I am frequently asked how I got started in my spiritual-based business - was I always able to do what I do? How did I know it was the right path for me? The answer is always the same - it all started with Reiki. I stumbled onto the healers path after being intrigued with conversations friends would have about how incredible Reiki energy felt surging through their bodies. At the time, I had also newly embarked on a path to spiritual self-discovery. I had no idea what THAT even meant much less what impact Reiki would have on my life.
In the haziness of a true newbie, I completed the first two levels of Usui Reiki. Because I was such a baby on my spiritual path & didn't know a thing about Reiki, I did not fully understood the concepts I was taught, I had little to no experiences during the attunment processes but, MAN, I sure felt that energy flowing within and out of me as I performed my first few treatments. My hands vibrated and I dripped sweat from the intensity of the energy coursing through my body. I was a believer & these were my clues that Reiki flowed freely & easily through me. I sporadically used Reiki on myself, friends and immediate family but did not feel the need to pursue further classes.
A few years passed and I found I had stumbled my way into massage therapy school. I discussed with an instructor my wishes to advance my Reiki practice & explained personal struggles were making me question that decision. She suggested a "Reiki redo" to reset the energy & to experience the upgraded energy Holy Fire Reiki would provide. She explained Holy Fire Reiki consisted of a higher vibrating energy than the Usui Reiki I had originally taken. I eagerly took her advice and took Holy Fire Reiki I, II & Advanced Reiki Training (ART) classes through her. In Usui Reiki courses, the instructor interacts with the students directly to ignite and open the flow of Reiki energy in each student. During the course of the Holy Fire Reiki I & II weekend, I came to find out that this was a major difference between Usui & Holy Fire Reiki. In Holy Fire Reiki, the instructor begins Experiences, Placements and Ignitions with a semi-guided meditation but backs away and allows the spirit of Holy Fire to direct and lead the experience that is necessary for the individual. It is incredible to hear others tell about their experiences and realize everyone gets exactly what they need to heal.
My Holy Fire Reiki I & II weekend was magical. I had a very profound and healing dream the night before the first class. I think I would have been happy if that was all that I experienced. During the Holy Love Experience divine love is installed into each person's soul more deeply and clearly. It is said to induce great love and feelings of being deeply cared for and nurtured. During this experience, two beloved friends, who had each passed away too young, came to guide me on a path along the river. We wandered the river's edge until we broke through a tree-lined path to a wide open prairie at the top of a bluff. Situated in this secure location was a small rustic cabin. Warmth emanated through the lights shining behind curtained windows and the billows of smoke escaping the chimney. As we approached, a man casually stood on the covered front porch. He smiled a kind greeting and ushered my friends & I through the door. As we entered we were greeted by the warmth of all those crowded inside, each present to offer their support, love and guidance on my path. Herbs hung drying from the rafters, mortar and pestles in mid-use were on the table and a concoction brewed on the stove. The intense and pure love that emanated from this place was breathtaking, confirming and soothing. I had found my home - my soul - my safe haven.
A few months passed before I was able to take the Advanced Reiki Training class. Diving timing is a funny thing you don't recognize until the moment you are in it...or later - it will never cease to amaze and delight me when I recognize these moments. The ART class was held less than a week after I had completed my vision quest. I was still swirling with the new energy, messages and visions I had collected during this quest - many of which made no sense. The experiences during the ART class caused many of the floating pieces to fit together & connected dots. The Healing in the River of Life Experience was conducted to release all that needed to be released through the Holy Fire. The flames of the Holy Fire do not burn, but sooth, purify, heal, guide and empower the individual. During this experience the spirit of one of my newly discovered animal guides merged into my being and we became one. At another point, I saw the heavens and Universal knowledge open to me. I reached my hand up into the starry knowledge filled sky and saw a funnel implanted into my being. The funnel extended from the heavens into my Crown chakra, through my core and out thru my hands and feet. As this was happening, I felt the Universe fill and flow through me as I was laid upon the Earth. When I was comfortable with my body pressed upon the warm Earth, my hands were gently lifted and Amethyst crystals were inserted into my palms. The ART class was one of the most empowering, fulfilling and inspiring classes I have yet to take.
At this point I was still not convinced I wanted to be a Reiki Master. I had been told early on that the only reason to go onto this step would be to teach. And I was NOT into that idea...at all. I opened my massage therapy & spiritual healing practice and was content with the growth of my personal Reiki practice & the frequency with which this service was used. At some point I came to realize I was ready for my energy practice to advance. A thriving Reiki Center in another city had been catching my attention. I was intrigued by the idea of a full-time Reiki center and wanted to meet the owner & hear how she was creating a community around this modality. I reached out and was invited to visit for a day. The night before this meeting I had a vision dream in which the ancestors were connecting and discussing my life path with me. I woke up foggy but excited by possibility. At my chiropractic visit that morning, the doctor asked about the woman in green. I laughed and said I didn't know what he was talking about. He went on to explain that she was there that day helping him with the adjustment & that she was definitely there for me. Whoa!
At the Reiki Center, the owner, Mary, and I visited for quite a while before she offered to do a Reiki treatment. I snagged the opportunity. Mind you, while I had always been able to feel the Reiki coursing through my body as I treated another, I had never received a Reiki session in which I felt or experienced much. (*This is a reflection of how closed I had been prior to this day & in no way a reflection of the abilities of the practitioners I had received from.) During the course of the session, a guide presented himself to me & showed me a sacred object I was to create. I was blown away by the images, colors and sensations I felt all throughout the hour-long treatment. When the session was complete, the owner looked at me with wide eyes and said "Thank you so much for allowing me to share this session with you". I inquired what she had seen and she explained she rarely saw anything but in this session she had been overwhelmed with the beautiful deep emerald-green of my heart and the expansiveness of it. In addition, she felt a warm & loving female presence associated with the color. My lady in green had made her presence known in a most magical way. I knew in that moment I had found my Reiki Master.
I blindly signed up for the next Reiki Master class Mary was offering. At this time, I was not aware that the Holy Fire energy had recently experienced an upgrade to its intensity & purity. This newest upgrade was called Holy Fire Reiki II. At the beginning of the first day of class, our instructor let us know she had just received this newest upgrade and would be passing to us the highest & purest form of Reiki available. I felt fortunate to have bumbled my way into another Reiki upgrade situation - we are so guided and taken care of when we are following our soul's purpose!! During Day 1 of the Master class, the Pre-Ignition experience is conducted to get the student ready for the Reiki Master Ignition. It works by removing any energies that are incompatible with the Holy Fire energy and opens the space where the Holy Fire energy will be located. During this exercise, I found myself floating on my back in a river being washed and cleansed. A female guide stood on the shore beckoning me to come forward. Upon leaving the water, I sat with her on the riverbank and felt the sand sifting through our fingers and toes - scrubbing the last of what no longer belonged away from my being. At this time, I became aware of the sky opening up and God's hands coming down to offer me a healing. As I looked up, I saw God's face and recognized the source of all love, compassion and empathy. It was powerfully humbling.
In the almost two years since I received my Reiki Master designation, I have experienced varying degrees of shifts and growth in my Reiki practice. While they feel like subtle shifts, they have a huge impact on my clients and me. Reiki sessions don't take as long, my body temperature is regulated, my sight and intuition has opened to allow me to follow instructions of the guides that come through, the flow of the Reiki is even, consistent and strong, and my clients are experiencing amazing sensations and seeing amazing things themselves. I attribute this to the upgraded Holy Fire Reiki II energy - it is truly amazing.
In October 2017 I taught my first group of Holy Fire II Reiki students. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would end up teaching. In total transparency, my reason for advancing to Reiki Master was the allow me access to Karuna Reiki training. However, the Universe is always trying to lead us to the opportunities that align with our soul's purpose. There is the saying, "When the student is ready, the teachers will come". This works in reverse also - "When the teacher is ready, the students will come". I had several people inquire about the possibility of me teaching them Reiki and I knew if they were asking it was time to teach. I told myself it only had to be for one group of students and stepped out of my comfort zone and planned a class. I was totally shocked with the joy & ease I felt in the space of teacher. The pride I felt in witnessing the learning, connections and successes of those students. I, again, stumbled into the right opportunity.
This past December (2017), I received attunement & certification in Violet Flame Reiki. This certification intrigued me because I had only heard about the Violet Flame through clients who work with it. History purports healers in the time of Atlantis worked with this energy but their egos grew large and they abused the knowledge of the Violet Flame for self gain. For this reason the Violet Flame was taken away until it was reintroduced in 2012. The purpose of its reintroduction & use is to increase the power of traditional Reiki in preparation for the higher Universal vibratory levels we are now experiencing. As the protector of the Violet Flame here on Earth, St. Germaine works in conjunction with Ascended Master Kuan Yin to oversee the healers who channel this energy - safeguards to ensure proper use and handling of this energy. This unique energy is meant to be used in removing, transmuting and cleansing negative energy from the physical, mental and spiritual bodies and prepare those stuck in negative patterns for ascension.
We now come to the present and what might be coming next in my Reiki practice & services. Several months ago, I awoke from a dream vision in which I was told to seek out Holy Fire Karuna Reiki certification. I have been in contact with my Reiki Master and this class is coming soon. I am super excited! There are plans to teach more beginner classes & schedule my first Advanced & Master Reiki classes in 2018. I have had persistent thoughts about a few other classes that have not yet been mapped out. I have ideas for shares and a few unique opportunities for those who already practice Reiki but I am not rushing any of this. 2017 was a year of intense activity and doing - I am determined to allow 2018 to be the year of rest and allowing divine timing to guide my actions and decisions.
It took years for me to recognize my path as a healer - I did not have the confidence or belief that I was worthy of this gift for quite a long time. I questioned how it was that I could be so incredibly broken and have the ability to help others put themselves back together. The confidence came after the disbelief was washed away during a nervous breakdown. This fissure in my being absolutely debilitated me for a solid month. The raw emotion was horrible but the outcome has been incredible. I am deeply and honestly grateful to have gone through this experience and come out on the side of light. It was this experience that cracked me open & drained me of massive amounts of self-doubt, negative self-worth, anger and the hatred I directed back toward myself. It pushed me from being who I thought I was supposed to be into the light of who I am. I did not recognize the person that was born of this experience but I felt at ease & joyful. To get to that point, I HAD to cry. I HAD to heal. Without Reiki, I don't know what would have happened. Reiki not only aided in my personal healing, it helped forge a personal connection with the Creator & my true self, healing gifts and life purpose.
Learning & receiving Reiki has been a life-changing experience -- each class and session has added something to my practice - extra layers, greater understanding, and new depths to be shared & experienced. Reiki has been about much more than broadening my education and awareness - it has been a healing journey. I no longer find it ironic that my clients and I share similar family histories, core wounds and spiritual gifts. I have trust in God, the Universe, the Source of all that is - I recognize those who need what we have are lead to us on their own journeys to self-discovery. In this understanding, I can be truly appreciative of the struggles of the past, in the present and those yet to come. Because of these struggles I grow personally. Because of these, I expand the group of those I can help. And, in that small way, I am helping others heal and grow.
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