reikiway

signing off

2009-10-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

I have come to the conclusion that, for me, writing a blog is a self-indulgent waste of time. I had never intended to write my blog for my own self-satisfaction, as I can think of better things to do with my time, but, rather, to cultivate a dialogue on various aspects of living this very challenging human life. However, disappointingly, the result has been a stone wall of silence and total lack of interest.

So, I have decided to go back to writing a perodic e-newsletter for all my Reiki friends instead. And, if dear soul wishes to join our little band of Reiki life pilgrims, you will find us initially on www.reikiway.com

Namaste,

and love,

Wrio

A lesson from my address book

2009-06-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Time at last to write to the air waves again. For weeks, now, blogging has been low on my list of priorities but when your internet address book is hijacked by some unscrupulous nogood somewhere, all you can do is clean everything out and start all over again. So, I have potentially lost touch with many of my friends and ex-students and I am sad about that. If you are one of them and you wish to keep in touch, do get typing and let me have your address again. I would value that so much. And, by the way, my two email addresses remain the same.

This whole affair has led me yet again to reflect on human nature and on how enormously selfish and silly we humans can be. We can rise to the heights and we can plumb the depths. We have such potential to do both good and bad and it is our egos which play such a part in this. The ego itself is only a problem when we allow it to be because, of course, we always have choices in the actions we take. In the same way as we mistakenly say 'money is the root of all evil' (when we should of course be saying 'the love of money is the root of all evil', which is rather different), so we blame the ego for all our ill-doings. Yet, it is not the ego per se, it is our use or misuse of our ego which determines our actions. Whoever hijacked my address book had the choice whether or not to do it and he or she made the wrong choice. The choice was, sadly, not just wrong for me but for him or her as well as the choice made will accumulate as bad karma and will rest in that person for the rest of their days in this lifetime. Pity. And, equally, it is incumbent on me to have compassion for that inconveniencing person. Oh dear, that's the choice I now have to make. And in fact I do feel sorry that someone feels they have to 'steal' someone's address book in order to promote their own business, which is what they were trying to do. I just hope, now, that they can find an honest way to market their goods in the future.

And, I hope, too, that I can receive back all your email addresses and build up my address book again. Good old human nature. It never ceases to shock and amaze.

Staying Still

2009-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

We move around too much; we're never still. And, you know, it doesn't do us any good because our feet are never planted firmly on mother earth and we never really get to know the plot of land upon which we live, let alone the people living around us. We are never rooted. I know because I have been a persistent offender in this for many years. There I was, hankering to leave the shores of this favoured island in order to find paradise somewhere in the glorious sunshine of Italy. And what did I discover? A very different culture which is rather difficult to fathom and a potentially beautiful tumbledown old farmhouse, much too big for me, that I couldn't afford to restore. Yes, the countryside there is quite glorious, the sun shines in summer, the winters are cold, the wine is cheap and the people are warm and friendly. Yet, in Sussex, the countryside is also appealing, although not so grand, and, when you get to know them, the people are generally warm and friendly, too. That leaves the sun and the cheap wine. Well, all we have to do is drink less and praise the day when the sun does show his head and see it as a wonderful blessing. (I must admit, there is one thing I do miss, though, and that is the Italian eye for beauty. When buying a house there, for a moderate price you can purchase a home of real aesthetic pleasure whereas here in Britain most of the cheaper housing is aesthetically displeasing and an offense to the eye. And, in any case, the English house prices are ridiculous) Yet, that apart, I do now feel that, if you are living in the English countryside, the grass is no greener anywhere else, even in Italy or Thailand.

However, there is something even more fundamental than always chasing illusory dreams of finding Shangri La. If we are to be truly contented, we need to be grounded and to stay still, wherever it is that we choose to plant our roots. We need to till our plot of land and to commune with our neighbours. We need to belong. And it is when we fail to stay still and belong that we wire our neural pathways on a circuit of restlessness and neurosis that leads us to frustration and suffering. We forget how to be still and what it is like to have peace of mind. We forget what it is like to see the dormant tree bud and then flower and to feel part of that endless enduring cycle of birth, life, death and continuity. We lose touch with our souls which are the only enduring part of us and then we wonder why we feel lost. We've left our souls behind and we end up floundering about in this world of restless illusion.

Isn't it time to stay still and feel the ground beneath our feet? Surely, we need to dig the soil, plant seeds and see them grow. And we need to talk to the birds and animals... oh yes, and the neighbours, too. Or am I getting old?

Taking Charge of our Health

2009-03-17T03:22:00.000-07:00

During my winter sojourn in Thailand I became sadly aware of how grossly overweight, not to say obese, many Westerners are as they flaunt their ugly flesh to the hot Thailand sun. It was a gross reminder of how greedy and irresponsible we have become and of how little self-respect so many of us have. Why are we so unwise? A recent article in The Guardian pointed out how cases of cancer are set to rise in epidemic proportions in the next few years as obesity turns to disease. And there is not only cancer: there is heart disease and diabetes, too. What are we doing to ourselves and, worse still, what are we doing to our children? A doctor told me three years ago how he had treated two young children in a week for the first signs of diabetes. And, of course, they were both overweight.

Another article recently told of how fast food outlets and processed food manufacturers are using MSG and its derivatives and that these ingredients act not only as flavour enhancers but also cultivate addiction to these unnourishing, useless foods. Like drugs and cigarettes, so many foods are undermining our health. Not only that, but the illness being caused by obesity and unhealthy foods is costing the taxpayer millions, if not billions, of pounds and this will rise dramatically as the incidence of cancer, diabetes and heart disease rise over the next few years.

What is being done about it? Not much, it seems. Many people are quite patently incapable of disciplining themselves to exercise and to eat sensibly, even though advice is forever being given out. Sometimes our self-destructing human species behave like sheep, yet sheep have farmers to feed them food that nourishes them while we have governments who do nothing of real value to curb the stupid habits of those who are incapable of living their lives wisely. Why cannot government monitor fast food outlets and processed food manufacturers for suitable ingedients and ban such harmful substances as MSG? Why can they not be more highly taxed to help pay for the ever-increasing demand for expensive treatments of such conditions as cancer, heart disease and diabetes which are set to rise? And, why cannot we, the people, get a grip of ourselves and take more responsibility for our health? With the recession, we are now living in straitened times and more and more people are resorting to cheap, unwholesome food in an effort to cut costs, not thinking that if they get ill their costs will go up extravagantly to pay for their recovery. Somehow we need to be cajoled and frightened into giving up our greed and our physical and mental flabbiness and take charge of our lives. The most important thing we can spend money on is our health and the health of our children. The reward will be freedom from the suffering and horrifying costs that emanate from a life-threatening disease. In other words, it is worth doing. But it requires a massive act of will on behalf of both government and people. We have too much freedom and too much choice and maybe a little bit has got to be taken away, right now, for our own good.

Loving Kindness

2009-01-19T02:24:00.000-08:00

Whether we like it or not, we are caught in nature's web... day flows into night flows into day, relentlessly, without fail... and then we die. And, if we are born again and come back to Mother Earth, nature takes us by the hand once more and subjects us to her will. Yet, no one day is the same as the others, each has its own character, in the same way as no one person is a replica of me. We are each one of us little waves dancing along in the ocean of consciousness. However, we each have our own individual identity, our own character. What a kaleidescope of humanity that makes for, what a patchwork quilt of character and personality and shape and size and hope and despair wandering the surface of the Earth. Yes, we surely are individuals, ever changing, which is why Western medicine is so often ineffective. It doesn't understand that and too many doctors are unaware of who we are as human beings. But that is another story.

The point is that, bound at a deep level by a common consciousness, we are all different, with each one of us conditioned by a whole range of unique experiences which have helped to make us who we are. So, how can we know, completely and utterly, from the standpoint of our own experience, what is making our neighbour tick? We simply cannot. Therefore, how can we judge others? The answer is we cannot, at least not accurately or fairly, and so it is better not to try. Observe but don't judge as we'll too often get it wrong and then all sorts of trouble will bubble up. And no judgement is better than wrong judgement. In any case, we cannot know what someone else's karma is and surely we have enough to cope with in dealing with our own. Instead, it is far better to put all our efforts and energy into developing loving-kindness (metta) for others by awakening our hearts, rather than sliding down the slippery slope of conjouring up subjective judgements.

If you take a coin with positive on one side and negative on the other, you will find that loving-kindness is also written on the positive side and judgement normally on the negative side, together with gossip, because we very often make judgements of other people for no very constructive reason except to gossip. Newspapers are often doing that, to boost their sales by appealing to the worst in us. Judgement and gossip are worth millions of pounds and dollars, whereas compassion doesn't sell newspapers. So what? We don't live to sell newspapers. We live to diminish suffering and to cultivate a peaceful and fulfilling life. Therefore the cultivation of unconditional loving-kindness becomes of much more value to us as individuals than bothering about newspapers. We are not in the business of diminishing our humanity but of enhancing it and seeing it grow by awakening our hearts bit by bit until they become as big as the sun. And each time we practise loving-kindness the more we will accumulate good karma which will stand us in good stead in the future.

The thing is our humanity has its duality coin, too, with its dark side and its light side. If we succumb to our dark side then we fall into the abyss of sub-humanity, as we see happening so tragically in Gaza and Zimbabwe these days. If, on the other hand, we live in the light then we are opening our hearts to our pure humanity which we express through our loving-kindness to others and to ourselves as well. Most of us succumb to our dark side every now and again in small ways but even when we do we can always learn the lessons that accrue from the experience. However, we must always expect to carry the karma of all our actions, good and bad, and the karma from our dark side can sometimes give us considerable pain. And there is certainly often a dark side to judging others. So, if it is our wish to realize our pure humanity, then it is better to focus on observing but not judging and on giving out loving-kindness whenever we can and wherever it is needed. That way everybody benefits and the light shines.

I wish you an abundant and joy-filled New Year. With metta.

Christmas reflection 2008

2008-12-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Christmas Day and the realisation came to me that, in spite of all the consumerist hype and nonsense, this is an utterly sacred day as it honours the birth of a holy man, a great teacher, mystic and enlightened being who eternally offers us his guidance for living life in a profound and meaningful way. If we don't treat Christmas Day in this way, then we have failed to grasp its true meaning and we might as well just go to the office. I realised this when I went to the mass and observed the undignified behaviour of some of the congregation. Why were they there? What does Christmas mean to them? Is it just the claptrap of Father Christmas, jingle bells and the endless shopping? Is it a belief in the myth of the Christmas story that is okay for us when we are children but becomes blown apart when we become spiritually of age and have learned the truth of it all? Is it the mythical historical Jesus or the reality of the Cosmic Christ whose birth we are honouring, if indeed we are honouring anything? Does Christmas mean anything profound at all to those who attend a Christmas service or is it human beings just being like sheep as they are wont to do and going through the motions because it is the done thing? Are we searching for the Truth or do we just bury our heads in the sand and remain spiritually dead?

Personally, I am no longer a Catholic but I honour the birth of the Cosmic Christ with gratitude as someone who came to help show us the way. He was a Buddha and Buddhas have such a spiritual meaning for us as they radiate unbounded compassion and wisdom and understanding. They are beacons of light in a world of darkness and if we have any heart, or any spiritual sense, at all we should honour them on their holy day. Acknowledging this will help the development of our own compassion, wisdom and understanding.

With all my heart I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas.

Keeping Positive

2008-12-17T02:44:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how the media, especially in Britain, love to focus on bad news and to try and make us feel that the world as we know it is falling apart. Prophets of doom, they are, catylists for negativity. And it's amazing, too, that the British prime minister can have a smile on his face as he tries to make out he is saving the British economy when, in fact, he is more responsible than anybody for it being in the mess it's in. Yet, when we look at the broad picture of what is happening globally, we can see it as being the karmic retribution for monstrous, excessive greed by the banks and society as a whole and utter incompetence by governments on both sides of the Atlantic. We're getting our cumuppence because we're all to blame in some way and the consumerist pack of cards is tumbling down. Hurrah, let's start again. Economies are cyclical, they go up and down and this time they're inevitably going a long way down. But we're still alive, we've got a roof over our heads and food on the table, and we've got minds and the value of our varied experiences to help us work out how we can live our lives in a more sensibly sustainable way. So, let's get it all in perspective and find a way of simplifying our lives and not living on money that isn't there. Indeed, we can see this as an opportunity for cultivating a bit of wisdom and focusing our attention on what is truly important in our lives. After all, nothing is for ever.

If we are feeling blown apart by how this economic downturn is affecting us, then we can find a way of lessening the stress by focusing on our necessities rather than our unnecessary desires. Remember, we can always change our perception of anything in order to genuinely suit our needs better. We have the ability to make choices. So, let's now make the right choices, the ones that are truly good for us and for our families and friends.

Let us also simplify our lives by cutting out what is not for our highest good. This is such a great opportunity for us to reflect deep and long on how we have been living our lives and on the changes we can create to make them more sustainable and therefore more joyful. We can cut out what we don't need. Yes, simplify.

For so many people this has become an annus horribilis. At least, thst is one way to look at it, to feel a victim and to be sorry for ourselves. Yes, we can do that. Or, instead, we can see it as an opportunity for change. Choices again. I remember during the last Asian 'crash' seeing television footage of a former millionaire Thai car dealer from Bangkok who was laughingly cleaning a car with hose, bucket and sponge in his new role as car valeter. Yes, he was staring all over again with a smile on his face... from the bottom. The human spirit can be indomitable.

So, let's laugh at the press, and at Mr Brown, and instead we just keep and open mind and remain clear-headed and deeply intuitive and know that there is always a way if we'll just allow the universe to speak to us. Trust in man-made institutions has flown out o the window because the motives have all been wrong. Instead, we need to trust ourselves and our natural power and wisdom and also to trust in the universe to guide us. Upwards and onwards... into 2009.

With love,
Wrio

What's in a Dream?

2008-12-08T02:16:00.000-08:00

For the past few years I have been spending the winter months in Thailand in retreat from the damp and dreary English weather, the high cost of living and the joylessness that pervades the country at this time of year, so sapping one's energy. I am fortunate to be able to do it and by and large it has been a great experience. I give thanks from my heart to the lovely Thai people for their warmth, kindness and hospitality. But now it is time to move on, I think.

The other night I had a vivid dream: to purchase a plot of land in a warm, sunny, rural location together with a few like-minded souls and each one of us to construct our own simple cottage. This would have to be in a location where the purchase of land and construction remains cheap as this is designed to be a reasonably priced project costing no more than £40,000 or £50,000 each. It could be in Thailand, or Southern Europe, or elsewhere in South East Asia.

The dream was crystal clear but the location was not Thailand as the island, for it was an island location, was clearly mapped. So it's as though it came to me in my dream consciousness as the germ of an idea rather than a pin pointer to an exact location.

The other point of the dream is that what would be important is the sharing in the setting up of a loose community of fellow souls who want to live a simple, spiritually aware, eco-friendly lifestyle for part or all of the year in a beautiful and maybe even mystical location. We would each have our own cottage built according to the design chosen by us.

As I write this from peaceful Chiang Mai, I wonder if there is anyone out there who would be interested in joining with me to turn this germ of an idea into a practical reality. If so, you know where to reach me, via my website or wrio@reikiway.com.

And listen to those dreams. They may lead to something.

The Joy of Acceptance

2008-11-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

When we accept things as they are in this moment in time we recognise there is nothing we need do, which can be a great relief. We are free just to be, nothing more. We can just relax into life, moment by moment, without anxiety because our minds are not dabbling in the past or future which is where anxiety is born. Instead, our minds are resting simply in the here and now. When we dabble in the past or the future, it can cause us all sorts of problems which can affect our state of mind and even cause us physical suffering. Let's face it, the past has gone and the future hasn't arrived, so the only place for us to realistically be is in the present moment. That is where reality lies. And we can deal with the future later, when it becomes the present. But not now.

When we accept everything as it is right now, we can also say that at this moment in time, everything is as it should be. It's fine. Of course, what is at this moment won't stay that way because nothing in life is ever permanent, and that includes the way we feel. If we are feeling good, then that is a joy. However, if we are feeling uncomfortable or suffering in some way, we can accept that, too, with equanimity because we know that nothing stays the way it is, not even pain. Change of one sort or another is inevitable. And, if we are suffering in some way, there can be a certain joy in that as well because we can use the suffering as a catalyst for our spiritual growth. If the suffering is physical, if we focus on our breathing gently in and out and also place our hands lightly on the area of pain, then maybe it will calm our nervous system and bring relief. Let us remember, too, that the mischievous workings of our monkey mind will aggravate our physical suffering if we let it. It loves to do that. If, on the other hand, our pain is mental/emotional, then we have the relief of knowing that we can always alter our perception of things, if we wish to. We can even divert our attention from our own pain to focusing on our heart area and sending out from there beams of love and compassion to someone else who may be suffering as much as we are. In other words, we divert our attention and thereby use our suffering as a tool for our own growth. Also, it helps to accept our suffering and sometimes, just by accepting it as it is, the pain of it will diminish. Pehaps you have noticed that if you focus on it, and make it the centre of your thinking, the pain becomes intense. So, therefore it is better to focus on something else.

Another way of causing ourselves suffering is by being a control freak. I know, I've done it many times. I've tried to control everything in my life which is a surefire way of cultivating needless anxiety for the future. Control freaks are usually harassed individuals who can't let go. And they certainly cannot accept things as they are in the present moment because they are busy trying to control everything, including people, in the future. Just accept things and people as they are. People have the right to be as they are; it's their journey. And we have no right to try change or manipulate them. Happy or unhappy, let them be. How true a saying it is that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Of course, we should have unconditional compassion for everyone. But we shouldn't try to interfere in their lives. Nor can we control everything in ours. Let go, let be, accept things as they are. It's absolutely the way they should be... at this moment in time. Nothing to do.

All this I write with passion because having spent so many years of my life not accepting things as they are has cost me dear. So, yes, the road to joy is about living in the present moment, about cultivating mindfulness so that we can live our lives fully with ever-increasing awareness. Accept things as they are in this moment in time and the sun will begin to shine for you, every day.

trials and tribulations of karma

2008-10-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

My Italian jaunt has come to an end and the removals people have just dumped all my belongings into my mother's old cottage in an East Sussex village. My goodness, so much stuff... and all mine! Now I have the daunting task of trying to put it all somewhere. No wonder moving house is so stressful. Over time we accumulate so much clutter and we come to possess it and call it "my belongings". Then, one day we pack it all up and move it to another house and then have to spread the whole mass of it out piece by piece in a new way that can once again come to be called "my home". And we rush the whole exercise, we try to do it all too quickly so that we can feel once more sure and secure, and we end up in an over-stressed, disembodied state, totally exhausted. But no, take a deep breath, do it slowly, packing case by packing case, a room at a time, allowing the personality of the room to guide us as to what goes where. We should only put out what the room needs, no more, so that the energy can flow freely and the character of the room becomes enhanced. What about all the stuff left over? Well, perhaps we should get rid of it. The whole exercise is an excellent lesson in detachment: I must not become attached to my belongings; they are not 'me'. If there is no place for them then they can be passed on or sold to someone who needs them. In any case, there's nothing worse than being in a room that's cluttered and stagnant. So, go slow, don't get attached, and get rid of anything you don't need. That's what I must do.

And Italy? It was a dream, to restore a lovely old house in a beautiful location and turn it into a warm and welcoming home and therapy centre. But the collapse of the housing market has dashed that dream and now I must create another. This is my karma: Italy was not meant to be and I must live with that. And my karma is irrevocably tied up with the global karma that has caused the collapse of the housing markets and the world economy. The collective consciousness has caused this collapse and I am a part of it. The idiocy that is now causing so much suffering is my idiocy, too. All we can do is accept things as they are and move on. Oh well, when one dream ceases another can begin. But I'll just finish unpacking first.

Courses in Italy

2008-09-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

COURSES IN ITALY

I believe that Reiki healing was originally practised among the mountains of the Himalayas, although it was Mikao Usui Sensei of Japan who brought it to the world's notice in the early 1900s and who gave it its name. And, also, it was on Mount Kurama near Kyoto that he had his revelation. So, mountains and Reiki healing have always had a deep mystical and spiritual link, from way back in time.

To continue this tradition, in 2009 I will start offering courses in the mountain village of Gressoney La Trinite, at the foot of the glorious Monte Rosa, high in the Val D'Aosta region of the Italian Alps. Here you can combine the learning of how to use the Reiki energy for yourself and others with meditations, wonderful walks in nature, breathing pure mountain air, Thai oil massage and delicious mountain food.

Each course will last three days, although you can stay longer if you wish to imbibe the wonder and mysticism of the mountains and also join in the morning and evening meditations.

Tentatively, the course dates will be:

26th-28th August ~ Reiki Level I
1st-3rd September ~ Reiki Level I or II (depending on demand)
(Remember, you will need to travel at least one day before the start date)

Course Fees: Reiki Level I ~ £120 or €120
Reiki Level II ~ £190 or €190

Accomodation: Hotel Lo Scoiatello Tel: (+39) 1025.36.63.13
(€60 per day half board)

Course Venue: Fiocco di Neve (next door to hotel) Tel: (+39) 0125.36.63.72

Travel:

AIR ~ Easyjet to Turin (from Luton)
Easyjet to Milan Malpensa or Linate (from Gatwick)

TRAIN ~ Turin or Milan to Pont Saint Martin (trains to Aosta)
(www.trenitalia.it)

BUS ~ Pont Saint Martin to Gressoney la Trinite
(Information Tel: (+39) 800.992.289)

Fuller course details and travel details will appear on the website www.reikiway.com in due course.

With Metta,

Wrio

Do you look after yourself?

2008-09-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

Every morning I give thanks for my precious human birth. At least, every day I mouth the thanks but then how deep is my sincerity and my true reflection on how I am going to live this life of mine during the coming day? Am I fully in the moment when I say these words? Am I going to honour my thanks by truly looking after myself, by thinking and doing what is for my highest good every moment of the day? Do I really look after myself and so honour my precious birth in this lifetime? And what about you? Do you look after yourself each day? Truly?

Actually, we need to extend the question and ask: "How do I look after myself?" And then we soon begin to realise that this goes far deeper than merely fulfilling our physical needs. Yes, we need to eat healthily in a way that suits our personal dietary requirements, we need to keep our body stretched and exercised so that we can carry out all our daily activities with ease of movement. Of course, we must honour our body and look after it with care and respect as it is the means by which we can help ourselves and others. Also, its healthy state can enable us to create and to bring pleasure and fulfilment to our lives, whether we are painting a picture, playing the piano, performing a sport, or pushing our baby round the park in a pushchair. We need to accept the responsibility for enabling our bodies to work smoothly.

Yet, there is much more to the way we live life than just having a healthy body. Our spiritual dimension, too, needs to be active and healthy. We need to work on our awareness, on what we do and say each moment of the day. For, everything we do and everything we say carries a consequence that gets noted down in a list of positives and negatives that work themselves out in one way or another in our future. That is what karma is about. And you and I are each responsible for our own karma. Nobody else is. How we deal with each and every moment in our lives will add another building block to how our lives will pan out in the future. So, how we look after ourselves in this moment in time is critical. Each time we do or say something in a right way will bring health to our future. Each time we smile at someone with love in our hearts, joy will accrue. Each time we think well of someone, we will feel good. When we carry out a compassionate act, we are adding a beautiful building block to our future. And the more we realise this, the more our awareness will grow. Our moments of joy will expand. Our hearts will open and we will gradually find the path to unconditional loving-kindness and compassion. Is this not how to look after ourselves? Is this not a part of our integrated well-being?

Now, let us take the question further: "Why do we look after ourselves?" And the answer, surely, is that we all seek joy in our lives. Joy is more profound than happiness, for happiness is transitory and joy is heart-sustaining. In fact, joy is a state of being. But, we mustn't try and cling on to it because if we practise grasping and attachment we won't find it. We will have missed the point.

So, we look after ourselves to create our own well-being. Yet, it doesn't stop there because when we are ourselves well then we can better help others. And therein lies the greatest joy, concerning ourselves for the well-being of others, developing loving-kindness and compassion so that we can bring the light of joy to the world around us. That is surely why need to look after ourselves.

Thus, we need to become spiritual athletes, training our spiritual dimension alongside the physical and mentals aspects of our being. If we are to find the joy we seek, we need to cultivate openness and awareness and that is all a part of our spiritual training. But, this training is not about winning; it's about find joy and helping others. And the ultimate reward is Nirvana.

"He who binds to himself a joy
does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
lives in eternity's sunrise".

William Blake

Reiki Way News

2008-08-01T01:54:00.001-07:00

My dear Friends,

As life evolves and the mist clears, at least for a short while, I can at least let you know that my Reiki course teaching programme has now clarified for the foreseeable future. And the scheduled dates of course will continue to be posted on the website www.reikiway.com

In NOVEMBER, there will be a Reiki Level I and Reiki Level II course in London (dates posted).

Then, from DECEMBER through till MARCH, I shall be running a series of courses in CHIANG MAI, THAILAND (dates posted). In addition to the scheduled courses, you can also arrange alternative dates if you so wish by contacting me either by email - wrio@reikiway.com - or by phone - tel: (+44) 01435-883348; mobile: (+44) 07903-504795.

And, if you feel ready to undertake the MASTER/TEACHER course, we can also arrange mutually convenient dates for that, either in Thailand or England.

In 2009, after I return from Thailand, there will be a full schedule of courses running in England, in both the beautiful countryside of Sussex and in London (April & November). The dates for those are still to be fixed.

In addition, I am seriously planning to arrange a Reiki Level I & Reiki Level II course at GRESSONEY LA TRINITE, at the base of the wonderful Monte Rosa in the AOSTA VALLEY, ITALY, in SEPTEMBER 2009. Those two courses will be four days in length, to give us enough time also to walk and immerse ourselves in the wondrous nature of the mountains. Fuller details of that should become available by November. So, watch this space!

Just a reminder that, if you wish to undertake the Reiki Level II training, you first need to have become fully familiar with all that you were guided to at Reiki Level I. So, give yourself a gap of at least two or three months for that.

Wherever you are, enjoy a wonderful summer and don't take any notice of the gloomy news. We must live with a light heart and learn whatever lessons life throws up for us. We keep smiling and evermore awakening our hearts and cultivating our compassion.

love and light,

Wrio

Living with a sense of the eternal

2008-06-17T02:15:00.000-07:00

The two most sublime places to live are surely either in the mountains or by the sea. They both give you a sense of the eternal and they can feed the soul with the nourishment of its feeling of oneness with the universal consciousness. It is no wonder, then, that you find temples and monasteries in mountainous and seaside locations for there you can set your soul free. They are, either of them, the best of places for meditating and reflection. Not only that, but it is said that only by the sea or above 2000 feet will you find air that is healthy and pure enough to breathe without being affected by pollution. So, in England, where there are no mountains worthy of the name, it seems it is best to live near the sea if one wishes to cultivate a truly spiritual life aided by nature's inspiration.

I myself have been trying to find a mountainous location in Italy where I could live and work and imbibe the air of mystical inspiration but, for a multitude of reasons, it has not worked out. And so I am returning to live in England which is home, the land of my fathers, although not as beautiful or inspirational as Italy. However, I still have a plan to spend one month a year in Italy, in the mountains of the Val D'Aosta, and there to offer some Reiki healing courses within the mystical ambiance of the Alps and with Monte Rosa and Monte Bianco not too far away. If it is destined, this plan will evolve by next year and I will let you know.

And the sea? Well, personally I absolutely love the sea because it is always in flowing movement and saying something new, unlike the mountains which proclaim serenity and eternity by their very stillness. How lovely it would be if I could run some winter Reiki healing courses by the sea in Thailand, maybe on one of the islands. This is also a thought in my mind... but no more than a thought as yet.

What I have learned over the past few years (it's taken a long time!) is that we should only do what we are destined to do. If we try and force a square peg into a round hole, we may eventually push through something of lesser value but the effort of fighting against destiny to realise this mistaken idea will take its toll. That is what has happened to me here in Italy. Lesson learned? I hope so. And now I have come to appreciate better both Italy and my own country and I understand more both their qualities and their shortcomings. Now it is time for me to live at home, hopefully where the air is fresh and the energy vibrant.

My Soul Decides

2008-05-30T02:20:00.000-07:00

My soul has guided me to the decision to return to the land of my forbears and so I am now preparing to move everything back to England, including my heart which yearns for what is familiar. Not very adventurous, I know, but a decision based on a need for firm groundedness and the love of my family and friends. It is also based, practically, on my heartfelt wish to create a therapy training and treatment programme which can be much better done in England than in Italy. So, by early October I will be finally back in the 'sceptred isle' and feeling justified in my complaining about rip-off Britain, the lack of joy and the lousy weather. Yet there will be some wonderful compensations, including the opportunity to rise above the frustrations of English life and always to smile and to look for the silver lining which exists wherever one is. The English countryside is beautiful, or it can be when the sun shines... no, it's always beautiful if one's perceptions are on the sunny side. In my heart I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to return and I do so with excitement and joy.

So, what does this mean for The Reiki Way? Well, it means that next year I will be developing a full programme of Reiki healing courses in England from April to October, both in the country and in London. AND I also plan to run one or two courses in the mystical mountains of the Aosta valley in Italy in either June or September, when the walking is wonderful and the accomodation prices are not sky-high. Italy will not be forgotten; it is too beautiful for that.

From November to March 2009 Thailand beckons and a programme of Reiki I & II healing courses have already been posted on the website - www.reikiway.com There will also be the opportunity to arrange a Master/Teacher course in January or February if anybody wishes it.

For the rest, when I can I am continuing to work on my book on Reiki healing (I will get it finished one day!)... and, well, watch this space. It's such a strange world we live in, so who knows what's coming? I have some ideas but they are only ideas as yet.

Happy summer days.

Impermanence, a deep and subtle force for change

2008-05-05T02:50:00.000-07:00

The world is changing and shifting and so are we. In my case, it is causing me to reconsider where I should create my home and pursue my livelihood as what seemed right five years ago, and have been unable to realize, no longer seems so clearcut. In other words, I am sensing that Italy may no longer be the best country to reside in as so much has changed, both in my own mind and in all those events that are beyond our control - social, political, economic, climatic and so on. Even just one year ago I thought my path was clearcut... Italy here I come. And the great thing is I have had the opportunity to rent a small house very cheaply in this little, isolated hamlet (which certainly isn't the right location) and to savour the cost and quality of an Italian life for 6 months and much of it was pleasant, especially the warmth and friendliness of the people and the beauty of the buildings and countryside. But now the pound has dropped 15% against the Euro and life in Italy is no longer cheeper than in England (apart from the wine), although the price of houses remains more sensible. In England of course they are stupidly high, a result of greed and irresponsible bank lending.

Further to that, at the ripe old age of 67 (a lovely age to be I can tell you, so don't worry), I have, during the past year since the passing on of my dear Mother, come to value much more than I did both my family and friends and also the roots of my upbringing. Over the years, I had almost affirmed myself out of England as I disliked so many things about the country. However, somehow my mind has turned to its positive aspects and I have realised that, in the countryside at least, the people can be very friendly and helpful. However, London is a different story, a joyless place ruled by consumerism, and the people proclaim that story. But the great joy for me is to discover the humanity of the English country folk and, if I move back to England, it will of course be to the countryside so that I can live at one with nature and practise my work in a beautiful environment. And some of England's countryside is so attractive and engaging, not as heart-stopping and dramatic as in Italy, but uplifting all the same.

So, for the next few months, I will be driving around and visiting different locations in both countries, pondering and listening to the wise voices until it is time to make an irreversible decision. This is a great exercise in my spiritual practice of mindfulness, patience and acceptance of what is. It is also a time for making lists and ticking boxes. Times are a-changing, there is a rebalancing going on and karma is doing its work. It is good to go with the flow, right now.

Reiki Way News

2008-04-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

Where we live reflects on what we are able do with our lives, as I know only too well. Last year, my move to the hamlet of Montesanto, near Piacenza, was good only for moving me out of England. From every other point-of-view, it proved a totally impractical place for me to live as it is very isolated and it doesn't tick any of the essential boxes either for the living of a creative and fulfilling life or for my work as a Reiki therapist which I both love and need to continue. So, I am dedicating the next 4 months to my search for a more practical location for my home base where I will rent a home for a year or two until I am in a position to buy and then I will create a home sanctuary that will also act as a place of welcome for therapy courses and meditation. That is my heartfelt desire and now is the time for me to fulfil it. It is a glorious challenge to have and I hope I may be guided to realise it.

I am focusing my search around the lakes and mountains of Northern Italy with its fascinating, ancient culture and very beautiful countryside and also its good communications both within Italy and with Britain and Central Europe to enable people to come and visit if they wish for Reiki healing and other courses. And, in addition, I hope and plan there will be local facilities on offer for hiking and trekking, swimming, boating, and skiing in the winter (when I will be in Thailand), and of course meditation. I would like it to become a place of well-being and joy with a holistically healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle where people can develop a sense of peace and growing awareness.

This means that at present I have no way of offering Reiki healing, and other, courses until after August. However, I HOPE to be able to offer a Reiki I and Reiki II course in ITALY in September or October. And, in late October/early November, there will be courses in LONDON, followed by a Winter series of courses in THAILAND. These will soon be scheduled -see Website: www.reikiway.com.

We seem to be in a grand, global period where many chickens are coming home to roost. So, it makes it an eminently suitable time to plan and begin a new stage of life. 2008 will be a defining year for many people and for me, too . And for you, I hope it will be filled with joy, prospering and growing awareness.

music for the soul

2008-03-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

The other evening I was escorted into the depths of my soul by the wonderful playing of the young British pianist Freddy Kempf who touched the audience with his interpretations of Bach, Busoni, Chopin, Rachmaninov and Liszt. What a selection of great composers. It was an evening of wonder and I so much wanted to share it with everybody and say that, without classical music, the true meaning of life cannot be understood because at that moment I was in a state of nirvana. Yet, of course, that is not quite true as different people can become touched by the inspiration of many different types of profound creation. But then, so many people are never touched at any point in their lives by anything at all and that is a tragedy. So sad. Their lives remain empty and unrealised. Of course, good music is a primordial massager of the soul and it should be the right of every child to have some exposure to its healing qualities.

In my life, I have been blessed with many experiences of the Arts, especially ballet and dance, theatre and film, I have read much of the great literature, I have seen many a great painting exploring different elements of life, I have witnessed a thousand different examples of the wonderful exhalation of human creative energy exploding in a myriad of ways. Yes, I have many wonderful memories. Yet, for me, the performance of classical music is surely the greatest of all the art forms, the one that can take me closest to God. Sweet harmious sound is so utterly primordial that it can touch the soul so often. The heavenly vibrations of music are our link with the universe and they remind us of our very source of being. Yes, they are God-given and I give thanks for them. For a moment, at that recital, I was truly transported to heaven. Oh joy.

The Olympics and lost ideals

2008-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

I went to see a Chines song and dance spectacular at the Royal Festival Hall in London which was rather fun, I must say, and I was surprised to learn that the Chinese government had tried to have it banned. Maybe that's why the hall was packed out; the British don't like to be told what they can watch; they believe in freedom of choice. Anyway, I wondered why? Well, when I saw the show, the eulogising of Falun Gong and the criticism of the Chinese government as told in some of the storylines, I realised that it was a New York based Chinese company full of overseas Chinese who hate some of what is happening in their motherland, the Inner Kingdom. In fact, the whole show was a front for Falun Gong and its protests against its persecuted members back home as well as the degradation of Chinese culture that it sees as happening in China at the moment. A very political show!

Which brings me to the Beijing Olympics and talks of boycott and protest. Personally, I agree that the International Olympic Committee should not have awarded the Games to Beijing as it is not worthy of holding them. But then, the Olympics today have little to do with the high ideals of Baron De Coubertin. Instead, they are the plaything of those who control world politics and international trade and the athletes are merely pawns in a game far bigger than the noble Baron ever dreamed of. Talk of a boycott of the Games, though, at this late stage is naive as the powers that be want it to go ahead. Gordon Brown and George Bush want their trips to the Olympics. Instead, the Games should be used in a positive way to register protest at inhuman Chinese policy both at home and abroad and to guide the Chinese authorities to improve their politics and their humanity. Darfor, Burma and Tibet, as well as Falun Gong practitioners, are all suffering from Chinese callousness, but then look at the killing of innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. No country today can honestly preach "I'm holier than thou". Protest yes, boycott no.

In my humble opinion, the Olympics have been hijacked by the politicians and money-spinners and the original aim of the Games, a coming together and sporting celebration of the world's young people, has largely been lost. We need to revert to the idea of a permanent site for the Olympic Games, probably in Greece, and every Olympic country would contribute to its maintenance and upkeep. And then there would be none of this sad and corrupt nonsense of cities competing for Olympiads. It could become again what it was originally intended to be, simply, a world festival of sport, freed of the vulgarity of politics and big business and of any sort of connection with the unsavoury activities of inadequate and undemocratic governments. Let's get back to healthy, wholesome, undefiled enjoyment where the taking part, and not the winning, really does become the be-all and end-all. Idealistic? Yes. But what's wrong with that, in this cynical, unsavoury age we live it? Let's go for undefiled purity for once in a while.

The beauty of a nation is its countryside

2008-02-18T02:17:00.000-08:00

I have been champing at the bit staying in drab, colourless, ostentatiously wealthy London which I do not like as there is something horribly unreal about it. So, it was a joy last week to escape London's clutches and take the train out into the countryside of Sussex to meet up with both my webmaster and my financial adviser on the South Coast by the sea. Hectic and noisy, of course, there is also something joyless about London. It is exhorbitantly expensive (for example, to buy fresh cut fruit costs me 10 times what it costs me in Chiang Mai), a sort of selfish and self-centred consumerist temple that seems to force the smile out of people's faces. In contrast, in the countryside, there is nature's kingdom full of colour, of greens, blues, browns... earth colours and sea and sky. And the air is fresh and breathable. With nature, there is no stress, no pressure as everything functions at its own, knowing pace without the help of humans. It feels so much the right place to be, no neurosis and filled with dormant life waiting for the coming of spring when it will awaken again and surge into full bloom. And that time is almost now. In fact, the first daffodils and narcissi are already waving their yellow heads at us in greeting. Winter is waning, spring is coming.

Yes, this is a different Britain, ancient, acceptable, offering stability and a grounded base out of which to forge a life of meaning. It is gives me a sense of belonging which London can never do. It is this that is my home country although I have to say I would never live here now as the cost of everything is too high to make for even a reasonable quality of life. For me, my own country of bith has priced me out of the possibility or even the desire for residence. Yet the countryside of Britain remains in my very bones.

One thing about London that exercises my mind is the inability of people to look you in the eye and smile. People here don't seem to want to connect. They appear to be cut off from each other and so there is no great sense of that deep, innate interconnectness which is the reality of our natural state of being. Maybe this is why there is a sense of joylessness in the city. People feel cut off and therefore lacking in identity. There is a crisis of identity in Britain. As a country it no longer knows its role in the world and, worse, it no longer knows who it is at home. As one man said, after some idiot minister had talked about "punching above our weight", "I have no wish to fight at all. We are just a small but prosperous country which needs to realise its place in a peaceful Europe. That is enough". And he is right. You get a feeling that the British people are being forced into a role that they don't wish to be in and it is creating great stresses and strains in our culture. Personally, in London, I find Britain no longer a comfortable country to be in, although it becomes much more pleasant when you get out into the countryside.

Belonging

2008-02-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

I am not sure where I belong but I long to belong somewhere. I long to put my roots down and to be able to settle into my own armchair and read a book whilst sipping a cup of green tea, knowing that it is my own place on my own chosen turf and it is the place where people know they can find me. I long to have a home.

At present I am spending some time in my own home country of Britain, the country where I was born and largely brought up, and to some extent I am enjoying being here because of the familiarity and the lovely people I know. But I no longer have a home here, nor do I want one as it is all too expensive and not worth the money. The house prices, food prices, transport costs, it all costs too much to live here and, blanketing the whole place, is a great cloud of gloom and despondency which seems so unjustified when you consider how wealthy the nation is supposed to be. There is a dark mood here. Whereas in Thailand, where I have been spending the past three months, there is a much greater sense of joy, even though it is a much poorer country. For a person with ordinary funds like me, the quality of life in Thailand is superior to Britain. However, that is not where I plan to create my home base. There is an even better place... Italy. For there, I can set up a centre of therapy and well-being and happily pursue my livelihood in a beautiful place and be immersed in European culture and a way of life that is conducive to longevity. What a great opportunity. But I won't forget Thailand; it will still see me in the winter months.

In April, I will return to Italy and follow my heart in the search for the perfect location for a home, where there are mountain streams, green meadows, pure undefiled air to breathe, and wonderful walks to be had. Yes, I long to belong and to find the right piece of turf. And I know that I am blessed with an opportunity to achieve this and finally to be able to say, "this is where I live and where I will die". Not only that, but there I can create a place of welcome where all can come and find peace and inspiration.

Now starts the Chinese Year of the Rat and I wish everyone peace and prospering. And I certainly know what my New Year's resolution is: to find the place where I belong.

Events unfolding

2008-02-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

Our lives are like books, full of chapters with beginnings and endings. For me, another short chapter has just ended as my winter visit to Thailand is now over and I am returning to Europe. A new chapter is starting to unfold and it is a very important chapter which could signpost where the rest of my life goes, for it is geared towards seeking my Shangri La in Italy wherein I can finally put down my roots and create both a beautiful home and a place of peace and inspiration for teachings and treatments. This has been a dream of mine for more than five years but which has failed to materialise before now as the time was not right.

As the Buddhist saying goes, "When the apple is right it falls of itself from the tree". I sense that now the apple is ripe and it is the time to realise the dream. Events are conspiring to make it possible and, now, I must grasp the opportunity. Sometimes we do have a dream but the time is not right for us to realise it and we end up batting our heads against endless obstacles which make for a rocky path. We cannot force the pace if the universe is not ready for us and sometimes it is better just to tread water until the time is right. Patience. There seems to be a natural order to how and when we can realise our dreams. We need to allow ourselves to be guided by our intuition.

Often we don't have enough patience. Or, you can say, we are driven by desire to realise a wish or a dream instantly, rather than allowing time for the dream to unfold naturally. Misplaced desire is the enemy of natural order. I know this, for in the past I have been guilty of it. It is like a loving relationship that cannot be cemented into permanence because of the incompatible commitments of the two lovers. In that case, you have a choice, either to say this isn't going to work and end the relationship and move on, or, to give it time and see if the commitments can unravel themselves and allow the two lovers to come together on a permanent basis. For much of the time we live in a mist of uncertainty and it is only when the mist lifts that we can see clearly the way ahead. And for this we need patience and a clear and open mind. Without them we are doomed to frustration and suffering.

Changing concepts

2008-01-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

As I come to the end of my winter stay in Thailand, I am aware of the changing nature of life which has demonstrated itself so clearly to me during the past three months. Put simply, I had one concept of a winter stay in Chiang Mai and, due to events beyond my control, I have now developed a different concept, one which is mercifully preferable to what went before which makes me very happy. The universe seems to have favoured me and I have found a greater sense of belonging. So, this time I am leaving Chiang Mai with a touch of regret and I am very thankful. It's a positive sort of regret that encourages me to know that I will be returning in due course. You know, it all has to do with people, how they are and what they are doing with their lives... the cultivating of the right friendships which make it possible to live a creative and stimulating life and to communicate interestingly with others. It is about having a sense of belonging and of feeling at ease in a place. And, being in Thailand, it is also helpful to have a mix of Thai and non-Thai friends so that one can be in touch with both one's own culture and the culture of Thailand.

I am no longer in a relationship and, in a curious way, this has freed me up and made it easier for me to put myself about and meet more people. Sometimes, relationships can be confining, although I don't feel mine had to be although I was inclined to make it so. But, no more. This idea of being free is an important one in life, not to be confined by convention or fear, but rather to be guided by open-mindedness and heartfelt consideration for others. It is the people who make a place, particularly a city place which is rather divorced from nature, and so it is important to put oneself about in a gentle way and get involved in creative activities that bring both pleasure and well-being. This all lifts the spirits. And it's amazing in a place like this how many people are doing things for others and so spreading well-being through their heartfelt actions. There are many lovely people living to a greater or lesser extent from their hearts and so expressing their humanity. And it is these people who make a place worth living in. So, that is why I hope to be back in Chiang Mai next year, God willing.

Knowing and judging

2008-01-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard somebody say, "Oh, I'm just a simple soul, easy to understand".... or, "You don't understand me, you don't understand what I am trying to say"? Well, a dear friend of mine got me thinking about this the other day, about whether we can ever fully understand anyone. And, following on from that, do we ever have a right to judge others?

This is where my thinking took me, rightly or wrongly:

'Can I ever really 'know' somebody else's character. I really don't think so... and herein lies the illusion that shatters so many relationships and friendships as we only ever 'know' the other person from our own limited perspective. Are not our characters formed by the accumulation of our experiences with an overlay of genetic influence and karmic inheritance from previous lifetimes as well? Very complex. And the eternal question has always been: who am I? or, what am I? And we use our lifetime of spiritual practice in trying to find an answer to these questions, at least, a few of us do. Yet, if we cannot truly know who we are ourselves, then how can we possibly fathom out even how our nearest and dearest tick along in their lives? How can we truly 'know' anybody else if we cannot 'know' ourselves? After all, every day we are accumulating new experiences which enfold us in another layer of conditioning, and so our characters, too, are in a constant state of change... except what lies at the very core of us which I believe is the divine, which makes us one with the universal consciousness. Is that not at the heart of each one of us? If I can accept this premise, I still feel I can 'know' your character. And, as for a certain other person in my life, well, it's an enigma. Maybe that's what makes relationships exciting. Just when we feel we know someone and we feel comfortable in our 'knowing', they do something that shatters our illusion. At least, it seems like that to me.

And, following on from the not 'knowing', if we are going to be truly honest with ourselves, how can we ever judge the actions of others when we cannot fully 'know' what is prompting those actions. Of course, we can observe what other people do, and we may or may not like it, but we cannot truly judge why they are doing it because we are unable to fathom the deepest recesses of their mind to understand the processes of their thinking. Each one of us is coming from a different place and all we can do is observe. We all have an unfathomable soul that rests in the ocean of eternity and that is understood sometimes not even by us. Life is a glorious mystery.

Reiki Way News

2008-01-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

REIKI WAY NEWS

First, I send out to everyone my heartfelt good wishes for light, joy and a fruitful life in 2008. May it be a year where we can be aware of all our wonderful opportunities and also turn our negative experiences to our advantage with hope in our hearts. On the 7th February it becomes the Chinese New Year of the Rat (and, if you don't like rats, what about Mouse... or Topolino, if you are Italian?) Anyway, Gong Xi Fa Choi.

Reiki Healing Courses 2008/09

For courses, please check the website: www.reikiway.com

Due to the finalising of my home move to Italy this year, I cannot present you with an annual schedule of courses at this time. It will unravel, though, as the year goes on.

Tentatively, for now:

2008

March) London Reiki Level I & II courses
Oct/Nov)

2009

Jan/Feb Chiang Mai Reiki Level I & II courses

* All Master/Teacher courses are by special arrangement.

May the light shine for you.

with love,

Wrio

New Year Resolution

2008-01-02T01:43:00.000-08:00

This is the time to celebrate renewal. New Year's Day is a new beginning as I step into a new life putting behind me all the sad and difficult experiences of 2007 and accepting that from each one of them there were positive lessons to be drawn. The precious birth of the Cosmic Christ, the Gautama Buddha's glorious enlightenment, the coming of a new springtime - these are surely all symbols of renewal that we can use as benchmarks for our own new beginnings as we strive to put behind us bad times and grasp all the opportunities that life is offering us. Let us embrace life, not in any airy fairy way sort of a way, but with care and consideration searching our heart for what we are truly passionate about and then affirming our intention to cultivate our passions in a positive and creative way. If there is any serious message we can draw out of all the silly haha that goes on at New Year's Eve, then it is surely this: Let us make a new beginning and live our lives more passionately from the heart, cultivating all the talents that God has given us to enhance our lives and the lives of those around us whom we love. Let us wish for their happiness and for their highest good, too.

And, also let us wish for the saving of our own dear Mother Earth and make up our minds to do something about it in 2008 by reducing our own carbon footprints just a little, because every little counts. Maybe we just simply need to care more in 2008, for ourselves, for all beings, and for Mother Earth. We need to be gentle with ourselves and not beat ourselves up and we need to deal with others in the same way, acknowledging with compassion the suffering that each and everyone of us undergoes. In this way, we can enhance our capacity for unconditional compassion through the opening up of our hearts. Yes, in 2008, let us live more from our hearts. It will help.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed New Year.

Christmas reflections

2007-12-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

I have spent my first Christmas ever, in 66 years, away from my family, in Chiang Mai, and I can now reflect on what I find truly meaningful about Christmas and what it was that I missed about being in solitude. For sure, it is not the presents or the Christmas cards which are important. I find it a chore to hunt endlessly around for unsuitable presents and to write soundbites on dozens of Christmas cards because that is what convention tells you to do. I prefer to give gifts and send cards spontaneously, not just because it's Christmas. Neither does being away from England in any way sadden me; with its dark days, cold winter weather and its cynicism it is a relief not to be there and to be instead in the warmth and smiles and sunshine of Thailand. I expect that Christmas in the wintry mountains of Europe would be a different story, too, as there is a mystical magic about Christmas in the mountains, a magic of a pagan sort where the Christmas story hangs on the tree of an older tradition. But in Thailand, as now in England, there is no true sense of the Christmas story. Just jingle bells and endless consumerism. So, I havn't missed the story of Christmas, nor its magic, as there was none of that in England either, at least not since 1995 when I last attended Midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral which purveyed the true spirit of the message: an enlightened being, the Cosmic Christ, a baby born in poverty, who would show us the way to universal consciousness and to the divine within us that we might open our hearts to unconditional love and compassion. For that surely is the message of Christmas. And when I was going to the Cathedral, the deeply spiritual Cardinal Hume was proclaiming the message which made it meaningful. I doubt the present Cardinal is capable of doing that.

I feel that the best way to honour the true message is by spending Christmas in the company of our loved ones, particularly our family. That is what I have missed, my loved ones, because I have not had the company of any single one of them this Christmas. My beloved mother died in March and I spent 65 Christmases with her, latterly travelling back from Thailand just to do that (oh dear, my carbon footprint!). My cousins would also join us which made the day special and then my brother would leave his family and visit two days' later. But life is change and now the format has to be altered before next year as this year is a non-event, a sort of unplanned floating Christmas where there was no more than a visit to the Christmas mass although that was not as magical as the Midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral in London which always set the stable aglow with the true meaning of Christ's birth. My only loved one in Thailand is a very dedicated nurse who has to work in the hospital many kilometres away. So, all my loved ones are far away, at least at the physical level. But at a deeper soul level maybe I can commune with them and sense their presence, both those living and those who have passed over. This, for me, will be the true meaning of Christmas 2007. Happy Christmas.

carbon footprinting a great opportunity

2007-12-11T01:52:00.000-08:00

I wonder to what extent the future of our dear Mother Earth is being decided in Bali at the moment, at the world conference on Climate Change? After all, the way the global climate is changing and the prolific way we spew out carbon emissions into the atmosphere is something that affects each and every one of us, yes, every member of our enormous human family. Surely it is incumbent on every one of us to do what we can, in our infinitesimally small way, to play our part in reducing the level of carbon emissions. We must take note of and reduce our own carbon footprint. And we can.

Not only can we but it is a great opportunity for us. No matter whether I am in Thailand, Italy or the UK, I am aware that life is becoming ever more expensive, what with the rise in fuel prices, food prices, rentals, transport fares, you name it. It's all becoming more expensive. And everywhere tourism is down, house prices are in the doldrums and there is a general sense of despair and despond, especially as this year has been so malicious for so many people. It seems that even the stars are against us. So, what a great time for us to apply ourselves to saving money, and not only saving money but also cutting back on our own carbon footprint so that we can, in our own little way, help Mother Earth to start breathing healthily again.

How do we do this? Well, it's easy. We use water in a more economic way. We convert to energy saving bulbs and also use our electricity less by not being wasteful which we have been in the past. We use aeroplanes less and trains and boats more. We cut back on the use of our car or motor bike by 20% or 30% ... and walk more! We recycle our rubbish more carefully. We insulate our houses more thoroughly. We use biodegradable packing materials. We buy a reusable shopping bag and cut back on our use of plastic. There is a long list of things we can do and things we shouldn't do. And, if we add it all together, it becomes a campaign of saving which will cut back on our spending. Is that not a good thing?

Most important, as we start to apply ourselves to cutting back on our carbon footprint, so our awareness will grow and deepen and we will come to value our natural world and also our place within it. So, the whole exercise is not just practical and financial but it is also spiritual and it will help to place us where we belong, at the heart of nature. More and more, especially in the cities, we have lost touch with nature and so we have lost touch with who we truly are. If we can remedy this in our own lives, then learning to lessen our carbon footprint will become an exercise of great benefit to us all.

So, let's start walking more, let's get the bicycles out, and let's save all we can on those emissions.

Communicating face to face

2007-12-07T02:11:00.000-08:00

I realise as I write this on the internet that it is a very useful way of letting you know my thoughts, that is, if you care to read them. You may or you may not. But, you know, I would much prefer to sitting down with you face to face on a hillsideand discussing our thoughts together. Somehow, it would be much more meaningful for us to have eye contact and to be communicating at soul level, for our eyes are the mirror of our souls. In this way, our thought processes would become animated and fully human and we would sense ourselves in touch. As John O'Donohue writes in "Anam Cara...": "When you really look deeply at something, it becomes a part of you. This is one of the sinister aspects of television. People are constantly looking at empty and false images; these impoverished images are filling up the inner world of the heart... Television and the computer world are great empty shadowlands." I do agree with this as I find, whenever I use the computer or television, that there is something missing, a sense of soul. And I think it is because whatever you are looking at is simply not real and certainly not human... "empty and false images". And that impoverishes our souls which in our modern world can feel very weak and unfulfilled anyway.

So, we must not forget the value of face to face communication. Nor must we forget when we are with others that we should read in their eyes what they are trying to say to us. In this way, we can sense our oneness at soul level and so communicate our thoughts in a truly meaningful way. The eyes talk.

Of course, if we're many miles apart then we cannot communicate in this way at that moment. And then, of course, the internet can become helpful up to a point. It is a useful tool. After all, how could I say what I am now saying without it, whether or not you ever read it. But if we use it to excess, then we use it at our peril as it will destroy our ability to communicate at soul level. And that is what is happening with so many children today: too much time spent on the television and the computer and too little time spent in communicating in a natural, social, human way. Yin and Yang, we need balance in all things.

Good and Bad

2007-12-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

It seems that so many happenings in life are both good and bad. My most recent experience shows that clearly. The day before I was due to travel down to Bangkok to have a standard medical check-up, to meet up with my cousin who was there working for ten days, and then go off to an island for a few days of relaxation, the debris from my 1999 prostate operation began to cause problems, blood and blockage. The next day, I flew down from Chiang Mai, was admitted, and the day after that I had an emergency clear-out operation. This whole thing just came out of the blue and I felt shocked and sickened by memories of the first time back in the UK. But I was in good hands and both the cardiologist and the urologist who performed the operation were wonderful, friendly, caring medics. Not only that, but I was already due to be in Bangkok at that time meeting up with my cousin and my girlfriend who is a nurse and having an standard aneurism scan and so the timing was miraculous. Synchronicity. Or, the universe working in strange ways.

I feel that this whole episode was a physical manifestation of the clear-out that this mischievous monkey year seems to have been all about. What a year. And I am converted to the idea of regular future monitoring of heart, aorta, kidneys, bladder and prostate because as one gets older the body begins to fray at the edges and it's a good idea to keep tabs on where a potential problem may come from so that one can nip it in the bud. After all, it's my health, so my responsibility. And I can now try even harder to lead a life that will take account of my weaknesses and keep me healthy.

So, you see, out of this whole saga has come some good and hopefully life can now move onwards into a new year of home-building and creativity. First, some positive rest and recuperation.

Plans for 2008

2007-11-21T00:50:00.000-08:00

My dear Friends,

This is to let you know that I shall now be writing the Reikiway newsletter "The Light" on my blog and also keeping you up-to-date with any Reikiway courses and happenings that are in the offing. You can then just go into the website - www.reikiway.com - at any time and click on 'blog' to get the information. This seems to be a better way of doing things from now on. But let me know if you think otherwise.

One thing that has crystallized in my mind is that, from March, all my emphasis in 2008 will be on setting up a teaching and treatment venue somewhere in the mountains in Italy, as well as creating my home base there. This has been my dream for 6 years now. And I have a plan that, as well as courses in Reiki healing, the venue will also offer Thai Yoga Massage and, of course, wonderful walks in the mountains so that we can place ourselves where we should always be, in the heart of nature. This means that everything else, including the Thailand programme, will be put on hold until this plan is achieved, although I will still offer one or two courses in London (Willesden Green) in the spring and autumn if they are called for. I really hope to create a very wonderful setting for acquiring an understanding of the power and workings of Reiki healing in the midst of Europe's hills and mountains. And I hope that one day we will see you there.

May your days be bountiful and your joy unbounded and, in spite of all the darkness and suffering that surrounds us, I pray that your heart will be open to the light and that you will know the divine within you.

Impermanence - no two days are the same

2007-11-14T01:20:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning I realised that I felt differently from yesterday and that the energy of the day felt different, too. In fact, it seems that no two days are the same... they don't start out the same, nor do they finish the same. Each day has a different character from the one before. Now, is this just my perception, based on how I am feeling as I drift up out of the dream state into waking consciousness? Or is there something external to me with its own energy and changing character within which I exist at every moment of this day, cultivating all those new experiences which will accumulate while I am in this wakened state and which will cause me to say before I nod off to sleep again at the end of the day: "Oh, that was a good day!" or "Oh dear, what an awful day!"? I feel like a wave in the ocean that is the day, changing shape, playing with other waves, and rolling ever onwards towards some distant shore. And when I break on the shore, will that be that? Is this how our life is, like a wave in the ocean of time?

Of course, we know that nothing stays the same, not even the chair we sit on. We know that good times pass too quickly, as when we are with the person we love with all our heart and then we must part. And we should also know that the bad times, the times of suffering, will also pass for us in one way or another. This is why it is helpful to accept things as they are at this moment in time because, however they are, they will not stay this way and we need to be able to flow with the unpredictable currents of life. This is what it means to go with the flow, or to bend wth the wind. It doesn't mean to opt out of life or of decision-making but, rather, to have an open and flexible mind which can cope with every hand that life deals us.

However, none of this answers my question about whether or not each day has its own character and set of circumstances with which we have to cope. It seems that in some sense we have to slot into the day we are presented with. We can never be entirely in control. So, yes, we are waves in the ocean of time.

learning through our experience

2007-11-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

During the past few years I have been making a big mistake. I have always felt that we have made modern day life too complicated which is why it is so stressful for so many people, and that I must make every effort to simplify it by cutting out all those things which seemed to me to be irrelevent and wasteful of my effort and energy. So, in an effort to achieve what I felt was simplicity I turned my back on opportunities and, in a sense, negated life in all its rich hues, falling into a hole of stagnation and negativity. In fact, I rather turned my back on life itself which is a dreadful sin to commit as I feel we have been given life to live it. John O'Donohue writes (in "Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World") "... we were never told that one of the greatest sins is the unlived life. We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes towards us... We should never allow our fears or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny." And then later he quotes the 2nd century philosopher, Irenaeus, who said: 'The glory of God is the human person fully alive'. This all makes me shamefully realise that I have not really embraced life in recent times. Why? Well, fear, apathy and a silly misunderstanding that in order to simplify life I must turn my back on many of the things that would have allowed it to flourish and prosper. After all, there's no good without bad and sometimes we must experience both in order to find out which is which. I now realise I was turning my back on both.

One test on whether or not one is really living life with a passion or just allowing it to scrape along is whether or not one is bored and having to think of things to do. If you are living life, you are buzzing and you never have to think of something to do in order to pass the time as there is always something you want to be doing. After all, by nature we are creative beings. Maybe this blog is a good example. For 5 months I wrote nothing as my spirit ('shen') was stagnant and I had no motivation to put fingers to keyboard. Life was dead and I had nothing to say, or at least that is what I felt at the time. I now realise it was quite wrong. If we are awake, there is always something to say as life is such a rich tapestry which can always inspire comment.

I now realise that the way to a fulfilling, simple life is the path of mindfulness and the giving up of dislike and desire. Be where you want to be, do what your heart tells you to do, and love everybody. That seems to be the recipe. I'll try it.

energy follows our focus

2007-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

For the past few months I have been wallowing in a heavy sea of life change which has created great confusion in my mind. So, no blogging (what an ugly word!). Yes, it has been a testing time. However, that has given me experiences which are worth drawing from, so I can now start to fit some more pieces into the jigsaw of life. Or, put another way, perhaps I should see this as a new beginning, a rebirth into another stage of life. Yes, life has changed and so have I. Or, so must I!

This all makes me think of what Rob Nairn ("Living, Dreaming, Dying") said to us in July: that "energy follows our focus" - what we are thinking about now will evolve into our future karma. I now feel this is so important: if I am thinking positively now I will receive a positive outcome; but, if I am thinking negatively then the outcome for me will be negative which will cause me suffering. So, if I can draw positive conclusions from these past few months, then I can enhance my future life and build and grow upon what has gone before. Maybe that's obvious but it is certainly worth the effort to try and overcome those negative thought patterns which have plagued my life in the past. Memories and thoughts have energy, after all, and that energy can be healthy and uplifting or it can be heavy and debilitating. And it affects not only me but also those around me. So, every single thought and memory I have is very important for my health and well-being. That's a salutary thought, isn't it, something I need to remember as I live each moment of each day seeking happiness and fulfilment. And, if it is true for me, then surely it is true for everyone.

So, I have now lost both my parents and I have moved my home to another country. That's why it's time for a new beginning.

Synchronicity and good teachings

2007-06-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

More and more I come to believe in the wondrous power of synchronicity. How so? Well, from experience. For one good reason, when I am seeking further wise guidance along the rocky path of spiritual awakening, the channel opens and exactly the right author and book title seems to appear. In this way, I can constantly feed my thirst for understanding.

And now, being an enthusiast and having this amazing blog thing, I'd like to pass on to you my two latest finds which I am reading as a joyous diversion from the stresses and strains of packing up many years of life in England, and also my dear mother's house, in preparation for my relocation to Italy. Funnily enough, the general message of both books is to keep things simple. How appropriate!

First, a guide to meditation by Adyashanti, his new book "True Meditation" (ISBN 1-59179-467-6). His many years as a Zen Buddhist have brought him to the point where he can tell us that "Enlightenment is, in the end, nothing more than the natural state of being" and that "In True Meditation, we start from the foundation of letting everything be as it is". The first part of the book is guiding us to meditate in such a way as to realize this. Then, having meditated in a 'letting go' way, he explains his method of meditative self-enquiry, of 'how to ask a spiritually powerful question - and determine the real answer' based simply on your own true experience. And then there is a CD which can help you through both the meditation and the self-enquiry. Great stuff!

The second of my diversions is the new book "The Translucent Revolution" by Arjuna Ardagh (ISBN:1-57731-468-9), originally British but now living in The States. There are now so many wise spiritual teachers in The States offering books and teachings that it seems amazing the Americans can elect such an unawakened one as George Bush as their president. Duality, Yin and Yang. The 'cultural creatives' are not in the majority, of course, so there is more need than ever for the work of these purveyors of spirit... and Arjuna Ardagh is such a one. As Lama Surya Das says about this book, "Arjuna has penned a luminous contribution to the individual and collective awakening of us all. I heartily recommend this book to anyone seeking inner knowledge, self-realization and enlightenment". And Arjuna himself describes what his book purports to put over to us thus: "How people just like you are WAKING UP and CHANGING the world". There are many quotes from many aware people and the book in general is an easy read. It even has an introduction by Ken Wilber whom some believe to be the most awakened of the awakened.

Anyway, if you enjoy reading spiritual books, these are both worth spending time on. Enjoy them.

with love,
Wrio

another step for keeping in touch

2007-06-01T01:36:00.000-07:00

I have now taken another step and connected my blog with the Reikiway website so that I can keep in touch with everybody much better. It is like coming out of the mist of solitude and into the oneness of our global human family so that we can be there for each other. Welcome world, we are connected. Or we can be if we wish to be. At least we have the choice.

At present, I am packing up in preparation for my relocation to Italy. So, it is a time for action and not for reflection. However, once I am settled I will get working on this new 'toy'. In the meantime, I wish everybody inner peace and joy... and abundant health based on a sense of well-being and fulfilment.

with love,
Wrio

The need for compassion

2007-01-22T02:03:00.000-08:00

It's time for a change. Another year has sunk into the mists of history, a million new stories have been told and now we must remember to write 2007 on our correspondence. More than that, we need this mid-winter time to renew our energies, reflect on our past experiences and decide how to take our lives forwards. This is a great opportunity because, if we are clear in our intentions, we can set our new resolutions for the highest good of ourselves and others. Is not that a good way to start the New Year?

I ended my year with a very meaningful few days of retreat at Samye Ling, the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Scotland. It was a pleasure to be part of a community which values the environment so much and indeed, whilst there, we watched Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth", together with a large party of school children who are studying Buddhism. What are we doing to our beautiful planet? How much time do we have left? And what can we do to help turn things around? Well, it transpires that there are many things we can do, including realising that we can a role to play even if only driving our cars a little less. We need to wqake up and accept our responsibility as custodians of our Mother Earth because it is coming to the point when she can no longer sustain us. As a result to seeing this film, that was the message some of those young students planned to take back to their school, too. The door to their awareness had opened. Me too, I realised that I need to become more aware and less careless; we all do, if we are to play our part and value our planet.

At the monastery, the first and last meditations of the day focused on compassion. We are talking here of the pure, unconditional compassion which radiates from our hearts to every being on earth when we are at peace within ourselves, even if they have committed the most heinous of crimes. Revenge and retributions are simply not options. The early morning meditation focused on Tara, the divine Bodhisattva of compassion, and then in the evening we sought guidance from Chenrezig, or Avolokitesvara, who is the lord of compassion. To focus in this way, every day, on our need to develop our sense of compassion touches the heart. It reminds us of our connection with every living soul and how each one of us acts radiates out into the ether and brings either light or darkness into the lives of others. We are all waves in the ocean of humanity. So, the more compassion we can all bring into our lives, the more we can diminish suffering and find happiness in our own hearts. This is something for us all to work on and become more aware of in our lives... another possible resolution for the New Year!

For the Reiki practitioner, compassion is an essential attribute which allows for the Reiki to flow in abundance. In a sense, Reiki is unbounded love and compassion. Cultivating it becomes a part of our daily life, although it is in fact a natural attribute that simply grows with our expanding awareness. Compassion radiates from the heart and the more we awaken our hearts and give out to others, the greater the contentment we will find in our own lives as well. We are talking here of wanting to be happy and of finding peace within our hearts. This is what we wish for ourselves and is surely what we also wish for others. There are so many ghastly things that humans are doing to each other in this world, right now, and yet all we want is peace! Isn't it crazy? All we can do is meditate and pray and have love and compassion for all. In that way, we can bring peace and some happiness into our own immediate world. That is a good start.

Wishing you a warm and wonderfully abundant New Year filled with love and compassion.

Let's allow the sun to shine

2006-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

I've come to the conclusion that we should forget about Bush, Blair, Iraq, Taksin, Rupert Murdoch, the cynicism of politics and big business, the dirty medicine of the pharmaceuticals, the killings in Naples and Nepal, television's exploitation of man's inhumanity to man, how we are polluting our beautiful planet. All these things are a focus on the 'shadow' side of life where darkness reigns supreme and the collective unconscious is the order of the day. The media and the politicians want us to focus on this dark aspect of life in order to frighten us so that then we will rely on them to keep us safe and secure. That is how they win our votes and sell their newspapers, believing us to be frightened sheep. And that is why, in the more aware societies, less and less of us are voting for their outdated, self-serving political parties. We are able to see through their simplistic cynicism and their hunger for power; we are fed up with the negative side of the coin.

Instead, let us focus on the positive, on the light that shines. We march for peace and not against war, we work for our passion and not for money, we create environmentally friendly homes, we buy cars that pollute as little as possible and use them only when necessary, we only vote for politicians who want to help the people and favour peace at all costs, we use natural, preventative , non-invasive medicine and therapy as far as possible, we take charge of our own health and well-being and live with love, compassion and consideration for others, we only support the positive media (eg. 'Positive News', www.worldchanging.org).

We accept that there is duality but we focus on the positive side of the coin and treat the negative side with openness and a light heart. For example, instead of focusing on how dreadful the ecological state of our planet is, we take the positive route and do everything we can to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. We don't let the negative thinking get to us: we live simply in a sustainable way!

the first words

2006-11-24T01:03:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my new blog. My name is Wrio Russell and I am a therapist and a teacher of Reiki healing. I am starting up this blog so that I can share thoughts and ideas on health, healing and generally looking after our well-being in this world of extreme duality.

I live in Thailand in the winter months and, for the rest of the year, in Italy, in the hills behind Piacenza. Yes, I've chosen two of the most beautiful countries in the world to do my teaching and treating... wonderful. However, I must also say that I come originally from the United Kingdom and I have also been blessed with all the good things that country can offer me. Now, it is time to move on. Life is about impermanence, after all, and I am now following where, and the universe, is leading me. I hope that along the way we'll meet and share a little of what there is to share.

As well as offering my therapy treatments and Reiki teaching, we are also starting up a nursing and childcare service, so in the future I will also put out some thoughts on that. However, for now that's enough.

wishing you peace, light and joy,
Wrio