As It Should Be

It’s been quite a while since my last blog but, to be honest, I have not felt like my usual self just lately – I seem to have lost my mojo!!

Over the past month or so I seem to be suffering with one thing after another.  Nothing serious, just the usual aches and pains, pulled muscles, a bout of vertigo, a cold, infection, mouth ulcers, dizziness – but none of them seem to want to leave me completely.  I’ve done loads of self-Reiki, taken medication but still these little blighters cling to me.

So I’ve asked why?  What am I doing that prevents me enjoying good health?  What am I holding onto that I need to let go of?

My first answer came in that moment between being asleep and awake – my very own Twilight Zone.  Trust that all is as it should be.  Wooo, well, yes, that’s all very well but when you feel rubbish it’s hard to trust.

But trust I did, and decided that rather than getting anxious about all my aches and pains, I would just go with them and take each day as it comes. 

This afternoon I got another blinding answer.  You’re holding on to past illnesses.  

Mmmmm, was I?  I didn’t think so but maybe I was because when you have been through a life threatening illness you are never the same person again.  I will freely admit that every time I felt a twinge, ache or pain I would immediately blow it up out of all proportion and wonder if the cancer had returned.

OK, so now I had a couple of answers, what was I going to do?  I knew I had to trust that all was as it should be and I knew that I had to ask Archangel Michael to cut the cords that bound me to the past.

So I did that and now I just have to wait and see what happens.  But I do feel lighter and I also feel that I’m not alone.  I am confident that my aches and pains and all the grotty stuff will start to fade and I will get my mojo back.

But you know, even if I never feel 100% better, everything as is it should be and I will, somehow, deal with it. 

The Universe Will Sort it Out

I have a very close friend who suffers from a disease that, although not life-threatening, has severely affected her lifestyle.  She is a member of the local branch of the charity which helps support people with the condition.

About a month ago she asked if we would like to join them at the charity’s Christmas Lunch in mid-December.  As we’d never been before, we felt it would be nice to help support both the charity and our friend, but in doing so I would not be able to go the Bowen4Children’s Christmas party as the two events clashed. 

I really didn’t know what to do, I wanted to be at both events as they were each extremely important to me.  I was not happy about letting the Children’s Clinic down, but neither was I happy about letting my friend down and, for some reason, I could not bring myself to tell either one that I had to cancel.  So I asked the Universe for help.

I asked the Universe to sort it all out, for the good of all concerned, and I just sat back and waited.  Here’s what happened next:

Last Friday the hotel that was hosting the charity lunch went into liquidation and was closed.  The lunch was off and it looked like they would lose their £1,000 deposit.  Noooooo, this is not what I wanted. 

On Saturday it looked like they would get their deposit back, although it would take a few weeks or months to get the refund.  Ok, so they would get their money back but there were still a lot of disappointed people who would not get their Christmas lunch.

On Sunday another venue stepped in and offered to host the event.  Yesssssss, this was getting better.  However, there was just one little thing – they couldn’t accommodate the group on the original date but could do the following day.

Yes, yes, yes – how perfect was that?  The lunch is back on, no money has been lost, lots of fabulous publicity for the charity, and I can go to both events.

Universe – I love you!

Judgements

Just for today I will not anger

Just for today I will not worry

Just for today I will be honest and grateful

Just for today I will respect others and not judge

Just for today I will be kind to all living things

As a Reiki Master I try to live by the above five Reiki Precepts set by Dr Mikao Usui.  Although these are very simple, believe me they’re not as easy as they seem.  

I should point out here that there are many interpretations of these precepts and each Reiki Master will teach as they have been taught.  These are the precepts that I choose to follow.

I try very hard with these and, on the whole, succeed reasonably well with four of them.  The fifth is a real test.

Just for today I will respect others and not judge – yup, that’s the little devil that gets me.  I try very hard and every morning, as I recite my precepts, I fully intend to follow them for the day.  Until, that is, somebody’s actions really start to aggravate me and then I’m off.

But who am I to judge?  Why can't I just accept people for who they are, even though I don't necessarily agree with them.  Most of the time I don’t even really know the people I am criticising, don’t know what their life is like or what they have to face therefore I have no idea of the reasons behind why they do the things they do.

I have no right to judge, especially when I hate being judged and criticised myself.  So, just for today ...

Never Too Old

Over the past month or so I have had the privilege of teaching two senior citizens – one Reiki and the other Meditation.

Both of these delightful men both surprised and delighted me.  At 75 and 92-years of age they both do martial arts, practise Tai Chi, are totally aware of energy and the power of the mind.  Both have led interesting lives, have a wealth of knowledge and have much to teach others.

Student A wanted to learn Reiki so he could help his students at martial arts practise.  Student B wanted to learn meditation for his own peace of mind and to utilise the energy more fully.

We had such wonderful and interesting sessions and I feel honoured that they chose me to teach them.

So please don’t think you are too old start something new or have new experiences.  My two lovely gentlemen are proof that you are never too old to learn.

The Poodle and the Pony

Ollie the poodle had his final Reiki session last Friday and both Gill and I were really pleased that he is now a much happier dog.  Ollie greeted us like old friends, no barking or growling, just very pleased to see us.  He settled immediately, dropped off to sleep and soaked up the Reiki.

His owner is delighted with the results, so much so that she has booked onto the next Reiki Level I training course so that she can treat him herself.  I would call that a result, wouldn’t you?

We then went on to see the pony and what a delightful little chap he turned out to be.  We asked that he be left in his paddock to not cause him any distress and to allow him to choose whether to accept Reiki or not. His problem seemed to be one of total distrust of people, including his owner.

He was standing in the middle of the paddock as we approached.  He wasn’t sure whether he wanted anything to do with us and just stood watching with a wary eye.  Reiki flowed and slowly he took a few paces towards us.  It was slow progress but eventually he walked over and just stood looking; he sensed the energy and accepted.  We made no move to touch him, just allowed him to be.  He took Reiki for about 20-minutes and then just wandered off.  He’d had enough!

Will we go back?  I do hope so.  

Choices

Yesterday I wasn’t well at all; I seemed to have picked up some virus that made me dizzy and sick so I had no choice but to stay in bed.

Unable to do anything but sleep and think, I had plenty of time to do some self-Reiki and meditation; both of which were extremely helpful.

During these sessions I found the past kept cropping up a lot – some of it great and some not so great. 

It was during one of the not-so-great sessions that I got some real clarity. 

During our lives we all have to make decisions.  Years ago I made a decision and, whilst I still believe it was the right one for me, I have carried the guilt of it for years.  By making that decision I hurt others; I have felt totally selfish and guilty over taking the route to my own happiness.

But yesterday I finally realised that the decision I made was the right one for me; for once I had followed my heart and not my head which is something we all should strive for.  Yes, I had made others unhappy but they then had the choice to seek their own solutions.  I don’t think I can remain feeling guilty any more if they choose to remain in the past.

So today I feel as though I have shifted something that I have held onto for years.  The past is the past and I cannot alter that and I am truly sorry that I have hurt people; but I have to move forward.

So maybe I needed to be forced to take to my bed yesterday so that I could gain this insight and shed the issues I’ve been holding onto. 

I thank my guides for making it happen – but can I please not have the dizziness anymore!

Update on the Poodle

Last week Gill and I went back to check on Ollie, the black poodle who we gave Reiki to.  Completely unsure of what to expect, we rang the bell and waited.

Ollie greeted us full of excitement and wagging tail, a few barks but nothing like the growling of the week before.  His owner told us that he was much improved, less anxious and enjoying his walks much more.  She said he still had an issue with one particular area on his walk but I suspect that this is more to do with the fact that she gives him a biscuit to get him to carry on walking!

We gave Ollie more Reiki.  He settled really quickly, allowed us to put our hands on him and dropped off to sleep.  Great result.

The added bonus is that Ollie’s owner feels that she too has improved as a result of being with Ollie during his Reiki session.  So much so that she had invited a friend around to share it too!

We’re going back in a couple of weeks to give Ollie his third and final session; neither of us feel that Ollie needs further treatments. 

And anyway, Ollie’s owner asked if we could just pop round to visit a friend who has an anxious pony!!

Another Decade Passes

Tomorrow is my 60^th Birthday and another decade passes.  I think when a big birthday looms you start to reflect a little and also ponder on the future.

So I have reflected and, all-in-all, my life has been brilliant.  Yes, there have been some tough times, but who doesn’t have tough times in their lives.  It’s the tough times that teach us the lessons we need, they give us the experiences that help us to grow, they shape us into the people we are.  Do I have any regrets? No I don't.

So the future is before me and I wonder what it will bring.  Am I worried about getting older?  Well, yes to a degree but I refuse to let it bother me.  Who knows what tomorrow may bring, but the way I look at it is that it may be so amazingly magical in ways that I could never imagine.  I will not spend my days worrying.

The one thing that age has brought me is a deep contentment with who I am.  I have made choices that have brought me to the place I am now and I love my life.  I am surrounded by people who I love dearly and I am extremely grateful for them being in my life.  And at a time when I should be thinking of retiring I find myself running my own business and am passionate about what I do.

So on the eve of entering my next decade, I am extremely grateful for my life and I look forward to having a blast over the next 10-years.

Bring it on!!

Reiki and the Poodle

Last week Gill asked me if I would go with her to give Reiki to a dog.  Apparently the dog was suffering from some anxiety when out on the lead, and had an aversion to men.

Well of course I said yes, and off we went.  When we walked in the dog, a black standard poodle called Ollie, kicked up a bit of a fuss before finally settling into a deep throaty growl.  Now I had a poodle when I was a child, and it was a yappy, snappy little thing who would bite you as much as look at you, so I wasn’t totally at ease here.

We both sat down, well away from Ollie, and started letting the Reiki flow.  It took him a while but eventually he started to calm a bit, stopped the growling, but still glared at us.  His owner encouraged him onto her lap and bit by bit Gill and I edged closer.  Still glaring at us, the whites of his eyes clearly visible in all that black fur, he accepted Reiki and his eventually his body started to sag.  And so we continued.

After around 45-minutes Ollie allowed us into his space and even allowed us to touch him.  Progress was being made.  By the end of the session he had given me a bit of a wash and allowed me to stand up and move! 

We’re going back next week, so will see whether there was any progress when Ollie’s owner took him for a walk.

Gill and I are now looking seriously at all kinds of animal Reiki and, hopefully, will be adding it to our training programme at Como next year.

Doesn’t life take some unexpected turns?

E2 by Pam Group - Experiment #5

This experiment taxed me a little and took me a while to get going.

The task was to ask a question that I needed an answer to and ask the Universe to respond within 48-hours.

Mmmm, what did I need to know?  I really didn’t know what to ask.  I felt it should be something quite deep and meaningful  - trivial questions were not right here.  I pondered long and hard. 

I know, it probably sounds quite odd but I really had nothing that I needed an answer to.  Normally, if I have a problem, I seek an answer in meditation.  So at that moment I really had nothing that I needed help with.

I kept thinking and finally I came up with something.  Trivial I know, but my question was “Will the Como Centre (my business) be successful?”  Oh don’t get me wrong, the Centre is doing ok, but it’s still early days and we need to spread the word of our existence.  Starting a business these days was always going to be a bit risky so having a bit of reassurance would be good.

So I asked my question and gave the Universe 48-hours to give me a sign.

The next day I received two e-mails within an hour of each other, both booking onto courses.  By the end of that day our website had taken a record number of hits!

I think that’s a really positive sign, don’t you?

E2 by Pam Grout – Experiment #4

Wow, now this one was amazing.

The task was to ask the Universe for something specific and for it to manifest within 48-hours.

Ironically we (Como) are running a Cosmic Ordering Workshop in October and we needed a couple more students, so I asked the Universe for at least one person to sign-up and gave the 48-hour deadline.

48-hours later and nothing.  I was so disappointed. 

But what did happen was my thoughts were turning to the need to post reminders for the Workshop on all social media that we use.  Mmmm, not convinced but nothing to lose, so I decided I would extend the time period of manifestation for another 48-hours and I would get on with posting reminders.

I also felt that I needed to write my order down, be totally specific about what I wanted and also to write down self-limiting beliefs that could be stopping me from receiving my order.  As I wrote my self-limiting beliefs down I actually gave each one to the Universe to be transmuted back to the positive.

That was yesterday.

This morning I checked my e-mails and, yes you’ve guessed it, a sign-up for the Workshop.

E2 by Pam Grout – Experiment #3

This experiment was an easy one for me so I expected positive results.

This time we were to observe how our thoughts, both positive and negative, influenced the energy around us.

We were to use dowsing rods and Pam told us how to make some using drinking straws and wire coat hangers.  Very simple and relatively no cost.  But I already had a pair of rods made from bamboo and copper so I was ready to start.  We were to spend time thinking negative and positive thoughts and notice which way the rods moved.  The rods should move inwards with negative thoughts and outwards as they tracked the energy of positive thoughts.

So I sat with my rods pointing straight ahead and tried thinking negative thoughts.  It didn’t come as easy as I thought it would but I ended up thinking of a person who aggravated me the most.  Slowly the rods started to turn inwards.  My thoughts turned more positive and I started to think about the next Reiki Share Group – the rods turned outwards immediately.

It was working, but I needed to do it again with different thoughts.  For the negative I started to dwell on all the current troubles in Egypt and those who had lost their lives and I could feel my anger start to build.  So could the rods - they moved inwards.  I changed my thoughts and started to concentrate on building and projecting positive energy – the rods moved outwards as if they were tracking my flowing energy.

Fabulous, it was all working exactly as I thought it would.  One final test - I asked my friend to do it and, as she has a science background, I knew this would be the most accurate I could achieve.  Sure enough, rods swung inwards with negative thoughts and outwards with her positive thoughts. 

So success in experiment number three.  This was going really well but I still had six more experiments to go!

Meditation – Or Was It?

Last week we held our regular Meditation Group and welcomed two new members.  Both had meditated before and had a deep understanding of all things spiritual.  We agreed on the amount of time we wanted to meditate for, set the timer with soft chimes, and began.

It was going well and then the timer went off and we all jumped – it was so loud and brought us back too rapidly.  We were not happy! 

We all agreed that we wanted to go back to our meditation place but decided not to set the timer, just rely on intuition to bring us back. 

We settled again but then someone in the group said no, can’t do it, there’s someone in the building.  Naturally we were all concerned and three of us went to search.  Nobody there.  We settled again but some of the group began hearing footsteps and then a moan was heard. 

Someone needed our help.  I had a moment of uncertainty and apprehension – I was supposed to be leading this group but suddenly I was being asked to do more than just lead a meditation.  Could I do it?  But then I was being told that of course I could, I had done it before and I would know what to do.

So we settled.  I called upon our guides, angels, archangels and ascended masters, asked for their protection and asked for help to deal with whoever needed it.  I immediately felt the Archangels join ranks behind us, completely enfolding us.  I asked the group to build their energies, focus their light and send unconditional love to whoever we were helping.  I felt a male presence who didn’t want to leave so I asked Archangel Michael to cut the ties that held him and immediately everything started to feel lighter.  We knew when he had gone so we closed ourselves down and gave thanks to all who helped.

Needless to say we all talked for ages.  The person we had just helped to move onwards was not a nice person in this lifetime, he had committed a serious crime and was frightened of facing his victim who had been a family member.  As he moved towards the light he was met by his victim and was forgiven - he moved onward in love and light.  

We all agreed that we felt we had just been given a test and one which we passed.  We had remained as a group, stayed in our own light and helped this person to move on. 

The interesting thing was that when we tested the timer again, it was much quieter and gentler than the one that brought us back so rapidly.   

E2 by Pam Grout - Experiment #2

Flushed with the success of Experiment #1, I couldn’t wait to get started on the next one.

In this chapter the author talks about our reticular filters and how they work.  Our reticular filters are particularly important in cosmic ordering* or manifestation – you have to be aware of how your order will manifest.  I’m not going any further here - you’ll just have to read the book.

This experiment was simple – just notice how many green cars seen in a 24-hour period, followed by yellow butterflies in the next 24-hours.

Green cars, mmmm, don’t think I’ve seen many green cars at all, so I wasn’t holding out too much hope here.   I was up fairly early and the first vehicle past my house was the dustcart – green!  Could I count trucks and lorries?  Not sure, but I’d seen a green vehicle and I’d only just got up – wow! 

Mid-morning I popped out to get some shopping and, would you believe, I clocked up 8 green cars plus 3 green trucks.  During the rest of the day I counted another 10 cars and 5 trucks, making a total of 18 green cars and 8 green trucks.  Was that good?  I don’t know, but considering I didn’t expect to see one, I considered it quite successful.

Day two and yellow butterflies, got to be easier.  How wrong was I?  I didn’t see one yellow butterfly and I was disappointed.  Now had it been white butterflies I could have counted hundreds, but not a yellow one to be seen.

But I guess the whole point of this exercise is the more you focus on an object the more likely you are to find it.

If you want to know more about Cosmic Ordering, there are still a few places left on the forthcoming Workshop being held at the Como Centre – more details here.

E2 by Pam Grout - Experiment #1

I’d been seeing a lot of mention of E² by Pam Grout over the past week or so and thought I’d better have a closer look as I was sure it was being shown to me for a reason.  It looked like another kind of self-help book, based on the Laws of Abundance and Attraction, but went a little further in saying that we could create the life we wanted.  What appealed to me was the nine experiments that the reader could do themselves, giving proof on whether this works for you or not.

I read a few of the reviews which, on the whole, were good but there were a few bad ones in there.  But figuring that everything has those who thinks it’s a load of old codswallop, I decided to give it a go.  After all, it was only £1.99 to download from Amazon.

I started reading and oh boy was this making a whole lot of sense.  It brought a lot of science, especially quantum physics, into play which I could totally accept.  My plan was to read the whole book and then go back and do the nine experiments.  But I couldn’t wait, so once I got to Experiment #1, I set my request for personal proof.

On Thursday 1^st August at 1:30pm I gave the Universe just 48-hours to deliver a small gift.  I was no more specific than that, I just needed a gift from someone.

Within 2-hours I had been into my local optician as I was having problems with my glasses.  They made several adjustments and changed the pads for larger, gel ones.  When I asked how much, the guy said nothing, no charge at all.  Was that my gift?

The following day and nothing at all.  No gift forthcoming so I figured the opticians must have been it, but I still had roughly 12 hours to go.

The following day I was chatting to a friend about her successful weight loss.  As a hypnotherapist she had practised what she preached with great results and then she offered to take me through hypnotherapy for weight loss - as a gift!  Excited or what – not only was she offering me a way to get to grips with my weight, but it was a gift. 

Arriving home after a wonderful day, and the arrival of my gift, my friend asked if I had received anything during the day.  I told her of the weight loss gift and then she said “this arrived for you this afternoon” and gave me a vase full of beautiful flowers.  OMG – another gift, this time from friends wishing me luck for our Open Day and apologising for not being able to be there.

Absolutely amazing – gifts galore!  Bring on Experiment #2.

Get your copy of E² by Pamela Grout now and start working through her experiments.  It’s only by doing things for yourself that you’ll find your proof.

The Drawing

Following on from my last blog, and S's guide, I just thought I would share with you what happened next.

The morning after I met the guide I awoke really early with a strong feeling that I had to draw him.

Surely not, I thought, I can’t draw.  But no, I was being urged to get on with it.  So much so that I was reminded of an artist set that had been a gift but left in a drawer, unused, for years.

I got up early and rummaged in the drawer – a set of pencils plus an instruction book on how to sketch and draw.  Hummmm, did I really want to do this?  Well no, but I was being nagged so went along with it and even went into town and bought an Artists’ Sketchbook.

That afternoon I sat and drew.  It’s no masterpiece that’s for sure, but I did what I was told and here he is.

I don't know what this will lead to - my guides are probably having a good old laugh and thinking "well, we won't get her to do that again!".  

A Reiki Share & A Guide

Last week at our regular Reiki Share I was quite stunned to find myself meeting a guide of a member of our group.

I had been feeling that someone was around us all evening and, with my eyes closed, had seen shadows pass before me when no one in the room had moved.  As “S” settled herself down to receive Reiki, this person came closer to me.  Somehow I just knew he was a guide and he was here for “S”.

I should add here that I don’t “see” or “hear” in the normal sense of the words.  What I have is like a memory although I have no knowledge of what I’m remembering.  Does that make sense?  It’s very hard to describe the way that I connect with spirit.  It is very subtle and therefore I always tend to doubt what I’m getting; I think it’s just my imagination.

So here I was giving Reiki and picking up on these feelings.  I sensed it was a man and quite small in size.  He had a long grey beard that tapered to a point at waist level.  He was in a black robe with his arms crossed in front of him and hands disappearing into his sleeves.  He had a small black hat on his head.  He was Chinese.

He told me, without my hearing him, that he was here for “S” to help her through a situation she was facing at the moment.  He asked me to tell her that.  Now at this point I’m thinking “this is my imagination” but then the thought popped in my head again – “you will tell her, won’t you?” I answered with the thought “Yes, I will” and then “Thank you Missy” came back to me.

I was a little blown away with that because I reasoned that I could well have imagined most of what went on, but no way would I have imagined “thank you Missy” - would I?  

I told “S” when we had finished the Reiki and she was aware that she had a Chinese guide and the fact that he was here to help her with a current situation made perfect sense to her.

When, oh when, will I start to totally trust what I’m getting and not keep thinking it’s all in my head!!

Seeing the Aura

A couple of weeks ago we held the second of our Spiritual Development Workshops at our Como Centre with the fabulous Kitty Phillips.  We started off in our usual way, asking for protection and guidance, connecting with our spirit guides and building energy.

The first activity of the day was to see auras.  Wonderful, I thought, I’ve always wanted to learn how see auras and now I was to be given the chance.  Kitty told us it was fairly simple, everyone could do it and that it just needed a little practise. 

She went on to explain more about the aura, how it is made up, the layers, their colours, etc and then she got us doing some simple practical exercises.  Fine, did all of those with no problem.  I got quite excited and was ready to move on to people.  We worked in pairs and I did exactly as I was told – no aura.  I was so disappointed, she said this would be easy.  I told Kitty what was happening, that all I could see was this milky/yellowish band around the head – “that, my lovely”, she said, “is an aura!”

OMG – I had been seeing auras on and off for years without knowing it.  I had always put it down to reflection or just a trick of the eyes – I honestly never realised that I was seeing aura.

So I’ve been practising like mad and yes, the more you do it the easier it becomes.  The other day I looked at my friend Jackie and could see her aura growing – how amazing is that?

I think that we do a lot of things on a regular basis without realising it; we also doubt our own abilities.  Sometimes all we need is a little confirmation that we are on the right lines, and that there is no right or wrong way to develop spiritually as we are all different and progress at different rates.  Sometimes all we need is a little confidence boost.  

Out of my Comfort Zone Again

It’s been a while since I’ve written any blogs, but I’ve been away on holiday for a while and, well, just busy with stuff.

While I was away I was taken out of my own personal comfort zone twice.  Both times I nearly backed out but then I remembered the saying by Neale Walsh “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”, so I took a deep breath and got on with it.

My first event was walking over this bamboo bridge in St Vincent.  I hate these sort of bridges, there are gaps in the floor, they look totally unsafe and the worse thing ever is that they swing and move when you walk on them; there is nothing stable to hold onto.  I had seen the bridge on the way in but a sign next to it said “temporarily out of use” – phew, I thought, I won’t have to do that.  Wrong!!  Turns out the bridge was perfectly safe and the sign was a joke for tourists.  Panic started to take hold and I thought I would just have to tell our guide I couldn’t do it.  But then the voice in my head said “are you sure you can’t do it?”.  Well of course I could do it, I just didn’t want to do it and I wouldn’t like doing it.  So I did it.

My second event was coming off a catamaran straight into the Caribbean Sea.  Now I can’t swim and, while water doesn’t particularly bother me, I don’t like being out of my depth – I panic.  I don’t trust floats and buoyancy aids of any kind and need to be able to keep my feet firmly on the bottom; that was not possible getting off the boat.  It was hot and humid, everyone else was going into the sea to cool off and I wanted to do it too.  One of the crew suggested I take a life vest but still I didn’t want to.  Then that voice again – “are you sure you can’t do it?”  Of course I could do it, I just didn't want to and I wouldn't like it because I would start to panic.  So I did it.

I felt so good after achieving both of these things.  Comfort zones are really personal and we cannot understand the fears and discomfort of others  - those who swim well will not understand how I panic when out of my depth; others will not understand how I feel on a rickety, swaying bridge that has gaps in the floor.  But those who do manage to move out of their comfort zones for a while will understand that moment of fear before you start, the constant feeling of nervousness whilst completing the task and then the feeling of complete euphoria when you have achieved.

It does us good to take on new challenges every once in a while.  It makes us realise that we are capable of much more than we think.  When we set our minds to it there is so much that we can achieve, we just need to take a deep breath and do it.  

I can’t say I will go out of my way looking for these kinds of experiences, but I hope I will not hesitate too long before accepting more challenges in the future.

Irritable Bowl Syndrome

Just have to share this one with you.

I suffer from Irritable Bowl Syndrome (there, I've now admitted that to the world!), it's not too bad but every now and again I get a flare-up and one of those flare-ups happened last night.

I started to get some stomach cramps during the evening and by the time I went off to bed they were becoming quite severe.  Usually, and I apologise for mentioning this, a trip to the bathroom will help to alleviate the pain.  It wasn't happening last night.

During the fourth trip to the bathroom I decided that I needed some help.  Now, I'm a Reiki Master but for some reason it just didn't occur to me to do some self-Reiki.  No, I went straight for the big guys and called Archangel Raphael to help me with the pain.

I call upon Raphael a lot when I'm giving Reiki to others, so I feel we have a fairly close relationship.  It seemed fairly natural to me to ask him for help when I needed it.

The pain started to subside so I left the bathroom and went back to bed.  The bedside clock was showing 11:11 - my sign that spirit and the angels are with me.  I settled down in bed and slept through the night - pain-free.

You see, your Angels and the Archangels are always ready and willing to help, but you do have to ask.

Thank you Archangel Raphael - I am truly grateful and do love you.

The Children's Clinic

As you may remember, Gill runs the monthly Bowen4Children Clinic for children with special needs and I pop along to give Reiki.  The Clinic is growing and we have two new volunteer therapists, giving both Bowens and Reiki.

This past Saturday we had our usual lovely clinic but I just want to tell you about our last child.  A beautiful 9-year-old boy dealing with many physical issues.  During his treatment I found myself projecting energy from my solar plexus and I shortly felt I was connecting with the boy on a deeper level.  Don’t look at my body, he told me, look deeper and you will find me.  Gosh – had I connected on a soul level?

Jackie, our other Reiki Therapist and also our Spiritual Sister, joined us and the three of us gave him Reiki.  It was powerful and I had never felt the energy as strong before.  The boy’s Mum came over and stood a few yards away, just watching.  I wanted her closer so called her to the bed and there we stood – Gill, Jackie and myself, enclosing both mother and child in our circle.  Our Reiki flowed into both of them and Jackie could see white light beaming down and filling the three of us – real light-workers!

It was an amazing few moments; we were all emotional, humbled and proud to be able to work in this way.

This is why I do what I do.  

Spiritual Development

Yesterday I did a Spiritual Development Workshop

It was one of three workshops, the beginners course – I wanted to go straight to the advanced level. 

I have never done a structured course before.  My knowledge has grown over many years of reading, talking to others and simply getting down and doing it for myself.  So I went back to basics - I started to build and grow energy, I projected my energy, I learnt to read the energy of others.  I did a bit of psychometry and we ended the day with some energy healing. 

All-in-all there wasn’t anything I hadn’t really done before, but it confirmed that everything I did all those years ago, through trial and error, was absolutely spot-on.  I did learn how to feel the energy a little differently, I learnt more on how spirit interacts with us, I learnt a few more ways to ground and protect myself.

A lovely teacher, completely without ego, she made the day fun, made sure that we all got involved, made us all work and ensured that we fully understood what we were doing.  I gained confidence and became aware that I am already connecting well and that the way I work is absolutely perfect for me.

Towards the end of the day I had a moment of clarity.  One of our students, a young girl who is just at the beginning of her spiritual journey and an Indigo if ever I saw one, had come to us at Como for a little help and guidance.  In that moment I realised that my purpose was to help start our Centre in order to help and guide the Indigo and Crystal children to fulfil their mission.  These young people are our future, our way forward, but they need to be guided and nurtured and they need to feel supported and loved in the work that they have to do.  I will help in every way I know how.

I am truly grateful.

Cosmic Ordering

On Saturday evening we had a talk at Como on Cosmic Ordering by the lovely Ellen Watts.  It was a fabulous evening.  Ellen was inspiring and humorous, she’s down to earth and engages totally with everyone.

Now I thought I knew a bit about Cosmic Ordering, indeed I am convinced that our Centre came about because of an order that both Gill and I placed.  But it seems there is more to this than just saying I would like so-and-so.

The first thing that came up was how our own limiting beliefs block us from receiving orders!  Imagine that – I didn’t think anything could block wanting and getting something, after all if you want something you want it!

But just think about it for a moment, how many of you want to win the lottery?  But how many believe that you actually will?  How many of you believe that you’re not worthy of having success, think you’re being greedy if you ask for too much, believe you have to work hard to earn money, that there’s no such thing as a free lunch?  And so the list goes on.  I certainly have all of those beliefs, and many more.  We are brought up to believe these things by our parents and society and they can and do hold us back from realising our dreams and ambitions.

So the first job is to get rid of those beliefs.  I am working on them - I am worthy of receiving what I want in life.

The second part to Cosmic Ordering is to be specific about what you want.  Write down what you really want, be as specific as possible and add a deadline.

The third part is to add “for the good of all concerned” at the end of every order placed.  You don’t want to receive something at the misfortune of others.

Finally, be open to receive your order.  Don’t think for a minute that it will be as easy as being delivered to your door by DHL – you may have to put a little effort in.

So with all that in mind, off I went to place my orders.  I didn’t want to be too greedy (limiting belief there already) so only placed a couple.  By Tuesday nothing had arrived, which was going a long way to confirming another limiting belief - it wouldn’t happen for me.  We discussed it Tuesday night at Meditation and agreed that I probably wasn’t being specific enough.  So I revised my order, being totally specific about what I wanted to happen and adding a deadline of 5pm the following day.

The following afternoon I was feeling no nearer to getting my order, when I had the overwhelming feeling that I had to make a phone call.  I made the call and within 15-minutes my order had been completed.  I had to put some effort in and when I did I got what I wanted.

I don’t usually recommend books here, but I am going make an exception - “Cosmic Ordering Made Easier” by Ellen Watts.  It’s available on her website and Amazon and is a fantastic book to get you started placing orders.

I have other orders placed – just waiting for them to be delivered.

Pain Control

I want to share someone’s story with you.  I have her permission to do so, but will call her Ann.

Ann joined our Meditation Course 6-weeks ago.  Suffering from chronic pain and debilitating headaches, she decided to give meditation a try – almost as a last resort.  She came into the room almost pain-free but as we started our first 5-minute meditation, focussing on the breath, Ann was on the verge of a panic attack and severe pain kicked in. 

I asked her if she would like to go home but she said she wanted to give it another go, so we started our second meditation.  This time was a little better – no panic attack, but the pain remained.  Still determined to continue we went into the final, guided, meditation of the evening and Ann felt the intensity of her pain fade a little.  As she left she said she would be back the following week.

I was at a bit of a loss – I had never had anyone come into a course pain-free but leave with pain.  I decided that, if there was no improvement the following week, I would talk it over with my own meditation teacher, Mary Pearson, at the British School of Meditation.

Ann was back the following week and started the session with slight pain.  During the first meditation she felt the pain ebb and flow; the pain lessened with the second meditation.  Our third meditation, The Hot Air Balloon, was our breakthrough.  Ann loaded all her pain, plus some other problems and anxieties, into the basket and cut the ropes.  As she watched the hot air balloon float away, so did her pain.  Ann had found a way to start to gain control.

The improvement continued over the following weeks; with each new meditation Ann was beginning to feel more in control and her pain lessened.

Last night was the end of the course and I am delighted that Ann is now only suffering pain about once a week - an enormous improvement.  Ann is hopeful that her headaches will continue to reduce in both frequency and severity.

Through meditation Ann has learnt that she is in control and now has a valuable tool at her disposal.  She continues to meditate daily, and uses meditation whenever her pain becomes too severe. 

Needless to say, I am absolutely delighted for Ann.

More Snow

This weekend the UK is covered in yet another blanket of snow.  In the south, where I live, it’s not been too bad but the people in the north of England are really suffering.  At least one person has lost their life and thousands of homes are without power.  Many roads are impassable and many villages cut-off and running low on food.  By day the snow is starting to melt, but the icy temperatures at night cause wide-spread freezing and the roads will be treacherous during the rush-hour on Monday morning.  Of course, when the thaw starts in earnest we’ll endure lots of flooding.

Now I am well aware that this kind of weather is fairly run-of-the-mill in other countries, but here in the UK we are just not equipped to deal with it.  Any kind of adverse weather and the country grinds to a halt.

What does happen, though, is that in adversity people tend to stick together.  They share, take strangers into their homes, provide comfort and help to ease the suffering of their fellow man.  Not everyone is like this of course – there will always be the minority who are out for themselves, but thankfully they do tend to be the minority.  Random acts of kindness are being carried out all over the country at the moment.

But it does make me wonder why it takes adverse conditions and natural disasters to bring out the humanity in people.  What is so difficult about helping others every day of our lives?  We only have to open our eyes to see those worse off than ourselves, whether in our own countries or elsewhere in the world.  We are all one, all from the same source, living in the same world and in the same universe.  Life doesn’t have to be this tough – we can reach out through love and kindness and help make everyone’s life a little easier.

When will people wake up?

My Spiritual Sisters

This morning I woke up early and actually stayed awake.  Most unlike me because I’m an owl rather than a lark.  But as I lie in my bed something caught the corner of my eye and I saw the snow drifting past my window. 

Big flakes, huge flakes, silently drifting from the sky to the ground.  Angels' feathers – so beautiful.  I got out of bed and, snuggled in my dressing gown, I sat at the window for a while enjoying the early morning stillness before the world awakens .  As the snow fell, thick and fast, there was an ethereal quality about the morning.

I went downstairs to get my mobile phone to take a picture or two.  Within a few moments I heard the sound of a message coming in – it was one of my Spiritual Sisters.  I have three Spiritual Sisters and we have been together for about a year – we have all shared a previous life and now we share this one.

This morning the two of us were having a very moving conversation, albeit via text, and it wasn’t long before my other sisters joined in.  One of my sisters was suffering and I felt a bond so strong and so completely moving that I will confess to a few tears.  I wanted to be with them all at that moment, to embrace them and give them my unconditional love – I have never had such an overwhelming feeling before. 

So I sat in the peace of the early morning and drew each of them into my heart and gave them my love. 

I am so deeply grateful to have each of them in my life.  

A Bit of Healing

It’s been a funny kind of week.  I’ve not felt too great all week, got a couple of really painful mouth ulcers and had to say goodbye to my son again, who left for his next big adventure.  So all-in-all, if I’m honest, it could have been a little better.

Friday night we had a Deep Trance Mediumship Demonstration at Como with a great medium and good friend, David Rowan.  I’ve never seen a deep trance demonstration before, so was really excited.  I had no idea what would happen, and neither did David – the evening was given over to Spirit.

Many of David’s guides came and talked to us, but there is just one part that I want to share with you.  I was spoken to directly by one of David’s guides who knew that I wasn’t in tip-top condition and called me forward to receive some healing.  He then called Sarah from the audience, a Reiki Master Practitioner who works with our group, and said he would give the healing to me through her.  Well, this was a new one for me!

I sat on a chair, Sarah stood behind me and David, who had now given his body over to Spirit, sat behind Sarah.  The healing started and I can honestly say I have never felt such vibration in my body.  My body felt hot but the air around me was cold.  Gill, and others in the audience, were remarking on the fact that I was actually glowing – wow, wish I could have seen that!

When the evening was over I felt great and had a really good night’s sleep.  Then yesterday I felt rubbish, worse than I had all week and my mouth was so painful I couldn’t talk properly - not a great prospect for me!  So much for the healing, I thought.

Why I had thought that I do not know because I know that a “healing crisis” often occurs after any form of healing or energy work.  And that’s exactly what I had.

Today – I feel fantastic. 

I am grateful to Sarah, David and Spirit for their help.

Bit of a Makeover

If you're a regular visitor you will have noticed a bit of a change!  The content of this blog will still be the same, it just looks a little different.

I've included links to the Como Centre for Enlightenment, which I co-own with my business partner, Gill Moss.  I've included links to the other blogs, Mindfulness & Meditation and Holistic Training, which are also linked with Como.

Nothing stays the same for ever, as they say, so hope you like the changes!

Psychometry

This week we held our second Spiritual Forum at the Como Centre.  It’s our aim at Como to just let these evenings flow and see what crops up.

This week we discussed psychometry and after a while we decided to break into smaller groups and give it a try.  Now, I’ve never tried this before and I didn’t really expect much to happen but I was in for a bit of a surprise.

I took the object belonging to the person I was working with and held it for a few minutes.  Nothing really was happening and I began thinking that this wasn’t really for me.  I didn’t really know what to expect – would I see, would I hear or would I just know?  

After a while I became aware of water, lots of water – not rough like the ocean but more like a calm, still lake.  I wasn’t seeing this, I just knew it.  It was a vast stretch of water, no land around it.  There was a boat, like a rowing boat but much bigger, with a man standing at the front.  My view of him was from the rear and he was moving out of the darkness and into the light.  It was important that I should understand this, moving from the dark into the light.  I felt he was a young man, he passed young and suddenly.  He wanted me to know that he was ok now, no more suffering and he felt sorry for what he had done (whatever that was).  I then started to feel a physical tightness around my neck.

The person I was working with accepted everything I was saying and confirmed how the young man had passed. 

I was quite amazed by all of this as I really didn’t think I would be able to feel anything from an object.  Sometimes I tend to make things far too complicated and forget that we really do need to do is stand back, trust and accept the first things that pop into our minds.

I don’t know whether I will do more psychometry, but I will certainly do more with my intuitive abilities.

Animal Spirit Guides

We always start our Reiki Share Groups with a guided meditation, played either from a CD or download; but they never go according to plan.  Despite Gill finding a meditation for the evening, when we come to do it it’s always something completely different to the one chosen.  Long ago we concluded that Spirit had their own ideas as to how our meditations should be.

This week was no exception.  Gill and I spent an hour or more looking for an appropriate meditation, only to have our Group collapse in fits of laughter when our chosen one started.  Great to have so much laughter and wow, did it lift the vibrations.  But, again, our guides had decided that what we had chosen was not the one they wanted for us.

Eventually we all settled and Spirit was happy for us to continue and, oh boy, had they found a winner this time!

Our journey was through a forest and into a clearing.  In the clearing we sat in warm sunshine, with the sounds of nature all around us and there we were to wait for our animal guides.  We were to have two each, and they would accompany us on our journey and be there to help and support us.

I waited a while and then I became aware of a wolf trotting into the centre of the clearing.  He came and sat by my side, shoulder to shoulder.  Eventually his two front legs stretched out in front of him in a resting position.  I knew that he would be there for as long as it took – he was with me for patience.

My next animal was a monkey.  Not sure what kind, but it had long arms, legs and tail and was swinging overhead in the branches of the tree I was resting against.  His body kept dipping, upside down, before us in a playful manner.  He was with me to ensure I kept fun and laughter in my work and in my life – it was important to sometimes let the inner child out.

How lovely was this, two amazingly beautiful animals and they were with me.  But just as we were about to leave a third animal came into the clearing, walked over and stood directly in front of me and looked straight into my eyes.  It was an ox, and he just stood there strong, firm and unmoving – he was there to give me strength and determination whenever I needed it.

It was time to leave and as we walked down the path and back through the forest I was accompanied by my three wonderful animal guides – the ox and the wolf walking either side of me  and the monkey still swinging through the overhead branches.

As I returned from the meditation I was totally overwhelmed and very emotional.  This has got to be one of the most poignant and beautiful meditations I have done – what a privilege.

Coffee, Cake & Clairvoyance

Last night we held a Coffee, Cake & Clairvoyance evening at our Como Centre.  This was not something that I felt a particular need to do, but I have to recognise that a lot of people like this sort of thing.

The hall was full of people eagerly awaiting the medium, and a potential message.  The medium worked for a couple of hours and yes, there was coffee and cake too.  Those who received messages were happy and everyone agreed that it was a great evening.  We have even had requests to do it again.

So why am I not keen to do this sort of thing?  Well, firstly I guess because I no longer need proof of life after death.  I no longer need messages from my loved ones, they are with me all the time.  If I want to communicate with those who have gone, I am finding myself more and more able to do so.

You’ll notice a thread running through this – the word “I”.  So taking “me” out of it, because that is my selfish side, my ego getting in the way, I have to admit that a lot of people were comforted last night by the messages received.   And who am I to deny them that comfort?

Indeed, my own spiritual journey began on such a similar evening – in a Spiritualist Church receiving a message from my Mum via a medium.  And that message went on to change my life. 

There were those I talked to last night who were so stunned by the accuracy of their messages that they want to go on and learn more.  In time they, too, will come to understand that clairvoyance is only scratching the surface and there is so much more to learn.  And that is the essence of what we are trying to achieve at Como, to help those who are eager to learn; to provide a safe space for those who want to develop.  There is much work to be done.

So we will certainly do more clairvoyant evenings, and I will accept their value and just because I no longer have a need of them, others do.

Having said all that, it certainly was a fun evening.

Spiritual Forum

Last week we ran our first Spiritual Forum.  We had no idea what it would be like, or how many people would turn up.  Would it be worth doing?  Would anyone turn up?  Would the evening flow?  Should we have a structure?

We decided to form this group as a means for like-minded people to get together to talk, share and learn.  We were aware that one or two people would really love this kind of thing, but to make it beneficial it would need a good group of people willing to share.

We decided not to worry too much about it and just let it be and see what happened.

Eleven people turned up for our first get-together, a range of ages and all at different places on their spiritual journey.

We spent the first 20-minutes or so on introductions and what each person wanted to get from the group.  Everyone talked well but as introductions came to an end I wondered where to go from there and, I will admit, a moment of panic set in and I quietly said “help”.

Shouldn’t have worried at all because someone asked if we could look at Wisdom Cards and the other angel cards that we had.  And so the evening progressed – working with the oracle cards flowed into work with crystals and before we knew where we were the evening had come to an end.

Nobody wanted to leave, and the main comment was how fantastic it was to spend time with other like-minded people and to be able to talk freely about spiritual things.

I, too, love being with people who understand where I’m coming from and actually get me.   It’s often very hard to explain some concepts to people without sounding so wacky or off the planet.  Not everyone can accept what you’re saying, which is absolutely fine, but if you’re with like-minded people they at least understand the concept and are open-minded.

And so another journey begins.  Sometimes, some of the nicest times are often the most simple.  So for us, just being together, talking, sharing, learning and having fun is a simple joy.