COVER ARTIST: Louise Broadbent
COVER TITLE: Tree of Life: Pride
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
CONTACT: Louise on phone 0434 460 227
Email: louisebroadbent@y7mail.com
Facebook: Art by Louise Broadbent
Or drop in to Shop G8, The Pier Shopping Centre.
The Reiki method of healing was developed by a Japanese man, Mikao Usui, in the 1920s. An exponential spread of the practice in the Western world has occurred since the 1980s, and today different forms of the Reiki method are now practised worldwide. Many know the Reiki practice only as a ‘hands-on healing’ or complementary therapy; but for those who practise it, the Reiki method is a personal practice for themselves, family and friends.
What is Reiki and how does it work?
These are questions that almost everyone asks when they are introduced to this healing method. It is tempting to try to answer these questions, and there are certainly numerous explanations offered on the Internet, and in books about Reiki. Many are pseudo-scientific explanations that have not been substantiated.
However, more and more, conventional medicine is recognising that the human body’s own natural healing ability can be either supported or undermined by our attitudes, emotions and expectations, and that mental and emotional factors underlie the development of illness and also our ability to heal.
The practice of Reiki as developed by Mikao Usui is a non-invasive, gentle, yet effective system of healing that utilises physical touch. The relaxation response that results enhances the body’s natural healing ability and promotes wellbeing, and it can be used on oneself and others.
The secret method
A part translation of the inscription on Mikao Usui’s memorial stone reads: ‘The Reiki method is not only for curing illness. Its purpose is to correct the heart-mind, keep the body fit, and lead a happy life using the spiritual capabilities humans are endowed with since birth. Accordingly… recite the five precepts morning and evening, and keep them in one’s heart. The five precepts are: 1 – Today, throughout the entire day, do not become angry; 2 – Worry about nothing; 3 – Express one’s gratitude; 4 – Be diligent in work; and 5 – Be kind to others.’
In Western culture, these precepts are often given less emphasis than the hands-on-healing aspects of the practice of Reiki. Yet this is the aspect that was considered important enough to be recorded in granite! And Mikao Usui referred to the application of these precepts in daily life as ‘the secret method that summons happiness’.
So what is the secret that is hidden in these precepts? How can it be accessed?
After many years of applying these teachings in a literal way as part of our Reiki practice, we may come to recognise a common, deeper meaning underlying every one of the precepts –‘Be Here Now’. This is the first level of the secret.
The second level is that we can only truly comprehend the secret by continually and mindfully bringing ourselves consciously into the present moment and experiencing the effects in our life.
Living the secret
As we consider the five precepts, we can see that the particular attitudinal approaches described – don’t be angry, do not worry, be grateful etc – require us to change our thinking. We become angry by thinking about past events; we worry by thinking about what might happen in the future; we are ungrateful when we focus on what we lack etc. We need to control these thoughts that take us out of the present moment. Simple, but not always easy!
Following are some practices that can help us to stop or slow ‘runaway’ thinking – to bring us back to the ‘now’ when we recognise that we’ve gone astray.
Regular spiritual practices
Practices including meditation, yoga and chanting all help us still the mind and access the present moment. By regularly practising one of these approaches, we become more able to bring our mind back to stillness when we recognise that we are thinking unhelpful thoughts.
Self-awareness
Help yourself to stay aware of your thought processes by posting reminder notes around in your home or workplace – e.g. ‘Be here now’; ‘What am I thinking about right now?’ ‘Am I thinking about the past or the future?’
Mindfulness
This means being fully attentive to whatever you are doing – cleaning your teeth, preparing/cooking a meal, playing sport, playing a musical instrument etc.
‘Being aware’ without thinking
Practise doing certain things without thinking – e.g. try going for a walk with an empty mind: look at what is around you; be aware of any sounds you can hear; but don’t label, or ‘think about’ what you are seeing or hearing.
Listening with presence.
It is helpful to have some techniques to bring ourselves back to being present whenever we recognise that our mind has taken us away from the now:
Practising presence throughout the day
When we are listening to another person it is easy to let our mind wander to making judgments about the person, thinking about what we will say in response, or even thinking about something quite unrelated. It is a very positive experience to be really listened to. And when we give someone our full attention we will instinctively know what to say (or not say) when the time comes.
Conscious breathing: Focus on your breath as it goes in and out of your body
Feel your body’s inner aliveness: Focus ‘inside’ your hands, stomach etc;
‘Hold One Point’: Keep your attention on the point about five centimetres below your navel. Holding your attention on this particular point blocks your ability to feel emotions.Use whatever technique works best for you; you can use many of these techniques even while doing something else (driving, jogging, eating a meal etc).The most important understanding of this secret is that it is through the action of staying present no matter what is happening around us, that we are able to make the shift (for shorter or longer periods) that spiritual teachings call ‘awakening’. This really is the secret method that summons happiness.
Mark Ruge and Annabel Muis. Both Mark and Annabel are Reiki practitioners and teachers. Contact: 07 4093 8937
As this month’s magazine is about energy I thought it fitting to discuss, for the first time, one of Young Living’s essential oil blends, En-R-Gee! As the name implies, it was created to naturally enhance the body’s energy levels and boost mental alertness.
Based on stimulating oils such as black pepper, rosemary, clove and nutmeg, this essential oil blend gently lifts without the jolt that caffeine stimulants do. There are six different essential oils in this blend.
Rosemary – amazing oil for mental clarity and memory.
Nutmeg – used for stimulating digestion and energising the body. It also supports the nervous and endocrine systems.
Lemongrass – supports the circulatory system and healthy joint and tendon function.
Juniper – used traditionally to support kidney and bladder function. Also great for the skin, and is a natural cleanser and detoxifier.
Balsam Fir – traditionally used for muscle aches and pains, the warm aroma soothes mind and body. Also known for supporting respiratory function.
Clove – helps boost the immune system. It’s also the highest ranked antioxidant!
Black Pepper – helps with occasional digestive disorders, and is a stimulant.
Some of the uses for this essential oil blend are to support the endocrine system, boost energy, for purification, mental alertness and to combat fatigue.
On a spiritual level, En-R-Gee will help you feel gently supported so feelings of separation and isolation can be released. When we feel as though we need to do everything on our own, or ‘take on the world’ by ourselves, we can become physically and mentally exhausted. This is when our endocrine system, particularly the adrenals, begins to shut down because they are drained. At this point, gentle support and nurturing is essential to rebuild the energy system of the body and mind naturally. This is why En-R-Gee essential oil is very supportive of the solar plexus and heart chakra.
If you are looking to be supported through your essential oil journey, please contact me or one of the distributors listed below.
Elizabeth Moldenhauer is an Energy Healer and Massage Therapist who has discovered the amazing qualities of essential oils and has become an advocate for healthy living and an abundant life. She now teaches throughout FNQ on the health benefits of therapeutic grade essential oils. For more information, or to attend an information gathering in your area, contact Elizabeth on 0438 795 963. Young Living Dis. No. 1222853 www.facebook.com/essentialoildiscovery