The State of Wait

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I feel like I live in a perpetual state of waiting. I'm waiting for registration to come in for classes scheduled soon, for checks to come in for work I've done, for packages to come with things I've ordered, for new opportunities to crystallize from the dream-seeds that I planted. I'm waiting.

I'm getting better at waiting though. I think I'm getting used to it maybe. I don't get as anxious as I used to, and feel less stressed out. I have more faith that things are being arranged, and I see signs that things are developing to make them happen. That helps me have patience.

Today I had a powerful and profound day. I was at The Cleveland Clinic, where I volunteer as a Reiki practitioner on Tuesdays. I go around with one of the Healing Services staff, either a clergy or a staff Reiki practitioner, and give Reiki to patients who have put in a request for a visit. Sometimes in the afternoons, I go to nursing stations and offer the nurses Reiki. They usually accept if they have a few minutes, and they are enthusiastic and appreciative. It's a fulfilling opportunity, and I look forward to it every week.

So, today I was going on patient visits with a Healing Services staff person. We went to visit and give Reiki to two patients who were in the stages of dying. There was no more that could be done (medically) for them, and we had been called to offer them Reiki to ease their transition. We also offered and then gave Reiki to their family members who were there with them.

Giving Reiki to these patients brought back intense memories of being with my mother-in-law at the end of last summer as she was going through this transition. I recognized immediately the way these patients were in and out of consciousness, the way they seemed between worlds.

Most of all, it brought back memories of the waiting that we all did as we were with my mother-in-law, during her final few days. The family members of these patients today were also waiting, providing comforting presence to their loved ones.

I could feel as the Reiki flowed that these patients were going to pass soon. The energy was different, slower, more gentle, than when I give Reiki to a person with an illness, wound, or post-operative procedure. Both patients acknowledged the energy. One said it was wonderful. The other nodded when we asked if it was okay for her. They both knew what was happening.

Their family members who we gave Reiki to afterward were appreciative. The energy helped them relax and feel cared for.

All day today, I've been reflecting on this experience. I understand the waiting they were all doing.

I asked the angels to be with them all, especially the little 4 year-old son of one of the patients. The waiting they are doing is a stronger, more emotionally intense kind of waiting than the waiting that's part of my daily life. Their waiting is their job right now.

My daily waiting is something I have to monitor, though. It's not my job. My job, I remind myself, is to live in NOW. Because waiting all the time takes away from what I'm doing now, and I forget to enjoy the present.

My kids are on winter break. I took them to the playground yesterday, despite the 19 degree temperatures outside, to slide down the icy-fast slide and then get some chocolate mint hot cocoa. It was my birthday. That part of the day was the best part of the day. We had a good time. Tonight, after dinner, we played a game together. Game night is one of their favorite family activities. When I'm distracted from the waiting by doing something fun with my kids, I am enjoying life a lot more.

Waiting can lead me to worrying. I'm going to be more mindful of that process, and make the effort to stay focused and present. Then the angels can do their work of making things happen, and they can line up the steps I'll take toward getting me to my goals. This is a much better way to live.

Being in that waiting space again with the families of the transitioning patients today reminded me of the difference between necessary waiting and unnecessary waiting.

Peace.

Peeking Behind Oz's Curtain

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Some interesting things are happening lately, and I'm treating the experiences like little peeks at the workings going on behind the scenes. This series of events seem like they could lead me where I'm hoping to go, and yet they leave me wondering. Ah, the mysteries of life - LOL!

Here they are:

Two days ago, I was in the shower, and as I sometimes do when I have some rare time to myself, I was asking my angels, rather directly, for some help. I said I am all set to begin my Energy Healing Certification Program (the January track - I already have two tracks in progress), and I need more students. I asked them to help bring these students to me, now please.

I got out of the shower, dressed, and my cell phone rang. It was a person who had met me at the Victory of Light expo in Cincinnati, and who was calling to say she's interested in enrolling in the Certification Program. Wow.

Yesterday, I had to run an errand to Bed, Bath & Beyond. I started driving there and realized I wasn't sure where the store was. I called my husband, who told me it was in the opposite direction from where I was going. Feeling a little dumb, I turned around and went the other way. I was berating myself a little for driving out of the way and wasting time to find the store. I finally arrived. In the store, I found myself in the same aisle as a young woman I had taught with a few years ago, with her mother. We exchanged greetings, and she asked me what I'm doing these days. I told her I teach Reiki and her eyes lit up. She knows about Reiki and receives Reiki to help with her chronic sinusitis. I told her that I have a class coming up in a week and gave her and her mom my card. They said they'd be interested in taking it.

I realized that I wouldn't have run into them if the timing hadn't been perfect.

Then later yesterday, I was at a holiday party with my kids at The Gathering Place, a cancer support center where I'm a volunteer Reiki practitioner. My cell phone rang. I answered and someone asked for "Sheila." Instead of saying it was the wrong number, I said, "This is Alice." The person on the other end said, "Oh, Alice! Funny, I didn't mean to call you." It was one of my newest students, who told me that she was trying to call her friend to invite her to take the upcoming Kundalini Reiki class with her.

I realized that I wouldn't have known she was recruiting people to be in the class unless she had dialed the wrong number and reached me.

When I got home from dinner at my parents' house last night, there was an email from a gentleman who is interested in being in the Certification Program. We've exchanged several emails since last night and things look good for him to be in the program, but he plans on learning Kundalini Reiki by distance individually with me first.

And one more thing, too. On Tuesday, when I was at The Cleveland Clinic, where I volunteer as part of the Healing Services Department giving Reiki, I happened to have a meeting with my volunteer coordinator. She said that she is trying to create a position for a part-time instructor, part-time Reiki staff person, and she thinks that all of the staff should be instructed in Kundalini Reiki. Since I told her about Kundalini Reiki, she has been impressed with the ease of use of this modality. The description of this position is exactly (and I mean to the letter) what I've been asking the angels for in terms of a steady job. Things happen either excruciatingly slow or unnervingly quickly at the Clinic, so I am now stepping back and trying not to hold my breath. But it's another glimpse into the motion behind the scenes that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't stepped into my volunteer coordinator's office that day.

So what's the point here? Here's the point:

While none of these people have actually enrolled in anything yet, and there's no steady position being offered to me yet, I feel like I'm getting the message that things are in motion to answer my requests. It's like I'm being given a peek behind the curtain to see things being put into place, rather than waiting in the dark for something to happen. I am being told that all of these seeds are being planted, I'm in the right place at the right time to talk with people, and it's only a matter of time before things germinate.

Then there's my little snarky voice in the background. It's saying "Yeah, and if none of these people actually enrolls, if the Clinic says no, won't you look dumb for believing that these are all signs?" It doesn't like me to have faith, but prefers hard evidence. I hear that. And yes, I do worry about it all being for naught. But again, that's a lot of events in the last few days all pointing in a positive direction. So the snarky voice can stfu, excuse my vernacular.

I'm sticking with the idea that these are all ways that the angels are saying, "We're working on it for you, Alice. Hang in there." And I am.

It feels like a good argument for asking the angels and letting them work.

Anything like this ever happen to you?

Thanksgiving 2010

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to focus on what blesses our lives. I would like to share some conventional and also some possibly "out there" things that I feel grateful for this Thanksgiving.

• My wonderful husband, Evan. First, foremost, and always. He is the one who supports, encourages me, and keeps me grounded. He lets me work to grow my Reiki practice and work from home, even when a more "traditional" job would ease some pressure financially. He also helps me make sound business decisions with my unconventional chosen career. Evan is a fantastic and patient father, great cook and regularly pitches in with chores. Every day I love him more. Thank you, Evan. Thank you for being #1 on my list.
  
  
  
• Our children, Rayna, Sari, Eli and Arin. They are wonderful, unique, energetic, and joyful people who show me new ways to see life. I love watching them grow and all of the dynamics that they bring to our family life. They fill our world with love and enrich it with challenge and blessings.
  
  
  
• Having a roof over our heads, cars to drive, and food on the table. Regardless of our financial challenges, these essentials are a constant and we're ok.
  
  
  
• My parents, grandma, and sisters who love us and are there for me and my family. We have weekly Friday night dinners with my mom, dad and grandma, and we're so grateful for the bonding that is strengthened by our regular coming together.
  
  
  
• Good friends, most notably Ernie, Connie, and Valerie, who I love spending time with, admire, and who make life easier, more fun, and help me see myself.
  
  
  
• Online friends I know from Twitter and Facebook, who remind me that I'm not alone but connected and cared for beyond the confines of my local reality, including (but not limited to): Amy Oscar, Krystal, Quelsen, Manish, Marcel, Don, and Tom.
  
  
  
• My students, local and online, who have embraced what I offer them with amazement and gratitude, and who push me to think deeply about my own practice and growth every day.
  
  
  
• All of youwho are caring enough to read my blog, whether you comment or not. It's nice to know that you are interested. I'm glad you're here.

Now the other items on my list this year, a little unconventional but still worthy of gratitude:

• My "just do it" attitude. I am grateful for the trait I have that lets me just jump into new experiences and try them without taking the time to doubt or worry about whether they will be successful in the end. I find that even if something I try is not the best thing for me, I always learn more about myself in making the effort to find out. I've surprised myself more than a few times when I've taken a chance. I've discovered that I spoke well, connected with people, got invited to teach, and learned more about what I'm capable of. Wherever this courage or stupidity comes from, I'm grateful it's there. An example is that I submitted an audition video for a contest called ReadyfortheStage.com which selects ten people to attend a conference in Washington, DC that helps you get connected with opportunities to speak your message and reach lots of people from the stage at large events. They want to support new businesses that help people. I know that what I do is a little different from their usual participant, but I also know that I have made great effort to grow my practice in many ways, I speak from the heart, and the chance to reach more people would help me spread the message that anyone can learn Reiki and tap into their power for healing. Whether I am selected or not, I feel good about being able to express how passionate I am about teaching Reiki. I think that the experience of creating an audition video will lead somewhere, and I look forward to discovering where. Incidentally, you can support me by tweeting on Twitter to @BlueM, @SuzanneEvans, @davidneagle, and/or @baribmb to select me as a finalist! The results will be announced on Monday, and the event (7event.com) is Dec. 7-11 in Washington, DC. I'll keep you posted.
  
  
  
• Times that things did not work out. These have been the events that motivated me to look further, be creative, and try new ideas that ultimately led to bigger and better things. An air of anticipation replaced feelings of failure, and it's much more positive of a place to be. When registration did not come in for my local Reiki class, I started looking outside the wellness center for opportunities, and came up with new ways to expand my practice. New connections have been initiated, new classes are in the works, and I know progress is being made. I'll keep you posted about those things as they develop.
  
  
  
• An ongoing flow of support from my guides and angels, who are lining things up just right for my path. The more I notice things falling into place, the more there are to notice. Even typing this item opens the way for more good energy to flow into my life. I'm ready. I'm grateful.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I hope you can also take the time to see all there is to be grateful for in your life. I welcome your comments.

Love. Light. Peace. Blessings. Joy.

Keep Being the Light

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I think lately that one of the keys to moving forward despite hard times is keeping your eyes on the good progress that's being made. This can be a challenge when money is tight despite the best efforts to move forward, and even despite real progress being made. We've had a challenging time and have a slow and steady recovery ahead of us again. And we've also had some roller-coaster emotions as we go through the process of prioritizing bills and putting off others, wishing we could do better. We've had our freakout moments. What gets us to a point of calm again is that we keep coming back to the knowledge that we are, in fact, moving in a forward direction. Evan has a job (his first paycheck finally arrived). I have classes in progress and more scheduled, and am going to an expo this coming weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio where I just found out I have a nice big booth and an hour-long presentation spot at 2pm (prime time for speaking). More good things are ahead at the end of the winter too. A new game project is in the works, a chiropractor wants me to work in his practice when his new space is ready.

The rub is that these things looking ahead seem far off when money is an issue RIGHT NOW.

It's okay though. I see the light ahead. I am determined to stay focused on that light, because when I do, it grows brighter. I think that's the idea, and it's a metaphor I'm enjoying right now. Is the darkness here? Sure, it's always here. But it's harder to see when the light is too. In fact, it goes away when the light is on.

I'm the light. Reiki is the light. Energy is the light. My focusing on the positives creates more light. Joy is the light. Laughter is the light. Love is the light. Light many candles from one little flame. Each person who shares the light brings more light to the world.

I light candles by teaching Reiki. Those I teach go on to share it. They teach others. We light the world.

I feel lighter already.

Love and light, Alice

Hawks

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The hawk is called messenger, protector and visionary. Keen vision is one of its greatest gifts. Hawks see things that others miss.

The hawk comes to you indicating that you are now awakening to your soul purpose, your reason for being here. It can teach you to fly high while keeping yourself connected to the ground.

As you rise to a higher level, your psychic energies are awakening and the hawk can help you to keep those senses in balance. Its message to you is to be open to hope and new ideas, to extend the vision of your life.

~Suzanne, Divine Sparks blog

Let me catch you up, dear readers.

Evan got the job. He starts tomorrow morning. It's both a relief and very good timing that he will be employed again. It's a good organization, where he will work with friendly and appreciative people in a job that provides very important support to adults with special needs. We are grateful for this transition to a better situation for Evan and our family.

As for me, though...no one showed up to my classes or the networking group that I had busily promoted and worried over in my last post. At first I was really upset. "What a failure," my triumphant, snarky, chiding inner voice exclaimed, then adding, "I told you so." After enduring that for a while, Evan and I took the kids to the playground and, at his coaxing, we walked around brainstorming ways to expand my Reiki practice beyond the classroom. What other opportunities could I explore that could help reach more people? Who would be interested in having me teach or provide Reiki? We started a list. I started feeling better.

In fact, I started really seeing the process of doing this brainstorming as an opportunity that I would not have thought to do without the motivation of the lack of registration for those particular classes. "Maybe," my more optimistic inner voice countered, "this is the way that big things will start to happen. Wait and see!" And for once, my snarky chiding voice was quiet.

I also would like to publicly thank my wonderful, caring, intuitive friend Amy Oscar for her emails that consoled and helped gently encourage me to evolve my thinking on this situation.

This past week, I went to my teacher and mentor, Connie's house, and stayed overnight. When I was driving there, it was a gorgeous day and I noticed a big hawk flying above.

As I arrived, Connie and her business partner, Diana, were emailing with the head of a health, beauty and fitness expo in Strongsville, Ohio, about renting a booth. Turns out, the expo is next weekend (http://womensexpo.org - and please ignore the unfortunate way the words divide when put together that way) and there was a booth available for me too. We got a good deal when they offered to rent two booths instead of one. How perfect! It happens that this expo is the weekend before my next local Kundalini Reiki class starts. Great opportunity to reach and enroll more students.

Connie and Diana helped me brainstorm and plan out more ways to expand my reach, and they also gave me some intuitive advice. That night, Connie and I stayed up doing Soul and Angel card readings, and she also gave me some spiritual guidance. She told me that there is a thin, transparent ceiling above me between my guides and angels and me. She said I should ask them to remove it so that I can feel them with me and hear their guidance all the time. She also told me to ask them how to attract more students. She suggested that I ask them to show me signs, and if I have doubts, to ask for concrete, unmistakeable signs.

On my way home, I was ready to follow Connie's advice. I started by asking my guides and angels to be present with me. I felt energy. I asked them to remove any and all barriers between me and them so that I could receive their guidance all the time. I asked them to show me a sign if this had worked. Immediately, my attention was caught by a hawk flying above me.

"Yeah, right," my snarky voice chimed in. "Coincidence."

I asked for a more concrete, unmistakeable sign. Immediately, two hawks appeared flying above, and one of them was red. My snarky voice shut up.

I still had work to do here with my little meditation, so I got back to it. I had recently met a chiropractor who had invited me to be involved in his practice once he does the renovation in his new space, a couple of months out. So I asked my guides and angels next if I should call him. Another two hawks appeared without a second's pause. "Cool!" squealed my optimistic voice. I had to agree.

Now came the big part. I told my guides and angels that I wanted to "vibrate for people," to attract people that are meant to learn Reiki from me to my classes and to find me. I asked if I could visualize myself standing in front of a large classroom filling with happy, excited people, getting ready to teach. I pictured this in my mind and felt happy at the wonderful group, grateful for all of them. I felt a vibration of energy all around me, as if to agree that this would be a good way. Before I could ask for a sign, I counted exactly five hawks rushing out of the nearby trees into the sky, all at the same time, flying in circles. I was astounded and thrilled.

So it all began with a shifting. The shift was from anxiety and disappointment to optimism, hope and excitement. And with the shift came new energy toward my growth, opportunities, and goals. I also have a new resolve to meditate and include my guides and angels in more of my intentions and thoughts.

Since I got home, I feel different and I sense things happening. Registration has started coming in for my new classes. And I met a very amazing person who took an interest in me and we have some unique ways we could help each other. I'll tell more when things start to materialize, but at this point, it feels like new energy is bringing new possibilities.

Just what I needed.

Today, Evan and I were standing outside on the driveway. "Hey, look!" He pointed above our house. Two hawks were flying overhead. We never see hawks in our small, suburban neighborhood. That is, until now.

Thanks, angels.

The Lull

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I have lots of new things in the works. A network of energy workers that meets once a month, called The Energy Network, starts this coming Sunday. A new Reiki for Parents class starts locally this Saturday. A new section of the online virtual classroom Reiki Awakening Energy Healing Certification Program starts Oct. 12. And I'm starting to plan a Reiki Retreat for May 13-15, 2011. I have the location and a contract, and lots of ideas. So the ideas are flowing, plans are in place and in progress, promotion for the classes is out there. Now I am waiting for registration to come in.


My husband, Evan, had a second interview for a position that could potentially be a good fit for him. He is waiting for the call about whether they will offer it to him or the other candidate they were considering. That call is supposed to come today, but so many times the people say they will call on such-and-such a date, and they call days or even weeks later. Plus if they offer the position to the other candidate, it's unclear whether he will receive a call or be left to assume it wasn't for him. More waiting.

This is the hard part for me, and has always been my challenge - waiting. How do people do that? How do people wait for things to happen and stay calm? I have an influx of "what ifs" going through my mind as I try to plan for every possible scenario.

I know, I know. Be in the moment. Isn't that what I advise everyone else? Just be. Surrender. Let it go. You've done all you can do. Now the Universe will bring you the students. The Universe will arrange Evan's perfect job at the perfect time. All will fall into place.

But I'm standing on the precipice, waiting. And the phone is quiet. The email is bringing in ads and email newsletters that I wonder why I subscribed to (or if I did). I should be busying myself with other things so I can keep from thinking about it too much maybe. (Hey, maybe blogging about my feelings will help to soothe them. I think that's why I started this one. I'll let you know if it starts to work.) Part of me feels like screaming, actually. Not too cathartic yet.

I can do some self-Reiki. That helps for a little while. I know, I know. Be, surrender, let it go. Good words. Hard for me to hear right now, even from myself.

So I ask myself what will happen if...

• No one registers for my class. I will have to cancel it. Then I will question why I keep doing this. Was it the timing? Was it the audience? Was it the marketing? Was it the content? Was it the fee? Was it me? If the Universe has given me this path (and it still feels like it is my path), and I'm marching on it full speed ahead, why aren't the students flocking (or at least enough of them to make a class happen) to fill them (and why do they always seem to come at the last minute, putting me through this horrible repeated wondering and creating a run-on-sentence problem?)
  
  
• No one comes to The Energy Network meeting. I will sit there wishing people had come. Then I will wonder why people didn't show for this opportunity to share an hour and a half talking about energy healing, their practice, and giving and receiving energy. Was it the timing? Was it the audience? Was it the marketing? Was it the cost (I think it's very reasonable but what do I know)? I feel somehow guided to make connections and offer a supportive and open place for those who work with energy to mingle and share. Why hasn't anyone preregistered?
  
  
• No one registers for the new Certification Program. I'll cancel it and wonder all the same things as above.
  

This waiting time is hard enough to have me wondering if a steady job with a steady income is a better choice than this life. My heart is deeply entrenched in Reiki work. I literally left a full time career to do this and resolved to dedicate this year to building my Reiki practice. I suppose this is no time to wimp out. The ideas are still coming, and I am running with each one as my head tries to keep up with my feet. My heart screams in protest when I consider changing direction again, even for a few minutes. Even my freelance writing work is unsteady, as I wait for new projects, or wait for payment for those I've completed. I blame the waiting for creating all this doubt. And also some tension about waiting for Evan to land that perfect position that he needs to help ease our money issues and make the waiting and planning easier on my end. It's a money flow issue, which I know I'm not alone in facing, given the state of our country's economy right now.

But it's all about waiting. And how to do it gracefully. I'm rather awkward at it, even still. Two weeks ago, acupuncture helped me with this. I know that Reiki can do the same thing. I admit that it's hard to get myself calm and quiet by myself to apply Reiki, except at night when I'm falling into bed. During the day I feel like running around and doing something and it's hard to slow down my body or my mind for long. Excuses, excuses, my inner self chides. Yeah. I hear ya, inner self. Ok.

Breathing. A good start. I am now going to take three deep long breaths. Here. Take them with me. 1.....2......3. Actually that helped. After I post this blog, I'm going to go take a shower and Reiki the shower head so I'm receiving a shower of warm Reiki with the water. Okay. It's a plan. I'm even going to continue with this mindful breathing at least once per hour, three times. I think I always need to know something I can DO while I'm waiting that will make the waiting easier, if I've done all I can otherwise. I have a new notebook for jotting down my ideas and I think I'll get started on making a list.

I close with a song. "The waiting is the hardest part."

Have a good one. Breathe with me today. Thanks.

Needles and Energy

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Yesterday I had acupuncture for the first time. It happened that I met an acupuncturist, Jared West, at Insight Learning and Wellness Center last summer where we were both working at Camp Insight, a holistic day camp. I was teaching Reiki and songwriting, and Jared was doing challenge games with the campers. This summer, he suggested to me that we do a trade. He would give me an acupuncture treatment, and I would give him a Reiki healing. I agreed. I've always been a little curious about acupuncture, and I'm not afraid of needles at all.

I've also been rather stressed over waiting for registration for many classes I've scheduled that are coming up at the start of next week. Enrollment is a little lower than I was anticipating, and my promotional efforts have been huge. So I thought the timing was perfect for a little healing and releasing stress, and this was a great opportunity to try something new.

So I talked for a bit with Jared about my feelings and what's been going on in my life. He was interested and caring. Then I lay on the table and he placed needles in my ears, head, forehead, arms, stomach, and feet. It did not hurt. He put on nice music and told me to just relax, meditate, rest, whatever I wanted to do and he would check on me in five minutes. I decided it would be great to just meditate a bit and take advantage of quiet time. I closed my eyes. I felt mildly tingly as I noticed energy flowing. I asked my guides what I could do about the enrollment for my upcoming certification program. I felt that I was receiving a response. It sounded like a conversational reply to my question. The response said that I have done all I needed to do, and I should just relax, take this time to care for myself so I can be the best teacher in my ability, and let the students who should be learning with me come. It's advice I would have given to another person had he asked me the same question, but for some reason, hearing it told to me was very reassuring. I felt myself relax.

Jared came in and asked me how I was doing and I smiled at him and said just fine. He adjusted a few needles and left the room again. I tuned in again, grateful for the chance to quiet my mind. I asked what I could do to attract students more. The answer came again, sounding like I was having a conversation with someone who was always there but who I had not really noticed before. The answer was to shine my light, from the heart. I asked how to do this so it would be noticed. The answer was "intention, silly." I liked the "silly" addition, because "intention" is a word I am always using when I'm talking about Reiki to my students.

I also asked what I should do to improve my own intuitive growth. Chided again, I was answered that this meditation was an example of something I should do daily. That the intuition is there for me if I could just get quiet enough to notice. It was good advice, and resonated familiarly because I had just told my students at the Increasing Intuition workshop I taught on Monday night that meditation is the most important means to strengthening one's intuition. More advice I should heed, of course.

Jared came back into the room and asked me how I was doing. He began to remove the needles. I was really relaxed and happy, and felt lots of energy flowing, the stress really gone. As I was telling him that, I noticed a bright, lime green aura appear around his head. I smiled really big and told him what I saw. He laughed, and I laughed too. He said our energy was probably reflecting off each other. It was a nice idea. He left the room again. I kept laughing. Then I started to cry. I think I just needed to release all of the clenched up tension I had been holding for quite some time over all of this.

My acupuncture experience was really great. I felt wonderful for the rest of the day. I was also glad to have been able to share Reiki with Jared, who really enjoyed it as well. We agreed to do another exchange in two weeks, something I'm looking forward to already.

Energy flows in many ways. It's been great to experience some of the same benefits of a Reiki session in a different modality. I look forward to future opportunities with acupuncture and also whatever other chances I'll be offered to experience different energy healing modalities.

Building a local Reiki practice is hard work. It starts slowly. I've been expecting lots of return for lots of effort. It is coming about, but slowly. Word will spread and more students will find me. The ironic thing is that I was just called on the phone and asked if I could teach Kundalini Reiki for an associate and her client who wants to learn it. I said yes and we planned for Sunday to be the start. Then she said there was another client interested and gave me her number. I called, and that person was added. By the end of the day, I had 5 students enrolled for a class I had not scheduled or put any effort into promoting. I was left shaking my head at the humor in the Universe.

An addendum: Last night I taught an hour long Intro to Reiki class online via webcam. The replay is available for $10 and it's really packed with information. It's in .exe format and so it has some interactive components too. If you'd like to download it and view it for yourself, this paypal link will take you to the download page once you put the $10 through: http://bit.ly/aLrEKU

Also, I've opened a new section of the online Energy Healing Certification Program, starting in October. You can read more about it and enroll here: reikiawakening.com/certification.html.

Peace.

Guest post by author E.Dee Conrad - Channeling

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Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 2 of the Virtual Blog Tour for A New Dawn Awaits by author E.Dee Conrad. I have been fortunate to receive an advance copy of her book, and it is a fascinating read that I recommend to everyone looking for some insight! There's something there to ponder on each page, and at times I felt that the book was speaking directly to me as I was reading!

A New Dawn Awaits is a compassionate and inspiring channelled collection of short inspirational reflections, bringing together wisdom of the ages, showing us how to access knowledge that has been part of our consciousness, but has been dormant, for eons. E.Dee’s intention in writing this book is to help readers reach inwards into their divine essence and outwards to the energy that connects us as one humanity.


Yesterday, E.Dee visited Suzie Cheel’s blog http://suziecheel.com .

For today’s stop on the tour, I thought it would be interesting to interview E.Dee on the topic of how she got started channeling and the main message of her book.

* * * * *

Alice: How did you get started channeling, and how did you know that what you were receiving was separate from your own conscious thought?


E.Dee: I first became interested in channeling because I wanted to be a medical intuitive. I thought it would be a great way to help people and to give back to society. Over time, I was steered towards writing a book instead!

I know something is a conscious thought by how it “feels”. When I channel, I don’t hear a voice. Rather, I “feel” the imprint of words in my brain that I then translate into actual words – almost like telepathy. If it is a conscious thought, i.e., one from my logical mind, it has a very different sensation than one that is channeled. A channeled thought has kind of an airy/floating feeling. Having said this, if I am emotionally (usually fear) involved in whatever it is I am trying to channel on, it is hard for me to be sure I am not just talking to myself!

Alice: How did you refine your ability to channel?


E.Dee: Practice, practice, practice. I also began meditating on a quasi-regular basis. For me, the calmer and more still my mind is, the clearer I “hear” or feel the words.

Alice: What do you hope people will come away with after reading your book, A New Dawn Awaits?


E.Dee: Sometimes when I was writing my book I would wonder if “they” were talking directly to me and if the whole book was just one really long message for me because “they” would say things the way I needed to hear them so the point would really sink in. For example, throughout my book you will see phrases like “This is important”, “This is a key point”, or “We are repeating this to make sure you understand”.

I feel the main message is you can transform yourself and help all of humanity by doing two simple things: meditate and be aware of your thoughts. You don’t have to meditate every day – 10 minutes every few days is enough in the beginning. There are no random thoughts. Every thought you have goes into the Universal Consciousness and affects everyone else. When you become aware of your thoughts, the negative ones will automatically decrease and the positive ones will increase. You don’t have to be perfect and remove all negative thoughts – all you have to do is try to become aware and that is enough to shift your perspective.

If this sounds like too much to do, I will take a quote from my book: “If you remember nothing else in this book, remember this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; think of others as you would have them think of you.”

* * * * *

I hope you enjoyed this interview with E.Dee Conrad and that you’ll check out her book A New Dawn Awaits, which is coming to Amazon on Tuesday September 21, 2010. You can receive a collection of over 30 beautiful personal development gifts when you buy her book on the day of her launch.


In addition, E.Dee is hosting a very special FREE telesummit entitled “The Shift. The Message. The Transformation” on September 14th, 15th and 16th with nine of today’s most vibrant authors and speakers on the topic of the consciousness, transformation and the global “shift” occurring on our planet today. If you’d like to attend, all you have to do is request a “launch reminder” about the book, and you’ll receive all the information to attend. If you cannot make the live event, you can download the audio at your convenience.


To find out how to buy E.Dee’s book and receive these gifts, including the FREE pass to the 3-day online telesummit, go to http://spiritauthors.com/pages/edee/new-dawn-awaits-by-edee-conrad.html


AND you can read all about the telesummit and the guest on the 3 days at

http://virtualspiritualevents.com


Be sure to follow E.Dee tomorrow when the next stop on her Virtual Blog Tour is

Charly Leetham’s blog at http://askcharlyleetham.com.


As always, please do feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.


Thanks to E.Dee for being my guest today and good luck on your Virtual Blog Tour! Thanks for choosing me as a stop! I found our interview very enlightening!

Peace.

Transitions and Connections

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I'd like to begin by thanking all of you for reading, and especially those who posted supportive and sympathetic comments regarding my mother-in-law's battle with cancer. Your words were comforting and I appreciate all of you for taking the time to offer love and caring.

My mother-in-law, Lillian Langholt, passed last Saturday, August 21. She died at home, with family nearby. My mom, dad, husband, and children were at her side constantly for her last three days while she struggled with the process. We gave her love, soothing words, and Reiki as much as we could. Hospice was brought in to offer additional support. It was very hard to tell the kids that Nana was going to die. We held each other and cried after we told them. When she passed, it was somewhat of a relief because she was not actively struggling anymore. The funeral and the rest of the week happened quickly, but felt like time was moving slowly also. I guess that is the nature of such things.

My kids are doing well. They are grieving in their own ways. My oldest has been a little short-tempered lately. My son had been chewing the inside of his lip and it got swollen and infected. I took him to the dentist. He also cried in his sleep one night and I held him in my bed, giving Reiki to help him. He didn't remember it in the morning. My youngest daughter had some potty issues - some accidents that were uncharacteristic of her. We understand. We know it's a process that will take time to heal.

One thing that I know has been most powerful from the experience is that my kids will always know the value of what you do for family. No matter how little or much my mother-in-law needed us, we were there for her. There were no questions. We were there. Every day, as long as she needed, until it was round-the-clock and even then. We were there. My kids didn't want to leave her side, even when she couldn't acknowledge their presence for more than a few seconds at a time. They saw, lived, and understood that this is how a family cares for each other. I am moved and grateful for the opportunity to instill this value through our actions.

There is yet much to do in terms of logistical follow-up that will take probably close to a year. The house, all the stuff in it, leftover bills and accounts, paperwork. Many projects await, and we are dedicating a portion of each day to starting to work on it.

We are also grateful that Evan had this time to be able to devote to caring for his mom, as I mentioned in previous posts. Perhaps now he will be in the right alignment for the perfect job and him to connect. Divine timing. He will never have the guilt that would have come from needing to work, not having vacation time, while his mom needed him. He was there. It's a blessing.

Interesting was that the night before her funeral, I was online and a friend who I hadn't talked to in a while suddenly intiated a chat with me to tell me that she was in labor. I wished her blessings on her birth experience (she had a healthy and beautiful baby boy later that evening), and was truly thankful that the perfect timing of her chat was there to remind me that life begins anew, even as one life is over.

And due to the series of events this past week, I've had the opportunity to do some thinking about life, death and transition. I've come to some conclusions that I would like to share. As always, it's a work in progress, as life is a journey of learning. This is where my thoughts have landed me:

The soul is a part of Source - we are ONE - our soul is our God aspect. It is housed in the body so we can experience life, but not separate - ever -from Source.

The feeling of being separate is an illusion so we can experience life in physical form. It's a gift.

Meditative practices tune us into the awareness of ourselves as One, but we have to be grounded also, so we can experience life in this body we are gifted with as long as we can.

Physical sensations are not available to the spiritual aspect of ourselves. This is the gift of life:
to feel
to experience
to sense,taste, touch, love,
relate to others.

Embrace this gift and you show appreciation for it.
live, learn, love
this is the meaning of life (in my humble opinion.)

So LIVE. Embrace the gift of life in this physical form. Death is a separation from the physical form. It is not the end, but it is a separation from the chance to live in this physical world. One can live a balanced life by experiencing and appreciating the beauty of life we feel through our earth-bound five senses, and also sensing and appreciating our Source-selves through meditative practices that help us renew our awareness of this connection. For me, Reiki does this and is even more profoundly meaningful for me because it allows me to help others feel it too, and I can facilitate their opportunity to receive healing energy when they are receptive.

Life ends, life begins, God bless life. Amen.

Pain and Healing

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This is a different sort of post I'm writing because I'm trying to sort through some very difficult feelings.

My mother in law is dying of cancer. There. I said it. It's obvious to those who see her that she is not getting any better, in fact, her energy seems to be waning daily, her pain increasing, her frustration growing, and she is mourning the idea of her own life ending. I feel helpless.

I give her Reiki, hoping to soothe her, hoping to relieve pain, hoping to do something, anything to help. And yes, I'm there each day doing whatever she needs from watering the plants to drying and styling her hair. But it isn't enough.

I am in pain watching my husband deal with his feelings surrounding seeing his mother this way and feeling equally helpless, despite all the many ways he is supporting and helping her. I see my children concerned over her appearance and her obvious distress. They shower her with love.

And the critical voice in my head says, "It's not about YOU, Alice." But it is. This experience isn't only happening to my mother in law. It's happening to our family. We are watching, hoping to do something to fend off the reality of what is happening before our eyes. We are all affected, all in distress.

And also, as I'm often in the company of other energy workers, people give me suggestions. They tell me to get such-and-such a juice, because it's a miracle cure and it worked on their mother/father/friend. It's only $800 for a case of it, of which she'll need to drink a bottle each day. I feel vulnerable to the drive to do something...could THIS be it? Or something else? What about what we're already trying? If she weren't taking what she's taking, would she be even worse? Should we try something else that sounds promising and find a way to pay for some? Or should we accept what is happening, knowing that if we HAD tried something, the right thing, that maybe she would have a chance of getting a little (or a lot) better? Or not. The maybes are hard to deal with.

The doctor has given up and suggested palliative care. The world hospice is a give-up word to her, and a telling word to us. It hurts.

What's the Reiki doing, I ask myself. Am I receiving enough to stay in balance? Am I giving enough to make a difference? What else can I or should I be doing? I don't know.

I feel for my husband. He is dealing with so much. He is still looking for a job (although it is a blessing that he doesn't have one right now so he can also be there to help her, instead of being torn while at work, wishing he could be there for her when she needs him). He is caring for the kids while I teach Reiki and promote my local classes. He is taking care of many of the household chores. He has a lot on his plate. And he is (usually) gracious about it, although I know he feels overwhelmed. We believe we are in the right place at the right time, although this is a very hard time indeed.

I can only hope that the tools we have for coping will help us find balance and stay in a place of hope and healing in whatever way we can as things unfold. Please, angels, surround us all in love and comfort and carry us through this time.

Thanks for reading.

Big Steps Forward and Readings

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Things are in full force now! I've started creating and launched the Reiki Awakening Energy Healing Certification Program. Since I've started, it seems that the Universe is bringing me the people and ideas I need to make things work. For instance, a very high-priced local marketing expert has offered me his services free of charge. A friend has offered me knowledge and the shared use of the videoconferencing software for teaching the sessions. The idea has been warmly received, and students are signing up. A dear friend is helping me with making videos (posting soon!) and distributing flyers for the local program. I feel very supported!

And also, since I've been back from Lily Dale, I've had some readings. A student of mine, Louise Hobson, has started giving Oracle and Soul Card readings, and she offered me one of each. Also, my teacher Connie has done a reading for me. All of the readings were powerful, positive, supportive, and also practical. I recommend Louise and also Connie to anyone who is looking for some solid guidance. Click on either of their names for links. Louise's link is her email, and Connie's goes to her website. Their rates are reasonable and their accuracy is excellent. I felt like the messages were really directly for me, and I feel like all is really happening as it seems to be - for the best, for success, and with the feeling of swimming with the current.

Here's a quote from Louise's reading so you see what I mean:

Workshops and Seminars (the card that was drawn)

Attending and giving speeches is part of your spiritual path and purpose. Be open to teaching and learning.

The angels have sent you this card so you will know that you really are hearing your angels message on this topic. the angels will guide you in your practice- " this was very very strong". Give any thoughts or worries or concerns to them.. then listen to their replies. This will come to you as ideas and feelings. they will help you choose the right venue and the right audience for your teachings. Also, you are guided to attend workshops to further your spiritual path and education. Ask Archangel Raphael to support everything in this endeavor- including tuition fees, transportation and lodging. The way is clear for you to give and receive.

Visualize all the positive benefits you receive when you teach- is what they asked me to tell you. when your visualization is complete say "Thank you universe for my wonderful experiences giving workshops for people who receive blessings from the teachings that come through me"

I mean, wow, right? Now here's some from my reading from Connie:

You, girl are flying high & you are supported by the heavenly host and all Spirit has to offer. You are trusting Universe to provide – doors are being flung wide open & you are to go boldly thru them knowing you are protected by angels.

Your new project could be bigger than you think. There are ideas that you have not been given yet as you are simply spread too thin as it is. Really assess EVERY little thing you do with RA & if anyone else can do it (or be trained in under 15 mins) have someone else do it.

Gabriel is with you in your writing…if you feel a block call on him..as well he is sent to give you fresh vision, new business ideas as you write.

Some of the opportunities flying your way have a short window of opportunity time wise –you won’t have opportunity to research as you would like but you do have an inner knowledge – trust it and act on it without delay.

DELEGATE where ever & when ever possible. Build in Alice time & relax & rejuvenate . You will need lots of energy in the fall/winter.

All great advice, and all very supportive, seeming to completely validate what is happening around me and motivate me to continue boldly, removing any fears associated with taking such a huge step forward.

It's good to be able to grab on and push for making my dream happen, while feeling supported by the Universe! I am keeping up the expectation for success and gratitude for the gifts that are coming to me daily. Having positive expectations and trusting that the Universe is helping me seems to be working. I'm glad to report it, and will keep it up!

I figure that anything I can learn, I can teach. That's why I teach Reiki and intuitive development subjects. I am aware of how I learned these skills, and I bring the process to others. I want everyone to have the benefit of being able to learn these skills. If I can learn from scratch and get this far, anyone else who's interested can too. There's great joy in showing people how much power they have that they didn't know was there before. I consider this ability a blessing, and love to share it.

Peace.

Big Steps Forward and Readings

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Things are in full force now! I've started creating and launched the Reiki Awakening Energy Healing Certification Program. Since I've started, it seems that the Universe is bringing me the people and ideas I need to make things work. For instance, a very high-priced local marketing expert has offered me his services free of charge. A friend has offered me knowledge and the shared use of the videoconferencing software for teaching the sessions. The idea has been warmly received, and students are signing up. A dear friend is helping me with making videos (posting soon!) and distributing flyers for the local program. I feel very supported!

And also, since I've been back from Lily Dale, I've had some readings. A student of mine, Louise Hobson, has started giving Oracle and Soul Card readings, and she offered me one of each. Also, my teacher Connie has done a reading for me. All of the readings were powerful, positive, supportive, and also practical. I recommend Louise and also Connie to anyone who is looking for some solid guidance. Click on either of their names for links. Louise's link is her email, and Connie's goes to her website. Their rates are reasonable and their accuracy is excellent. I felt like the messages were really directly for me, and I feel like all is really happening as it seems to be - for the best, for success, and with the feeling of swimming with the current.

Here's a quote from Louise's reading so you see what I mean:

Workshops and Seminars (the card that was drawn)

Attending and giving speeches is part of your spiritual path and purpose. Be open to teaching and learning.

The angels have sent you this card so you will know that your really are hearing your angels message on this topic. the angels will guide you in your practice- " this was very very strong". Give any thoughts or worries or concerns to them.. then listen to their replies. This will come to you as ideas and feelings. they will help you choose the right venue and the right audience for your teachings. Also, you are guided to attend workshops to further your spiritual path and education. Ask Archangel Raphael to support everything in this endeavor- including tuition fees, transportation and lodging. The way is clear for you to give and receive.

Visualize all the positive benefits you receive when you teach- is what they asked me to tell you. when your visualization is complete say "Thank you universe for my wonderful experiences giving workshops for people who receive blessings from the teachings that come through me"

I mean, wow, right? Now here's some from my reading from Connie:

You, girl are flying high & you are supported by the heavenly host and all Spirit has to offer. You are trusting Universe to provide – doors are being flung wide open & you are to go boldly thru them knowing you are protected by angels.

Your new project could be bigger than you think. There are ideas that you have not been given yet as you are simply spread too thin as it is. Really assess EVERY little thing you do with RA & if anyone else can do it (or be trained in under 15 mins) have someone else do it.

Gabriel is with you in your writing…if you feel a block call on him..as well he is sent to give you fresh vision, new business ideas as you write.

Some of the opportunities flying your way have a short window of opportunity time wise –you won’t have opportunity to research as you would like but you do have an inner knowledge – trust it and act on it without delay.

DELEGATE where ever & when ever possible. Build in Alice time & relax & rejuvenate . You will need lots of energy in the fall/winter.

All great advice, and all very supportive, seeming to completely validate what is happening around me and motivate me to continue boldly, removing any fears associated with taking such a huge step forward.

It's good to be able to grab on and push for making my dream happen, while feeling supported by the Universe! I am keeping up the expectation for success and gratitude for the gifts that are coming to me daily. Having positive expectations and trusting that the Universe is helping me seems to be working. I'm glad to report it, and will keep it up!

I figure that anything I can learn, I can teach. That's why I teach Reiki and intuitive development subjects. I am aware of how I learned these skills, and I bring the process to others. I want everyone to have the benefit of being able to learn these skills. If I can learn from scratch and get this far, anyone else who's interested can too. There's great joy in showing people how much power they have that they didn't know was there before. I consider this ability a blessing, and love to share it.

Peace.

Learning from Lily Dale

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Last Saturday, I went with my friend Ernie to visit Lily Dale, NY, a community of mediums and energy healers in New York, about 2 hours' drive from home. I found lots to learn from the experience, and I am glad to share it with you here.

Before we went, we decided to book a couple of appointments for a reading with one of the mediums there. Not knowing who to choose, we looked through the list on the website and clicked on various websites that some of the mediums have. It was a hard choice and Ernie emailed me his top choices, then I made some choices, and we decided on one and called her. She had two appointments available late in the day, so I booked the earlier one. Then Ernie called her and booked the one after mine.

I didn't want to get home too late, and so after thinking it over, I called Ernie and asked him if he thought we might cancel the later appointment and take our chances finding a different medium who has an appointment earlier in the day so we could get back at a reasonable hour. Plus I thought it would be cool if we could experience readings from two different people. Ernie agreed and canceled the later appointment. I tried calling another medium on the list of our choices but she didn't return my call. We decided to take our chances and that the Universe would sort it out once we got there. We went.

To our surprise, the Sci Fi Channel was there with the Ghost Hunters and so the city was packed with people. As we walked up and down the streets looking at quaint houses next to rundown houses with for rent signs, we looked for anyone with an open appointment. There was nothing available. I started getting anxious. I started beating myself up, saying that I never should have canceled that appointment, that we went all that way there and I wouldn't get a reading (since canceling the appointment was my idea I wanted Ernie to have the reading that was scheduled), and Ernie tried to keep up with my stream of words with reassurance and telling me to stop worrying.

I started worrying that I couldn't follow my intuition, that how was I supposed to know what to do, that I didn't know what guidance to follow - should I have selected this medium? Should I have made the appointment? Should I have canceled it? Should I be looking for some other signs? It was pretty frustrating. Ernie told me to relax. I was on a tangent of doubt. I went to the bathroom.

While Ernie waited for me to get out of the bathroom, a random person walked up to him and said that right outside the gates, a little way down the road, there was a Fellowship Hall where student mediums and some of the mediums from Lily Dale were giving 10 minute readings for $10 as a fundraiser for their medium training program. Ernie told me this when I got out of the bathroom. He said "Here's the sign you wanted." I was encouraged.

Ernie and I ate the lunches we had packed together at a picnic table. We talked about our lives and talked about our dreams.

Before we decided to walk up to the Fellowship Hall, we went to Inspiration Stump, where people gather and mediums come before the crowd and select people there to give messages to. It was packed, and we stood in the back. The weather was gorgeous and the sunlight was perfectly streaming through the trees. A medium was introduced and got up in front of the crowd. She gave some names of departed people and asked if anyone recognized the names and some characteristics she named. Someone did. She gave a message of encouragement to that person and thanked everyone. Ernie and I stayed for a few more mediums doing their thing. One guy was pretty specific and told one person that she would be moving to New York and meet a friend there who she should not marry, but should remain friends with him. Another medium came up and had a strong presence, getting the crowd to say "Good Afternoon" to her very assertively. She was fun to watch. Her name was Jessie. Jessie did a similar thing to the other medium, and passed a message to someone in the crowd that her mother was watching and cautioning her not to take on too much, not to say yes to every request that comes her way. Ernie and I decided to go walk to the Fellowship Hall, so we left at that point.

When we got to Fellowship Hall, we each bought a ticket for a 10 minute reading. Then we were instructed to wait until the hostess seated us with one who was available. Medium students and certified mediums were seated in rows of chairs facing people they were talking with in the big room. We sat at a table and chatted, and Ernie reminded me to just be in the moment and stop regretting having canceled that other reading. I was called to sit with a medium, and to my surprise it was Jessie from the Inspiration Stump. She is one of the certified mediums of Lily Dale. Jessie said a brief nondenominational prayer and then told me that a gentleman in very old fashioned clothing was standing with her, an ancestor of mine, looking as he had in a picture. I couldn't think of who it might be, but was ok with that. She said that lots of forward movement was happening for me, and it was important for me to stay organized and delegate when I needed help. I thanked her for this advice. She also said that my husband would find a job in two weeks to two months' time, and he would feel much lighter and happier about that. I thanked her for this also. She also said that I need to remember to laugh often and keep my creativity and sense of humor going daily, and meditate daily to hear my guidance. I know that all of these are important. I liked the reading. I thought it was great that I got a reading, and that it was less money than I had been prepared to spend (always a good thing!).

Ernie had his reading, and he liked it also. When we walked outside, there was a little craft and gem fair outside so we walked through it and each purchased a healing stone and chatted with the vendors. Then we walked back to Lily Dale for Ernie to have his reading with the medium we had scheduled with.

You probably noticed that I have not mentioned her name. There is a reason for this. You'll understand why in a minute.

So we found the little house of our person, and we went in. I saw that she had not filled the appointment in the space we had canceled, right after Ernie's appointment. So when she came out, I asked her if she could read for both of us as originally planned. She said she could, and I was glad. I had a moment when I was again feeling unsure if this was the right thing or not, since we had made, canceled, and then I had had another reading. Should I ask or let it be? I knew that I had spent the whole day so far doubting myself and wondering what I should be doing - an uncomfortable feeling, and then I also knew that despite my spinning thoughts, I had so far received exactly what I had wanted. Funny. In any case, the medium said I should go first and she took me into her room.

She put on a tape recorder to record the session and said a brief prayer like Jessie had done. Then she asked me about if my grandparents were living and I told her that one is. She said my grandparents on my dad's side were with us. I never met them because they died when my dad was an adolescent. She said that my grandmother was referring to a bracelet of some kind, and did I find that familiar? I did not. She said that it was silver and had a charm dangling from it. I still had no idea - I don't have anything like that. She said no matter, it might be something I would find and buy in the future. She then said that my grandparents I had never met wanted to tell me they love me and that they would like to be remembered. Ok. Then she asked me about my mom's parents. I told her that my grandfather had passed over. She asked if he died when I was young and I said no, it was 6 years ago. She said he was mentioning two children, did I have two children? I said I have four. She said he only knew my two oldest? I said he was particularly attached to my son (#3), who was a baby when he died. She said hm he isn't referring to that one. Then she talked about my kids and their personalities, but the qualities seemed to be matched to the wrong kids. I gently interrupted and asked her about my career and if she could get any guidance for me on my career path or my home life in the near future. She asked me what I do. I told her I teach Reiki. She said this isn't going to be my job, that there are LOTS of Reiki teachers out there and it isn't a lucrative career. She looked at my necklace and asked me if I make jewelry. I said I was going to be soon offering energy-charged stones on a necklace, and she said I should do that - make jewelry - because that would be a better business for me than teaching Reiki. I said that it is my life and my heart to teach Reiki, and I dearly want to be doing this. She said it's always my choice to do this but she sees of all the possibilities for me out there, this one has a very remote chance of success. But if I'm bound and determined to succeed, I might be able to do that. Maybe. I was upset. My time was up. I paid her and held back tears as I went into the waiting room. She called Ernie in for his reading.

I spent the next half hour alone in her waiting room, beating myself up again and fuming about this reading, which I hated. I wanted to throw the tape she gave me in the nearest trash can. I knew I shouldn't have had this reading, that I should have been happy with the gift the Universe had given to me of a good reading for less money than I had anticipated, and we would have been able to leave earlier, which I had wanted. I questioned my intuition, and asked why I could only see things in hindsight, as what I SHOULD have done, instead of feeling confident about what decisions I'm making in the moment. I wondered if I should ask for my money back from the reading, which had only upset me. I know I need to be teaching Reiki, that this is what makes me truly happy, and that this gift of being able to help people learn and offer healing energy is something that I need to share. I decided to only tell the medium how I felt and give her back the tape, which I really did not want to keep.

When she came out with Ernie, she started to say goodbye to us and I said that I wanted to return the tape, that I felt the reading really didn't resonate with me and I was sorry. She grew immediately angry and said that she knew she had a strong connection, and she nearly threw my money back into my hands, took the tape, and slammed the door. I stood there holding my money, and Ernie looked at me rather stunned at what had just happened. We left.

So here's what I learned from the Lily Dale experience:

• Not all mediums resonate with every person. (Later, watching the HBO documentary "No One Dies in Lily Dale" I saw this was true for some of the people in the film.)
  
  
• I ended up getting everything I had wanted. I had (one) good reading. I didn't end up spending a lot of money (smh), I experienced what Lily Dale is like on a gorgeous day with my friend Ernie who is a really good guy. I had a chance to take a road trip and spend the day doing something really different from my regular routine. (Mucho thanks to my wonderful husband, Evan, who managed all four kids by himself for the day so I could go.)
  
  
• Intuition may not always be there to tell you what to do at any given moment of the day. Maybe the point is to just make a decision and go with it, being open to what happens next and trusting that it is all as it should be. Worrying about what to do next takes a lot of fun out of the experience, which is happening anyway. That in itself is a powerful lesson. It's likely the most important lesson of the day and one I will try to remember and apply daily.
  
  
• I am going to follow my heart and good things will happen. I don't need to be told that I am doing the right or wrong thing. My experiences tell me when I am making choices that make sense. Since the trip, I have started moving forward with planning a slew of local classes and a new Energy Healing Certification Program, and new students and interest are coming in quickly, following the energy of my efforts. (I will be offering this by distance also - stay tuned for official info in the next couple weeks!) I have lots to do (and need to stay organized - thanks, Jessie,) and I have trust that this will be only the beginning of great things. I also made some necklaces from the healing stones and put them on my website. (I was going to do this anyway but I got it done.)

So in retrospect, I learned lots from my trip to Lily Dale. Maybe I'll visit again sometime. If so, I will go with an appointment with a medium already set (and choose from a more informed perspective). A note: I did not mention the medium's name because I know that her readings might be great for other people, so my experience should not taint her future business in any way. Even though I think she was not at her best in the way she responded to me at the end, I know that we are not all at our best, and don't want to cause her to lose business by giving her a bad review and sharing her name.

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and I invite you all to my next Reiki Talk broadcast on blogtalk radio on Sunday, August 1, from 10-11 pm EST, where I am excited to be featuring my friends and colleagues Ming and Candy of reikifurbabies.com to talk about Reiki for pets. If you can't make the show live, a replay will be available for download or online playback immediately after the show.

Blog Tour with Sharon Baker, RN, RMT

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Hello everyone! I'd like to welcome author Sharon Baker to the Reiki Awakening blog! Sharon is an RN and a Reiki Master Teacher who has written a really wonderful Reiki book about her powerful experiences with Reiki, Healing With Hands. I really enjoyed reading the stories about the many different people Sharon gave Reiki to, and the ways in which their situations were improved after receiving Reiki treatments. Her additional scientific information is enlightening and her writing is both heartwarming and real. Great news is that I have 3 copies of Healing With Hands to give away! I'm honored to have an article I wrote featured on Sharon's blog this week as well! So to win a copy of this wonderful book, here's what to do:

1) Read and leave a comment here about Sharon's article.

2) Read and leave a comment on Sharon's blog about my article. Those who have commented on both blogs by Friday, July 16 will be entered in a drawing to win one of the three books. I'll announce the winners on Friday afternoon! A bonus is that everyone who comments on Sharon's blog is also entered to win a basket of books! It's a double win opportunity! I'm so happy to have the chance to feature a really wonderful author, and reward my readers too! Enjoy Sharon's post!

Energy
by Sharon Baker, RN, RMT

Strength, force vigor and power producing an effect. It may be mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical, life force or spiritual energy. It is the synergist for all living things and systems to operate. Energy is manifested in many forms: motion, light, heat, ionizing radiation or sound. Nothing would be happening within us or on our planet without energy.

My recent Reiki Master Student, Colleen D, is an automotive engineer. What really got my attention was that Colleen seemed so comfortable with energy medicine concepts: no struggle to prove ideals or science. After my initial surprise, I decided to interview her for this month's newsletter.

I began by asking what drew her to Reiki. She said it was her late father, a magistrate and lifelong seeker of esoteric truths, who encouraged her whole interest in Reiki and related therapies. "Dad received Reiki treatments himself and was an enthusiastic fan of Dr. Robert Becker, author of, "The Body Electric." She began her early journey learning Eastern views of stress reduction and self healing. She later experienced a Reiki session and soon completed all the Reiki levels. Colleen also stated, like many, she was sensitive to antibiotics and since she suffered from chronic bronchitis, had to look outside the box for treatment.

I asked Colleen about parallels between Reiki and engineering theories. Familiar words to both are blueprint, electrical, stress, design, systems, vibration, energy.

Colleen stated that both Reiki and engineering share a common thread regarding vibrational theory and its application here on earth. the earth itself has several rather slow frequencies between 6 and 50 cycles (or hertz) per seconds called Schumann's Resonance. As I researched this data further, I found an interesting tidbit-the average earth frequency is 7-10 hz. which corresponds to the average frequency of our brain waves. She added, everything on the earth has its own resonance-water, trees, rocks, lowland and highlands. Thought and light are among the highest forms of vibration and light itself contains multiple vibrations. Per Wikipedia, the physics, the term light sometimes refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, weather visible or not.

You as light workers are manipulating and channeling this highest form of "light" resonance. Human hands frequencies have been measured from .3-30 hz. and this changes according to the need of the client as the treatment progresses.

"Also, we recognize open and closed energy systems in engineering," Colleen explained further. "Thermodynamics' 1st law is the 'conversation of energy' - the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant and can only change form, it cannot be destroyed. I think of this form as I do self Reiki. I circulate my own chi via my hands, moving out toxin and stress of the day. Also, in engineering, we deal with open systems, where something constantly interacts with the environment moving in energy from its surroundings for maximum functioning. For example consider a car engine, with its inlet and outlet, as an open system. Air and fuel are ingested through the inlet into a chamber in the engine. Within the engine system, there is a spark plug where the air and fuel mixture ignites, to create a powerful explosion, which increases the size of the engine chamber. After the explosion, the engine rids itself of non combustible waste through the outlet or exhaust. As we give a Reiki treatment in open system fashion we also interact with the environment to move chi into the client. The healers are also the properly timed spark plug which ignites power and maximizes the flow to help the client run efficiently, expelling waste or toxin through human outlets. Another engineering view is that electrical systems automatically have a magnetic field which is also widely recognized in Reiki. Whether human or machine, electrical fields exist even when there is no current flowing. If current flows the strength of the magnetic field will vary but the electrical field strength will remain constant."