Articles

Reiki for Personal Development 
 by Elizabeth Harley

If you have ever wished that you had a practical way to help yourself and your family through the stresses and strains of everyday life, well known International teacher and Reiki Master, Elizabeth Harley may have the answer. Reiki is a Japanese healing technique which is very powerful and life transforming, yet is very accessible and easy to learn. “I have taught people from all walks of life,” said Elizabeth , “and from all ages- from young children to adults in their 70’s.”  It makes no difference what your background is, nor your belief system, previous experience or skills. All you need is the desire to learn.

 Reiki I, the basic level is taught in one easy, enjoyable day with follow up support for as long as desired. Reiki I enables you to channel healing energy for yourself, your family and friends, and even your pets and plants!  Some people stop there and are quite happy with that while others choose to carry on and complete Reiki II, which allows you to practice Reiki professionally. Each attunement you receive boosts the energy flow and clears more unwanted patterns, blocks and outmoded ways of being from your energy system, allowing you to become more authentically yourself. The Advanced class is an interim stage between Reiki II and III and teaches deeper techniques of working with the energy for self and clients.  Reiki III or Master level allows you to teach others.

Elizabeth has taught Reiki in many exotic locations. In 2002 she was invited to teach advanced Reiki techniques in India , where she also took her grand Masters with leading Indian Master Chandra Kumari. In May she is off to America to teach in a yoga centre in New Orleans , Louisiana and in a monastery retreat centre in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Her dream is to teach in Tibet, making Reiki available to both Tibetans and Chinese.

Elizabeth holds many classes in Aberdeen or in various retreat centres throughout Scotland but has the occasional one in the yurt in the middle of the woods behind her Pitcaple home. She fell in love with yurts the first time she slept in one. “They are based on the Mongolian or Tibetan nomad’s tent and are circular with a wood burning stove in the middle” explained Elizabeth, “the energy inside is lovely!”

Although Elizabeth is a nurse and came from a very orthodox background - with both parents and various assorted family members doctors, she has always been interested in alternatives and began meditating and using essential oils, herbs and flower remedies in the late 1970’s. In the early 90’s she trained in aromatherapy and Reiki, eventually completing her Masters in the States in 1996. She is principal of the Reiki Training Centre and has recently taken on the role of Scottish coordinator for the UK Reiki Federation. She has a practice in Chelsea House Clinic in Inverurie and the Rosemount Centre in Aberdeen , and can be contacted on 01467 681259 for more information.

 Inverurie Herald 25th March 2004

EARTH CHANGES
Many of us have been going through challenging periods over the last 18 months or so. These may manifest on the physical level, or on whatever level is appropriate to assist us to clear old patterns and move on.
This is all to do with the earth changes, as she raises her vibration and moves into the next dimensional level, all life on earth has the opportunity to do so also. We are basically moving towards becoming a 5th dimensional planet and have been doing so for some time, especially since the Harmonic convergence of 1987. These changes will have reached a significant level by 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar.
I believe that Reiki is one of the major tools of our time to assist this shift. We are moving towards what has been known in religious terms as "the Second Coming."  This is not the arrival of another great spiritual Master in physical form, but it is the awakening of the Master in each one of us, it is the birth of unconditional love in every human heart. When this process is complete we will have Heaven on Earth.
Part of this process is an actual physical change, as our very bodies become more crystalline in order to allow us to hold more light. This is often accompanied by inexplicable aches & pains and problems with various systems as the body attempts to clear out old patterns in order to be able to absorb the new energies that are becoming available to us. The more we work with the Reiki energy the easier we will move through this process.
The "healing crisis" we may experience as individuals is reflected in the earth herself.
As her body also changes, (the earth's frequency which used to be 8.6 htz is now an incredible 13+ htz, and still accelerating), there is the possibility of an increase in various disturbances around the world. However, we have a choice in this. We can do whatever we can on the human level to support earth healing and we can also hold with the trust that as so many people are raising their vibration and working on their own healing, the disturbances that were once foretold become less and less likely. By focusing on the negative and worrying about it we add our weight to that possibility instead. We will all change, of that there is no doubt, but we have a choice as to how this will come about. Let’s do it the easy way by continuing to work on ourselves and constantly making the choice in our daily lives for love over fear, compassion over animosity and hope and trust over despair & denial. This is easier when we remember the Reiki principles and trust that whatever comes our way holds a gift for us, even though it may take us a while to unwrap it!

Reiki News - Summer 2003

WAR AND PEACE
This year has seen an event many of us hoped never to witness  - our country declaring war on another.
The waves of shock, horror, anger, denial, outrage and sadness have now diminished but no-one escaped the heavy energy inevitably created by so much planned destruction. Did you notice how many people were suffering from fatigue in the immediate aftermath?
As always humour helped. Some of my favourite banners on the peace marches combined insight with humour. I preferred to call them peace marches rather than anti-war demos, the energy is quite different. Anti-war is fighting war with war. How can that work?  Peace is taking the higher perspective. As Gandhi said, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”
It was inspiring to see so many people from all corners of the world standing up for peace, in unprecedented numbers. It felt as if perhaps world peace could become a reality in our lifetime, if the desire for it is so strong in so many hearts. So, did the end justify the means? What was it all REALLY all about? Will we ever know? No matter how many questions we ask, or how many answers we receive, we may still feel dissatisfied. This situation has to be understood with the heart, not the head. One negative effect of the peace marches was to polarize people according to their beliefs about the war, creating yet more division.
We need to hold a space of peace ABOVE all the human division, without getting too caught up in the human stuff. However, being human, this can usually only be maintained periodically.
The rest of the time we need to transmute and work through our feelings and emotions. As usual, the best way to do that is firstly to be aware of them. Let them be. Don’t judge yourself for having them.  Certainly do not deny or block them, (what we resist will persist!) Rather explore them and experience them fully. It is always easiest to do this while giving yourself Reiki. You could use the mental/emotional symbol if attuned to second degree Reiki.
Ultimately we need to reach a point where we can hold the whole situation in love and compassion. It certainly feels better for us, and therefore everyone around us. That then also becomes the energy that we send out around the world. What would you rather send out, love and compassion or fear, pain, doubt and anger? We need to hold on to the higher perspective, to become part of the solution rather than stay with the anger & fear and add to the problem.
James Twyman, the author and peace troubadour says “Don’t pray for peace. Pray peace!”  For in praying for something we acknowledge its lack. So rather become what you would wish to see, be the change you want to make. Pray peace. Become peace. Be peace.
Make peace in your own life. How can we expect people who have had loved ones killed and injured to forgive and make peace while we still hold grudges and animosity with each other, often over little things. We judge ourselves by our intentions while we judge others by their actions. In 1968 Kent Keith wrote the Illogical Commandments. The first one states: People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centred. Love them anyway. But it can be difficult to hold compassion for people who continually hurt us. Someone once asked the enlightened guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “How can I feel compassion for someone who is full of anger and hate?”  He laughed and replied, “So, who should you feel compassion for, someone who is full of joy and happiness and whose life is going beautifully?”

To help us achieve peace and clear our own energy,  thereby lifting the energy of the whole planet, here is a beautiful affirmation from Diana Cooper. Diana said she had been using it herself every morning for several weeks and she felt that it had really advanced her growth. It is:

“I forgive everyone who has ever hurt or harmed me in any way, consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or accidentally, knowingly or unknowingly, in this life or another, in this plane or dimension or another, in this universe or another, and I send them Grace.

I ask for forgiveness for any hurt or harm I have ever caused another in any way, consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or accidentally, knowingly or unknowingly, in this life or another, in this plane or dimension or another, in this universe or another, and I ask for Grace.

I forgive myself  for any hurt or harm I have ever caused another in any way, consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or accidentally, knowingly or unknowingly, in this life or another, in this plane or dimension or another, in this universe or another, and I accept Grace.”

Reiki News Summer 2003

Self Healing With Reiki
I hear countless stories from people about how Reiki has changed their lives. Each time I feel deep gratitude for this incredible, boundless energy so easily accessible to us all.
Work situations change, relationships become more rewarding & fulfilling. Sometimes endings make way for new beginnings.
It is not always easy, but it is always in the upwards flow of aligning us with our Higher Selves and enabling us to fulfill more of our unrealised potential.
The healing process doesn’t stop with the 1st Degree attunement. Nor the second. Nor Mastership! It continues till we become fully realised, enlightened beings.
So the next time you wonder what’s “wrong” with you, look within.
Notice what you are actually feeling. Give it space! Acknowledge it. Accept it. Allow it to just be!
In the act of acceptance and acknowledgement we begin to learn, grow and therefore transform the way we feel.
The first key is awareness, the 2nd is acceptance.

In the words of Gaston St. Pierre:
1. Notice the facts.
2. Acknowledge their presence.
3. Then Let Them Be!

It is through an awareness of how we really are (not how we think we “should” be) and an open heart chakra that we release & transform withheld emotion and outmoded beliefs.
It is through healing ourselves that we heal the world.

It never works the other way round!

By Elizabeth Harley

First published in August 2001 Reiki News 

 Also published in Of Spirit Magazine

Chandra came to work with us at The Rosemount Centre. She often worked with her husband Kanyarasi, so some very fortunate people received treatments from two therapists at once for 3 days running!
She also ran self -development workshops teaching some very useful and powerful meditation techniques. It was very exciting to be taught by someone from such a different culture.

Mrs Chandra Kumari – Top 5th from left.

By Elizabeth Harley

Teaching Reiki in India
I was invited to teach Reiki in India by Reiki Grand Master Chandra Kumari. I arrived at Visakhapatnam in December 2001. The first thing I noticed about India was the amazing sense of acceptance I found everywhere, along with the deep spirituality. I didn’t feel any sense of “culture shock”, I felt right at home! India is the heart chakra of mother earth. This is evident in the people, in their eyes, in their greetings, in their manner. So many open heart chakras! Mmmm.

My first week was spent preparing for the workshops. On the Wednesday night around 50 people came to the house to meet me. We had decided to hold the first days workshop at the top of Kailash Hill, in a world peace shrine I had been shown on my first evening there. The shrine was built by a wonderful man called Swami Omkar. He bought a disused war base at the top of the hill. After meditating up there in silence for 6 years he announced that he would turn the "war base" into a "peace base". It is a shrine for all religions. "God is one - worshipped in different forms" is the belief of Hindu culture. I could think of no better place to hold a course! The energy was very beautiful. It felt very like that of Gandhi and St. Francis - gentle, peaceful yet powerful and very beautiful.

I taught some advanced Reiki techniques, Ascension teachings and meditations. We finished the day by lighting everyone's candles from the Peace Flame I had got from the Life Foundation in Wales. It felt so perfect to have found a peace centre to hold our peace ceremony in!

The next day we used the beautiful hotel that had already been booked. Again there were around 60 students there. I taught the Metamorphic technique and the Japanese Reiki techniques (It felt a bit strange, taking Japanese teachings that had come via Canada to Scotland to India!) Everyone could speak English, although it took most people a few hours to get used to my accent! I felt very honoured 2 days later when Mr. Patel, India's first Grand Master called to say he had heard excellent reports about the programme and wondered if I would be teaching it again in Delhi as he had been unable to attend. I was quite sad to leave everyone when I set off for Delhi. I will treasure very fond memories of Vishakapatnam and the many beautiful, open and loving people whom I met and connected with.