LETS GET TOGETHER IN LONG BEACH AGAIN!!!

I am simply thrilled to let you know that we are going to spend some time together in Long Beach!!!
Angela Rowe suggested to ''gather everyone'' in her place and bless her new home with the beautiful & joyful energy of friendship.
I will be in Long Beach only for couple of days so please, if you can make that evening – come in and join us.
I am not doing any special invitation – just want you to know that I will be sooooooo happy to see you all there!
I might not be able to get your emails before that gathering (we will be traveling) – so if you have any question please contact Angela. I hope that I am giving you all necessary details tho:)
Potluck Party -
Date: May 6th 2005, Friday evening at about 6pm
Address:3831 E Wilton St
Long Beach CA
Angela’s cell: 562 212 8621
Angela's Home: 562 494 7063 (after May 1st)
Bring – yourself/loved ones/friends and some snacks!

I am really looking forward to seeing you there Dear Ones!

QI GONG FOR EVERYONE

‘Remember…relaxation is not something that you do. It is a natural response that you allow to happen. Relaxation is what is left when you stop creating tension.’
- ‘The Fine Arts of Relaxation, Concentration and Meditation’’ by Joel and Michelle Levey

This is the continuation of Qi Gong and Reiki done together. The previous part you will find on:
www.reiki-healing-touch.com Articles – Other Healing Practices – Qi Gong.

The first part illustrate how to do the simple Breathing Exercise, Counting Meditation and Holding the Tree posture.
This month I would like to share couple of the most simple yet very relaxing exercises that everyone can do before going into more advanced ones. The other day we had a great Tai Chi and Qi Gong Morning Session at the Evergreen Hospice in Kirkland and I realized that the most simple exercises are the most beneficial, specially for the beginners. So even that you have never tried any of Mindful Movements, please please please, check those two exercises out. They will really help you to relax and let go of the tension and negativity. They will help to open the heart chakra and keep the energy freely flow in your body.

Those 2 exercises are from Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi Style:

Opening Position
· Stand with feel shoulder width apart and arms hang down
· Relax the whole body and clear the mind
· Breathe naturally

Commencing Form
· Turn palms to face the ground
· Breathe in
· Gently raise the body drawing arms up to shoulder height and width
· Do it gently like your hands on the waves – moving up and down
· Breathe out
· Sink gently your body down with knees slightly bent
· Draw arms down to thighs

Repeat that gently movement 6 times. When you breathe out you might breathe through your mouth – to relax fully and get rid of the tension stored in your body. You might do that position while sitting down.

Broadening one’s Chest
· Breathe in and raise gently your body
· Draw arms up to shoulder height and width (as in Commencing Form)
· Open arms out by turning palms facing each other and drawing hands away from each other
· Arms fully extended to sides, elbows slightly bent as feels comfortable
· Breathe out and draw hands together until shoulder width apart
· Turns palms to face the front and sing body down with knees slightly bent
· Draw arms down to thighs

Repeat 6 times. This Posture can be also done while sitting down. Remember about the breathing. Do those exercises without any force – nice and gentle movement. Mindful Movement.

JAPANESE REIKI TECHNIQUES

This specific piece done by Tim Shullberg really reminds me to put my hands together in Gassho pose and be thankful for all the blessings and magic I am receiving every day.
Dr Usui said that Reiki – Ho is based on 4 main things:
1) Five Reiki Principles
2) Gassho
3) Reiji – ho
4) Chiryo
I would recommend those Japanese techniques to All Reiki Practitioners who would like to expand in their own growth and their healing art. Those techniques are great tools in self-growth practice and during the sessions. They are many of them (in the alphabetical order) so you might like to choose few and get familiar with them and slowly add another one and another one. I am putting them online trusting that they will be treated with respect. I also trust that this will be a helpful guidence for Reiki Teachers who would like to teach more traditional method.
The information below is based on the research done in Japan including the translation of Dr. Usui’s Reiki handbook as well as teaching/interviews with members of the Usui Reiki Ryoko Gakkai – the Reiki society started by Dr. Usui that is still functioning in Japan. Japanese friend of mine did help me with some of the Japanese translation – Thank you, Naoko!

BYOSEN SCANNING – ‘byo – sick, sen - line’ – checking where the client needs Reiki; can be done for oneself and for others.

CHIRYO – ‘chiryo - treatment’, using intuition and the awareness of energy as Usui used to do it.

ENKAKU CHIRYO – ‘enkaku - sending/distant, chiryo - treatment’, Usui used the photographs for distant healing; on the back of them he used to write name of the treated person, date of birth, if he knew that person he also wrote the profession, if he didn’t know – he asked to write about that person as much as possible; the address, the relationship to the one who want the healing to be done etc…Use your own intuition for creating new ways of distant treatment.

GASSHO POSITION/MEDITATION – praying Position/Meditation; hands together; while meditating concentrate on the point where two middle fingers meet and let Reiki gently flow in your body; relax.

GYOSHI – HO – sending Reiki through the eyes.

HESO CHIRYO - HO - ‘heso - navel, chiryo - treatment’, a technique for relaxation & balance; middle finger of right hand on the navel, push it gently and let Reiki flow through that finger to your navel; the other hand on the lower back. Keep the position for few minutes. Navel in the East is the sit of consciousness.

JAKKI-KIRI JOKA-HO – ‘jakki - negative, kirito - cut, joka - cleansing’ - a method of transforming negative energy into positive. Use this only for objects but not for living beings.
1) breathe in – let Reiki flow in your body (if the object is small you might hold it on your hand), 2) hold the breath – cut the negative energy using one of the hand; do it in three short strokes motion over the object, 3) breathe out, relax, 4) breathing normally charge the object with Reiki. It can be done for crystals, furniture, house, used things etc…
JOSHIN KOKYUU - HO – ‘jo-upper, shin – body, ko- exhale, kyuu – inhale, kokyuu – breathe’ - a breathing technique to strengthen the energy; not recommended for people with high blood pressure, heart problems, asthma etc…This is a very powerful practice so built the strength over time.

1) breathe in through your nose and breathe Reiki through your crown chakra, all the way to the tanden (below navel); 2) hold the breath - collect and expand the energy in the tanden for couple of seconds;
3) breathe out through mouth and let Reiki flow out through the hands and feet (if you also use feet for healing)

KENYOKU - HO – ‘ken – dry, yoku - bath’, a great method for cleansing yourself before and after each treatment, disconnecting ones energy from others as well as strengthen your own energy.

1) right hand on your left shoulder, palm down; stroke the energy down over your body to the left hip; 2) left hand on your right shoulder, palm down; stroke down over your body towards your right hip; 3) repeat that move 2-3 times for each side; 4) right hand on your left shoulder, palm down; stroke your left hand down to your fingertips; 5) left hand on your right shoulder, palm down; stroke your right hand down to your fingertips; 6) repeat that move 2-3 times for each hand. Dr Usui used to do it for the hands starting from the wrists. Try and see what works better for you.

KOKI-HO – ‘koki - exhale air, ho - method’ – breathing Reiki into the needed area;

1) breathe in Reiki through your crown chakra;
2) draw, in your mind, the first symbol and while putting it under the roof of your mouth, say its mantra three times;
3) breathe out and blow Reiki on the client’s body part which you want to treat, visualizing the symbol and its energy going to that part.
This method can be also used for oneself and for distant healing.

REJIO – attunements

REIJI-HO – ‘rei – spirit, ji – show, ho – method’, indication of Reiki, calling guides; do it before the treatment;
1) Gassho, let Reiki flow in your body; 2) pray for the healing and well-being of the client for the Highest Good; 3) still in gassho position take the hands up to upper hara, the 3rd eye and ask Reiki to guide your hands to ‘go’ wherever they are needed; 4) while doing reiji, you might hear some messages, see pictures etc where to put your hands and where Reiki is most needed.

REIKI MAWASHI – ‘mawashi – current’, let Reiki current flow through the whole group; 1) in the circle hold hands gently (they might even not touch to each other), right hand palm up, left hand palm down; Reiki is flowing clockwise so send the energy to the person on your left.

REIKI UNDO – ‘undo – movement’ - introduced by Mrs. Koyama, the sixth president of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. It helps to learn to listen to own body’s needs and activates the body’s inherent self healing abilities; 1) hands on the back of each other in the circle (sometimes it’s also called Reiki Mawashi)

SHU CHU REIKI – ‘shu – gathering, chu – center, shu chu – concentration’, ‘putting everything into one spot’, this technique is practiced in a group or at a Reiki meeting. All group members send energy to one group member wishing and praying for their happiness and health.

HATSUREI - HO – ‘hatsu- start, go forward, rei – spirit, spiritual’ - taught by Usui-sensei with the aim of spiritual growth;
1) Sei Za - sit in Japanese style, hands on the laps, relax; 2) Mokunen – ‘I am going to carry out the Hatsurei – Ho’; 3) Kenyoku-ho with Hado breathing; 4) Connect to Reiki; 5) Joshin-ho; hado breathing with ‘haa’& spreading Reiki through the body into infinity; 6) Gassho; 7) Seishin Touitsu – concentrate the mind, hands breathing – breathe in Reiki through hands to tanden, breathe out with Hado from tanden to hands; 8) Hands on lap, silently ‘I have finished Hatsurei-ho’.

BEAMING - developed by William Rand; treating the whole body and aura from the distant using distant symbol and imaging your hands beaming Reiki to a client you want to treat



The artwork by Tim Shullberg - LongBeachYogi@aol.com

REIKI MEDITATION – SENDING ENERGY TO YOURSELF & THE WORLD from Renu Kakkar

Sit down in a relaxed manner on a straight back chair or crossed legged - which ever way suits you.
Hold your hands palm upwards on your knees, in a prayer form or in your lap - which ever you feel convenient.
Tune in to OM Chants or some light music.
Close your eyes and say OM three times.

The chakras are wheel like centers of energy which control the body organs.
Upon energizing the energy centers we not only heal ourselves but also strengthen these centers.
Meditation on the chakras with Reiki, the universal life force, and with colors, gives you deep relaxation which is very helpful for the body organs (by deep relaxation here I mean the relaxation of the body mind and emotions).

Steps for energizing body and mind.
Take a deep breath. Close your eyes slightly, just listen to the sounds. Do not try to identify them. Tell yourself that your senses are getting relaxed.

To relax the mind
Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Keep breathing deeper and deeper like this three times. To relax further/ go into deeper relaxation, count from 10 to 1 slowly and you will go into deeper relaxation. Now your mind is completely relaxed.

To relax the body
Relax the body organs one by one. While relaxing them thank them for their support and request them to do so throughout your life, in a healthy way.

Relax the right toes, right foot, right ankle, the right leg, the right knee, right thigh and the right hip. Now your entire right limb from hip to toe is completely relaxed.

Relax the left toes, left foot, left ankle, left leg, left knee, left thigh, left hip. Now the entire left limb from hip to toes is completely relaxed.

Now relax your pelvic region, and the organs there. Relax the back muscles, relax the abdomen , relax the stomach, liver on the right side and the spleen on the left. The ball bladder and the pancreas bowels in the center and the kidneys at the back. Now the total abdomen and the connecting organs are completely relaxed.

Now relax the chest, heart and lungs . Feel them completely relaxed. Now relax the entire rib cage and the shoulder blades. Feel them completely relax.

Relax the right shoulder, right upper arm, right elbow right forearm, right hand and the right fingers. Now your right upper limp from the right shoulder to the right fingertips is fully relaxed.

Now relax the left shoulder , left upper arm, left elbow, left forearm, left hand and the left fingers. Now your left upper limp from the left shoulder to the left fingertips is fully relaxed.

Relax the neck muscles from the front and back. Feel them completely relaxed. Relax the face muscles around the mouth the eyes and the forehead. Relax the eyes the mouth and also the skull and muscles.

Now your total body is completely relaxed. All muscles and all the organs from the head to toes are completely relaxed. Feel the relaxation. Enjoy the relaxation of the body and mind.
In this state repeat mentally: ‘I have full faith in Reiki. Reiki will energize and heal me’.

Now let us proceed to energizing the chakras.
Take a deep breath; inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose.
Visualize a beautiful golden glowing ball floating above the top of your head, see it float down and blend with the violet chakra of the head. See the golden violet rays spreading to the various systems energizing the nervous system and the right eyes.
Say to your self: ‘I am divinely protected, guided and at peace’.

Now imagine the golden ball gently separate from the violet chakra and floating down to merge with the brow chakra and blend with the beautiful indigo wheel of the brow chakra. Visualize the golden indigo rays energizing the pituitary, hypothalamus, nose, the left eye and ears and repeat to yourself:
‘I am open to new ideas, people and situations and follow my gut feelings’.

See the golden ball separate from the brow chakra and slowly floating and descending into the glowing blue wheel of the throat chakra. Imagine the golden blue rays energizing the entire throat, upper lungs, digestive track, bronchial and upper stomach areas.
Say to yourself: ‘I feel safe to express my feelings. I love, trust and respect my creative gifts’.

Now imagine the golden ball all separate and descend into the glowing green wheel of the heart chakra. See the golden green ray flow into the thymus, heart, blood, lower lungs, upper liver and arms.
Repeat to yourself: ‘Love is the purpose of my life. It is everywhere’.

Now see the golden ball separate and enter the solar plexus chakra and blend with the yellow wheel there and spread the golden yellow rays into the entire digestive system, pancreas, liver, gall bladder, intestines and spleen.
Repeat to yourself: ‘I trust my worthiness. I am worthy of the best in life’.

Now imagine the golden ball separate from the solar plexus chakra and floating down to the sacral chakra, to the orange wheel found three fingers from the navel. Imagine the golden ball blending with the orange wheel and the golden orange rays pass into the entire reproductive system.
Repeat: ‘What I do is enough, what I have is enough’.

Now see the golden ball separate and floating down to the base chakra, the seat of kundalini energy. See it blending with to the red colored wheel. The golden red rays are spreading into the entire excretory system and energizing the kidneys bladder, spine and lower limbs. Feel the warmth.
Repeat: ‘I am safe and secure all the time. I love my feet, they show me the way. I love my legs they support me’.

Continue breathing in through the nose, out through the nose. Feel totally at peace. Feel the centers are all flowing with abundance of love. All disruptive emotions have flown away. You are calm, fully relaxed/grounded.

Now imagine that all light is surrounding you. Feel your aura expanding and being protected with white light. No negative energy can harm you. You are fully protected. Relax Relax Relax.
Now you are fully energized with Reiki. Imagine yourself in front of yourself. Pass Reiki to yourself. Heal yourself, your family members. Forgive yourself, your family members.

Now with Reiki energize the 5 elements.
Imagine the earth in your hands, thank the earth, energize the earth and bless the earth with Reiki.
Imagine water in your hands, thank the water, energize the water and bless the water with Reiki energy.
Now imagine the fire in your hands, thank the fire, energize the fire and bless the fire with Reiki.
Now imagine the air in your hands, thank the air, energize the air and bless the air with Reiki energy.
Imagine the space/sun/stars/moon/planets in your hands, thank the space and energize the space with Reiki energy.
You can thank god/angles/spiritual guides etc in a similar manner.

Your meditation is now over. You are beginning to come back, slowly. From your head, your ears, your torso, your legs to the tips of your toes. Stretch arms and legs slowly. Slowly open your eyes and become aware of the environment. You are fully charged and feel fine in every aspect.
Relax here means relax not sleep. If you imagine sleep you will go to sleep’.

Renu Kakkar – Reiki Master/Teacher from India. He said that this meditation was passed to him by his Reiki Teacher who got it from another Reiki Teacher…who knows how old it is...

‘DARK NIGH OF THE SOUL – ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS’
BY MIRABAI STARR

‘…The dark nigh is not about who wins the race by crossing the finish line of self-annihilation. There is nothing we can do, anyway. The dark night is about being fully present in the tender, wounded emptiness of our own souls. It’s about not turning away from the pain but learning to rest in it. Rather than distracting ourselves from the simple darkness at our core, we sit with it, paying close attention, and opening our hearts to all that is left, which is love. It is the cultivation of compassion for our suffering selves and for all selves who suffer the illusion of separation from the Beloved….
… The wisdom is simple, sweeping, spiritual. It enters the mind naked of content, not dressed in the cloths of any sensory image. The intellect cannot form any idea or picture of it.

SONGS OF THE SOUL

On a dark night,
Inflamed by love-longing-
O exquisite risk!-
Undetected I slipped away.
My house, at last, grown still.

Secure in the darkness,
I climbed the secret ladder in disguise-
O exquisite risk!-
Concealed by the darkness.
My house, at last, grown still.

That sweet night: a secret.
Nobody saw me;
I did not see a thing.
No other light, no other guide
Than the one burning in my heart.

This light led the way
More clearly than the risen sun
To where he was waiting for me
-The one I knew so intimately-
In a place where no one could find us.

O night, that guided me!
O night, sweeter than sunrise!
O night, that joined lover with Beloved!
Lover transformed in Beloved!

Upon my blossoming breast,
Which I cultivated just for him,
He drifted into sleep,
And while I caressed him,
A cedar breeze touched the air.

Wind blew down from the tower,
Parting the locks of his hair.
With his gentle hand
He wounded my neck
And all my senses were suspended.

I lost myself. Forgot myself.
I lay my face against the Beloved’s face.
Everything fell away and I left myself behind,
Abandoning my cares,
Among the lilies, forgotten.

- John of the Cross
Translated by Mirabai Starr