Reiki Healing

This weekend we had our Reiki Healer's Share.  This is one of my favorite activities, gathering with other healers, caring for one another, relaxing and bonding.  Mid point through every share we have a meditation circle where we get comfy around a crystal grid that I use to send Reiki on a regular basis to my clients.  We write our concerns, our goals, our needs, on index cards and put them under the grid.  This month on facebook, I invited my "friends" to tell me if they wanted Reiki sent to them during this circle and was astonished at the amount of folks with concerns. 

I wrote each name on a separate index card, with my prayer for them.  Some for healing, some for peace, some for clarity, etc.  Whatever seemed appropriate.  We gathered in our circle after we had done 2 complete healing session for those present.  By this time, the Reiki energy in the room is almost a separate entity of its own, it's so strong and we are all filled with it, having gived and received so much.  This month seemed exceptionally strong to me, my healer husband felt the same.  I passed around the cards to all, so they could see who we were sending to, in addition to their own concerns. We all got quiet and comfy.  Breathing in and breathing out...

My husband said that at one point, he looked at my friend Ann & I and the way the light was surrounding us, showing the serenity on our faces,  made us look like angels.  I can't speak for her, but I know I was directly connected to a much bigger light than myself... it was amazing.  I felt like we were all encased in a large bubble, the folks with concerns on our cards and those of us present.  Several mentioned very powerful experiences, seeing Light and one even spoke of feeling like she met God.  It was incredible!  Afterwards, we did one last session  of Reiki ... some actually giving, some just continuing to soak up this remarkable energy.

I had some wonderful comments from my facebook friends who had asked for healing, one woman who has been suffering for months from a relapse from a lung transplant and has been oxygen dependent,  was actually off  oxygen the next day!  For the first time in 3 months!  Amazing...  Don't believe me?  Ask my cat... She is 17 years old.  Every chance she gets after I do private Reiki sessions, she jumps up on the table and lays her head on my crystal grid.  We have to keep her locked out during sessions because she knows a good thing when she feels it.. and wants some herself!

Although nothing compares to a private healing session for peace and wellbeing... these meditative sessions are plenty powerful too. Having a group of Healers send you energy is bound to help you... and the Healer!  Every Reiki Healer in training should make sure they get a chance to join in sometime.  Nothing will build your confidence more than a direct jolt of energy :)

Namaste'

Surprising Loveliness

Yesterday the most beautiful thing happened.  I was walking into World Gym to teach my class when a student comes up to me and hands me a beautiful gift bag.  "This is for you," she says.  I was stunned.  I didn't know her name, she's been coming to my class for awhile but she's been sort of a loner, doesn't smile or make eye contact much.  In fact, I've often thought maybe she doesn't like the class all that much since she doesn't really give any indication of how she feels.  Her energy is.... well, let's just say it's not easily readable. 

I bring my hand over my heart, look her in the eye and exclaim, "why, thank you!  how sweet!" and move to hug her.  She hugs me back and begins to cry.  I hold her and hug her back, not really knowing what to say but knowing whatever was going on with her was profound and I just needed to hold the space (and her!) for it.

She looks at me once last time and then turns to walk out the door.  At first, I'm alarmed... oh no, was I supposed to open it there? Is this her last class?  Maybe she's moving... or worse...  But she comes back, lays her mat down and prepares for class.  Puzzled, I try to catch her eyes, wanting to make sure she's okay but she's back in yoga mode.  I decide to teach... knowing that the yoga itself will help and teach a heart opening class complete with lotus meditation.  After class, again I try to catch her eye and just as she turns to leave, she looks my way.  Again, I put my hand over my heart... Thank you.  Sincerely. She smiles.

The class is very chatty, everyone wanting to bond... typical (and wonderful) after a heart opening class but I was wishing I could hurry out and meet her in the parking lot and find out what was up.  However, I know sometimes space is needed... so I let her be.  I pick up the gift bag and bring it home with me... so curious.

In the bag are beautiful note pads, stationary covered with roses, how lovely.  I search for a card, hoping for an explanation.  No card.  But the little tag on the bag says:

"Thank you so much.  Your class, your personality...are very healing for me."

And she signed it with her name.  I am touched.  And excited to know her name. And feeling very blessed to be a teacher. It's tough to teach in a gym... the classes are large, you are always running late because the class before you goes long and afterwards people are pushing you out for their workout, the space is tricky to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in and you don't really have time to get to know your students individually unless they choose to let you.  Sometimes, it's anonymity they are looking for, a place to go where no one knows them or wants anything from them.  I love to get to know them slowly... body first, words later.  It makes for an interesting perspective.

Funny how the Universe works.  I've been feeling kinda down lately... my classes at CCPC are flucuating again so I get to relearn the lesson that sometimes the world doesn't revolve around me, sometimes it has to do with other's priorities... but it's hard for me to NOT take it personally when folks stop coming to yoga.  Or Reiki.  But just when I decide that I should just get a day job and let go of my dream, the Universe places a reminder of what I truly am here for.... not gift bags,  but to help people heal. 

Thank you, blessed yoga student, you made my day :)

Patterning of Consciousness

I've been on a kick lately to help my yoga students really make a commitment to yoga and to understand why they should.  There is so much more to yoga than I teach. Most teachers do not really delve into the sacred texts, the Sanskrit writings, the "meat and bones" of what yoga is and why it works.... they don't want to scare or confuse their students.  And believe me, yoga can be very confusing unless you study and practice for a long time!  That's why a commitment is so important.

As I was preparing for my Restorative Yoga Day this weekend, I pulled out my 2 favorite Yoga "Bibles"...Patan'jali's Yoga Sutras and Stephen Mitchell's adaptation of The Bhagavad Gita,  all highlighted and post-noted beyond original recognition. Reading through these books is like coming home for me, I just get lost in remembering the truth, the wisdom that led me to yoga and kept me there in the first place.  I'm skimming through, looking for just the right quote or passage to start our day with and it dawns on me that I haven't ever really shared this with my students! Shame on me!  How can I call myself a Yoga Teacher and never share the Yoga Bibles?

So I begin with the first Sutra:

1. Now, the teachings of yoga.

2. Yoga is to still the patterning of consciousness. 

3. Then pure awareness can abide in its very nature. 

4. Otherwise awareness takes itself to be the patterns of consciousness.

Oh so true... so true!!  Perfect, I think to myself... It states exactly WHY we are doing yoga.  I turn to my husband, the winner of the top ten yogis award this year.... "See, honey!  Listen to this, this is why we do yoga!"

His response:  HUH??!  What the heck is patterning of consciousness?

Me:  Oh... yeah... that's why I don't teach this.  Not that I think my husband or my students wouldn't get it, but I know it's something you have to kinda read over and over... and let it simmer on your brain til it boils. 

I turn to my old friend, Bhagavad Gita-- much easier to understand.  THE BLESSED LORD SAID... Oh dear, this could be a minefield also.  I make it a practice to not "go there" religious-wise.  I don't want to offend the Christians by suggesting that Krishna is Lord or offend the Jews by suggesting that Christ is the Lord... ugh, people get so easily offended by labels and then they miss the message...just the word Lord upsets some people, I don't want the beauty of the Gita being bogged down by dissecting each word. 

What to do?  I DON'T want to sell yoga short.  I DO want people to understand why they are doing yoga, what it's really all about. How to share this in a non threatening way???  And then I realize...who the heck am I to decide that my students won't get it or that they may be offended in some way?  What gives me the right to withhold information from them for fear of losing them?  How ridiculous am I?  These are grown ups here.

So, I plunge in, reading from the Yoga Sutra to them bright and early Saturday morning.  Their response?

HUH?!!

LOL.  But then we had one of the most lively, enlightening discussions I had in a long time.  We took it line by line, understanding the patterns of consciousness and relating them to our lives.  I read to them during relaxation pose from The Bhagavad Gita, I actually saw one of my "Christian" friends wiping tears from her eyes at the beautiful text.  Quite a few of them had deep breakthrough experiences of enlightenment, one was even inspired to write her own poem, right on the spot, about the trees that we looked up to during our first yoga session outdoors.

And once again, I learned to untie my own pattern of consciousness by realizing I don't control the world.  Again. :)

The Warrior of the Light knows that no one is stupid and that life teaches everyone-however long that may take

He always does his best and expects the best of others.  Through his generosity, he tries to show each person how much they are capable of achieving.

Some of his companions say:  "Some people are so ungrateful."

The Warrior is not discouraged by this.  And he continues to encourage others because this is also a way of encouraging himself.

Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho... my other "Bible".

Namaste'