allow it to descend down into your heart center.

Become aware that as you are opening to the flow of the Reiki energy completely there is a column of light flowing through the central channel of your body from the Heart of God, through you directly into the Heart of Mother Earth. You are a pillar of light, and you are anchoring the highest and most sacred healing energies onto the planet now.

Sit in silence for several minutes with Reiki energy flowing through you and BE the pillar of Divine Love and Light. When this feels complete to you, bring your awareness to the crown of you head and bring the light down through your crown into your heart. Then bring the light from the heart of the Earth up into your heart. Allow these beautiful energies of creation and manifestation to blend within you.

Now focus on the Reiki energy and give thanks as it balances and aligns your chakras. Allow Reiki to adjust your chakras perfectly so that the flow of energy in your body is clear, smooth and peaceful. Be aware as your chakras are adjusted by placing your focus on your chakras one at a time beginning at the crown, and moving your awareness and intention down to your base chakra.

Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/

Usui Virtual Retreat June 2005 - Week One

Be the peace we wish to see in the world

Please join me on a marvelous adventure, an exploration into the knowingness that you personally are, and we collectively are the peace we wish to see in the world.

I invite you to begin to see our world through the eyes of Gaia, our Mother Earth, and also through the infinite potential within the Heart and Mind of God. There is an evolutionary leap that is happening right now. It is happening by each of simply BEing who we truly are.

It is with soul felt gratitude that I offer the messages and journeys that the Reiki energy brings to us. I am forever thankful to Usui Sensei for sharing the beautiful gift of Reiki with us, and for the magnificent light that is enveloping our planet

Let’s begin this week with a message and meditation offered to us by Gaia, the Soul Essence of our Mother Earth.

“Welcome children of peace, I embrace you. Thank you for hearing this message and opening your hearts, minds and souls to the energy upon and within these words. You are remembering your choice and I embrace you. You carry the peace ray within you. You hold the vision beyond the vision for you are the very essence of peace ...and you are remembering this.

Please pause for a moment and prepare to connect with the very essence of this message. You may begin by placing your focus upon your breath. Let it be deep, soothing, and calming. Allow yourself to begin to experience an expanded reality.

You may experience this by closing your eyes.... focus on your breath ... expand your awareness above you and around you ... intend to expand and become aware of your connection with the light of your soul. .. Breathe into this awareness ... now expand more and become aware of the light of your soul group ... breathe into this connection.... expand and become aware of your connection to the full intensity of the Divine heart and mind...breathe into this expanded awareness. Allow the full intensity of this light to flow . . . from the heart and mind of the Divine ... into the light of your soul group ... expanding its light ... breathe ... next allow the expanded light of your soul group to flow into the light of your soul ... breathe ... increase the light of your soul ... and now allow the full intensity of this expanded light to flow into your energy field and your physical body ... flowing from above ... around and within ... breathe ... breathe ... breathe ... feel the intensity of the light you now hold.

You are here in this moment to make the most important choice that you can make in this lifetime. That choice is whether you will accept the power of Divine love that you are. This choice is whether you will continue to accept that which you perceive to be darkness, or whether you will come to know that darkness is simply the conscious limitation of love. You have the choice to release the distraction of focusing on that which is not real, and to shift your focus to the Divine in all things.

You may choose to see peace as light. When you choose to BE that light of peace . . . peace will BE. It is that simple, for the Divine is not complicated and the Divine is unlimited. The frequency that is peace is stronger than all the darkness that some perceive to be exploding on the earth. I am the voice of mother earth, and I am the soul of reality.
Please know that which is not real is simply less than the full power of the light of Divine love. It is not truly dark, it is not evil, yet it is awakening light.
See my children ... See. See the wars; see the terror, see the pain as awakening light. See the transformational potential in this awakening and hold the great vision . . . hold the vision beyond all limits.

The great vision calls you ... it calls all light workers ... it calls all peace weavers to this purpose. The purpose is to be who you truly are, to be the light of peace and to place your focus always upon the light of Divine love which resides in all people, all actions, and all things. Light is awakening within even that which appears to be the darkest of the dark . . . and you each transmit the light that awakens ... you do this by being peace.
The intensity of Divine light is expanding ... the volume of light is increasing. This is the focus ... This is what you see.... the rest is invisible. Perhaps you will you will see the irony ... what humanity has perceived to be invisible is visible through the eyes of the soul. In the text of your Bible you find the Christed one of that time, the one known as Jesus to say in John 20:29… Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

You may ask ... have I felt peace within myself? Can I see peace in the same way as I can see war? If you have felt peace within yourself ... yet have not “seen” peace ... you still know that peace is very real. You see the invisible with the eyes of your soul. Together you have the power to awaken humanity to the age of peace. You have the power to transform the collective creative God consciousness by raising the frequency of the peace ray with your thoughts, words, visions and actions. As one prophet of peace implored you ... so do I implore you.... “Be the peace you want to see in the world.”

Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/

Sharing in the Spirit of Spring

Dear friends of Wisechoices and Mari Hall

I don’t know about you but it is certainly hard for me to believe that Memorial Day weekend is in a few days and the summer solstice and the start of the Usui Retreat will start on 21st of June, time is flying by.

We have a special guest for this next On Line Virtual Usui Retreat; my friend Laurelle Shanti Gaia RM will be doing the three meditations for us. She is a lady of great warmth, compassion and vision. For those of you who may not know her you can read about her work at http://reikiclasses.com/

Two wonderful ladies, Caroline Winters and Connie Barrett have written articles for us this months newsletter. I know you will enjoy reading them as much as I have. Their articles follow this letter.

I am off this Friday to speak at the South Central Reiki Retreat in Bardstown, KY, over Memorial weekend and then will traveling to teach a ONE course and a Reiki Wisdom day in Niagara, New York in June. I will be back in Houston, Texas in time to start the Usui Retreat with you.

Have a beautiful love filled inspiring month.

Love and Blessings,
Mari




The Importance of Love and Forgiveness in Healing
Caroline Winters RM
articwinters@msn.com


As Reiki Masters, teachers and practitioners we often talk and write about the importance of love and forgiveness in healing ourselves and all humanity. I’d like to tell a story of two occasions I witnessed and was part of that illustrate the miracles which can happen when we overcome anger, fear and hatred with Love.

For close to twenty five years I was privileged to work with and for the First Nations people of Alaska. It was there, several years before I’d even heard the word “Reiki” that I witnessed the enormous power of love to heal. Becoming a Reiki Master seems to have been a natural outgrowth from those experiences. They live in me, an inspiration to always seek to come from a place of love and forgiveness ~ for my own health ~ that of my family, my community and our world.

In a village about 150 miles north and west of Fairbanks in early 1985 a young man had been stabbed to death by his girlfriend, the first of three young men, out of a community of less then 200 people, to die needlessly that year.

Three years later, in another community with dazzling summer weather lighting the beauty and majesty of the snow capped Wrangell Mountains around us, a healing conference took place. A group of women from the village, including the young man’s mother, were there. So was the young woman, recently released from jail and with a new boyfriend. Seeing the women from the village she was terrified and did everything possible to avoid them. On the second morning, after opening circle, under a bright blue sky, the women from the village sought out the young woman and her companion. He quietly steadied and encouraged her, kept her from fleeing, as the women approached. When they came to her, instead of anger or recrimination, they reached out with love as they hugged her, crooned over her, speaking words of encouragement and endearment. The mother, whose son she’d stabbed to death, gathered her in her arms and held her as they cried together. A miracle of love and healing took place on the grass. And in my tears I was certain I heard sky and trees sing with joy.

Another year at still another statewide “gathering”, a young man was present who had been contemplating suicide and though he had made the decision not to, was still struggling with despair. Because of the loving, accepting spirit he felt in the group he finally gained courage and spoke of his struggle. The agenda stopped! People came, to touch him, to hug him, to whisper words of support and encouragement. There were several hundred people so many had to wait a long time but everyone was patient. Those who had hugged him began a circle dance around him, drum’s resonance and voices filling the air. When, at last, everyone who wished had touched him, he was drawn into the circle to dance, becoming a part of the whole, becoming part of the community again. His face shone with joy!

Such power in love! Such healing power in ceremonies of love! In my dialogue with a friend I wonder why as a society we’re so focused on punishment instead of redemption. I cling to the memory of the miraculous power of those moments of love, praying that as I share that vision, it will help bring about those changes that heal.

I think about the power of love! I think about the power of Spirit present everywhere, but felt most strongly in those moments when sacred space has been opened in ceremonies of love. I put my hands on myself and others with the loving touch of Reiki. I teach others how to do the same. I’m blessed to be so privileged!



Latter-Day Ants
Connie Barrett RM
elfincat@rainbowcrystal.net


Many of us were raised in societies in which Ant behavior is rewarded and Grasshopper behavior punished. If you came home with homework you had to finish it before you could go outside and play. If you worked hard in college, you'd get a good job, unlike the bad grasshoppers, which were too busy having fun to decide on an academic major, let alone a career.

Some of us may believe that if anything good happens without a great deal of effort preceding it, the results isn’t to be trusted. If, for example, you've ever dreamed of winning a contest, have you ever imagined winning and somehow mysteriously losing the money? Or, now you're rich, but get struck down by some dread disease.

When I started painting a few years ago, I thought that the longer I worked (and the more I suffered) the better my painting would be. If a painting happened to go easily I was sure that I must be doing it wrong--or that my brush would slip to ruin the accidental masterpiece.

Who Am I?

I once read an interview with Deepak Chopra in which he said we are human doings, not human beings. Rather than having our actions stem from our deepest sense of self, we allow what we do to determine who we are. Our sense of self becomes a matter of performance based on certain inflexible ideas.

We weren't born with these ideas. We come into this world as spirit clothed in a physical costume. As the need for survival becomes impressed upon us we search for those beliefs which seem most likely to help us live. Then we forget that we chose these beliefs, and view them as rules.

Lots of us decide that life is serious, and if we choose to have more conscious spirituality in our lives we may find ourselves being very serious and industrious about acquiring it. We may trudge along our path with the same single mindedness we use to complete a job, feeling that the more we read, study, meditate, do every exercise we can find, the closer we are to where we need to be. As we inch, ant-like, towards our spiritual goals, we forget that where we need to be is where we began, as unique expressions of universal
spirit.

Perhaps the greatest disservice of the fable of the grasshopper and ant is its either-or nature. I, however, have often watched an animal which plays at being both Grasshopper and Ant.

The squirrel, whose keyword in many Native traditions is Gathering, sometimes appears to be even busier than Ant. If you've ever spent time observing one, though, you get a different impression. Squirrel says, "This hour I am an industrious being who gathers nuts and seeds for the winter. Then I'm going to dash along branches and leap from tree to tree. Later I'll turn some somersaults, chase some other squirrels, then rest on a comfortable tree limb and contemplate leaves. Finally I may climb the side of this wooden nest and peek in at the being that sits in one place for hours at a time and moves her claws continuously."

Thinking about Squirrel reminds me of its smaller rodent cousin and a story I heard about a young Dutch mouse named Fritz.


Food for the Soul


Fritz, like the grasshopper, was a pleasure-loving creature who spent the summer dashing from one interesting place to the next without a care in the world. From time to time he ran into the other mice, which paid no attention to glorious beams of sunlight or the fragrant breath of a breeze, so busy were they gathering and storing crumbs of food.

"Fellow mice," Fritz said one day. "Why are you always so busy? Take a moment to look at the sky; waggle your whiskers and smell the flowers."

The other mice ignored Fritz, all except a spokes mouse, who said, "Don't you know that winter is coming"

Fritz was baffled. "What's that?"

"Cold and snow, and no food to be found anywhere. You won't be dancing and prancing around them. You'll be hungry, but we won't."

Fritz nibbled on a seed, and then darted away, laughing at the morbid fantasies of creatures too busy preparing for a future which might never come to enjoy the pleasures of the moment.

Winter did come, and Fritz did get hungry. Drawn by the smell of food, he crawled into the burrow of the other mice.

"And what do you think you're doing here?" asked the spokes mouse. "Why should we share the food we worked hard to gather while you were being lazy?"

Fritz had an idea. "I'll tell you stories to while away the long winter night. I'll tell you what the bees and butterflies say to the flowers and the tales the birds tell of lands beyond the sea."

The mice began to draw closer, their eyes bright with curiosity. Even the spokes mouse looked interested. "Do you have a lot of stories?"

"Countless," Fritz said, knowing that if he ran out of real ones he could make them up.

He told them of birds' journeys to the jungles of Africa and tropical islands, about the messages of love bees carried from flower to flower, and the ancient history of the forest which was inscribed onto the bark of trees. With each story the mice drew closer, and soon they were all quite warm and cozy.

They had the most wonderful winter any mouse could remember, and when spring came each one gone up to shake Fritz's paw. That spring and summer every mouse took out some time to play and sunbathe and listen to the gossip of plants and trees. The next winter they each had a story to tell, and they all passed the season in comfort and joy.

A note from Mari in Holland

April 30th- Queen’s Day- Heesch, the Netherlands

Dear Friends,

Hello from the Southern part of the Netherlands where Spring has arrived at last!

We took a beautiful drive yesterday leaving Heesch which is close to Oss and heading south west around S’Hertogenbosch and onward in a north westerly direction towards the city of Utrecht. However once we crossed over the Harp Bridge which is the first of three bridges that separates the south from the northern part of the Netherlands we turned off the main road and headed west along the top of the dyke at the northern side of the Waal river from Tuil to Gorinchem.

For those of you who have never been to the Netherlands and may remember the story about the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke to hold back the water so it may be hard to imagine that a car can be driven on the top of the dyke and that the dyke is wide enough to support cars. Actually the story about the boy is true however he put his clothes and wooden shoes in the hole to stop the water. He then ran home to tell his parents so that the whole village was saved.

On both sides of a river you will find the primary dyke which is usually not too far from the river, then a kilometre from the primary one there is a secondary dyke that is called a “sleeping dyke”. In older times the cows and sheep grazed in between the two dykes and the houses were built on the other side of the sleeping dyke. As the country filled with people the need for houses increased and people began to build houses on both sides of the dykes. Nowadays when the floods come and they do, these houses often end up under the water.

Driving on the dyke gives us a glimpse of how it must have been in times gone by. Houses and farms stretch out before us. They were built long ago yet everything is in order, clean and fresh. You are left with the impression that everything must be cleaned before the people go to bed or perhaps some “Dutch elves” are at work in the dark to make everything ready for the new day. At various points along the way small ferries take cars and people to the other side of the river as it has been done for hundreds of years only then it was carts and horses instead of cars. In this part of the country you will also see orchards full of fruit trees that are presently in blossom and many glass houses for growing vegetables.

They have even made platforms for the goats to climb and have a rest and have a better view of what is happening in the fields. I was amazed at the marvellous way they store hay. The roof of the building raises up as more and more hay is added. When it is wet a fire is lit in the room under the hay to provide heat and keep the hay dry. A forerunner of central heat! It is not a modern invention rather it has been used for centuries. Reed that is cut every two years from age old tress are used to weave a fence and to make roofs for the house. Nothing is wasted.

At one place in between two villages there were 4 nests for storks and each nest had a pair of storks sitting on the nests. It seems there will have to be plenty of babies born that will need to be carried to waiting parents with that many storks in one place.

Our trip was made on the April 30th the day before the celebration of the Queen’s birthday and this year they also are celebrating her 25th year on the throne. On May 4th Memorial day will be observed and on the next day, May 5th they will celebrate the end of the 2nd world war. Many festivals and celebrations will be happening over the next week so all the more reason to decorate.

As a frequent visitor it is still hard for me to imagine much less explain how the country comes together to decorate their houses, villages and towns with Orange streamers, (the orange color represents freedom to the Dutch people) It looks like a sea of orange. Their National Flag flies from the houses and public buildings, and what was surprising to me was the many American flags I also saw raised in honour of the American soldiers who helped to free the country. I was so touched by how they continue to pay respect to those who helped them previously.

Each village decides what theme will be used during these days. We drove through Herwijnen renamed for these festival days “Happy Valley.” It took on a remarkable American Western theme. There was a “Last Chance Saloon”, brightly painted Totem poles that looked like the ones the Eskimos make in Alaska; not quite Texas but it sure works, cactus and even an arch to drive through that is made with six shooters and topped with an American Eagle. These are not the normal sights of a Dutch village. Streamers were everywhere and all the people in the village were at work to make things ready. As we passed through Vuren they had turned the village into a fairy tale. On both sides of the road were cut outs of familiar animals and as we drove through Dalem we saw that the village had been turned into a “Butterfly” heaven.

Some of the houseboats that are moored permanently in the town of Gorinchem were also decorated, certainly the town was in a festival mood offering Orange lunches that comprise of Orange soup, Salmon , carrot salad and a dessert that was red, white and blue cake with an orange sauce over the top…and the drink, of course it is Orange Bitters! The center of the city there was live music and a carnival. We sat at a table in the sun and enjoyed coffee and the atmosphere.

Europe is a café society, the Netherlands is no exception. As soon as it is warm enough people sit outdoors in the many small cafes that line the squares. You are not rushed to finish and move on, rather it seems as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy each moment, time quietly passes by. People wave to each other, greetings are exchanged and they join each other to pass the time. The center of the square becomes the meeting point all through the day and evening. Those of us who have never experienced this are indeed missing something. Flowers are every where, hanging from baskets, in large pots, in window boxes and on the tables. The scent is incredible and the colors are so bright.

We came home last night so full of everything we saw and experienced. We were a “good” tired yet we are now planning another day out soon. I wish you could be here to experience it for yourselves.

I have found that slowing down to be present in each moment rewards me with delights to fill all my senses and heart. I am experiencing the Dutch people and their country by being with them as they live their daily life. I highly recommend it.

Blessings and Love,

Mari

A Message from Mari and Five Elements of Reiki

Hello my Friends,

I am leaving for the Netherlands on Monday the 4th of April and will be gone till the 15th of May. I am taking a spiritual sabbatical with my Dutch family the van Stavern’s for six weeks. During this time I will be meditating and writing and will not on line. My daughter Stacey will check my mail from time to time. Contact her directly should you need to talk with me, her e mail address is Staceystricklin@hotmail.com I will get back with you as soon as possible.

Many of you have asked what my plans are for this year. Although my schedule is much lighter than last year I have plans to be in the following places:

May- The Annual South Central Reiki Retreat in Bairdstown, Kentucky, Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30th. For more information go to: http://www.reikiclasses.com/kyretreat2005.htm

June- I will be in Stella Niagara, New York on the 11th for a Reiki Wisdom day and on the 18 and 18th I will be teaching a ONE course in Stella Niagara. For more information and to register contact Trish at pnaffky@hotmail.com

I will also be in San Antonio, Texas at the Dancing Moon Healing Center to teach ONE on the 26th. Please contact them directly at +1 (210) 289-9722 or
Email: dancingmoon1@sbcglobal.net
Website: http://www.Dancing-Moon.com

July- I will be at the Greater Washington DC Reiki Conference in Rockville, Maryland. The conference is on Saturday the 30th of July and I will be teaching a ONE course on Sunday the 31st. There is a possibility that I will also be giving a talk and demonstration of the Integration technique on the 1st of August. Please contact David at http://www.reikicenter.info/pages/662453/index.htm or by e mail at DGleekel@aol.com


August- I will be in Cypress, Texas

September- mid October- I will be teaching in Tuggernong, Australia the following courses:

September 17th- Reiki Wisdom Day
September 18th- Reiki Two
September 24-25th – ONE
October 1-2- Majesty of Mastery
October 3- ONE Plus

For more information and to register contact Anton Pemmer RM at reiki@primalbalance.com.au

Mid October through Mid December are open should any of you wish to organise a course or a Reiki Wisdom day contact me for details.

2006- I am scheduled to be back in Thessalonica, Greece in February 2006 and will be teaching some spiritual classes with Demetrius at his center in addition to Reiki and ONE. For more information contact Tassos at spyridistassos@hotmail.com

I wish you a beautiful spring filled with promise and peace. You are a blessing in my life and continue to touch my heart in many wondrous ways. For this I am grateful. Enjoy the article. I will catch up with you in May.

The article follows and is an excerpt from their newest book, The Japanese Art of Reiki

Love, Mari


Five Elements of Reiki
Bronwen and Frans Stiene

Throughout the system of Reiki’s global trotting and time traveling, just five elements have remained consistent. Many other aspects have been removed, altered or created over the last 100 years. Culturally, the system has adapted itself to various traditions where it has been modified to suit the moral and spiritual values unique to each tradition. Individually, it has also been molded to the tastes and skills of practitioners - and yet these five basic elements have remained. Often in the past, this survival has been reliant on unusual guises that reflect, once again, a cultural or individual influence. Therefore it is easy to understand why for many practitioners today it is a challenge to see the system’s five elements clearly.

It has already been described how the basis of the system was created by a Japanese man, Usui Mikao, in the early 1900s from his own unique experiences. Usui’s blending of esoteric Buddhism called Mikkyô, ancient Shugendô practices, classical samurai teachings, and martial arts know-how produced distinctive teachings. By utilizing traditional approaches in his own inimitable way his intention was to bring about an unmasking, a revelation of what it meant to be human.

Consequently, it is not the energy itself that makes this system unique but the path that is walked. This path developed into one consisting of five elements:
gokai (daily precepts)
kokyû hô (breathing techniques)
tenohira (palm-healing)
shirushi and jumon (symbols and mantras)
and the receiving of reiju from a teacher (a blessing from which the Western attunement evolved)

A practitioner practices the majority of these elements alone – gokai, kokyû hô, and shirushi and jumon. Tenohira, too, is practiced on oneself with the possibility of using it on others. These elements all become part of a personal daily routine coupled with the regular receiving of reiju from a teacher where possible. When brought together each of the elements exerts a separate influence on the practitioner producing a complete system that affects powerful change.

Using each of these five elements individually is a strong practice yet when you combine them they produce a complete spiritual teaching that is accessible to everyone. Each element supports the other, filling in the gaps that will exist for different practitioners. No two people have the same needs when learning. For this reason working with all five elements gives each practitioner a greater chance of success. Together these elements create a whole that is firm yet flexible, supporting practitioners on their individual spiritual paths.

If practitioners tread in the footsteps of Usui (metaphorically) with steadfast self-practice they will be assured of discovering deeper, more consistent and lasting results from the system of Reiki.

You may contact Bronwen and Frans at info@reiki.net.au. Please visit their web pages http://www.reiki.net.au/ I understand that their site will be changing it’s look in mid April to May please bookmark the site and return to see the newest changes that have been designed by two very dedicated Reiki Teachers.

To purchase the book : The Japanese Art of Reiki: A Practical Guide to Self-Healing by Bronwen Stiene, Frans Stiene follow this link to Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905047029/internatihous-20/102-6625777-8888964?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1

Quantum Physics and Reiki / Manual for Climbing Mountains

This month I am giving you an article, a manual and a bit of wisdom at the end...enjoy!

Quantum Physics and Reiki
by Shellie Newell

Most practitioners report physical sensations of heat and/or tingling in their hands as they proceed through the gentle placement of hands on a subject during a Reiki session. Some attribute the way they feel when providing Reiki in terms of a mystical “oneness with the universe,” a sense of inner peace, and “energizing.” No matter how it is described, there is no denying the feelings of well-being in both practitioner and subject during and immediately after a session. But, what is going on scientifically? Can science explain the healing phenomena of Reiki?
Mathematicians roll their eyes when non-experts talk about their complex field of deep study of the universe. However, think about the dramatic advances in mathematics and medicine of the last decades and the possibilities of a future unified theory of existence. Could these theories be headed towards explaining the Reiki healing phenomenon?
Throughout the ages, scientists and spiritual adepts have sought to define Truth from seemingly opposite directions. The mystic’s experience of spiritual energy (such as Reiki) is quite real to the individuals involved, and yet that reality has not been measured or quantified by a mathematical equation or scientific theory. So, the question remains, what is real? Can the Reiki energy be explained?
Our perception of the definition of Truth changes with enlightenment, education, and experience. Historically, that perception of truth fiercely battles against established mindsets before a new paradigm can break through.
For example, when Galileo challenged the world view of a stationary flat earth (Ecclesiastes 1:4–5) and fixed stars, with the sun and moon revolving us (Psalms 104:5), in his 1610 manuscript, Sidereus Nuncius, the Holy Roman Church responded in an uproar. Galileo faced excommunication and damnation for heresy, and was brought before the Papal Inquisition to denounce his findings under threat of torture and probable death. His work was entered into the Papal Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Index of Prohibited Books; in effect until the 1960s) and the persecution of the Holy Roman Church continued for most of his life.
An entirely different mindset was challenged not too long ago, when two Australian physicians tried to change established medical treatment protocols about peptic ulcers. Barry Marshall and Robin Warren discovered in 1983 that it wasn’t spicy foods and stress that caused stomach ulcers, but the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. More than a decade would pass before the medical community, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical corporations abandoned the multi-million dollar industry of acid-blocker medications for a simple antibiotic cure for stomach ulcers.
Many theories have challenged the established world view of molecular structure, light, and the movement of energy since Galileo’s time. However, what is amazing about these leaps of supposition and practical application is they seem to be unfolding at a much faster pace in the last 50 years. Considering the rapid pace of these theories, could it be that science in the next few decades will be in harmony with Reiki?
Revolutionary Concepts
Consider a few of these revolutionary ideas. Since the absolute physics of Sir Isaac Newton in the early 1700s, scientists had believed that all events happened because of simple interactions on the physical or chemical level. Point A moves to point B because C (physical or chemical action) pushed it there. In theory, any object always had a precise position in space and time. This precision began to fracture when the Danish scientist Hans Oersted first described the relationship between electricity and magnetism in his 1820 experiments. This “electromagnetism” found practical application with the invention of the telephone in 1876 by Alexander Bell.
Researchers at the turn of the last century were actively searching for the building blocks of life. The discovery of the electron by J.J. Thompson in 1897 sparked new experiments on the atomic level. The hypothesis that total energy is comprised of indistinguishable energy elements, the so-called “quanta of energy,” was proposed in 1900 by Max Planck. After many studies examining the photoelectric release of electrons from metal semiconductors by the action of light, in 1915 Albert Einstein published his famous General Theory of Relativity, and was able to prove it by solar observations. Isolated from Western thinking, in 1924 the brilliant S.N. Bose in Calcutta furthered the understanding of light quanta by his mathematical equation for radiation. Shortly afterwards, the Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger published his equation for the hydrogen atom, and thus wave mechanics was born. Wave mechanics describe how a tangible energy wave associated with subatomic particles (such as an electron) varies in time and space as it moves under various forces. The electron moves from one point to another at a specified speed up to the speed of light.
The apparent paradox of the Schrödinger equation—that these “matter waves” can be calculated, yet physical experiments showed that the electrons actually scatter in different directions—was reinterpreted by the German physicist Max Born. Basically, Born said that the “matter waves” that occur with an event move in “probability amplitudes,” meaning there is: (1) more than one probability; (2) the sum of all the alternative amplitudes is the total amplitude for an event to occur; and (3) that the intensity of the wave (absolute square of the overall amplitude) has to be the probability that the event will happen. This means that the electron doesn’t move from one point to another in a predicted path at a specified rate and time, but it moves in a “cloud of possibilities.”
What if the movement of subatomic particles can be intentionally directed by an observer-participant? This might be a metaphor for the Reiki phenomenon. By using intention, that is, visualizing the mental Reiki symbols in a specific, directed manner, could the concentrated thought pattern cause a type of energy to flow out of the hands and into the subject, actually helping the body’s cells and systems to align to health?
Thousands of experiments and proofs have been published since the 1950s, and we have witnessed the advent of new fundamental particles (“quarks”) as well as new theories (Electroweak Theory, Superstring Theory, and Calabi-Yau space, among many others) and the theorems to elegantly solve them. While the atmosphere where all of these brilliant thinkers operate is far too rarified for most of us to understand, it’s clear that we are living in an amazing era of a global explosion of knowledge. Whether the Reiki phenomenon will be mathematically defined in the future is up for grabs. For now, we must be content with our personal truth.

Shellie T. Newell
Reiki II
Graniteville, SC, USA


And now from Paulo Coelho

Manual for Climbing Mountains

A] Choose the mountain you want to climb: don’t pay attention to what other people say, such as “that one’s more beautiful” or “this one’s easier”. You’ll be spending lots of energy and enthusiasm to reach your objective, so you’re the only one responsible and you should be sure of what you’re doing.

B] Know how to get close to it: mountains are often seen from far off – beautiful, interesting, full of challenges. But what happens when we try to draw closer? Roads run all around them, flowers grow between you and your objective, what seemed so clear on the map is tough in real life. So try all the paths and all the tracks until eventually one day you’re standing in front of the top that you yearn to reach.

C] Learn from someone who has already been up there: no matter how unique you feel, there is always someone who has had the same dream before you and ended up leaving marks that can make your journey easier; places to hang the rope, trails, broken branches to make the walking easier. The climb is yours, so is the responsibility, but don’t forget that the experience of others can help a lot.

D] When seen up close, dangers are controllable: when you begin to climb the mountain of your dreams, pay attention to the surroundings. There are cliffs, of course. There are almost imperceptible cracks in the mountain rock. There are stones so polished by storms that they have become as slippery as ice. But if you know where you are placing each footstep, you will notice the traps and how to get around them.

E] The landscape changes, so enjoy it: of course, you have to have an objective in mind – to reach the top. But as you are going up, more things can be seen, and it’s no bother to stop now and again and enjoy the panorama around you. At every meter conquered, you can see a little further, so use this to discover things that you still had not noticed.

F] Respect your body: you can only climb a mountain if you give your body the attention it deserves. You have all the time that life grants you, as long as you walk without demanding what can’t be granted. If you go too fast you will grow tired and give up half way there. If you go too slow, night will fall and you will be lost. Enjoy the scenery, take delight in the cool spring water and the fruit that nature generously offers you, but keep on walking.

G] Respect your soul: don’t keep repeating “I’m going to make it”. Your soul already knows that, what it needs is to use the long journey to be able to grow, stretch along the horizon, touch the sky. An obsession does not help you at all to reach your objective, and even ends up taking the pleasure out of the climb. But pay attention: also, don’t keep saying “it’s harder than I thought”, because that will make you lose your inner strength.

H] Be prepared to climb one kilometer more: the way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far. But since you were prepared to go beyond, this is not really a problem.

I] Be happy when you reach the top: cry, clap your hands, shout to the four winds that you did it, let the wind - the wind is always blowing up there - purify your mind, refresh your tired and sweaty feet, open your eyes, clean the dust from your heart. It feels so good, what was just a dream before, a distant vision, is now part of your life, you did it!

J] Make a promise: now that you have discovered a force that you were not even aware of, tell yourself that from now on you will use this force for the rest of your days. Preferably, also promise to discover another mountain, and set off on another adventure.

K] Tell your story: yes, tell your story! Give your example. Tell everyone that it’s possible, and other people will then have the courage to face their own mountains.



Peace - it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work, it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

Author unknown

Be the Peace You Wish to See in the Word...

Dear Friends of Wisechoices and Mari Hall,

This month I am sharing two articles with you. The first one in particular has been written by an extraordinary woman I met in Cyprus last year and had the great fortune of having a treatment with. She is an angel! I do hope you will enjoy them.

Love and Blessings,
Mari



BE THE PEACE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.....
By: Anna of Cyprus.

'Seek not, therefore, to change the world. Seek to be the change you wish to see in the world'. These are powerful words indeed, first spoken by the great peacemaker, Mahatma Gandhi. He recognized one of the fundamental truths of the universe - that if we wish to create anything in our external world, we must first attain it in our inner world. And this is what he did, himself. He demonstrated this by being peaceful within. His outward expression of that inner state changed the world. He demonstrated by 'being' peaceful that it is possible for us to create a more peaceful world. This was his power. It was the power of God, or Divinity, expressing through him.

For people desiring a peaceful world in which to live, this philosophy reflects a fundamental truth - that we each and all have within us the power to change the world. This power is not discovered by 'trying to do peaceful things', it is in being peace-full, within.
For me, a peaceful person is someone in harmony and balance with all things. Being 'peaceful' is a state sought by many and found by few because peace is not an action - it is an experience of 'being'. And, as is often the case, when we have a need to do or to have anything, we don't attain it because the need itself creates dies-harmony. To attain inner peace we must start with being able to see, accept and understand all perspectives, whether these are about ourselves, our loved ones or life in general and not be in judgment on any of them.

I can hear some think, 'Well, okay - if you had my boss, or wife, husband, kids, mother, father, neighbor, tax collector, car mechanic, banker, teacher, etc., etc., etc - you wouldn't even suggest it!' And, truth be told, I've felt that way in times gone by too! Before I knew how to be peace-full and made a decision that, beyond all other goals, I would be this to the best of my ability, I blamed others for my lack of peacefulness within.

Now that I have learned to be peaceful, I offer the following insights. If you yearn to be filled with a peace that is real, lasting and builds upon itself over time, here are a few ways to be/do it. How to achieve a state of peaceful being? For me, first and foremost, it requires an acceptance of Life-As-It-Is, in its entirety. It is in knowing, and accepting, that life is what each of us makes of it for ourselves. And in knowing this, each of us must take responsibility for creating a sustainable life that works - for us individually and as a member of families and communities, nations and the world.

After recognizing, accepting, knowing and taking responsibility for how my life is, then if I have courage to recognize that I am a co-creator (with Divinity) of my life, I am on my way to being able to change whatever I wish about my Life as it now is. If my life works acceptably well and I don't wish to make changes, then I can gratefully live and enjoy it, knowing that I have co-created it as it is. And if Life doesn't work acceptably well for me as it is, then, if I'm taking responsibility, I will create something that does. This, for me, is what real power is all about - power which first of all changes my own life and, therefore by extension, the world.

Another piece of what I've learned about being peaceful involves total self-acceptance. When we are able to so totally accept ourselves that we lose the need to be right, or to be better-than, we are then able to totally accept everyone else too, irrespective of who they are and what they believe. Living life in such a state of acceptance has stopped the inner chatter I used to have in my head, completely. And, this will happen for you too. How? When you have nothing to complain to yourself - you'll lose the need to complain to, or about, other people. Then there's room for silence, and within the silence, peace comes.

To know so completely what we are feeling and what we wish to do about it means we have to be fully present. When we are 'present' we focus totally in and on the moment, living each moment as it comes and letting each moment go as it does, always, anyway. We spend time neither in regret, re-viewing or recycling the past, nor in hope for a particular future. We accept things just as they are. Here's the tricky part of 'living in the present' - when we do move from one moment to 'the next', it is with conscious intent to continuously create the next moments as we wish them to be and to live in them, being 'present' with awareness.

We can apply the simplicity of this philosophy to all aspects of our lives. For instance, if you feel that one of your relationships is not working well, either accept it or create for yourself something that does. How can you do this? You can talk to others what isn't working from your point-of-view, through dialogue. Too, you can always make new choices in how you relate to them, or change how you feel about relating to them as things are.

It is the same for jobs. We accept that they either work for us, or they don't, and when they don't, if we're true to self, we create something different. At all times, I believe that each of us is being the best we can be. In turn, I believe that most of us bring the best of ourselves into every relationship and job. Interestingly, it's been my experience that if we don't believe that we can do this, we then limit ourselves by our beliefs, rather than by realities.

This is a fearless way of being, and there is no fear in living this way. Why? Because we are not challenging society, we are challenging ourselves, only. And if we don't rise to the challenge of being true to ourselves, then we accept things as they are, for us and for the moment and so there is no need to fear, anyone or anything - ever.

As each of us accepts the challenge of being true to ourselves, our collective external world shifts because we are relating to each other in new ways that are different. This change then further builds a foundation for an evolved society - when we are truly being ourselves. There is no greater joy than this and no more precious change to seek.

The author Anna is the managing partner of Anolividi, which is a centre of peace located in the Heart of Paphos, Cyprus a country located on an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Healing practitioners at Anolividi do their work in peace, love and compassion and heal under governing principles that reflect both ancient wisdom and modern science. In the work that they do, every single aspect of Life is taken into consideration. As such, they have discovered that anything is possible. For further information please see its website http://www.anolividi.com, contact +357 2693 0388 or anna@anolividi.com.


REIKI TIPS FOR COMMON IN-FLIGHT AILMENTS
V. N. Mittal, Reiki Master/Teacher

Limited medical resources on board motivate in-flight passengers to look for some alternative therapies in order to alleviate their commonly experienced ailments during long air travels. Simply laying on of hands using the drug free Reiki therapy can effectively provide instant relief to them from quite a few of airborne discomforts on board.

Continually evolving technology has reduced passenger discomfort during air travel to a large extent. However, flying doesn’t come naturally to humans and certain maladies are to be expected especially in long haul flights due to various reasons including the changing cabin pressures, motion sickness, noise, vibrations and lack of activity. For the frequent flyers, it gets worse because of the changing time zones. The effects of flying vary with individuals depending on their health and age but, commonly, passengers may suffer from one or more of the in-flight sicknesses viz. nausea; ear ache due to Eustachian Tube blockage; swelling of feet, cramps; shoulder and neck pains, headaches and migraines; respiratory problems and even angina pain.

While there may be limited resources on board to address the major ailments like angina, there is no remedy available for the lesser problems. In such a situation, the passengers are motivated to take recourse to some of the alternative natural therapies such as Acupressure, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Meditation, Yoga, Massage or Reiki which may address their immediate problem quickly and provide them safe treatment without moving from their seat. Out of these, I have found Reiki as the simplest to learn, maneuver and practice anytime anywhere.

This ancient healing technique was rediscovered in Japan during the 20th century by Dr Mikao Usui though it was practiced in one or the other form thousand of years ago in India, Tibet, China, and Japan. In Reiki, Rei stands for universal and Ki means the life force energy also known as Qi or Chi in China and Prana in India. Reiki involves harnessing of universal life force energy from the cosmos and transmitting its flow with or without hands to your body or to others for the purpose of holistic healing.

Once you have learnt the technique and undergone the ritual of attunements by a Reiki Master. (Attunements are the direct transmission initiations which result in transfer of the ability to the recipient to access Reiki.), you can access Reiki as and when desired, by a simple intent or affirmation. Affirmation awakens the innate ability of the hands to transfer healing energy either to one’s own self or to another person by just placing them on appropriate body positions for a few minutes in order to get the desired healing. Being in flight at the time of giving or receiving Reiki is of little constraint. The access to and movement of Reiki energy is not hampered during the flight and you have an on- the- spot safe and a soothing treatment readily available to you for all types of commonly faced in-flight sicknesses.

My in-flight experiences with Reiki started the first time during my non- stop flight of 22 hrs from Kuala Lumpur to New York about 4 years back that I experienced shooting pain in my ears while the plane took off. First, I tried the recommended isometric exercise but it did not work. I decided to try out the healing art of Reiki which I had learnt from a Reiki Master a few days before my visit to USA. I put my hands over both the ears with the middle fingers plugging them and channeled Reiki for a few minutes. To my great amazement, I got instant relief.

Then, in the same flight, I suddenly noticed a group of people including crew staff assembled near a seat in the rear trying to help a middle aged passenger come out of his angina pain. Luckily, there was a Doctor amongst the passengers on board who must have given the patient some medicine. I silently sent distant Reiki to the patient without going close to him for obvious reasons. After a while the patient was revived and he felt comfortable during the rest of journey. Reiki seemed to have augmented and complemented the healing power of the medication given to the patient.

My experience on board in my long flights to a number of countries around the globe and that of thousands of people doing Reiki inspired me to devise these Reiki tips on the basis of well tried treatments developed by Masters Dr. Mikao Usui, Dr. Chûjirô Hayashi and other teachers.Reiki complements all other systems of healing including general medicines.

It not only heals the malady but also addresses its root cause as well, thereby acting as an effective prophylactic to ward off future ailments. One major advantage of Reiki over the other therapies is that in most of the medical situations, a person who does Reiki can treat their own self without any assistance from a therapist at any time any where. Reiki can also be dispensed to another person or fellow passengers on board by a person who dos Reiki. Cabin crew trained in basics of Reiki can, however, be of great help in situations when a patient is not in a position to practice Reiki on him/herself. Reiki treatments during flight can comprise of the following: while remaining seated in the chair, the passenger can make use of the following Reiki tips for treatment to him/her self if s/he does Reiki or seek help from a co-passenger/air hostess who may have received proper training in Reiki therapy.

When treating ear pain a person doing Reiki treat him/her self or a co-passenger seated in chair dispensing Reiki by placing hands on her/his ears with middle fingers inside the ears for treatment of ear drums affected during the take off. This hand position is also helpful in relieving severe toothache as also stress during flight.

For the treatment of nausea it is simple and takes about 18 minutes. Remaining seated in your seat, place hands on and transmitting Reiki for three minutes each to the stomach, solar plexus, and liver, spinal cord on the back of solar plexus, head, and kidneys. In case the passenger has had no training in administering Reiki, help may be sought from a person doing Reiki on board or a trained crew to dispense Reiki on the above six positions.

Vomiting can be controlled by simply placing hands on the upper abdomen and giving Reiki.Swelling of feet can be treated by localizing Reiki on feet while keeping them raised from the ground is helpful

Stomach Cramps and spasm are treated by transferring Reiki to six body positions stomach, back of stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines, and head. I have experienced that stomach cramps disappear in about 10 to 15 minutes of treatment. Also, Reiki on the upper abdomen and lower abdomen simultaneously, acts like a first aid for all kinds of stomach problems.

Convulsions can be treated Reiki: by transferring the energy to the liver, stomach, intestines, .kidneys, spinal cord, shoulders, arms, elbow joint area, wrist, and the basic head positions for about 15 minutes in all.

In the case of loss of consciousness by the patient, his/her shoes be removed and Reiki may be given on the soles of both the feet, also on the chest, the upper abdomen and the middle of the back.

Headache/migraine similarly, instant relief from severe headache/migraine felt during flight or elsewhere can be obtained by placing hands on the face, the top of the head, occipital lobes on the back of the head and the three positions of middle, small and lower of the back respectively using Reiki.

For trachea and bronchitis treat the person by transferring Reiki on tracheas, bronchi, lungs, stomach, intestines, heart, kidneys and head. This treatment works best in sitting position and one can also treat acute asthma by adding a few more positions to the liver, pancreas, diaphragm, and nose. In the end stroke the back a few times and wipe down from the seventh cervical vertebra to the buttocks with one finger on each side of the spine.

Angina pain is treated by giving Reiki on heart, liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas, kidneys, spinal cord, and finally end the treatment by gently stroking down your hands on both sides of the spinal column of the patient for about 10 times and then wiping on both sides of the spine with your index finger on the left and middle finger on the right stroking down from the seventh cervical vertebra to the buttocks stopping for a while on the fifth lumber vertebra.Reiki treatment by placing right hand on the back of heart and left hand on the solar plexus provides temporary relief from chest pains till further medical help is available.

Reiki is now widely practiced in over 100 countries around the globe. Because of its simplicity in maneuverability, cost effectiveness, easy accessibility, Reiki has found wide applications in the area of energy healing. In USA, it is also now being used as a complementary therapy in medical practice in many of the hospitals. More and more doctors and nurses in UK and USA are taking Reiki courses. Big corporate offices in India, UK and other countries also now include Reiki training as a part of HRD measures to cut down absentee rates and upgrade productivity levels of their employees.

Always be aware that the tips included here are meant to provide relief through the complementary therapy of Reiki and are in no way meant to be a substitute for conventional treatment.

Mr. Veerendra Nath Mittal, M A (Eco. & Eng.) is a retired professional Economist from Government in India and a certified Reiki Master/Teacher currently living in Singapore. He has taught all levels of Reiki to a large number of students from USA, England, New Zealand, Romania, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and India. He has delivered public lectures on Reiki in India and Singapore and has authored a number of articles on Reiki, Yoga, Spiritual Healing and Art of Living and poetry which have featured in international magazines and news letters. He can be reached at email: mittalvn@hotmail.com