Reiki

Valerie Mann is pleased to offer the practice of Reiki, which is a form of hands-on energy healing that works with clearing blockages to the free flow of life force throughout the body.  Reiki teaches that illness is the result of these blockages.  She became a Reiki Master/Teacher several years ago and is qualified to both give treatments and to teach others to become Reiki practitioners.

Reiki was developed in Japan in the latter part of the 19th century.  The theory behind Reiki is that a well-balanced life force energy which flows unhindered throughout a person’s body is the source of health.  Reiki works to release blockages so that the life force can flow easily throughout the body.  The energy channeled flows where it is needed in the client and is not guided by the practitioner.  It always creates a healing effect and cannot be misused for this reason.

Reiki has been shown to produce feelings of relaxation and well-being, reduce the need for medications, shorten patients’ hospital stays, reduce anxiety, and reduce the time needed in recovery rooms.  In her experience as a Reiki Master/Teacher, nearly every person Valerie Mann has treated has experienced significant feelings of well-being and relaxation.  In addition, physical aches and pains have been either reduced or eliminated completely.  This includes headaches, shoulder pain, and muscle pain from sports injuries.  One client who had experienced a rapid heartbeat during most of her life told Ms. Mann that when the Reiki treatment was given to her heart area, it slowed down to what felt like a normal heartbeat for the first time in as long as she could remember.  Another person who was given a brief demonstration treatment informed her after the treatment that she had suffered from intense chronic anxiety for many years, and that the Reiki made her body feel more relaxed than any other treatment she had tried.

Valerie Mann is actively working to encourage the use of Reiki and other alternative therapies such as yoga, acupressure, acupuncture, and craniosacral therapy in local hospitals, doctors’ offices, and clinics.  She has had productive discussions with some of these traditional health-care providers, and is am hopeful that this will lead to the use of these therapies in our area.  However, she feels that public demand will be the most important factor in trying to “sell” the medical community on this idea. In the course of her attending local health fairs and giving seminars, a number of people have expressed interest in Reiki and the other therapies. Others are very curious and would like to learn more.

Valerie Mann has given several well attended seminars on this topic.  In addition, she has had an article published in the Reiki News Magazine(Spring, 2008 issue)  which deals with the challenges of practicing Reiki in a rural area. A number of Reiki practitioners from around the country contacted her to express their appreciation for this article.  This magazine is published by the International Center for Reiki Training in Southfield, Michigan.  The center is operated by William Lee Rand, who has the distinction of being generally recognized as one of the persons who has done the most to advance the practice of Reiki in the United States. Ms. Mann has also had an article on the benefits of meditation published in Be Well World, which covers the Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD areas.

Increasingly, she sees that there is a demand from the public for greater choice in their health care.  Ms. Mann believes that consumers wish to see traditional medical providers supplement their current services with alternative therapies in an integrated approach.

Valerie Mann would like to hear from you.  Having feedback from members of the community will help immeasurably in her approaches to the medical providers.  This will show strong public support which will help to convince area health centers to include these therapies as part of their practice.  Please contact her with your comments.

She is available to give the following services relating to Reiki:

Informational seminars for your group- these are free in my local community. Valerie Mann will gladly travel to other areas for a nominal fee plus expenses.

Reiki treatments at her office in Fruitland, MD- $60 for a one-hour treatment and $35 for a half-hour treatment

Training in Reiki Level I- the all-day class is $150 per person, including textbook

Training in Reiki Level II- the all-day class is $150 per person, including textbook

Distance Reiki- fee is determined for each individual situation depending on length of time required and the number of situations needing this attention

Treatments may be given either “hands-on” or at a distance.  Most treatments last from 30 to 60 minutes.  However, Ms. Mann has given five-minute demonstration Reiki treatments at seminars and health fairs and have found that nearly every person has experienced positive effects.

Reiki Removes Energy Blockages

Even though I have been a Reiki practitioner for over 12 years, the magic of the practice still comes through loud and clear. I had a client who came to me last week presenting a number of emotional issues. She reported feeling depressed and blocked. Anxiety was also part of the picture. I could observe that she was undergoing a crisis of spirit. She mentioned also that since her aunt had died, she had not been able to shake the feeling of grief and depression.

 

When we started out, my left hand started tingling in the area of her head, then again on her left shoulder and finally on her left foot. Almost invariably when I feel tingling in my hands, the client reports later that that was where they felt the blockage being removed. One of the main principles of Reiki is that the practice helps to remove energy blockages in the body. The theory is that chi, or life force energy, is supposed to flow freely throughout the body. If it is blocked or restricted in some way, negative symptoms will be exhibited.

 

After the session, she reported feeling much better. She had not felt anything in her head area but she did in her shoulder and especially in the foot. She said that she felt the blockage start to release when I was working in her foot area, which was close to the end of the first part of the session with her lying on her back. Evidently it took some time to reach the point where the energy started to flow freely again. I then had her lay on her stomach and continued working on her back and the backs of her legs.

 

During our debriefing session, she reported that she felt much better overall. A few days later she sent me a message which said, ”I feel so wonderful, very relaxed, with a sense of wellbeing. I have not felt this way in a long time. Thank you.”

 

This is what makes the practice so worthwhile. I always feel I get at least as much out of the session as the client. What a validation for the powers of Reiki!

The Healing Properties of Reiki

I am a Reiki Master/Teacher, which is the most advanced level in the discipline.

Reiki is a healing modality which involves balancing the energy field. Adherents say that it has been around since the beginning of time, but it was rediscovered in Japan in the late 19th century. The theory behind this technique is that universal life force energy, or ki, is present throughout the body and is constantly moving. When there are no blocks in this energy, it will flow unimpeded and the person will remain healthy. If there is a blockage in the energy field, illness or injury will result. These blockages are generally caused by negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

 

The Reiki energy works to unblock these areas of congestion and restores the client to good health. The practitioner places his or her hands on various positions throughout the body in order to balance the energy of the client, and serves merely as a conduit for the universal life force energy.

 

Reiki has been shown to have cured illnesses and injuries from the common cold to serious, life-threatening situations such as cancer. Most clients experience a feeling of deep peace and relaxation at the very least. As a Master/Teacher, I have had clients who have been either cured or experienced a significant improvement in horseback riding injuries, emotional traumas, severe headaches, shoulder pain, depression, and severe anxiety.

A number of hospitals around the country, including some of the most reputable ones, have begun using Reiki. The well-known Dr. Mehmet Oz has had Reiki practitioners with him in the operating room during complicated heart surgeries. He has stated that none of the patients who were assisted with Reiki experienced a rejection of the transplanted heart. This is described more fully in an article entitled, “Reiki in Hospitals” on the web site of the International Center for Reiki Training(ICRT) in Southfield, Michigan(www.reiki.org).

 

Hospitals using Reiki have found that patients experience less pain, thus needing less pain medication; less anxiety; shortened time in the hospital and in the recovery room; and the ability to sleep better. These benefits have been well documented. It is therefore all the more difficult to understand why Reiki is not in universal use in traditional health-care settings.

 

The following story was told to me by a prominent Reiki practitioner in New York City. She has worked to introduce Reiki into several hospitals. In addition to her regular work as a registered nurse, she performs Reiki at an HIV/AIDS establishment. I talked with her on the telephone and asked her if it was difficult breaking new ground at these hospitals. She told me that in the beginning, the professional medical staff was not sure how Reiki would benefit patients. However, as time went on, the results began to be seen. The patients felt less anxious and required less pain medication. After a time, the nurses began to look forward to the arrival of the Reiki practitioners because it guaranteed that they would have a quiet afternoon.

Bringing Reiki to the Hospital

 

Reiki has been shown to have cured illnesses and injuries from the common cold to serious, life-threatening situations such as cancer. Most clients experience a feeling of deep peace and relaxation at the very least. As a Master/Teacher, I have had clients who have been either cured or experienced a significant improvement in horseback riding injuries, emotional traumas, severe headaches, shoulder pain, depression, and severe anxiety.

 

A number of hospitals around the country, including some of the most well-known ones, have begun using Reiki. The well-known Dr. Mehmet Oz has had Reiki practitioners with him in the operating room during complicated heart surgeries. He has stated that none of the patients who were assisted with Reiki experienced a rejection of the transplanted heart. This is described more fully in an article entitled, “Reiki in Hospitals” on the web site of the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) in Southfield, Michigan(www.reiki.org).

 

Hospitals using Reiki have found that patients experience less pain, thus needing less pain medication; less anxiety; shortened time in the hospital and in the recovery room; and the ability to sleep better. These benefits have been well documented.

 

The following story was told to me by a prominent Reiki practitioner in New York City. She has worked to introduce Reiki into several hospitals. In addition to her regular work as a registered nurse, she performs Reiki at an HIV/AIDS establishment. I talked with her on the telephone and asked if it was difficult breaking new ground at these hospitals. She told me that in the beginning, the professional medical staff was not sure how Reiki would benefit patients. However, as time went on, the results began to be seen. The patients felt less anxious and required less pain medication. After a time, the nurses began to look forward to the arrival of the Reiki practitioners because it guaranteed that they would have a quiet afternoon.

Conditions have never been more favorable for introducing Reiki into traditional medical settings. I strongly urge Reiki practitioners to work with their local hospitals. This will enable Reiki to reach a much larger number of people and will spread its benefits exponentially.

Newsweek Discusses Reiki

Newsweek, in a special edition on 2/28/16,published an article about the power of Reiki to heal. This is one of the few mainstream publications which have discussed this healing system which was discovered by a Dr. Usui in Japan in the late 19th century. I am a Reiki Master Teacher and have seen its powerful results both in my life and the lives of others.

I would highly recommend you read this interesting article. I am glad to see the public attention paid to this modality. To whet the appetites of the readers, I would like to quote here a couple of paragraphs:

“For those who willingly receive the energy, results are hard to deny, anecdotal though they may be. The International Center for Reiki Healing website boasts an extensive section of testimonials, with individuals from all across the globe sharing stories of having benefited from Reiki for conditions varying in severity from uncomfortable to seemingly insurmountable. One supporter recounts having an abscessed tooth cured by the method, saving her the pain of a root canal. Others claim to have had cancer cured by distant Reiki, a form where non-present practitioners send healing energy at scheduled intervals. Perhaps the most unlikely testimonial on the site comes from a medical doctor who describes using various versions of Reiki to heal the ovarian cyst of a patient who fearfully resisted surgery. ”

“Throughout his two-plus decades of teaching the ways of Reiki, Rand (William Lee Rand of the International Center for Reiki Training) can only recall one student who was unable to perform the practice. “A woman came to class, and she seemed a little reluctant to be there,” he says. After receiving the attunement meant to place a student on the path of becoming a Reiki healer, the woman claimed she did not feel any differently, concluding Rand’s procedure did not work. Recognizing a preventive closed-mindedness, Rand asked the woman why she came to the class. “She said, ‘Well, my husband made me go.’ She did not want to be there,” he laughs. For Rand, this lone exception is enough to support his belief that willingness is a key aspect of undertaking Reiki. “As long as the person wants to receive the attunement and wants the ability, it comes right in,” he says. “The energy respects free will—if the person doesn’t want it, it’s not going to force itself on them.”

The entire article can be found at this link:

http://www.newsweek.com/healing-power-reiki-430143

 

 

Sister Giant

In a previous post, I had mentioned this event organized by Marianne Williamson, well-known spiritual writer and teacher and Derrick Harkins of Union Theological Seminary, New York City. Marianne started planning this event in mid-November. She has previously had at least two other Sister Giant events in Los Angeles. The 2017 event was held in Washington DC.

 

The purpose of Sister Giant 2017 was to help individuals feel more empowered and to translate their spiritual advancement into actions which can be taken to ensure a just and fair society. I attended by live stream and was able to see a great deal of it. I intend to go back and watch in the archives those portions which I missed live.

 

Marianne had originally stated that her purpose was to make sure that everyone left that conference feeling “lit up” and ready to act in their community, improve lives, and translate spiritual growth into real life positive action. I really feel that she accomplished that. I felt very inspired by the speakers and at the end of the 2 ½ day conference, I was empowered and know that I will do my best to improve conditions around me wherever I can, whenever I can. I would strongly urge you to purchase an archived copy of Sister Giant 2017. This conference provided all that it promised and more.

 

Senator Bernie Sanders gave his usual impassioned plea for social justice on the first night. I really enjoyed hearing him. I have just finished reading his latest book Our Revolution. It was truly a star-studded cast of inspiring speakers, including Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich, Jean Houston, Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks, Lisa Bloom, Karenna Gore, Alan Grayson, Michael Weiss, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Richard Eskow, John Fugelsang, and many others. Check it out!

Mass Consciousness Caused a Stand Down Over Iraq

I have the utmost respect for Gregg Braden, who is, in my opinion, one of the most evolved spiritual leaders in the world. A few years ago I read his book, The Isaiah Effect (Three Rivers Press, 2000). I have recently begun rereading the book which is something I rarely do.

 

Close to the beginning of the book, he tells the story about the impact of mass prayer. This story is very compelling. I will quote a few sentences from the story verbatim and then go on to summarize it. “On Friday, November 13, 1998, mass prayer was implemented on a worldwide basis, as a choice of peace during a time of escalating political tension in many parts of the world. Of specific interest that day was the expiration of a timeline imposed on Iraq to comply with the United Nations demands for weapons inspections. Following months of unsuccessful negotiations for access into sensitive sites, the nations of the West had made it clear that Iraq’s failure to comply would result in a massive an extended bombing campaign designed to destroy suspected weapons sites. Such a campaign would certainly have resulted in great loss of life, civilian as well as military.”

 

Someone, Braden does not say who, began a prayer effort through an organization with a global audience. This prayer event was publicized on the Internet and attracted several hundred thousand people. It was organized very carefully in the sense that people were asked to pray at certain exact times throughout the evening. What happened next is nothing short of amazing.

 

The aerial attack had been going on for 30 minutes when the President of the United States received a letter from Iraqi officials. This letter stated that they had now decided to comply with the request for inspections. As a result, the President issued what Gregg Braden called “a rare order to US forces to stand down, the military term for aborting a mission”.

 

This cannot be a coincidence. I believe that this sort of concentrated effort of visualization by a critical mass of people can have an impact on the world. Numerous other experiments and events have shown this. I plan to keep sharing this information so that my readers can see just how powerful their minds and hearts are.

You Must Use Emotion to Be Successful at Manifesting

The art of manifesting is dependent upon belief. The theory behind this is that you can literally call into your life anything you would like. Most of us have deeply held belief systems which were developed prior to the age of seven. If we come from a background of lack and want, we’re likely to believe in it so strongly that we continue to manifest that same result throughout the rest of our lives, unless an awakening occurs and one has a strong motivation to rewire one’s brain.

One great example of this is a story told by Pam Grout, author of E-Squared, published by Hay House Publishers. Ms. Grout gave the example of a young woman whose grandparents and parents had been wealthy. She therefore lived in the belief system that this was how her life was going to be, without any doubt or question. As a young woman, she decided to divest herself of most of her fortune by giving it away to needy causes. This felt really right to her at the time and did turn out to be a wonderful decision as the various charities benefited a great deal. However, her belief in prosperity was so strong that within a year, without even really trying, she made another $1 million. This shows how one’s thinking and conditioning brings about the results one expects.

I am gearing today’s comments to those challenged in bringing in abundance. In my opinion, the reason these challenges occur is because the “lack and want” belief system is still stuck so strongly in place. Rapidly saying affirmations and desires without really thinking about them and getting emotionally involved rarely yields results. One must come from a place in which one believes the desire has already happened. The best way to do this is to use emotion in expressing one’s desires to the universe.

I believe that my best results at manifesting come about when I take time to really feel the new situation and to be grateful for the fact that it has already happened. It is necessary to state the desire but then sit with it quietly for a while and picture one’s life once the desires have been satisfied. If you are wishing to bring wealth into your life, it helps to envision your life of abundance and to plan how you will handle that abundance and what you will do with that wealth. Have a feeling of thankfulness and try to emotionally be in the situation of having great abundance. Create in your mind the feeling of gratitude and joy that you will feel when it comes about.

I have been working on this for a couple of years now and have been able to manifest a significant increase in my business. This has not made me wealthy yet but it has put me in a much better position. Because it has been reinforced by a continually growing business, I do not worry about it anymore. This feeling of having an abundant business continues to carry over and bring more success. Worrying only keeps abundance at bay. I am still far from my goal, but making progress. This shows that it sometimes takes a while for abundance issues to improve, but does show that steady progress can be made.

A Confluence of Politics and Spiritualty

The following is from Marianne Williamson’s website on an exciting event, Sister Giant, taking place in Washington, DC on February 2-4.

WELCOME TO SISTER GIANT 2017

Washington DC Feb. 2-4

We’re pleased to announce that Senator Bernie Sanders will give a keynote address at SISTER GIANT.

Two weeks after the Inauguration of a new President, Bernie’s voice will be hugely important. At SISTER GIANT we will seek to understand our country’s current politics as deeply as possible and to rise to the challenges of our time most effectively. No one’s leadership is more significant than Bernie’s in helping us understand what’s happening in our government now and how best to respond. His inspiration will mean so much in the year ahead.

We must not be passive.
We must not be silent.
We have much to do.

WHAT IS SISTER GIANT?

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Politics should be sacred.” Sacred doesn’t necessarily mean religious – it means stemming from the deepest part of ourselves.

The search for authenticity, for our deep humanity, should not stop at the door to politics. If anything, it should extend deeply into realms that affect so powerfully the existence of earth’s billions of inhabitants. From how we treat the environment to how we treat each other, our political choices are significant indicators of our moral values and spiritual convictions.

The times in which we live call for a critical re-evaluation of our relationship to life around us – to our fellow citizens, to our country and to our world. Yet in order to transform our current challenges, we must address them from a holistic perspective – recognizing not only the external but also the internal dimensions of both our problems and their solutions.

SISTER GIANT is dedicated to forging a deeper conversation about what is happening in America today – and what we can do to change it. Join us at this time of national tumult that together we might rethink our country.

LET’S GO TO WASHINGTON

At this year’s SISTER GIANT, Marianne Williamson partners with Derrick Harkins, Senior Vice-President at Union Theological Seminary. It will be held in Washington DC, at the Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. From Feb. 2-4, 2017.

The Conference will bring together an illuminating mix of thinkers, gathering to consider the state of our country on both spiritual and political levels. We will incubate ideas and contribute to plans by which each of us, particularly now, can help move America in a more enlightened direction.

These are painful times, but they are also pregnant with new possibilities. We can rise to the occasion and answer the summons of history, seeking to be what we can be and do what we can do to help heal the wounded American psyche and fix our broken political system.

What are the deeper transformational lessons to be learned from this moment? What do we need to understand, as well as to do? What are the shifts we must embrace within ourselves, in order to practice conscious citizenship? And what are practical efforts that will need our support, if we are serious about societal change?

From the role of citizen to the role of the media, from how we can get the money out of politics to how to stem voter suppression, from understanding misogyny to transforming racism, from protecting the environment to protecting each other, SISTER GIANT will present ideas and facilitate actions that lead us as a nation from a consciousness of fear to a consciousness of love.

The question on many of our hearts at the moment is, “Where do we go now?” At SISTER GIANT, we will discuss our options.

Let us understand more deeply, dream more boldly, and act more powerfully. If miracles are possible anywhere, then miracles are possible everywhere.

Register now. Come to Washington if you can, or join us via livestream. Let’s co-create a political awakening that shows who we really are.

Scholarship assistance is available. Please write to contact@sistergiant.com. More details can be found at http://www.sistergiant.com.

Reiki Helps Animals to Heal

Reiki teaches us that as long as our life force energy is flowing unimpeded throughout our bodies, we will be in good health. The health of humans and animals alike is dependent upon the free flow of life force energy. I have heard it said that pets sometimes respond to the emotional state of their human companion and take on the characteristics of that person, including any symptoms of ill health. Luckily with Reiki we can respond to human and animal needs to a supportive and benevolent end.

 

A very good friend of mine who practices Reiki was dismayed to learn about a year ago that her yellow Labrador-Retriever had a 2-inch tumor on his side. Her veterinarian suggested that she bring the dog back in about two months so that it could be determined whether the tumor was growing. He prescribed no other treatment. Since she incorporates Reiki into her daily life, it seemed only natural to treat her pet for his tumor. She gave him Reiki for about thirty minutes and thought nothing further of this until about a week later, when her husband was shocked to find that the tumor was completely gone!

 

Another very dramatic case occurred with a pet guinea pig of mine named Miranda. This little creature developed a milky film over one of her eyes. Naturally, I took her to the veterinarian. He explained that this was a cataract and while the situation could be handled in humans by simple surgery, it was impossible to operate on guinea pigs. He told me that there was about a 20% chance that the cataract would shrink a tiny bit around the edges, thus restoring a little bit of her eyesight. I was determined that all or most of her eyesight would come back.

 

I set up a treatment protocol to send Reiki distantly to Miranda. In addition, I gave her regular twice-weekly Reiki treatments for ten minutes at a time. For a small animal like a guinea pig, ten minutes is enough for a full treatment. I am happy to say that, 8 months later, the cataract has shrunk to only 1/8 of its original size. Even the small portion remaining is not nearly as opaque as it was in the beginning.

 

I also had a beautiful gray cat named Henley who I rescued from a very neglectful home. One day, he just walked away and disappeared. I did not see him again for two more days. When he came back, he was in a very bad state, looking extremely tired and thin. He would not eat the food that I set out for him. This continued for several more hours. Ordinarily he ate ravenously. It was obvious that he had picked up some sort of stomach ailment, possibly from some rotted food he had eaten.

 

I set him on the ground in the front yard in the warm sun (it was spring) and started to administer Reiki. I was pleasantly surprised to hear him begin purring. He lay perfectly still and continued to purr, obviously enjoying the Reiki treatment. I could feel a constant gurgling in his stomach. After about twenty minutes, the gurgling stopped but I continued to treat him for an additional ten minutes or so. If it can be said that a cat can look blissful, that is what I saw that day. At the end of the treatment he got up and went over to his food dish and started eating as if he was starving.

 

I believe that Reiki can be used to treat nearly any type of ailment experienced by people or animals. Every animal I have treated seems to love Reiki. It is truly a blessing that I am delighted to share with the animal friends who have so enriched my life.