Holistichat With The Holistichic

More About Cults - How To Decide

2008-01-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of chatter about cults lately due to the Tom Cruise issue the media has been following. Here is a good article at Time Magazine to read about that particular group.

Sadly I had my own dealings with a man I met and really liked very much, but who was involved in a cult, which is really just an organization that uses mind control, that people fall into believing because it makes them feel as though they have a purpose; the purpose to purify and prepare people for the "next civilization."

This group/cult he is/was involved in, as with any other cult, and there are so many out there, teaches that all people who decide to leave are spiritually disturbed, misguided, potentially dangerous, and outsiders. Take your pick of words from that list...some are more heavy handed than others about this.

Inevitably what happens is that these organizations take advantage of those who are poorly read on many subjects such as in their own religions, spirituality or just simply the history and background of religions. Making it far too easy to selectively omit teachings that would negate their claims.

They will push their own literature and stear you away from numerous "outside" sources. The problem with this is that people have a right to make an informed decision by hearing all sides. And don't be fooled that only stupid people fall prey to these groups. This man is a very intelligent person who is highly regarded in the corporate world, and yet he was seriously contemplating giving up his apartment, his independent life, all his belongings and moving into this commune. (This commune is not free incidentally! Quite the contrary)

The cult this particular man is/was involved with manipulated the social psychological study done years ago that showed how women become more attractive to men who were already with an attractive female. It showed that being able to get a date with an attractive female made men more desireable to other women. This study is used to justify the idea of group sexual functions, and a commune built around the idea of sexual open experimentation and swapping. And at the core, that is what a cult does: take a truth and wrap a lie around it, to get you to follow them.

What man wouldn't have his curiousity piqued just a little at the thought that in participating in a society where it is encouraged to have numerous sexual partners, it will bring them even more women who want to be with them? Very smart marketing if you ask me.

And that is truly what these groups are about...not religious faith, dogma and spirituality but rather devoted following through slick marketing tactics, to acquire your money and loyalty.

I couldn't say it better than Barbara Ann Brennan in her book Hands of Light on page 73 so I will just give it to you as she states:

"The mutual letting go into deep communication through giving and receiving in sexual intercourse is one of the main ways humanity has of deeply letting go of the ego "seperateness" and experiencing unity. When done with love and respect for the uniqueness of your mate, it is a holy experience culminating from the deep primordial evolutionary urges of mating on the physcial level and the deep spiritual yearnings of unity with the Divine."

This particular cult of course does not teach that part of the lesson. They only use the study and another truism in spirituality as a justification to support the group sexual activities and swapping that a "person's sexuality is connected to his life force and if that part of the body is blocked it will lower the person's physical and sexual vitality" (Barbara Ann Brennan, Hands of Light, p 73)

There is NO balance in what they teach. They tip the scale in their favor. They have no choice but to leave out critical information. They are master manipulators.

Some people use the counter argument that all religions are cults. I think that is just another manipulation. Agreed, there is a fine line, but it is time to use critical thinking to know what is ok and what is not ok to participate in.

** Just to be clear, this group does not use Ms. Brennans book and words, but the ideas I put forth within their own literature. Barbara Anne Brennan nor I am associated with this cult or any other cult.

Auras and Bioenergy Fields

2008-01-27T19:23:00.001-05:00

This was taken January 26, 2008. I was happily surprised by it. It may be hard to see but the very top is blue-white. I have white around the throat chakra and the rest is violet.

Auras change. Six months ago mine was like this:

Our bioenergy fields or aura have many layers and are affected by our moods, thoughts and often by the interactions of others around us.

If you know anything about aura colors you will understand how to interpret my photos. They are similar although not the same as chakra colors.

I will write in more detail in the next post about the bioenergy fields and auras. If you'd like to read on your own about this subject please pick up Hands of Light, by Barbara Ann Brennan.

Cholesterol Drug Zetia Doesn't Cut Heart Attack Risk: Study

2008-01-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

"...the pace at which artery-clogging plaques formed within vessels almost doubled in patients taking Zetia (ezetimibe) along with another cholesterol-lowering drug, Zocor (simvastatin), compared to those taking Zocor alone, the study found."

So yet again another "study" to show how a medication doesn't work.

"This wraps it up," said Dr. Steven E. Nissen, chairman of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. "That's all there is. There just isn't any evidence that adding ezetimibe to simvastatin produces any advantage."

And yet hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone, were prescribed this medication. So please tell me just what the doctors read that allowed them to comfortably prescribe this medication to their patients?

It has been 27 months since I became a Reiki Practitioner and I have met many different-minded people regarding the subject of Reiki and energy medicine. Some people are extremely open, while others have literally charged me with the responsibility of evidence-based proof that Reiki works. This is something I just cannot give anyone. First and foremost I do not feel it is my job to give you proof. I do feel it is my job to lead by example. I also feel it is my job to get you to think about your choices. If you are one of those who needs proof, perhaps this latest medical study on Zetia will show you just how much garbage is pushed by your very doctor(s) and just how willing you are to go along without ever asking THEM for proof. There is a feeling of blind trust for our MD's.

I think skepticism to some degree is good. Now go and apply that same skepticism about Reiki and energy medicine to your very doctors you see and willingly take medications from.

Beware of Cults That Mask Themselves as Something Spiritual

2007-11-16T13:31:00.001-05:00

There are groups out there that will use the idea of spirituality to mask the true intent of the group because Reiki, yoga, wholistic nutrition are very popular and fashionable these days. There is a group that recently came to NYC from San Francisco that does just this. They are in my opinion and in many other people's opinions a CULT.

Many people feel cut off from the world or even close relationships and these types of groups prey on those isolated feelings offering intimacy workshops. And while in and of itself an intimacy workshop is not a bad thing, group nakedness and practicing of the techniques, encouraging couples to swap partners and the encouragement of those coming for these classes to partner up with people they have never met before to learn how to pleasure each other, in a group setting no less and selling it as learning the way to free the first chakra of blocked energy is a violation of the very basic principles of spirituality.

This particular group that I learned of uses the term "outsiders" and has an us vs. them mentality. They have a commune where they encourage you to join so that you can have relationship partners to practice the sexual techniques with freely.

This information probably isn't so openly shared at first. Remember this is about mind control. Using sex to lure people into cults is nothing new. This goes on all the time. Husbands and wifes are often separated and the women are told that it is their duty to have sex with the leader and that it will free their energy up. The twist to this cult that I write about today is that it is more female centric. The tactics are the same and the violation is the same. They are selling you happiness on credit...to use one of their own terms. They openly teach "Overcoming the objection of no" to men and they teach them that women love when a man is with another woman and encourage multiple partners.

The ultimate goal is to make money while controling your mind.

While I will not write the name of this group, and I ask for your forgiveness and understanding for why I will not, I have a campy youtube video that shows you how this is pulled off. YES, it is exaggerated to make a point. And I certainly hope that it does.

Please beware on your spiritual journey. Trust your inner gut. And most of all, know that you are a perfect being just as you are and you do not need the fixing of any group to improve yourself.

Randy Pausch

2007-11-01T07:09:00.000-04:00

Freedom From Unhappiness -The Power Of Now - Eckart Tolle

2007-10-27T10:01:00.001-04:00

Most people blog about or relating to what is happening in their lives. I am no different. Last night I was presented with an issue of what would bring resentful feelings to someone in my life. As spiritual being and teacher and student I believe that there are no accidents, that the lessons we need are presented at the time we need them in the way we need them, whether they are comfortable for us or not. I have been blessed for all my lessons as hard as many have been.

I am currently reading Eckart Tolle's The Power of Now and I highly suggest it to all my blog readers. Each of you will undoubtedly find yourself reading the exact words and message relevant to your life just as I found myself doing today. I could not help but hear the messsage, "read the book" as I started my day. So with my cup of coffee in-hand I picked up the book, curled up on my glider and rocked/lulled myself and read.

Two things jumped out at me. Perhaps if you are reading this then these are lessons you can relate to at this moment in your life.

On page 68 of his book he writes, " See if you can give as much attention to the doing as the result you want to achieve through it."

And starting on page 77 he writes the following:
Do you resent doing what you are doing? It may be your job, or you may have agreed to do something and are doing it, but part of you resents and resists it. Are you carrying unspoken resentment toward a person close to you? Do you realize that the energy you thus emanate is so harmful in its effects that you are in fact contaminating yourself as well as those around you? Have a good look inside. Is there even the slightest trace of resentment, unwillingness? If there is, observe it on both the mental and emotional levels. What thoughts is your mind creating around this situation? Then look at the emotion, which is the body's reaction to those thoughts. Feel the emotion. Does it feel pleasant or unpleasant? Is it an energy that you would actually choose to have inside you? Do you have a choice? Maybe you are being taken advantage of, maybe the activity you are engaged in is tedius, maybe someone close to you is dishonest, irritating, or uncouscious, but all this is irrelevant. Whether your thoughts and emotions about this situation are justified or not makes no difference. The fact is that you are resisting what is. You are making the present moment into an enemy. You are creating unhappiness, conflict between the inner and the outer... DROP THE NEGATIVITY THAT YOUR MIND HAS CREATED AROUND THE SITUATION THAT SERVES NO PURSOSE WHATSOEVER EXCEPT TO STRENGTHEN A FALSE SENSE OF SELF...You are responsible for your inner space; nobody else is...As within, so without."

The Power of Now ISBN-IO: I-57731-480-8, ISBN-13: 978-I-5773I-480-6 can be found at most bookstores for $14 U.S.

Does Reiki Jive With My Religious Beliefs?

2007-10-19T11:01:00.001-04:00

There is a misnomer for some that Reiki is not allowed or goes against one's religious beliefs. Today I received the following Parshat explaination (torah portion) in my email box.

Reiki is spiritual. There is no way to practice Reiki without accepting this truth. Spirituality is about faith, not religion. This religious Parshat gives a lesson about faith. Ah...just another beautiful paradox.

http://www.lelamed.org/

In Parshat Lech Lecha, among the blessings that Avraham was to receive for leaving all that he had was the blessing that he himself should be a blessing (12:2). How does one become a blessing? Furthermore, Rashi comments that G-d promised Avraham that although he would be identified with Yitzchak and Yakov, any such blessings would end with Avraham's name at its conclusion. If the sages are correct that Yitzchak and Yakov reached higher levels than Avraham, what made him so special that any blessing would end with him?

Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that Avraham merited greater distinction because he was the first to establish faith in Hashem (G-d). Although those after him reached greater heights, Avraham's accomplishments were more significant, much like the concept of compounding interest,where early gains have more opportunities to grow. Maybe this can explain how Avraham himself became the blessing: Taking initiative and starting something you believe is important is a blessing on its own,because it lays the framework for others to build on it. G-d promised Avraham, and in turn promised us, that, if we become leaders and initiators, our initial efforts will never be forgotten and we willalways be remembered as a blessing!

Take Responsiblity for Your Life By William Lee Rand

2007-10-18T12:17:00.000-04:00

Please find the full article at the following address

http://www.spiritualone.com/Online/Oct07/OctNL07.htm

"One unhealthy emotional condition that often crops up is the tendency to blame others. It is easy to get caught up in a feeling of powerlessness, and to relieve the tension, resort to blaming others for our difficulties. Blame may be placed on parents, childhood teachers, spouses, the government, or even God. It is easy to find those who will sympathize and agree with us, thus providing some level of comfort or self-justification, although just below the surface, this behavior is easily recognized as unhealthy and doing nothing to resolve our problems."

Store Wars

2007-10-17T22:40:00.000-04:00

"Our Goal is a Healthy Mommy and Baby"

2007-10-17T08:10:00.002-04:00

I am simply choosing to report from what I viewed without comment and let the information speak for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pky9DHxH0uo
Cesarean Birth from Hartford Hospital

C-sections -- "1.2 million are performed each year making it the most common procedure in the United States"

"...certainly one of the most rewarding for an Obstetrician to perform"

Here is what I heard as I listened to this video from Hartford Hospital:

The doctors speak about separating the rectuc muscles and stretch them apart from where they are split in the middle and pick up the peritinium and manipulate that from inside to get to the baby. They make an incision in the peritinium from the inside to get better access to the uterus. Just above the pubic bone above the uterus is the bladder which is somewhat adherent to the uterus, so it must be dissected away from the uterus and out of the way. Recovery time is 3-4 day stay in hospital and 6-8 week recovery time at home. Finally a uterine incision is made to remove the baby from the womb and deliver the baby. Since the mom didn't go into labor the uterus did not have a chance to thin out. This means a longer time for recovery of this part of the procedure. Transverse incision in the uterus is the most common and safest to perform which will allow the possibility of a VBAC. Babies born by C-sections and not the birth canal don't have the chance to remove excess fluids from the lungs which happen naturally during a vaginal birth, therefore "babies born by C-sections are born with more fluids in their mouths" which need to be expressed by the doctors. Unscheduled C-sections will have a Pediatrician in the surgical room for the birth of the baby. C-babies are generally more quiet since there was no transition from uterus to the breathing world. If your OB leaves the uterus inside to suture you up "you will have less nausea and vomiting."

Malpractice concerns is the FIRST reason listed from the doctor in this video when asked for the reasons for the rising rates of C-sections in the United States. "To stay away from forcepts delivery and patients' preference" are listed next.

http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/obstetrics
1 result for: obstetrics
Main Entry:
delivery
Part of Speech:
verb
Definition:
childbirth
Synonyms:
Caesarian, Caesarian section, accouchement, bearing, birth, birthing, bringing forth, childbearing, confinement, geniture, labor, lying-in, midwifery, obstetrics, parturition, travail
Source:
Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.3.1)

Reiki Spans Religions

2007-05-25T16:53:00.001-04:00

Although Reiki IS spiritual in nature it does not hold any one specific religion. The religion of the practitioner does not affect the energy since Reiki energy is Universal Energy and not something coming from the practitioner themself. Many people of many religions practice Reiki. My hope is that in reading this short list of practitioners from various religions, you will be able to overcome any taboos you think you have that your religion does not allow you to receive the health benefits from visiting a Reiki practitioner.

Sister Anny Vogeizang - REIKI Centre DRIELUIK, member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Charles Boromeo. The Netherlands

Sister Mary Mebane, OSF -- member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, headquartered in Redwood City, CA

(The Revd Dr) Alan Sowerbutts -- St John's Read and St Peter's Simonstone, near Burnley, Lancashire, England.

Scott Wyman, M.Div., M.A. Marriage Family Therapist -- Center for Open-Hearted Living

Moshe Bush – Hasidic Jew, Israel -- Bush was introduced to Reiki when his Hasidic Rebbe sent him to a practitioner for healing

Reiki For Peace – Interfaith non profit in Israel designed to bring Reiki to Jews and Arabs

Sister Ann Mc Hugh -- Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk

Sister Laurentine Morgan -- Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk

Sister Hedwig Owsiak -- Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk

Understanding The Pathology Of Pain, Science Catches Up To Reiki

2007-05-13T20:06:00.001-04:00

As those who suffer from chronic pain conditions know, there has been very little research thus far, into the methods which help to control or alleviate chronic pain and that most of what Western medicine has to offer does little or nothing to help us cope. That there are finally scientists who are researching the pathology of pain, is in and of itself a major breakthrough and to many nothing less than a miracle and answer to our prayers. Science has been sorely lacking in giving much needed credibility to the reality hundreds of thousands of women live with every day.

The May 2007 edition of Alternative Medicine has done an amazing job at reporting on the pathology of pain in regard to TMJD and reports on those who are studying and researching this disorder and pain in general.

In this edition they report the findings of Dr. William Maixner of the Center for Neurosensory Disorders at the University of North Carolina and Dr. Linda LeReshe, ScD of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dr. Maixner’s research has shown that women suffering from chronic sensory disorders (such as fibromyalgia, IBS, chronic fatigue, migraines, tension headaches, TMJD and Vulvodynia) may have “a genetically based “dis-regulation” in their body’s pain processing system which amplifies pain signals and pain perception.”

Dr. Maixner believes that pain is a disease which affects the nervous and immune system. His seven year clinical trial began in 2006 “to identify the risk determinants that predict the susceptibility to TMJD.” He is looking for genes and other biological factors. His study has already shown that women with a particular gene sequence linked to high pain threshold are less likely to develop TMJD.

Dr. Linda LeReshe is studying the link between pain and hormones. Through her research she notes that 80% of those with TMJD are women and that there are more cases reported during women’s childbearing years than before or after. The same has been found true in studies of migraine sufferers. Dr. LeReshe says that “low estrogen causes the perception of more pain.” She believes that “rapid fluctuation of hormones is a cause of increased pain, which is what happens around the time we menstruate.”

Alternative Medicine goes on to report that “emerging evidence suggest that some patients benefit from Acupuncture, herbs, and naturopathic treatment, which may involve hands-on healing techniques such as Reiki…a study of 160 women at Portland Oregon TMJD Specialty Clinic found that patients receiving traditional Chinese medicine and naturopathy experienced more pain relief than those with standard care.”

Also in the May 2007 edition of Alternative Medicine are the findings from the Journal of Alternative Medicine on how to treat Alzheimer’s disease. They found that receiving Reiki once a week for four weeks demonstrated significantly improved memory and reduction of behavioral problems.

The May edition of Alternative Medicine can be purchased for $4.95 and is sold at Barnes and Noble.

Statistics Don’t Lie

2007-05-11T17:48:00.001-04:00

The safety of Reiki is 100%. There are no medical contraindications from receiving Reiki.

Not so for drugs, yet in the West we are quick to take them and seek them out from the doctors. Countless times I have heard “I just don’t believe in Reiki” or “sounds screwy to me” from the same people who will take pill after pill looking for a way to feel better.

Here are some interesting facts the pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know:

According to a Time article written on February 2, 2004, “each year an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people die as a result of adverse reactions from FDA-sanctioned pharmaceutical drugs sold in America. In fact, mistakes in administering drugs, often in hospitals, are the fourth- or sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., depending on how the cases are counted.”
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,581399-3,00.html

According to the researchers at the University of Toronto, who studied harmful drug reactions from normal medical use, by looking at U.S. hospital studies dating 30 years back from 1998, 75,000-100,000 people die each year from prescribed medications.

And Mother Earth News reports “the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported in 1990 that more than half of the drugs newly approved by the FDA in one decade had "serious post-approval risks, including heart failure, birth defects, kidney failure, blindness and convulsions."

Currently only heart disease, cancer and stroke cause more deaths in the United States than harmful drug reactions from normal medical use.

Explaining The Unexplainable, The Science Behind Reiki

2007-05-04T13:35:00.001-04:00

In researching the topic of the science behind Reiki I found a fantastic book by Barbara Ann Brennan, “Hands Of Light”. The scientific information I write about today I learned while reading her book. Hands Of Light is a great source of reference and I highly suggest it to those who wish to delve further into this topic.

Recently I felt incredibly pulled to write about this subject and while I had previously heard of Barbara Brennan I must admit that I didn't know much about her before picking up her book. I have never been one to follow people, as name dropping has NEVER impressed me and those who know me personally can tell you that most often when asked, "Do you know about such and such person?" my answer will almost definitely be no. What I do "know" is that I put the message out to the universe that I wished to find a source that gave information about the science behind Reiki energy and the very first book presented to me when starting my research was Ms. Brennan's. I only had a brief synopsis about the contents of the book, available to read online. My gut told me this was the source I needed, my head told me to go touch a copy and look first. I picked up her book at the store days later and thumbed through the table of contents and sure enough I had the information I had requested to complete today's article.

Have you ever known that the phone would ring right before it did? Have you ever had the experience of knowing who was on the other end of the ringing phone before you picked it up?

Many of us have lived these experiences but we do not have the words to explain how this happened for us. Does that make the experience any less real?

All beings have the ability to connect with one another through electromagnetic fields, just as a Reiki practitioner acts as the conduit for Universal Energy to connect to their client. A Reiki practitioner works with a being’s energy or electromagnetic field to balance the chakras and allow the being to free up “stuck” energy. When you knew who would be on the other end of the phone, it was because your energy was connecting with the energy field of the person calling you.

Science cannot explain how we tap into the energy fields and practice Reiki but what it can do is show us what it is that Reiki practitioners work with. Through the history of science we can help the rational mind understand and accept what the gut already knows to be true.

Every fiber of our being is made up of electrical currents. Today we have machines to measure and prove this to be true. The electrocardiogram is a machine that measures the currents in the heart. The electroencephalogram measures currents in the brain. There is even a machine to measure the electromagnetic fields around the body. It is called the SQUID. SQUID is an acronym for super conducting quantum interference device.

In 1979 Dr. Robert Becker “discovered” the direct current control system and found particles the size of atoms in the electromagnetic fields around the human body.

Dr. Victor Inyushin calls the electromagnetic fields around the body bioplasmic fields and calls this the fifth state of matter. The first four are solids, liquids, gases and plasma.

What many people refer to as “vibes” Michael Farady and James Clerk Maxwell coined the Field Theory. They believe that each electrical charge creates a disturbance in the space around it, causing the electrical currents around the original charge to feel a force, which create a domino effect. What this means is that the information in our energy fields send a message to the energy fields around our energy fields and so on and so on, as the old shampoo commercial goes, until it hits the energy fields of the people around us and automatically sends the initial information, without words said or for us to be present. The Field Theory gives scientific explanation to distance Reiki healings that Reiki practitioners provide to their clients.

The most famous person to study and explain energy is Albert Einstein. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is that matter is just slowed down energy, therefore matter and energy are one and the same.

How And Why Reiki Works

2007-05-02T08:33:00.001-04:00

You wanted to know how and why Reiki works. Before I begin this blog and all the subtopics that deal with the answering of this broad question I feel it is my duty to stress that all the reading and studying of this topic will NEVER give you the full understanding of Reiki and energy therapies in general. Reading about this topic to “learn” how Reiki works is analogous to reading about how to ride a bike. Just as you still will not know how to ride the bike until you actually get on it and attempt to ride, you need to experience Reiki to fully understand what it does and how it works.

To begin it is important that you know and understand the basic terms and ideas used in Reiki healing. Reiki works with the physical as well as the subtle body’s energy levels. It’s probably safe to say that if you are reading this blog you understand what the physical body is but just what is the subtle body?

The subtle body is an energetic psycho-spiritual body that all beings with a conscious mind possess. The subtle body is alongside, within and around the physical. Barbara Brennan the former NASA physicist, refers to the subtle bodies as "layers" in the "Human Energy Field" or aura, and gives the following sequence:

• Physical body
• Etheric body
• Emotional body
• Mental body
• Astral body
• Etheric template
• Celestial body
• Ketheric template or Causal

The energy travels from the Reiki practitioner’s hands to the client through nadis which are channels through which, in eastern medicine, the energies of the subtle body flow into the nervous/endocrine system. The nervous/endocrine system affects the entire body, mind and spirit.

The physical body also known as the tangible body has hundreds of energy centers. In Reiki we focus on seven of these centers referred to as chakras. Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means “circle of movement” and can be translated as “vortex of spinning energy” or “wheel”. Our earliest stages of human development take place in the cerebral-spinal system. It is in this system where the body receives life force energy. The seven major Chakras associated with Reiki are close to this system.

The Reiki practitioner acts as a channel for this energy to flow to the seven major chakras. The energy is neither the practitioner’s nor the client’s. It is Universal Life Force Energy that is being channeled.

If you would like to see some examples of what the subtle body’s field looks like there is a machine that can capture the subtle body or electromagnetic body, on film. It is called the Kirlian high voltage camera. I have seen some first-hand before and after shots from this machine and they are quite interesting.

About The Holistichic

2007-05-01T14:39:00.001-04:00

I began the process of holistic healing after being diagnosed with my own illness in 1999. Finding almost no help from Western medicine I turned to acupuncture and nutrition and received Distance Reiki from a good friend who lived in another state.

When I began the process of healing my physical body from the trauma of the condition I was diagnosed with, I had no desire or understanding that this would be the beginning of a new path for me, a new understanding about not only my physical health and well-being but also my mental and spiritual health. I only knew I wanted relief from the condition. As my healing progressed I was able to relate to and understand how the mind and body are connected and how there is more to healing than meets the eye.

My initial experiences in holistic healing were more focused on acupuncture and nutrition. During this process many underlying emotional issues were able to come to the surface and I then decided to incorporate holistic talk therapy into my healing regimen as well. As I progressed in my healing, my desire to learn more about Reiki and to receive an attunement grew. Although I had the desire and had previously inquired about classes in many locations, for one reason or another the timing or the financial cost did not align with my needs.

In the fall of 2005 a continuing education booklet from Queensborough Community College/CUNY was mailed to me and in that course booklet was Reiki I and II being provided by the Nursing department. Although I am a graduate of Hunter College/CUNY and had taken animation courses at Queens College/CUNY, I had never received anything from Queensborough previously in all the years I have lived in New York City. I knew in my gut, that it was a sign that it was time to take the class and receive an attunement. The universe was telling me that I was now ready, because of the commitment I had made to my own healing, to begin the journey of becoming a holistic healer.

In October of 2005 I received my first Reiki attunement and in March of 2007 I became a Reiki Master. I have been blessed to work with two wonderful Reiki Masters and continue my studies with them. Healing is a life-long journey. It is important to understand that holistic healing is about making life-long changes and being committed to maintaining and improving your physical, emotional, and mental well-being through the therapies you choose, for the rest of your life. I continue to receive acupuncture, nutritional counseling, and Reiki treatments.