On the Edge of Spring!

Here at Lendrick Lodge, way back in a distant universe just a year ago, we, like you, thought the pandemic would only last a few months. It must have been over optimism because the warnings were there. With no one being able to come to courses we did what many did: painted doors, did those repairs that had never made it to the top of the list before, made the place extra beautiful for your return…

We thought it would be smart to get some additional outdoor recycled seating and we made other changes; excitement for welcoming people back was growing. Next there was the vast requirements to make the place Covid-Secure. This was a massive undertaking and a big investment when we had no income, but we wanted to do our best to make Lendrick as safe as possible. Having two staff who were ex-staff nurses was really handy!

We thought about all the NHS staff working so hard and putting themselves at risk. We contacted the large hospital near us and set up a weekly delivery of Lendrick Lodge food goodies. We were all like Santa’s little elves making the food gifts. This was in the early days of Covid and not many were doing it at that point, so it meant a lot to the nurses, doctors and staff. Some of the NHS staff sent some letters of gratitude; one that sticks in our memory was the surgeon who spoke about the delight of eating ‘Lendrick Lodge Bliss Balls’ before operating.

We had brief spells where we were permitted to open our doors over the last year. Those rare courses were deeply healing for attendees. For all of us who live here, who have made a commitment to do this work, it felt a relief to be able to be in service again. It felt like Lendrick Lodge was breathing again, beaming out its healing love and joy. And what a joy to hear laughter once more!

We needed to be able to simultaneously reach our whole community, many of who were unable to travel. So Victoria and I put many courses online. Like many of you, we were unsure if the same magic that comes through here at Lendrick would spark, it did. In ways all of us were surprised by. The feedback was a reassuring, to know that we could still empower and support you to love life OVER ZOOM was a blessing.

As we have a mission to support our community’s creative gifts, I came up with the idea of building a Virtual Gallery. It would both give our community a way to share their creative/artistic gifts and with the requirement that the photograph or painting had to focus on ‘what’s good about life’, it felt like a great way to keep all of us positive. That idea never found wings. Only three people sent in work. Thank you to those three! As I never do anything by half measures and was going to put a lot of hours into creating it, I decided that I needed to let go of that idea as there was not enough people drawn to display in this way. I think we all had ideas and hopes in the last year that never came to light?

However, Spring is in the air and new hope comes with it this time. We, like you, are excited about the prospect of new beginnings. All going well, we should be able to re-open here in Scotland on the 26th of April. We have a huge marquee that will sit in the grounds to enable outdoor ventilated teaching as well as our normal indoor spaces. We intend to make the new normal blooming brilliant! As flowers burst through the soil ready to open up, we have created the space for you to do the same.

Lets get ready to come together in our shared spiritual ‘home from home’. As the countdown begins for Lendrick Lodge’s Spring 2021 Reopening, let us share magical moments we had via the Lendrick Lodge Community page. Post your healing/magical/funny/tender moments or ‘the moments’ rooted into your heart. Let’s populate facebook with photos, videos and stories from our shared joys at Lendrick Lodge.

As we honour the past, we build a bridge to a happier future.

Stephen, Victoria and all your spirited sisters and brothers who cant wait to love you deeper in the heart of The Beloved.

Lendrick Lodge Virtual Gallery Celebrating Life!

It’s time to highlight, celebrate and energise our creative gifts. So, you have between now and the 26th of October to present your piece of visual work inspired by the themes highlighted above. It can be a photograph, painting, drawing, mandala…

Step 1. Post your presentation (1 per person max) on the Lendrick Lodge Community page with a wee bit of text describing your inspiration or opportunity that made it possible. Your work must be brand new and not taken or created before this virtual gallery.

Step 2. Email a single jpeg file to info@lendricklodge.com with the subject heading,‘Lendrick Lodge Virtual Gallery Celebrating Life, your name’.

Add a single short sentence that includes your name, name for the piece and the location it was created at. For example, for a photograph: Joan Bresson. Morning Sunrise, Big Sur California. Or let’s say it was an abstract painting, your single sentence could be, Henri Forbes, Symbols of light, Dublin. No more than 10 words please.

There will be no competition. Every piece of work, as long as it meets the requirements above, will be included. The virtual gallery will go live on the 31st October 2020. This is us as a community celebrating all our diverse and unlimited talents and gifts. To add some extra fun; everyone who presents a piece of work will be added into a raffle draw. Prizes include: A weekend course at Lendrick Lodge, a year’s membership to Seeing The Magic Academy, and individual coaching sessions from myself (Stephen), from Victoria of Lendrick Lodge and also from Peggy Dylan of Sundoor.

Set your intention, enjoy conjuring, take time, be open to surprise and join us as we celebrate what’s good about life. Love you, Stephen and all the team at Lendrick Lodge

 

Joseph Chilton Pearce and Eternity’s Sunrise

My new documentary, Eternity’s Sunrise is one of the founding fathers of personal development, Joseph Chilton Pearce, talking in his own words. In this film discover the keys to opening your heart and mind, in Divine partnership.

Eternity’s Sunrise is the final contribution to humanity from the American visionary and author, who throughout his career wrote 12 seminal works on Spirituality, child development and heart-mind connection. From Oxford to Harvard University, and all-around the world, Joseph Chilton Pearce changed the very zeitgeist of a generation; his books such as ‘Crack in the Cosmic Egg’ and ‘Magical Child’ influenced millions of people worldwide. Joseph Chilton Pearce’s research and lectures introduced humanity to new paradigms of communication that causes transformation beyond most people’s perception.

Joseph Chilton Pearce also introduced a whole new generation of parents to the concept of Conscious Parenting. A father of 5 and grandparent to 12 children, his methodologies, expertise and insights influenced millions of fathers and mothers worldwide, most definitely including myself. Both of my girls benefited from the wisdom and guidance bestowed upon me by the books and later the friendship of Joe.

I am beyond excited to introduce in deeply personal and insightful interviews, this newfound friend and champion of your dreams.

In the film I travel to Joe’s cabin, hidden away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, over a period of few years near the end of Joe’s life. I had the great honour of getting to know Joe, and his wonderful wife Karen and family. In this unique documentary Joe shares the perils of his life’s work in a way that is both understandable and simultaneously mind blowing. Recounting stories of his personal experience ‘walking the talk’ and those that inspired him, my wish is that his final retelling will inspire you to listen to, and live from, your heart, just as Joe did.

Joseph Chilton Pearce ticked all the boxes for me in regards to what it means to be a man. He became a father figure and the role model of a life committed to brilliant mind in unison with brilliant heart. This gentle sweet man lived his life in bliss. And when the hard times came he navigated back to beauty via the principles he shares in Eternity’s Sunrise.

Through Joe’s words, Eternity’s Sunrise is a blueprint for living life on full beam, guided by love and compassion. Joe’s greatest gift was to give humanity a new roadmap towards a more loving caring society. He presents the guidance humanity yearns for, on how to collaborate and cooperate for life to be lived in optimum passion and kindness.

In these challenging times Joseph Chilton Pearce steady’s our will and inspires with grace.

Joe’s particular passion for conscious child raising has roots in older cultures and one of my favorite chapters of Eternity’s Sunrise is Joe’s insights on how we could revolutionise education. Joe talks about the inspiration behind his ideas and how even those older cultures have now been infected by modern society’s toxicity. But by taking Joe’s lead, we are not lost; his gift will impact you and the way you move through life, beautifully.

Eternity’s Sunrise is the distillation of Joseph Chilton Pearce’s life’s work in his own words. His final interview is packed with inspirational gems for the development of the individual and society that will stay with you well beyond the film. Discover how to act with un-conflicting behaviour, and the secrets of transcending to new heights of success. Through Joe’s stories, enjoy honing your own deeper happiness and finding passion for living your wildest dreams. And, as Joe so famously said learn to, ‘Live Your Bliss’.

In this film I welcome you to meet a guiding elder and his message, which will influence and inspire the rest of your life, welcome to Eternity’s Sunrise.

World Premier of Eternity’s Sunrise is Wednesday the 30th October on our virtual online training academy, Seeing The Magic Transformational Academy.

Join this journey of living your bliss at:
https://www.seeingthemagicacademy.com

There are moments in our life that define destiny

At 30 years old, I experienced the transformative and healing power of firewalking with Peggy Dylan. I traveled far to train with this wonderful woman and learnt to pass on the ancient gifts of this magical ritual from the heart of a spiritual master.

After experiencing first hand the healing power of firewalking and transforming my own health and happiness to transcendent levels of success, I had no choice. I had to learn how to give this gift to others. So after completing my Sundoor Firewalker Certification Training I was ready for lift-off!

I’d been told about an amazing retreat centre called Lendrick Lodge, so I went and saw Sarah the woman who ran it and booked a date for my first ever firewalk. It had to be at Beltaine. The Celtic Festival of the return of the Sun

To say that I was nervous was an understatement. All my low confidence and low self esteem issues where on loudspeaker. I started to worry whether I’d remembered everything I needed to do to get people across the fire safely, I was also scared that someone would ask me questions I didn’t know the answer to. Maybe no one would even bother to listen to me and no one would walk. Yikes…I was way out of my comfort zone and worried I wasn’t good enough to give people the sort of experience that had transformed my life.

20 years on and still sharing this magical ritual. It’s easier now, after hundreds of experiences teaching I don’t feel that pressure anymore. Life has shown me that I only have to open the door and inspire people to believe in themselves. Then… The magic happens. That’s when people’s amazing courage comes to life. That’s when women and men and children find their inner strength and spirit of magic. The teacher of the fire takes over and everyone gets a direct connection with an ancient ceremony that has been healing humanity for thousands of years.

I still get as excited 20 years on as I was at the first ever night here at Lendrick Lodge. I get really high seeing people having amazing breakthroughs. My soul illuminates when I hear people ask for what they want to manifest in their lives. I do internal cartwheels when I see them walk with passion, willing to risk failing, even willing to burn their feet. You see there is something that makes the risk worthwhile. And that’s the spirit of adventure that tells us that the only failure is not trying. And every firewalk is full of triers, people willing to push through their fears, and find their voice and purpose. Over the years I’ve seen diseases healed on these nights, I’ve celebrated soulmates discovering each other and I’ve witnessed the hurts of the past being healed by the potential of a new dawning. 

At this year’s Beltane Firewalk ceremony I danced with joy and celebration for the witnessing of unlimited human possibility. The love and kindness that was so abundant here, grew large wings and headed straight into the hearts and minds of every friend and family member of all those who walked and danced and cart wheeled on the fire. Bless you all. At The Beltaine Firewalk, you found your voice at the fireside. And you let your inner hero stand proud and reclaim the beauty of your destiny.

To everyone who firewalked here, and other places around the world, power to you. You inspire many by the adventurous life you choose to explore. May your road ahead be filled with love and kindred souls, and may all your dreams come true…

And for those amongst you, like me 20 years ago, who are inspired to learn to lead this dance with miracles; believe me you will never look back. Your gift to humanity will heal the traumas of the past and open up many, many souls to the magic of loving life fully.

Every now and again we all come across magical beings who transform our lives.

Let me first tell you about the wonderful Linda Young. Linda attended courses over the past few years at Lendrick Lodge and was one of those people who just made life happier. She was a classic Scottish comical character. She progressed from attending courses to being an occasional weekend volunteer and then eventually lived with us for around a year and made all our lives lighter for it. 

The last time I saw Linda was in the mountains of Peru last September,when she took part in the Sundoor Spiritual Pilgrimage. My goodness did we laugh loud. Through cheeky one-liners and too many energy bars we helped each other up the sacred mountain of Salkantay. We got so high through the beauty of that wilderness in the Andes, that it felt like we could reach up and touch the stars. Now when I look up to the evening skies there’s an extra star shining bright and that’s our pal Linda Young, keeping an eye on us. Making sure we’re still having fun on the road and taking care of each other.

The next person that we honour today is Anne Henderson. And what an absolute character. She would roll up to Lendrick Lodge for courses with wild expectations of personal transformation, ready to be part of a circle of people hell-bent on a heavenly time. And she took personal responsibility for achieving her goal every time! Her kindness always blew me away. At fundraisers in different times I saw her gift so much to those in need. She was like a rainbow of light that just kept shining. In fact she is one of the producers of my soon-to-be-released new documentary Eternity’s Sunrise. When that film ripples out, the heart and love of our wonderful Anne will be felt by souls across the world. Her magic and care keeps on!

Places like Lendrick Lodge exist in our world to act as wonderful honey pots, for people to dip into and be reminded of the sweetness of life. These places would not exist without the honeybees that create the magic. Thank you, thank you, thank you Linda and Anne for bringing so much lightness, love and sweet nurturance to all. Shine on, your ripples of love flow into eternity. We love you.

The unfolding with Second Degree Reiki

By Victoria Mulhearn

It’s 3.30a.m and I have been awake for half an hour awoken with a gentle menopausal flush. I automatically enfold myself with my arms as I facilitate the flow of reiki into my body. It is during the stillness of these hours that I contemplate the many blessings that Reiki has bought into my life.

If I happen to awake in the night there is no need for agitation or concern. This is now the perfect time to bathe myself in the healing light of reiki. It will either then return me gently to sleep or as in this occasion awaken the creative flow.

First Degree Reiki is an incredible time of awakening and change. Once you have eased either your own, or someone else’s sufferings, either in the form of physical difficulties, mental or emotional distress, your whole way of thinking and acting changes. The potentiality of what you can now offer both yourself and your loved ones open up before you. The tapestry of your life is indeed richer and deeper.

With continued practice and reflection you will look back and notice how the little things simply don’t bother you the way they used to. How your awareness of the daily decisions you make impact both you and the world around you. How in any given moment you have a choice. Will I act with love or fear? Will I forgive and let go or will I keep revisiting the same story strengthening the emotional response of blame and hurt with each recollection. The emotion of guilt lessens as you remember that this is only causes more qi stagnations. Apologise, take responsibility for your own actions and speech and vow to the best of your ability to do it better next time.

As your compassion grows so does your shopping choice. Buying ethically and second hand becomes a norm. You take more care of what you eat and reduce the amount of chemicals you expose yourself to. Often your wardrobe becomes much more colourful and brighter as a reflection of the inner subtle changes as your energy field becomes more refined and aligned with love. We remember it’s the internal world of our thoughts, which is mirrored in our outside experiences, not the other way round. Learning to control our minds and therefore what we create is one of the most powerful gifts that reiki can bring into our lives.

And so you may wonder, why go deeper with Second Degree? Consider First Degree as a gift of the most beautifully crafted container made completely of love. Now see Second Degree as the endless possibilities of the gift inside the container.

Perhaps to talk you through a normal day of mine may give you an insight of its blessings. I’m driving to school an ambulance passes me by. I immediately release all the reiki symbols that you are blessed with at Second Degree to clear the traffic, to protect the people in need and to facilitate the healing that is required. This is done in seconds and I then return to listening to my child.

One of my children may express concern about either schoolwork or friendship dynamics. Again I send the Reiki out to clear confusion, to draw to my child whatever is needed to support them with their day. I can relax and so does my child, knowing that they are fully supported by Reiki. There is no need for any unnecessary worry. I send this energy out to all children who are experiencing this.

This again can be done whilst I’m driving. The power of Second Degree is that it can be released immediately whenever required without the need for hands on. You can positively influence any situation you happen to find yourself in. Once again removing the need to worry. Remember the reiki principal- Just for today do not worry.

Later that day I happen to read the newspaper. A story moves my heart. I release the reiki symbols to support this person’s journey. Often I cut out the photographs of those in need or who have died and send healing like I would if my hands were on the person, except this time I’m holding their photo. Once finished I have the Reiki symbols being released around this person at every instance so that Reiki is constantly flowing to them. Again I connect this to all people in this situation.

Yesterday as a group of staff and volunteers we all collectively did a practice for those who had committed suicide. I held the photos whilst releasing reiki and we all engaged in a practice to facilitate the souls passing. Every one of us knew of someone who had taken their lives, some recent, some far back. The point is we each felt that we had been able to connect to these beings and positively assist them. We can do this with any photograph. To be able to send reiki to people we know and love, plus strangers who are in need.

As I write this and our beautiful dog is curled up beside me I remember how I wrote a reiki programme using the symbols to draw to me the best dog for our family and Lendrick. She is our dream dog, happy, loving, social and a bundle of joy!

I have numerous programmes running energetically to support both my own unfolding and all those around me. The Reiki easing the way ahead making it easier for me and others to navigate. Of course challenges appear, this is the nature of life, but they are more manageable. It’s as if all unnecssary obstacles are removed leaving only that which needs to be experienced and this again is helped with the infinite wisdom and energy of Reiki.

Before Second Degree time may have been spent worrying about life. After second degree you do something, freeing up your mind and your life force for more meaningful activities.

I could go on. As I said the gifts are limitless. 20 years I have woven Reiki into my life and without a doubt it is one of the greatest gifts I have ever given myself others and the world. It is collectively together we change the vibrational frequency of our planet. We, through our choices, our actions and words, imprint and shape our world. So what are you waiting for?

The next Reiki Level Two courses at Lendrick Lodge are on 30th June to 2nd July and 1st to 3rd December.

Victoria

We are looking for new volunteers

It’s almost 20 years since I first came to Lendrick Lodge as a volunteer. It was a massive part of my own journey. I wanted to surround myself with a new tribe who would mirror the life I wanted so much. My volunteering at Lendrick Lodge embedded a new reality. The laughter I shared in the kitchen and the stories I soaked up were a Godsend. Giving, in service to others was a blessing that was to create the base for the rest of my life.
We are looking for new volunteers to join our merry bunch and come for either a few days or months. I cannot recommend this experience enough as a beautiful part of your awakening journey. Making time for the care and support of others, beyond our personal needs, is for me the road to our own transcendence. If your heart responds, contact Lendrick Lodge on 01877 376 263 or email us through the website http://35.177.90.28/about-us/volunteer/. See you here!

The Metamorphosis of Firewalking

Firewalking often finds us, through a friend’s experience, a brochure or in my case under the disguise of attending a meditation course. As with anything in life, it is an invitation.

I was 27 and when I first read about firewalking and it was my heart that responded. I knew nothing about firewalking and knew nobody who had done it, but it spoke to me clearly and so I listened.

I remember distinctly being asked to have a clear motivation before we walked across. To unlock more of my potential came to my mind. For deep within me I knew there was so much more to life than what I had experienced and was familiar with. And so, holding this thought clearly in my mind, I walked across the fire and then I danced and danced again. I experienced the life force, the energy from the fire, flow through me in a way I had not known. I felt truly alive, awake and fully present.

From that moment my life changed. That weekend I met my soul-mate Stephen Mulhearn and within 9 dates we were engaged to be married. 2 years on we had bought Lendrick Lodge and 16 years later the Lodge goes from strength to strength. This story does not just belong to me. It belongs to you too. All of our choices affect the bigger picture in ways we cannot possibly comprehend. If I had thought too much about my decision to firewalk (it’s 7 hours drive away and the usual excuses) then you would probably not be reading this now. Indeed, I may not have met Stephen and right now Lendrick Lodge could well be a timeshare!

Everything we think, feel and do, is a vibration that goes out into the world and has an affect whether we are conscious of it or not.

17 years later I have danced across the fire hundreds of times and facilitated others to do so.

There are some things in this life we simply cannot intellectualise, for they are experiential. To firewalk is to bring this energy coursing through your veins, to move energy blockages where they have stagnated. To bring creativity to the forefront of our minds. To remember joy and togetherness. To laugh and to heal. To hold your vision of your future and to step into it. To remember when life gets too busy we have to step back and reassess. To make those changes so that we can continue to live happily, without allowing the business of life to dampen our spirit and how we move in our world.

And so I invite you to join me in October as I facilitate healing and Chief Suleman Chebe from Africa, who will be filling the air with magical drumming beats to let the metamorphosis of the fire begin.

Upcoming course: Traditional Healing Firewalk of the Ancients – Saturday 22nd October 2016, 6:30pm- 11pm

Yoga Cara at Lendrick

It’s been amazing having Canada’s Yoga Cara here for their Teacher Training, Sharing your sweet words:

‘Lendrick Lodge is my sanctuary,

there is no place like it in the world. Everyone is one big family, and makes you feel so welcome. Lendrick Lodge is where magic happens.’

‘ A magical safe sanctuary for growth and learning’.

 

Until we meet again. Love love love from all at Lendrick Lodge, Stephen

Reiki as an Aid to Dying by Victoria Mulhearn

Spiritual midwifery, but at the opposite time of life, is how I view the blessed privilege of being able to bathe someone in reiki as they transition. Whether it be someone you love, a patient, a beloved pet or an animal you have accidentally ran over, there can be no denying that Reiki is an expression of love and compassion that supports all of our journeys during these times.

Let me take you back to many years ago whilst working in a hospice. The gentleman’s breathing was becoming distressed, he was no longer conscious and his wife was distraught. Transition was happening quickly. I gently reminded her that our hearing is the last of our senses to leave and to talk to him with love, and reminisce all the joyful happy memories they had shared. Immediately she gathered herself and I explained I would give her husband Reiki.

As I bathed his crown, hands off his breathing immediately settled and as she shared her stories, I can only describe a beautiful peace that descended in the room, as often is the case when people transition. After 20 minutes there were 3 incredible shudders through my hands and he stopped breathing. The nurse came in and confirmed he had passed over. His wife with tears rolling down her cheeks hugged me and thanked me for being part of his journey in this way. I felt an incredible privilege of supporting a soul to pass over so peacefully. To bathe him in this love whilst his wife beautifully loved him is a way in which most of us I am sure would like to transition.

Since then I have reikied many people during the dying phase, some conscious some unconscious. Many of my students have done the same. Each of us finding a peace in knowing there is something we can do and the undeniable truth that Reiki supports our loved ones. Death often renders us with a feeling of hopelessness at a time when we most want to help our loved ones.

For me Reiki at this time as it flows through our being, not only supports the transitioning of the dying, but helps us to tap into our inner strength and courage, in often what can be one of the most difficult times of our life. To let go of those we love most dearly is one of the greatest displays of love we can ever show. It is not easy. Part of us wants to grasp, wants to believe somehow they will come through this. But the truth is when our body can no longer house our soul it is time for us to fly and each of us flies at some point. There are only two certainties in this world, we are born and we each will die, the rest in-between can change in a heartbeat.

I have Reikied two of our beautiful Guiney pigs, one during the active phase of dying and one shortly afterwards. As with all the animals I reiki whilst dying the colours and sensations are always accompanied by intense peace. Often the animal shudders as they let go as I speak of my love for them and guide them through the dying process, often with the transference of consciousness playing in the background. Chanting mantras and thanking them for the joy they have brought whilst Reiking them often means the dying process is not prolonged.

I cannot possibly imagine my life without Reiki. It infuses every part of my being, and in my own death I will find my own peace with my hands upon myself and the firm knowledge that those around me are bathing me in this beautiful energy. The same energy that I have been able to share with so many of you.

Reiki empowers us, enhances our beautiful unique gifts and helps us to tap into our inner strength and courage. It is a gift that I will be forever grateful for in my life, especially to help those in transition and a gift to share with yourself should your heart respond.

What is a healer and what do they do? By Victoria Mulhearn

A healer is in my opinion both ourselves and the person to whom we are reaching out to for help. They, through engaging in some form of ritual/technique create sacred space that facilitates a positive change to take place within the physical body or psyche on some level. A desire to heal must be present from the recipient. Although we often see “The healer” as being outside of ourselves, “The healer” is in fact ourselves. The “outside” healer simply facilitates the deep changes that take place within.

One dictionary definition of ‘heal” is to repair by natural processes. To restore (someone) to health. To repair (a rift in a personal relationship or an emotional wound). A healer being someone who facilitates this.

When contemplating the question, what is a healer and what do they do it becomes apparent that a certain belief system is central to the healer.
For example, Louise Hay, (You can heal your life) from my understanding believes we create every so-called illness in our body. She believes the body like everything else in life is a mirror of our inner thoughts and beliefs. Every cell within our bodies responds to every single thought we think and every word we speak. Louise and others like her, therefore create healing by getting us to look at our thought patterns and particularly the area of lack of self-love.

Once identified, and we begin to get a sense of how our thoughts can create reality we are encouraged to think about the areas of our life that are not working and examine our belief systems. Then once we are willing to change, recognising awareness is the first step in healing, we replace our limiting thought patterns with positive uplifting words, known as affirmations. As a result a positive shift or change can occur within either our mental, emotional, physical body or environment around us. This further reinforces a new model of positive thinking that facilitates our healing.


 

Whilst supporting Louise Hay with the belief that our thoughts help to create reality and by sending positive messages to our body healing can take place. I also feel that the diseases that so many people are afflicted with are not solely due to our inner thoughts and are far more complex than this model of healing suggests.

Dr.David Hamilton (It’s the Thought that Counts and How You can Heal your Body) draws on scientific research that supports the belief that our body and mind are intertwined and particularly how love has a powerful effect on the body.

We are all familiar with the term ‘Placebo effect’. Placebo medicines are often used in clinical trials where the effectiveness of a certain drug is being tested. The placebo drug looks exactly the same as the actual drug containing medicine, except from its own side it possesses no healing properties. The idea behind this theory is therefore if any curing takes place it can be accredited to the medicine.

In practice though many people do experience healing with the placebo drug. Doctors are very aware if patients have faith in the medicine and the doctor whether it is placebo or not they have a higher percentage of recovery. Some doctors believe it is important to give patients a new drug, which is being advertised as the new wonder drug as often the previous drugs lose their miraculous healing powers. This strongly suggests that our thoughts and beliefs and the involvement of the mind are intertwined within our own personal journey of healing.

There has been much scientific research on the placebo effect over the last few years. A study in1996 compared the effectiveness of different coloured capsules which unknown to the volunteers contained the same substances. A group of medical students were asked to take either a blue or pink capsule being told that the capsule contained either a stimulate or sedative. Both capsules were placebo and so contained neither substance. The report showed that throughout the study the blue capsules were more powerful sedatives than the pink. It was probably because the volunteers associate the colour blue with calm and this association brought about a feeling of relaxation in their minds and then their bodies.

Another study of many different brands of aspirin tablets found that the ones with a red cross on them were the most powerful. This was presumed to be because the red cross is usually associated with healing and brings about feelings of relief. This feeling would have transferred into the body facilitating healing. Interestingly from a personal viewpoint when sharing the teachings of a Lakota Sioux sweat lodge ceremony the direction of north brings in the colour red. In this round we visualise healthy red blood cells and pray for healing. In this ritual we are consciously using the vibration of the colour red and its symbology for healing.

Candace B. Pert is a research professor in physiology and biophysics and has written an excellent book called Molecules of Emotion. Her research shows how the chemicals inside our body form an information network, linking the mind and body.

She stresses that for healthy blissful living we must take responsibility for the way we feel. The belief that others make us feel good or bad is untrue. Consciously or unconsciously we are choosing at any given moment how to feel which then affects every aspect of our physiology.

During a wellness conference in which Candace Pert was present. A question was posed. Why is the spiritual aspect of healing sometimes overlooked in mind-body health? Two of the responses were

‘That it is too difficult to describe and more difficult to research. In addition people equate spirituality with religion, which often divides us and brings up strong disagreement.”

Candace who represents the scientists responded by saying,

“That she feels that there is no scientific reason to leave spirituality out of medicine. It is a habit that our culture has gotten into ever since the seventeenth-century philosopher Rene Descartes declared body and soul to be distinct, separate entities entirely unrelated to each other. The truth that I have learnt through my own late twentieth- century science is that the soul, mind and emotions do play an important role in health”


 

From all of the above, this supports the belief that we ourselves because of this mind body connection are the healer and an active part of the healing process. Often when we think of healers we think of someone or something outside of ourselves. When in fact a huge portion of the medicine lies within. For me this is incredibly empowering not only for myself but to pass onto others.

Many people are moving away from the medical model of “fixing it” dissatisfied with drugs and surgery. When we look at the belief system of healing within the paradigm of shamanism, particularly Sandra Ingerman (Soul retrieval, mending the fragmented self) a different model for healing is presented. Mircea Eliade, author of Shamanism Archaic techniques of Ecstasy describes a shaman as a person who makes a journey in an altered state of consciousness. Through journeys a shaman retrieves aid and information to help a patient, family friends or community. Generally a shaman or shamanic practitioner uses percussion as a means to enter into altered state. Based on ancient teachings, Sandra recognises that at certain times of our life there is some loss of vital essence, which she calls soul loss. Today we often find soul loss is as a result of trauma, death, accidents, surgery, illness, abortions, miscarriages, addictions etc. She believes that part of our vital essence separates from us in order to survive the experience by escaping the full impact of the pain. In the medical model, psychology is the primary method for healing this type of trauma. However, Sandra points out (and she holds a masters degree in counseling psychology) this only works with the parts that are home!

How a shamanic practitioner facilitates healing with soul loss is to journey on behalf of the person afflicted, connect to the soul parts and bring them home, restoring wholeness. A choice to return must come from the soul itself once it learns how the original situation has changed. The practitioner then receives information on how it is best for the client to integrate this soul part back.

Personally this is a model that I support. How can we heal a part that is no longer with us? It can explain why after years of psychotherapy the client often feels no further forward.

I received a soul retrieval four years after the death of mum and experienced immediate and permanent healing from nightmares that had consistently afflicted my dream state. The following three nights after the retrieval I dreamt of mum in a positive way and even embraced myself when I was a little girl having just broken my clavicle. It makes sense that there would have been a degree of soul loss having broken my clavicle at such a young age. I find this aspect of the retrieval fascinating, as this was certainly not in my conscious thoughts when receiving the retrieval yet a soul part was also brought back at this time.


 

Healers can use many rituals to facilitate healing. If we take Peggy Dylan as an example we can see how she uses fire walking, arrow breaks, sweat lodges, stories, psychological techniques and breathwork to create a positive shift in the person’s energy field. Lets take breath work as an example.

A typical breath work session requires someone to lie down and begin to take rapid breaths in succession through the mouth. The practitioner at this point sits by their side in silence holding a sacred, safe space. Initially effort is required to keep this rate of breathing going but after a few moments this pattern becomes established. The recipient may experience tingling, often intensely in the hands, face and abdomen. Crying or laughing, may also accompany this. When the session is complete breathing returns to its natural rate and a great sense of relaxation and ease is felt in the body.

The belief behind this technique is that we all hold limiting patterns that are linked to the breath and physiological response. Most of us breathe apically (upper part of the chest) and have developed a constant pose of the flight or fight mechanism. Tight abdominal muscles etc which restrict the flow of breath to the lower portion of the lungs and oxygen. A tense shallow breath communicates through our autonomic nervous system that there is something potentially dangerous in life releasing adrenalin into the blood.

Peggy Dylan gives this example in her training week at lendrick.

Take for example a baby who has a lovely relaxed nervous system. Baby is playing quite happily. A spider has crawled onto her arm and she is watching completely enthralled, fascinated enjoying the tickly sensations on her skin. Mum walks in, sees the spider on her precious baby, screams, knocks off the spider or kills it shouting nasty big spider!! As mum screams her breathing has become shallower. Happy baby now starts to cry and her physiology changes. The hysterical reaction from mum causes a change in the medulla oblongata in the brain. Next time baby sees a spider she is likely to have the same physiological response in her body. The baby is programmed.

Fast forward into the teenage years. The young girl is at the movies with her new boyfriend whom she likes very much. He gently tickles her forearm lovingly. The girl freezes. She does not feel this but big bad spider on her arm and her body physiology changes. She cannot understand her response.

Most of us have this type of patterning, which is hooked into our breath. When we focus on the breath these limiting patterns can be bought to the surface and cleansed. Breath work allows the areas where we have restricted ourselves to be moved. Every time we have an intense reaction to stimuli we are accessing a programme, which is held in memories that is linked to our breath.


 

So how do healers enable healing to take place? Firstly as with all healing a safe sacred space has to be created. There is complete acceptance, compassion and love, no matter what your story and a strong element of trust are present. There also has to be willingness on behalf of the recipient to want to heal and bring about change. I believe all six have to be present for complete and deep healing to take place. I believe partial healing can take place if one or more of these elements are missing.

Peggy uses the ancient ritual of an arrow break, where an arrow is placed in the soft part of the throat and is broken against a board. Utilizing the strong breath and focusing single pointedly on a fear or limiting pattern that we wish to break through healing can take place instantly. What is interesting about this technique is that we use the energy of fear in a positive way to break through our other fears or limiting restrictive patterns that are holding us back. This energy can also be used positively at a fire-walk with the same outcome. If I can break an arrow at my throat, if I can fire-walk, poses the question, what else can I do?

On a personal level, I walked my first fire walk at age 27 with the intention of unlocking more of my potential, the results have been unfolding ever since! The breath work sessions that I did healed the anger. Those hurtful, limiting emotions are no longer triggered and are simply no longer part of my reality.

Finally let us look at reiki in the context of what is a reiki healer and what do they do. Reiki practitioners use the universal life force energy by placing their hands upon the recipient or themselves to help to move Qi stagnations by raising the vibrational frequency of the organs, cells etc into a more optimum state. Every organ and cell when in perfect health vibrates at an optimum frequency. Our energy is constantly changing from moment to moment depending upon a multitude of factors. When we give reiki to others or ourselves whether this is human or animals, a change occurs in our vibrational frequency.

I believe the body is always attempting to find balance when not in harmony. Reiki is one way in which the body responds to align that which has fallen out of alignment, whether this is emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually. Because it is a universal wave and part of the energy that is all around us it is a completely safe form of healing. The recipient does not need to understand how this works only to wish to receive the energy. This therefore makes this form of healing accessible to animals, children, very sick individuals (comatose too unwell to actively partake), plant life, electrical equipment as well as adults who are not familiar with looking at the body as a energetic field. This form of healing from a Reiki practitioner whilst needing some form of understanding of Reiki and energy in general does not require extensive training, making this accessible to everyone.

The recipient/practitioner may feel, sense, and see numerous visions, sensations or emotions. Whilst this is not necessary for healing to take place it does in many ways help them to generate faith quicker. For those who do not experience much initially the results of the reiki working with them will generate faith.

The role of the practitioner is to give a brief explanation about Reiki and how energy stagnations can cause symptoms. The emphasis is that the Reiki energy helps to raise the vibrational frequency in the recipient’s body restoring well-being and wholeness. The practitioner is a conduit, a vessel through which this energy flows. It is stressed that the practitioner facilitates the healing; it is the Reiki (universal energy) that actually heals.

The misconception that they are doing the healing has two downfalls. Firstly it can lead to pride or ego developing, as they believe the healing results are all down to themselves. Secondly some individuals with low self-esteem may develop the belief that they can’t heal and are not good enough. If in class training this point is emphasized and time is taken to explain how our bodies are fields of energy and how Reiki works on many levels often at the same time. Then I believe these two down falls can be avoided. As a result practitioners develop confidence in the Reiki and in themselves by not taking on board the responsibility of I must heal the illness/ symptoms that they are being presented with but trusting the unfolding.

In my experience of 19 years working with reiki I have observed that if time is spent creating a safe and sacred space. If love, trust, acceptance and compassion are present from the practitioner and there is a willingness from the recipient to heal, this creates the optimum conditions for healing to take place.


 

So how does a Reiki practitioner facilitate these six conditions?

In order to demonstrate this, it is important to clarify the distinguishing differences between each factor.

To create a safe and sacred space we need to provide a suitable environment in which to give a treatment. The room needs to be warm, not over stimulating with the decor and not a space where you store all your personal belongings. You want to create a feeling of space in the room and not a feeling of being cramped. I believe by creating a feeling of space, this on an energetic level will enable the recipient to relax and allow an expansion of his or her own energy fields facilitating the healing process.

Personal specific religious objects should be kept to a minimum. For whilst you may be comfortable with images of Buddha’s, the cross, Shamanic feathers, drums, rattles, crystals etc, the recipient may not and may be a cause for them not to relax throughout the treatment.

A comfortable bed, preferably a treatment couch with a clean cover, pillow and optional blanket is available. Music can be made optional. This helps to relax the client and is something that the client will be familiar with. Have a jug of water and tissues nearby. By explaining to your client where the nearest bathroom is, how long the treatment will last, what a treatment involves, a brief description of energy and that there will be time to discuss anything after the session will enable the client to feel safe. By dressing professionally, in comfortable clothing, i.e. trousers and a tunic and carrying out an assessment prior to the treatment recording as to why the client has come to receive Reiki will all help on a physical level to help them feel safe and relaxed.

On a practical level make sure you will not be disturbed by phones ringing, children needing your attention or any other form of disturbances. This is something that needs to be considered more if working from home.

To create sacred space we can use our second-degree reiki symbols to clear the space, raising all incoherent energizes in ourselves, the client and in the space that are not conducive to the treatment. We can harmonise the energy enabling effective communication between the recipient and ourselves. Symbols can be drawn over the treatment bed, setting up a Reiki programme to best support the needs of our client. This is all done prior to the client arriving. We call in our teachers and assisting guides/Masters to assist us in this session. This is then reinforced when we do the protection once the client is lying down, remembering we say “ I will be with you in a moment I am doing my preparation”. To say to someone you are putting up protection can invoke the energy of fear which is the opposite of which we are attempting to create.

On a physical level having a candle burning often invokes the sacred within as we often unconsciously connect to our inner flame burning within our hearts.

I would also suggest that 10 minutes is taken for yourself prior to a session. This time is used to move your busy engaged mind from the activities you were doing before to a quieter internal space. You could give yourself Reiki for this time, stand in the symbols or sit in meditation, which ever feels appropriate.

If time is taken to do this you will find that the environment is more conducive to a healing session. The energy will support both you and your client to develop a good rapport and they feel safe in this sacred space that you have created.

A good rapport is a necessity for your client to develop trust. This is two fold. Trust in you as a therapist and trust in the Reiki. You facilitate this trust by firstly creating the suitable environment, dressing appropriately, carrying out an assessment and giving a detailed explanation as to what is involved in a session. Displaying your Reiki certificates in the room and mentioning your training will also nurture the initial bond of trust.

This will deepen as you continue to work together. The client knowing, having been communicated to them by you that all information given is completely confidential. At this point I want to stress the importance of remaining professional at all times, particularly as you may get to know the client very well over a period of months. A down fall that I have noted with some therapists whom I have been attending is that after a while they begin to bring in their personal life and as a result it often leads to me counseling them whilst I am receiving a treatment myself! After a while I no longer return to the therapist, as I am no longer receiving what I was attending for.

One way to avoid this is when asked the common question on arrival “ how are you?” no matter what is going on in your world you reply “I’m fine thank you, how have you been since the last session?” This is not the time or space for you to be processing. This can be done with your own therapist or group of friends. In this way trust will develop and the clients needs are consistently being met.

Trust from the effectiveness of Reiki can develop either on the first session, after a few sessions or be there as soon as they come in for a session as they are already familiar with the healing energy of Reiki. The results of Reiki even if they are working differently than the client expected will always help to develop trust. This is supported by the therapist’s own understanding of energy and Reiki as a whole.


 

I have included compassion, love and acceptance as three other conditions that facilitate healing. All three are states of mind and have to be generated by the therapist. All three are part of our core nature when we are in our purest form, with acceptance referring to non-judgement, non- discrimination. These are internal factors within ourselves and cannot be created by the external environment. The degree of compassion, love and acceptance from the therapist will vary considerably depending upon the Spiritual development of the individual.

A dictionary definition of compassion is “ a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another”.

From a Buddhist perspective they refer great compassion to “ as a mind that cannot bear others to experience pain and that wants to release all living beings from every kind of suffering”.

As a therapist we have a deep heart felt wish to relieve the distress of someone’s suffering, whether that be on a physical, emotional, mental or spiritual level. We have the gift of Reiki to change another beings discomfort to either an outcome of healing or curing. When this affects someone we know we can offer a session of hands on Reiki to help them with their discomfort.

Our compassion can also be invoked when we hear of someone else’s distress either through the newspapers, television or through conversations with friends. We have no direct relationship with these people, yet we also have a deep heart felt wish to alleviate their sufferings. We all understand that as complex and unique as we all are, we all share one wish. This wish has two aspects–to be happy and not to suffer. Even animals share this same wish. As Reiki practitioners when this compassion arises we can send distant healing, through the use of our symbols.

As we progress on our spiritual path, this type of compassion is generated more and more. It is known as ‘Great compassion’. Initially we may only have compassion for our loved ones, and ourselves seeing others as not being involved in our life. With time, practice and understanding as we begin to understand that there is no separation and that we all share this same wish to be happy, this type of compassion arises more frequently. We therefore spend more time doing distant healing and actively involved in activities that help to make other peoples lives more comfortable.

The Dalai Lama states that “Pure compassion is not biased or partial; it is thoroughly imbued with equanimity and encompasses both friend and foe.”

Much has been written about love from poets to Spiritual leaders to songwriters. We all hold some understanding of what love means.

One dictionary definition describers love as “ To have a great fondness and affection for a person or thing. An intense emotion of affection, warmth and regard towards a person or thing.”

The famous words from The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran speaks of love

“Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love”

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear”[ 1 John 4:18]

“Without love, human society is in a vey difficult state;

Without love, in the future we will face tremendous problems. Love is the center of human life.”[Dalai Lama]


 

So how do we as Reiki practitioners generate love?

In many ways this is like the mind of compassion. We initially love our family and friends cherishing them dearly. This feeling of love arises easily with people whom we are familiar with and so again with the mind of compassion and the feeling of love we reach out with Reiki when we see our loved ones in pain or experiencing difficulties. As we progress spiritually we learn to cultivate this same emotion for strangers until it arises spontaneously. We learn to cherish others as we would ourselves and close friends.

Reiki is often described as the energy of love. If we then bathe ourselves in this energy every day, our whole being begins to radiate this wonderful exultant vibration. It is an unspoken vibration, yet when it is in its purest form, not tainted with wrong intention etc this energy pervades your being and moves you into a space of peace and tranquility. It is not hard to imagine that if we bathed ourselves in the opposing energy of hatred, from wrong action, impure thought and indulging in immoral behaviour on a daily basis. Then this field around us would vibrate at a very different frequency and others would experience this as a feeling of uneasiness and agitation or fear.

Our core nature is love and on a deep primoral level we all can recognize this truth. For me when this energy is present, when stainless and pure I relax in the presence of these individuals knowing that I am safe held and loved. This is the energy that I believe is most conducive to our Reiki sessions.

Let us look now at the last internal favourable factor that can affect the effectiveness of our healing as Reiki practitioners- acceptance.

One dictionary definition of acceptance is “To receive [someone] into a community or group.”

Acceptance for me is inclusive of all. It is a place where we practice equanimity, a belief that all beings, humans and animals are equally deserving of love, happiness healing etc. It is a mind that many of us need to cultivate so that firstly we are able to notice when judgement arises and secondly have a method to disperse this mind and generate a mind of acceptance.

As Reiki practitioners we need to develop the mind set that no matter what a person communicates to us through a session, whether it is through their speech, present or past actions that they are accepted and not judged. For me understanding the laws of karma and the different delusional minds some of which are, anger, impatience, jealousy, greed, ignorance and, understanding that our core nature is love, kindness and compassion helps me to refrain from going into a mind of judgement.

If for a moment we take the view of reincarnation and the possibilities of countless previous lives we can see how we ourselves may have committed countless acts of unkindness, had previous addictions depending upon the different backgrounds we have been born into. The laws of karma say, “Consider you have done it all”. This is quite a thought I admit, however when we do look at this possibility we can see it is just a matter of time and circumstances that separate us from this person to whom we may be judging.

When we look at the viewpoint that our core nature is pure speech, pure thoughts and pure actions, a bit like a radiant blue sky that is always present but is covered by clouds. Well the clouds are our delusional minds. Those minds that judge, those minds that get angry, stressed jealous etc are the clouds. When we work with the delusions the clouds are removed and the blue sky- our core nature revealed. This is the same for all beings. This is one way in which we may develop acceptance, non-judgement.

As Reiki practitioners this is communicated in our body language and speech. For someone to really open up, to touch those parts that they may feel ashamed of to share, they have to feel accepted and not judged. You may be the only person to whom they ever share this information. The Reiki will facilitate the healing but you have to have the door open so that they can walk through it.

Finally let us look at willingness from the recipient to heal.

One dictionary definition states, “Favourably disposed or inclined. Cheerfully compliant”.

I believe this is crucial for healing to take place. If someone for a multitude of reasons does not wish to heal, has no desire or inclination to change then healing is limited. We can offer Reiki to someone, but if they refuse, even if we feel this would help their pain, situation etc we have to let go, simply keeping the offer there if ever they change their mind.

We became familiar earlier with how research has shown how our physiology responds to our thoughts. If the main thought, the main message they are sending through their system is “I cannot heal, I will always be in pain”, their physiology will respond to these messages. What we can do is to love this person and this energy in itself will have a degree of impact. However to heal, to cure, the active participation is required from the client. Healing is not a passive activity there has to be some willingness however small to change and heal.

On the other hand if someone is lying on your treatment couch, even if they have no idea of what is involved in Reiki but have a deep wish to heal, have enthusiasm to make the changes that are required on whatever level, healing will and does take place.

Finally what practices does a Reiki practitioner need to be pursuing to create, a safe sacred space, love, compassion, trust and acceptance?

I believe Reiki is a portal that opens us to many worlds, many possibilities, many paths. Through the daily practice of Reiki all these favourable qualities are cultivated and nurtured. Then as we all hold different karmic paths and tendencies the Reiki will help with each of our own individual unfolding. Like a lotus flower as we walk our chosen spiritual path the petals unfold beautifully and with grace. We each find our path which best moves us in the direction of perfecting our nature. Pure thoughts, pure speech and pure actions. Thoughts, speech and actions that only create peace and happiness for all living beings.

Let us now look at how Reiki facilitate distant healing when hands are not in contact with the recipient?

I believe this is possible because there is no separation from each other. That we are not disconnected individual entities but are in fact linked through a network of intricate subtle energies. There is absolutely nothing that can exist independently. Whenever we take the time to examine an object, person or plant life we can clearly see how each requires something for its survival or existence.

Take plant life for example. The plant initially needs a seed, which comes into existence from a previous plant. The seed needs water; sunlight, soil and food without any of these factors in the correct quantities the seed will fail to flourish.

As humans we need a planet to live on, the sun for warmth and to grow our crops. The rain to nourish the crops and for us to drink and stay clean to help prevent disease. We need company for our mental and emotional well-being. These are just a few of our requirements.

Take a wooden table as another example. It can only come into existence once the wood has been cut down from a tree. The tree can only come into existence with all the factors it needs to survive. The table needs a human to cut down the tree and then assembly it in such a way it takes on the appearance of a table. When we understand that nothing can exist independently from its own side it becomes easier to understand how we are all linked energetically and how when we tap into this energetic system how distant healing becomes possible.

The Field by Lynne McTaggart looks at our mind and body believing that we are not distinct and separate from our environment but a series of pulsating energies that constantly interact with this vast sea of energy all around us.

Another way to look at this is to see that one possibility is that in the beginning everything sprang from God/Devine/Energy/Source. Well if all there ever was, was God/energy etc and everything sprang from this, then everything must consist of that which it sprang from. In this case energy. Thus reminding us again of the lack of separation with our planet and all that exists upon it.


 

In conclusion from a personal point of view I believe that in all healing the most important aspect is to bring to each and everyone’s awareness the importance of kindness and compassion to themselves and others. The importance of avoiding as much as possible harm with our words and actions to all living beings. The importance of training the mind so we can learn to recognise the states of minds that cause further suffering within us and tame them so we are able to hold inner peace for longer in any situation. To know the work starts with ourselves, with our own thoughts, words and actions.

A teacher/healer who does not teach/heal from this place, a place of love and compassion perhaps cannot facilitate the healing of others as deeply in this place. This is the deeper spiritual healing. When someone teaches a sweat lodge with the soul intention of making money, power and ego this vibration has to communicate differently than a teacher like Peggy. A teacher who at her very core is love. Whose years/life times of spiritual awakenings are communicated non-verbally and speaks to our hearts impacts us and changes us forever. This surely has to be a deeper healing.

In this essay I have attempted to discuss but a few of the vast amounts of ideas, studies, different healing techniques to help us to understand a little bit more when we explore the question. “What is a healer and how do they heal?” I believe this is an on-going question as science continues to be able to measure more and more subtle energies, which are present when we engage in healing. We live in an exciting time when science begins to verify that which has been practiced since the beginning of time. By it becoming verified and recognised a wider audience can be reached. Audiences who unlike others who have faith and an inner knowing can open themselves up to the infinite possibilities of healer heal thy self.

Victoria Mulhearn

Request for Charity Christmas Gifts from Victoria Mulhearn

My heart has opened for Lendrick to be a drop off point for xmas gifts for children up to teenagers, to support numerous other charities. So my lovelies if your heart moves too then we need new gifts for babies up to teenagers.

My main focus though is teens as I feel they often get missed and lets face it this is an age they need love and security. So any gifts (they need to be new) can get posted or dropped off to me at Lendrick Lodge by the second week in December. You can send them to: Victoria Mulhearn, Lendrick Lodge, Brig O’ Turk (A821), Callander, Scotland, FK17 8HR.

I willl then deliver them to the distribution centre. It can be books, lego, music, amazon vouchers, toys, colouring in, anything that your heart moves towards. And of course you can always ask your friends too!

Thank you for your love and time. Victoria xxx

How Reiki has Helped Me by Christine Collie

My first realisation of how powerful Reiki was happened when my husband had driven to Inverness for a court appearance. The following morning and he said there was no way he would sleep worrying about the next day.  So I told him I would send him Reiki to help him sleep well which would put him in a better place to deal with what was ahead of him.  He excitedly called me the next morning telling me that he had had the best sleep in a long time. He could not believe it.  I was relieved for him and also felt proud of myself.

The second time was when my daughter’s rabbit escaped from the run and could have been anywhere in the garden or outside in the wilderness and over the cries and wails of my daughter’s tears I gave her a hug and said come on lets do some Reiki and ask the angels to help us find ‘Lexie’ the rabbit.  So we both concentrated for a while then she turned around and said “there she is!”, once again I was gobsmacked that it had worked, coincidence or not? That rabbit could have escaped and hopped off anywhere, but she was safe and sound in the corner of the decking.

The third time was just last night when my husband, who is always losing things (keys, wallets etc), said to me as he left the house, “can you look for my tooth?” He has a small single tooth palate, not the kind of thing you want to find in a pocket. I started looking. All evening I hunted through trouser and coat pockets, in the bathrooms, bedroom etc and it was nowhere to be found.

So I used Reiki again to help me find this little tooth.  I literally came out of the bathroom, into our bedroom and my eyes went direct to the floor. By the bed was his tooth!  Stunned I ran to get some tissue to pick it up and thanked my angels for once again coming to my rescue.

I feel blessed to have this amazing gift, which I am so grateful for having being taught.

My Reiki Training at Lendrick, by Diane Bird

I first met Victoria Mulhearn at a firewalk at Lendrick Lodge in 2003. Her love for life, energy, wisdom and compassion made a huge impact on me. I instantly knew that I wanted to feel that way all the time too! Fate had led me to my Reiki Master.

Before I did my Reiki 1 course at Lendrick, I had been stressed out with work; I was angry and irritable and felt out of control emotionally. I was tired all the time and unable to think clearly or make decisions.

During the first hour of my Reiki First Degree class I instinctively knew I was in the right place, and with exactly the right person to teach me the skills I needed. Skills to not only enhance my life, but to transform it!

After learning First Degree Reiki, I left Lendrick Lodge with the tools to support myself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Not only that, but able to help support my family, friends and all living things!

Everyone I know noticed the difference in me. Now I am much happier, more energised, my mind is much clearer and my outlook is always positive.

I embrace challenges where once I would have seen problems.

Practicing Reiki on myself regularly keeps me healthy, both mentally and physically. It also has a knock on effect with everyone in my life. I feel Reiki has allowed me reach more of my potential and has helped me to be the person I want to be.

Reiki 2

I followed Reiki 1 with Second Degree 6 months later. There was no question I would come back to Lendrick to do this with Victoria.

I knew the lineage of Reiki at Lendrick lodge was pure. This in-depth training suited me perfectly.

I was eager to learn more about this beautiful healing art. I was amazed at what I had experienced since First Degree, but what I learned in second degree blew my mind wide open! This broadened my horizons enormously.

Victoria taught the course in such a gentle, loving and compassionate way that I felt really supported as I learned even more of the depth of Reiki.

I found that doing Reiki on myself and others with the use of the symbols made it even more intensely focused with even quicker effects. I was so excited to learn all about distant healing. It allowed me to energetically support family and friends – infact any situation anywhere in the world – even when I’m not physically present!

I learned how to positively program all events in my life and to initiate Reiki programs for others, to energetically support them also.

I no longer felt helpless in many situations. I had learned the skills to make a positive difference which is so empowering!

Advanced Classes

During the advanced classes, we delved ever deeper in to the history and origins of the beautiful healing art of Reiki. For me, it helped me to comprehend on a more profound level. Personally it opened me up more spiritually, as the journey with Reiki tends to do.

I began to view people, events and the world in a much more compassionate way. I realised that we are all connected plus that through Reiki and the new mindset it had encouraged in me, I really could make a difference in the world. This propelled me to do the 2-½ year Reiki Master Teacher Training Course.

Reiki Master Teacher Training Program

In hindsight I now see that all the way back to my First Degree course with Victoria, I always had an inner-knowing that Reiki would be a constant companion in my life and that when the time was right, I would come to Lendrick to study the Reiki Masters Program.

I was honoured to be accepted as one of Victoria’s students to study the first ever Reiki Master Teacher Training course at Lendrick Lodge.

The depth of teaching through this lineage is very detailed and pure. It took real commitment to learn the material but the training was a beautiful journey. Truly a gift that will accompany me for the rest of my life.

Victoria supported us every single step of the way with much love, encouragement and delight in our unfolding.

As well as our own tailored training weekends, we were able able to teach small sections of the course during Victoria’s own weekend courses. This reinforced my belief in myself and I now feel privileged to be able to teach others this wonderful healing art.

The journey with Reiki has transformed my life in so many positive ways and I feel so blessed that I now have the ability to heal and help people.

Glad Imrie’s Reiki Path to Tranquillity and Happiness

Reiki found me in 2007 but it had been trying for a couple of years beforehand. I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind before then to listen and act upon it.

Following my Mother’s passing in 2000, like many others who had experienced a Motherly passing, I was totally lost. On reflection, as the years passed, emotionally and mentally I got lower and lower until I was in the gutter, where I had put myself. I was so negative and I had lost my sparkle and my way. I was so unsettled that I had to get out of the house and often found myself either in a Hotel, Caravan or a Bungalow somewhere in the wilderness.

What was interesting though, was on the two occasions I had experienced Reiki, I wasn’t open to it, until the third time when I met the right person. They sowed the seed that you could learn Reiki in a weekend. When I returned home, I went on the Internet and found Victoria and Lendrick Lodge (thank goodness I did). This was the start of my incredible journey on my Reiki Path, from Novice to Reiki Practitioner, to the title of Reiki Master and Teacher. I now know what my purpose in life is. Reiki helped me to find myself, to believe and to have faith.

My Journey with First Degree Reiki

Reflecting on First Degree Reiki, I had no idea what Reiki was or what to expect or why I was there. Our workshop took place in the River Retreat, looking out to lush greenery and running water. It was so lovely and tranquil, I felt safe.

The weekend was packed full of interesting information, ranging from “What is Reiki” to its History and being introduced to the Reiki Masters and a pure lineage. What I loved was the Reiki attunement and now every time I hear the word attunement my eyes go PING and you hear me say, “Yes, please”

Being a practical person I loved learning about giving Reiki to others, and myself, which was of great benefit to me in more ways than one. I was lucky; all my pals were lining up to have Reiki. When giving them a Reiki treatment, because the Reiki energy was flowing through me, I also received healing on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level.

My Journey with Second Degree Reiki

Six months later, when I got out of my car at Lendrick Lodge for Second Degree Reiki I still remember my big sigh and the feeling of inner peace, inwardly saying “I’m home”.

March 2008 I was back for more!! It was so lovely to see friends again and we had lots to share. Victoria’s Second Degree Reiki teachings were amazing and mind blowing, from learning about Symbols in general to different ways to use the Reiki energy for healing. I loved learning about the Reiki Symbols and their uses and leaving Lendrick Lodge with the tools to help so many – family, friends plus helping people I would never meet. Even helping Mother Earth and the Animal Kingdom. Not to mention another Reiki Attunement. Again there were plenty of opportunities to give and receive healing.

My Journey with Advanced Reiki Level 1

I then attended Reiki Practitioner Level One (Advanced Reiki 1) in July 2009, which I repeated in November 2013. I repeated this course because, as we unfold along our Reiki Path, our energy field changes and our vibrational energies become higher.

This is an ideal course if you wish to become a Reiki Practitioner. You get the opportunity to reflect over what you have learned in Second Degree Reiki regarding the Reiki Symbols and their healing benefits, along with learning how to start your own business. I found this course really interesting. We were also introduced to the healing properties of The Medicine Buddha, which I love.

My Journey with Advanced Reiki 2

My Reiki Path led me swiftly to Advanced Reiki 2 in August 2009, which I repeated in April 2014. Another great course, which included a deeper introduction, understanding and connection to the Medicine Buddha, which I tap into on a regular basis. Plus a blood cleansing technique, which my friend requests every time she comes for a Reiki Session.

Reiki Days

I also attend Reiki Days, which I find beneficial because they help me to re-focus. I learn more and it enables me to give and receive the Reiki energy. I also get to meet up with all the lovely friends I have met throughout my time spent at Lendrick Lodge. I have been there often, especially during the 2 and a half years of my Reiki Master Teaching Training.

My Journey to Becoming a Reiki Master

Reflecting back, prior to July 2012 I hadn’t given any thought about becoming a Reiki Master because I wasn’t drawn to go elsewhere for the training, then there it was in one of Lendrick Lodge’s brochures. The first Reiki Master Teaching Training Course at Lendrick Lodge. Needless to say I applied and was accepted just in time to start in September 2012.

The Reiki Master Teaching Training Course was an intensive training, but truly worth it. The course taught me many things, from how to teach all the information required for both First and Second Degree Reiki, to Diane Bird and I attending all First and Second Degree Classes again. On these occasions we were given the opportunity to part teach in Victoria’s classes while being held in a supportive, safe and protected space. During our assessment weekends, both Victoria and Margaret Underwood (Victoria’s Reiki Master) observed Diane and I teaching the whole weekend course between us. We also learned all the Reiki Attunements!

Reflecting back over the whole training, I had ups and downs and being human I doubted my abilities but Victoria never gave up reassuring and supporting me, getting me back on track. Victoria’s Reiki Master Teacher Training Programme has helped me to gain all the knowledge and confidence I need to teach others, plus how to promote Reiki. My attitude towards life and how I feel about others and myself has changed dramatically since 2007.

Victoria is an excellent, enthusiastic, supportive and dedicated teacher. If you get the chance to work with her, you will never regret it.

It was lovely to work alongside Diane Bird, my partner in learning and I wish to take this opportunity to thank Diane for all her support and for helping to make our assessment weekends special and fun.

It was also a great privilege to meet and work with Victoria’s Reiki Master Margaret Underwood. Thank you for your help and support.

Lendrick Lodge is such a beautiful and tranquil place to spend time and what makes it even more special are all the staff and volunteers that work hard to keep Lendrick Lodge a warm and welcoming space for all to enjoy. Well done and thanks.

If you haven’t been to Lendrick Lodge – what are you waiting for?

Glad Imrie

Reiki and Wildlife with resident Reiki Teacher Victoria Mulhearn

Giving Reiki to wildlife has always been an interesting part of my journey and today was no exception. I started the day with releasing a little mouse that was making itself a little too comfortable in my kid’s arts and crafts area in our house. I released it and sang a few mantras to it on the way to freedom giving it some helpful advice to stay undercover.

On my return journey as I turn the bend a female pheasant steps out onto the road right in front of my car. I am met with the sight in my rear mirror of a still pheasant. With a dismayed groan I quickly turn around and park the car. Adorning my plastic gloves (from which I regularly stock up from the garage) I witness her female pheasant pal casually strolling across the road to see what had happened. Pretty much a heart breaker at this point!

Whilst praying that no other car would come around the corner I quickly scoop the still live pheasant up and cradle her in my arms. I apologise to her for hitting her and take her back to the car where I sit for 20 minutes giving her Reiki, and singing mantras to her.

Now this is where it gets interesting. I have given many an animal Reiki and I was prepared for her passing away in my arms after all I had hit her at 30mph. Her breathing is erratic, her eyes are closed and she has little control of her head. I continue to sing and bathe her in Reiki after a while she opens her eyes, moves her neck with control and her breathing returns to a steady breath. Feeling we could now make it back to Lendrick as we are only 1 minute away I gently place her in the car and continue to sing to her.

At this point I begin to think maybe she is not going to pass over after all. Needing some assistance I walk into Lendricks office where Adrian and Ellen immediately jump in with Reiki and advice. The pheasant is clearly now enjoying all this Reiki and I notice I am swaying with it gently as Ellen and myself give Reiki. Just like a child being held in arms. Never once did the pheasant struggle or object.

Once a comfortable box had been arranged I continued to Reiki the pheasant who by now was becoming more active and alert. Quite a dramatic change from an hour earlier where I was chanting the Medicine Buddha mantra in the car expecting its passing!

Down to the lawn I sit and suddenly it jumps away. Clearly the left leg had been hurt where I had clipped it but away she went. Contemplating whether to contact the RSPCB regarding the leg I wander over after 10 minutes to recatch her and seek their advice. Our beautiful pheasant had other ideas away she waddled at a fine old speed, which gave me the reassurance she could move out the way if she had to! I’m hoping my earlier lesson when I suggested she did not walk out in front of cars will be taken on board!

As I sit and reflect on the days unfoldings once again I am grateful for Reiki in my life. It was compassion which caused me to stop the car and go to her aid. If I hadn’t the next car would have killed her for sure. Having the plastic gloves in my car enables me to pick up any animal that has been killed or injured and move them off the road.

To be able to give her, or any animal that has been injured Reiki is a blessing. I’m not quite sure why when releasing one animal on the way back I injure another. But because I believe in karma I wonder who previously was that pheasant who was loved, Reikied and sang to today, who was held in a humans embrace and loved. Lets face it, it’s not the norm for a pheasant! What I do know is that Reiki is a blessing in my life and for everything around me and for this I will be eternally grateful.

Victoria Mulhearn

Reiki Article – The Path Of Reiki, A Beacon of Light with Victoria Mulhearn

One fateful sunny day 19 years ago in New Zealand I embarked on what was to become a very pinnacle of my existence. I took the first degree Reiki course.

Ever since I had been a young child I had always known I was here to make a difference and Reiki has been one of the ways in which this thought as a child became manifest in my twenties and beyond into my forties.

Reflecting back, how many of us as children have these dreams and hopes that we may leave a positive impression. Do something we love and help other people, animals and our planet. I hear this from my own children all the time. It is our natural way of being, to care and love. I was lucky my family nurtured my interests so when the time came I was able to respond to my intuition, which said, that learning Reiki was an important next step in my own unfolding. If this was not the case for you but somewhere deep inside your soul there is still a longing to help others in new ways, to do something even more meaningful with your precious human life then this door remains open with learning Reiki.

Although you can learn the method of applying Reiki in a weekend, the results of bathing yourself in this beautiful universal energy on a regular basis is on-going. Like any skill, the more we engage the richer and deeper our experiences.

I will share with you some of my experience of daily bathing myself in this energy of Reiki over the last 19 years and teaching classes for the last 15.

I can still recall my joyful excitement of the Reiki 1 weekend. To experience different sensations of energy, tingling, temperature differences and to see colours of energy in my visual field. As my practice deepened other sensations became a normal part of my daily practice. Visions, inner guidance, clarity, eyes flickering as my attention was pulled upwards and inwards as I dropped into a meditative state.

Not everyone experiences the Reiki energy as a physical sensation and this is not necessary. My understanding is two fold. One is due to our sensitivity to perceiving energy, which can often increase with practice, and also what level(s) the Reiki is working on. If the Reiki is concentrating for example on bringing our bodies back into alignment after a stressful period, then the emotional and mental body will primarily be receiving the Reiki, so it would make sense that we would not be experiencing the energy on a physical level at that time. I personally percieve that Reiki works on many levels all at the same time.

I strongly believe that Reiki gave me the courage to buy Lendrick Lodge at the tender age of 27. The daily Reiki gave me the clarity, courage, confidence and the ability to listen to my inner voice. Over the years Reiki continues to nurture these parts of me as I face daily decisions on the running of the lodge. The Reiki has taught me to feel out a situation as well as to intellectualise it.

Physically my body is strong and well. When illness or injuries happen as they do in everyone’s life I have a tool to ease my family’s discomforts or mine.

Spiritually, my compassion has grown immensely. I have gained understandings of how our mind causes so much of our suffering and more importantly tools to calm the mind so it becomes more peaceful.

I understand the meaning of my life is to alleviate the suffering of others in whatever way I can at the same time taking time to nourish and nurture my own soul. To know with joyful effort my voice could always be an instrument of peace and positive change. To know there is so much wisdom to discover as I reflect inwards to study who I really am. Plus whether I being truthful to myself with how I am engaging with the world, in my personal, professional and social life.

I have learnt to forgive, to throw away guilt and not to blame, reminding myself that I have created this unique journey of my life and I continue to create it in ways of beauty or suffering depending upon how I think, speak and act. I have learnt that there is no separation between any one of us, so why treat anyone as if there is. And I have also learned that when we get it wrong, to say sorry to take responsibility and know tomorrow is another beautiful day – one in which we can start again.

On a physical level, the years of practicing physiotherapy and up to this present day I have seen the proof that Reiki works on reducing or elevating pain. I have seen many inflammatory conditions improve, flare-ups calm down, anxiety, stress and depression ease and rebalance. Migraines stop or become manageable, shingles (even long standing) becoming resolved, epileptic fits reducing. Self-confidence shine, sleep becomes more natural and healing on many levels unfolding.

This is why I have written this article. Because perhaps the only difference between you and me is that I practice Reiki on a daily basis. By training in first-degree Reiki you will have a tool for life to energise you, to soothe pain when it arises, to give you clarity when confusion comes and strength when you face the challenges ahead. And when you, your family and friends go through a hard time, you can offer Reiki. At times of divorce it can soothe the fragile emotional body.

To give Reiki whilst your friend goes through her/his cancer treatment, possibly easing side-effects from the chemo, relaxing them, loving them with human touch. When your children are stressed with school/ tests/friends/peer pressure Reiki will relax their minds and ease their tension giving you a perfect opportunity to guide them in this busy world, in turn helping to empower them. When gardening our plants can benefit too, our pets, in fact anything that has life force will benefit from Reiki.

Reiki has given me direction in my life, wisdom, energy, and a tool to heal. Where I go, my hands go and when Reiki flows through my hands it is the energy of love. It is this energy that flows through me as I write and if it speaks to your heart then come and experience for yourself the magic of Lendrick Lodge and the first-degree Reiki course. As many of my students have said, learning Reiki is one of the best experiences that have ever happened to them and I echo this completely in my own life.

Victoria Mulhearn

Lendrick Lodge 2015

2015 is an exciting year here at Lendrick Lodge! We can’t wait to welcome you. As you come in the drive to see and feel the magical energy of the standing stones of Lendrick. These stones have deep connection with the ancestral Celtic land, which Lendrick is built on and we know you won’t be able to resist stepping or maybe dancing into their energy.

Many gifts await

The teachings from courses, the magic of the standing stones and the ancient woodland that surrounds us… You also leave a heart print from you when you visit for others to receive in the future. Thank you for being part of this continuing journey of healing and honouring of ourselves.

Planting Dreams of Magic

A once in a lifetime Mid-summers experience at Lendrick Lodge.  On Saturday the 21st June there will be more light shining on our lives than any other day of the year. Combine that with the chance to birth 8 standing stones into the grounds of Lendrick Lodge…  Our firewalk with ecstatic Celtic bagpipes will then be the final ingredient of magic for

Planting Dreams of Magic Midsummer Firewalk.

Book now to secure your space on a midsummer’s nights dream into reality.

http://35.177.90.28/course/planting-dreams-magic-mid-summer-firewalk/

The Rose That Refuses To Give Up

I have passed this rose, growing from the side of Lendrick Lodge for months now. It has experienced winter, below-zero temperatures, frosts, storms, snow and the passing of the seasons in which roses normally blossom and wither.
It refuses to give up, whilst others around it have.

Today, as I walk to my working space, I see its passionate red colour and it makes me smile. I have been finishing a documentary film that I hope will help people find their inner courage and passion to follow their dreams.
As January approaches and the possibilities of a New Year beckon, I enter my fourth year of working on this dream. I was sure it would have been complete two years ago.

However, as we all know, our manifesting dreams do not always conform to our timetable. The rose has inspired me not to give up. When I have had a set back or loss of confidence the rose has helped me to dust myself down and stand back up.

Today the sky is blue.
The early morning sun, with a rusty gold coloured light, burns off the clouds.
It’s a sweet December day in The Trossachs of Scotland.
There is hope in the air. The rose reminds me that we can never give up.

As I move my attention to our course that begins tonight, I feel the excitement of those coming for both the 4-day event and the firewalk on New Years Eve. For the last 14 years, these gatherings at New Year have been the fertile soil for people to plant seeds of hope. I have witnessed so many miracles coming true following this gathering. People manifesting their dreams, healings happening, loving partnerships found, businesses began and hearts are expressed in almost every way possible…

On New Years Eve, each person here will speak out a positive sentence of what his or her dreams are around the ceremonial fire. The ritual that follows will help to set those dreams on fire! Everyone here will be rooting for those dreams. The vibe will be ecstatic, loving and filled to the brim with determination!

We would love to support you to manifest your dreams and hopes on this New Year’s Eve.

Please write one positive sentence that is the essence of what your dream is for 2014 and beyond. Also put your name below the sentence. We will read, energise and root for every person. Your wish will be heard and the magic of this ancient ritual will flow with your dreams.

Thank you for allowing us to support your dreams.
Stephen

Gift Vouchers Now Available Online

We thought this year we would offer gift vouchers for you to buy for someone dear to you. We’ve decided to make them downloadable, meaning that there will be no waiting for it to delivered by the postie!

The link to the voucher is posted to you by email, so all you need to do is print it off!

You can spend the vouchers on a course, a treatment and the merchandise store!

Lendrick Lodge Gift Vouchers

 

Happy Solstice!
 Can’t wait for the mid-summer firewalk. The land is so beautiful and lush. The river is the sweetest song. We will have such a magical awakening tomorrow night with the firewalk.
If you are part of this international circle, them I look forward to what you manifest. If you are not here physically then please join us through our heart connection and fill yourself to the brim with Celtic enchantment.
Love you.
Stephen
Reiki 1 +Breathwork = healing vibes!

Lendrick was sparkled with magic dust at the weekend. The rebirthing pool was helping to create loving transformation and the group of people that came along with Elizabeth Pawley were re-fueling on the healing power of Breathwork.

This combined with the energy of Reiki, thanks to Victoria Mulhearn’s Reiki 1 training course created a richly healing atmosphere that can still be felt today.  The beautiful sunshine helps too!

A Breath of Fresh Air

The spiritual and health benefits of breathing consciously

“If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. From my own experience and from working with patients, I have come to believe that proper breathing is the master key to good health.”
– Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine

I was a wreck back in 1975 when I first met Leonard Orr. A few years earlier my family had moved from solid, rooted and stable Switzerland into the mad swirling instability of the hippie movement, the anti-Vietnam protests, the political upheaval, the free drugs, rock n’ roll and sexual revolution: the cultural revolution of the sixties in San Francisco, California. From the time I had stepped onto the North American continent I had not found solidity in my footing again.

At twenty-two I was facing Leonard, the originator of Rebirthing, for a personal session. I knew I needed help. I was a single mom with no means of support, no permanent home and still smarting from my sister’s death a decade earlier. My parent’s divorce and my dad’s subsequent move back to Europe aggravated the sense of being alone and vulnerable in a strange and foreign land. Really, my only asset was a deep burning love for God, an insatiable desire for Divine connection. But who had time for a spiritual practice with two little kids and the need to support them?

Sitting across from Leonard Orr, I emptied myself of my painful tale, all my complaints: the uncertainty, the lack and responsibility, the hardships and self-doubt, the struggle, loneliness, tears, the lack of time and the unfulfilled yearning for God. I dumped it all out, like a bag of trash, on the floor between us, emptying myself of all those hardship I had carried for so long. When I finally got over my distress and looked through my tears at Leonard, expecting compassion, love and care from this well-known spiritual figure, what I saw in his face and mirrored in his eyes was great amusement. I looked at him in disbelief. Amusement! Amusement at all my pain, all my hardships, all my suffering! Amusement about me!

“OK, are you done?” He smiled with no little bit of cynicism. I nodded dumbly, still too shocked that my tale had not evoked even an iota of compassion. What was spirituality any way? Wasn’t this great spiritual teacher supposed to heal and love me back into well being? Coddle me with understanding? Take away all my sorrows, make my life balanced and well again? Replace the father who had just abandoned me? I had just had the proverbial rug yanked out from under me, so I just nodded.
“Then lie down and breathe!” “Breathe?!”, I could not believe what I was hearing. Breathe! I wanted love, I wanted compassion, and care, most of all sympathy. What did he mean: Breathe?!

“Breathe! Listen to you. Your life sucks. All those external manifestations come from internal mental and emotional patterns you hold. You have not done any inner work to clean them up!”

“Oh, yes, I have!” I protested loudly. Now I was mad. Who was this guy to tell me I had not done any work?! It is now with some embarrassment that I have to admit that I started to recount the teachers and gurus I had studied with, the meditative practices I had been involved in, the hours of yoga, meditation and chanting. He just continued to smile that maddening smile with that tinge of sarcasm. It was infuriating.

“Are you done?”, he repeated when I finally ran down like a steamroller running… well…out of steam. I nodded in defeat. Obviously my tirade had not had the desired effect. He began to explain that my years of spiritual work had intensified the energy, chi, prana, in other words, spiritual flow through my system of body, mind and energetic or emotional body. That all those years of doing spiritual work had created a strong energy which now ran through my creative mind, a mind that had not been purified of the basic life patterns I had inherited from family and culture.

Our mind works like a movie projector. Projecting into reality whatever we hold there. When we have a lot of spiritual energy things manifest faster and more dynamically. That’s why we see so many spiritually oriented people struggling with life. Their relationships don’t work, their finances are a mess, and their health is a disaster.

By doing spiritual practice we intensify the flow of energy that moves through our whole system, including our mind and emotional body. This energy is pure, raw life-force that is then directed by whatever is in our mind to create life around us which mirrors our beliefs. Spiritual growth needs to be a two-pronged process; on the one hand practices to create the divine flow and, on the other, processes to clean up the very human patterns which get intensified by this flow. Like many spiritually oriented people who have a deep yearning for God, I had pulled away from practices which brought up the human patterns, focusing solely on that which intensified my love of the Divine. I had only involved myself with one of these paths, completely ignoring the other and most necessary balance to my spiritual practices.

“And what does breathing have to do with this?” I asked.

“Everything,” he smiled his maniacal smile. And for some unfathomable reason at that moment I believed him, and even more mysterious than that, I trusted him. In that first session I realized the power of this modern reinvention of an ancient practice and in time went on to discover that breathing does hold the key and does have everything to do with it.

If you are afraid and full of doubt, breathe deeply and fully, with feeling. Breathe equally in and out, fully and clearly. Then breathe evenly in the Happiness.
– Da Free John

In 1976 I became what was then known as a Professional Rebirther, in Leonard Orr’s first Rebirther’s Training In San Diego, California. Thus I began the long, mystical and deep journey of discovering the power of our breath. Rebirthing was Leonard’s name for his conscious breathing method, at that time based on the belief that releasing one’s birth trauma in this dynamic and often explosive process was the way to regain the beauty of life.

It is still practiced both ‘dry’ using the breath as the vehicle for transformation and ‘wet’ where breathing is practiced while being gently cradled in warm water, but it has far transcended the original ideas associated with it. The name I use most frequently these days is conscious breathing, as it seems best to describe the healing potential of this reborn ancient, spiritual and healing practice. In the ensuing years I have had the honour of witnessing countless friends and students heal themselves of life threatening illnesses, have moments of touching on God consciousness, heal severe personality disorders, and yes, learn how to dance in beauty in the physical world.

There is one way of breathing which is shameful and constricted. Then there’s another way: a breath of love that takes you all the way to Infinity.
– Rumi

In most Indo-European languages, the word for spirit and breath are the same. This underscores the belief that breath is actually the movement of spirit in matter. In most cultures throughout time the process of breathing was considered inseparable from health, consciousness and spirit. When the missionaries came to Hawaii the Hawaiian’s had a word – ohana – that in modern usage has come to mean “family”, but then literally translated as “people who breathe together.” They called the white missionaries hoales, which translates, probably quite accurately, as “people without breath.” In Chinese the character for “breath” (hsi) is made up of three characters that mean “conscious self or heart.” In Latin anima means both breath and soul. In Japanese ki, means air/spirit. Our word respiration, in English, continues to reflect this ancient knowledge. So let’s explore how we can re-spirit our lives through our respiration!

Few people are aware that they breathe poorly, fewer yet realize the health and vitality implications of this restricted breathing. Since this time yesterday you have taken about twenty thousand breaths. In your lifetime you will breathe more than a hundred million times! In bringing consciousness to your breath a little improvement goes a long way. If you increase the efficiency of your breathing by only 5 percent per breath, you will have increased the efficiency of your body a thousand fold!

This 5 percent increase in your breath can easily be achieved by training yourself to lengthen your exhale. We usually think of deepening our breath by inhaling longer, but it is by giving more space in our lungs that this incredible benefit can be achieved.

Take a break from your reading and allow yourself to exhale completely. You will notice that the ‘stale’ breath that would usually stay in your lungs is at the bottom of your lungs. This is your most potent place for breath renewal, as most of the blood coursing through your lungs to re-oxygenate your body and mind moves through the bottom third of your lungs.

Exhale completely, then inhale, allowing your belly to expand. As you continue to read keep this slow, full breathing method going. You will find an increase in energy and mental clarity, you may find your shoulders releasing tension…for now, as you read…forever, if you teach yourself to breathe deeply all the time! If fatigue is more than an occasional occurrence in your life, I can not encourage you enough to make this practice of conscious breathing one of your daily priorities. I have noticed over the years that conscious breathing produces a steady flow of energy throughout the day.

The breath alone is well worth knowing, even if only in terms of health. If we know how to breathe properly, we will have good health.
– Buddhadasa Bhikku, author of Mindfulness with Breathing

Breathing is the only major function in the body we do both voluntary and involuntary. As such, it is the only function through which we can access and influence the involuntary, or autonomic, nervous system. Doctors believe that it is due to this that breathwork has such a powerful effect on our health and emotional well being. The autonomic nervous system regulates the heart, circulation, and digestion, among other vital functions. Imbalances in this system are the root cause of many ailments, including irregular heart rhythms, hypertension, and disorders of circulation and digestion, to name a few.

In studies, too numerous to list in this short format, researchers have found correct breathing can alleviate, and often cure, chronic pain, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, panic attacks, asthma, as well as coronary heart disease. Hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause have been reduced by an impressive 50% by deep relaxed breathing alone.

There are many reasons why I practice conscious breathing… Breathing has the power to enhance both the practical present moment and our mystical connection with infinity.
– Gay Hendricks, PH. D author of At the Speed of Life

In conscious breathing, besides the amazing potential health benefits, breathwork practitioners also use techniques to bring awareness of the breath to their clients that accomplish the same aims of conventional talk therapy and medication. Many doctors believe that in the future breathwork will play an ever-increasing role in both medicine and psychotherapy. One of the most astonishing and potent applications of conscious breathing is in our emotional well being. It has been used with great success with people with clinical problems and for people who are just trying to deal with the ever-increasing speed and tensions of daily life.

With every one of those hundred million breaths you take during your lifetime, you are either telling your body there is something dangerous going on, when you use a shallow and tense breath, or, through a deep relaxed breath, that life is good, safe and beautiful. A deep relaxed breath tells your sweet body to relax, open up, and be healthy, to digest its food just fine so you can absorb nutrients, allow oxygen to move into your brain for clarity of thought, and allow your heart to feel happy.
A tense, shallow breath communicates through your autonomic nervous system that there is something potentially dangerous in life, increasing muscle tension, and freeing into your blood stream the potentially harmful hormones released by the flight or fight response. If you watch people who are angry, anxious, or otherwise upset, their breathing always changes in the direction of being rapid, shallow, noisy, and irregular.

It’s impossible to be upset if your breathing is slow, deep and regular. The more you relax your breathing, the more oxygen will be delivered to organs and the more harmoniously your nervous system will function. Whenever you think about it, perhaps while driving or working on the computer, practice taking a series of breaths in which you consciously try to make your breath slower, deeper, quieter, and more regular.

Breathing in I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.
– Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing is also the fastest and most effective way to clear unpleasant feelings out of your body. Take a few deep breaths into the physical sensation of any emotion and pay attention to what happens! Most of the time this is all it takes to remove the sensation from your body. Watching people master their feelings and return to the base experience of joy in life is one of the most rewarding experiences of being a breathwork practitioner.

If you remember back to my earlier story and my passionate love for God, you will recall that I said that at that time this was really my only asset. This passion remains the foremost drive in my life and it has fuelled all my work, but today it is well-tempered with a worldly balance, the solid footing of a marriage that delights, work which is rewarding and grown children who are succeeding and contributing on their own paths. Due to my love of the Divine I would be remiss if here at the end of this article I did not mention the deep spiritual nature of conscious breathing. As in the past, this for me is the essence that makes any endeavour worth pursuing. The patterns that hold you back from experiencing pure Divine consciousness exist on the border between the unconscious and the conscious. So does breathing. It is the only system that works without conscious awareness and yet, at will, you can control it. It is exquisitely sensitive to your will and therefore gives you access to the unconscious. Breathwork in its deeper form allows you to free yourself from patterns that keep you separate from the Divine

We are children of breath, and the way is ever open for our return to a life divine and everlasting.
– Michael Sky author of Breathing

Obviously we are here moving into territory which is impossible to prove scientifically, as it is territory science does not acknowledge exists. But I have witnessed this spiritual depth during breathwork many times with clients and experienced it myself. Breathing affects every cell in your body and there is growing evidence that the basic imprints of all life exist in every cell. When we breathe and release our limiting patterns we find ourselves in blissful union with the Universal. Ah, yes! It has always been the ultimate purpose of this practice, certainly there are health benefits, and there is emotional healing, but the ultimate is that moment of becoming one, one with the universal, one with all that breathes and all that is. What was it Leonard said? Are you done yet? Done with the pain? Done with the anger? Done with the struggle of separation from your divine self? Then lie down and breathe and join our ever-growing ohana!

Red hot and healing By Peggy Dylan

A history of purification

I’ve put off writing this article on the purifying aspects of fire because my eyes itch and run, as does my nose. I’m coughing and sneezing, my chest hurts and my brain seems to be so pre-occupied with these body sensations that coherent thinking is an almost impossible task. I’ve spent a good deal of time over the last two weeks amused at my need to postpone writing, as with every breath I took in more of the irritating culprit, smoke: smoke from the immense wildfires started by lightning, now burning in the California Sierras around my home. One fire alone has charred over seventy thousand acres in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite Park. The smoke causes the sun to rise blood red, giving the day an eerie hue and reminding me to keep those tissues close at hand as I am going to wheeze and sneeze through another day of fire purification.

Many tribal people had, or have, rituals and ceremony to honour the sacred aspect of fire, honouring its gifts and acknowledging its power. Most Americans fear fire beyond the Sunday afternoon barbecue and for decades we have, in a systematic way, attempted to control it. This scientific manipulation of a powerful element is now backfiring as our wild lands, ripe with tinder from years of fire suppression are, on a yearly basis, burning out of control. Scientists today are confirming the ancient wisdom that fire plays an important part in our ecosystem and is vital to the renewal of the planet.

A recent article in National Geographic quotes Stephen Pyne, an Arizona State University historian who has spent his life studying the subject as saying: “We are uniquely fire creatures on a uniquely fire planet.” Our planet, he says, is primed for ignition, “stuffed with organic fuels, its atmosphere saturated with oxygen, its surface pummelled by lightning. “Many of the natural environments of our planet are dependent on the cleansing and purifying aspects of fire.

Fire produces nutrients more quickly than decay, many pine cones require the heat of a fire to pop open to free their seeds, grasslands burn to get rid of the stubble which shades and crowds new life, and birds like the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker thrive only in areas regularly burned.

The Native Americans used fire to herd deer and bison and kept grasslands green by burning young trees and dead grass. Many scientists believe it was the Indian’s fire stick and lightening which shaped the American landscape as it emerged from the last Ice Age. Just as the planet requires fire for renewal so does the human spirit, as we are always intrinsically connected with this earth from which we grew.

Fire worship is as old as the human race. According to one North American Indian legend, fire was first sparked by buffalo hooves thundering across the plains. The Maoris of New Zealand believe it was a gift from a god’s blind grandmother, who drew it from her fingernails by magic.

In the legends of the Huachipayri Indians of the Amazon basin in Peru, fire was brought by a woodpecker. They still call his name and imitate his call when making fire with fire sticks in their ceremonies. Recent evidence suggests that Australopithecus controlled fire nearly a million and half years ago. As the continuity of life became associated with the continuity of fire, the symbol of perpetual fire arose. In Rome, if the eternal flame in the temple of Vesta, Goddess of the hearth, went out, all activity in the temple had to stop: the connection between heaven and earth represented by the fire had to be restored at once. The Osage Indians maintained a Sacred fire in their chief’s hut: its holy flames were thought to bring life and health. Fire worship practiced as a rite of purification, healing, initiation, devotion and proof of faith or divine connection has been a thread in the cultural tapestry of our planet.

For many early Christians fire immunity was considered a mark of grace, and the annals of history are well spiced with accounts of monks and martyrs who were blessed with this capacity. One of my favourites is Francis of Paola who died in 1507 (not to be confused with St. Francis of Assisi, the saint so loved by animals). Francis of Paola was born to Italian peasants and seems to have handled fire as easily as other people handle a shovel. He used his amazing capacities with fire to help the very hard lives of the local farming community: walking into the red-hot kiln to shore it up when it was about to collapse, reaching into the forge to hand the blacksmith a piece of red hot iron, etc. The capacity he had with fire eventually came to the attention of the church and, in due course, they sent church dignitaries to check him out. As the Christian dogma evolved we see the myth of hell-fire and damnation take hold and slowly fire becomes synonymous with Evil. In the early 1920’s, British missionaries in South Africa realized they had a curious problem. The natives seemed decidedly unperturbed by the threats of hell-fire awaiting the unconverted: Africa has a long history of firewalking and fire dancing. The African-born Hindus walk on fire regularly as part of important religious festivals and !Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari desert have firewalked since their tribal beginnings. The !Kung use fire in their powerful healing ceremonies. In 1977, anthropologist Laurens van der Post published an account of his travels to Africa to study the !Kung and was witness to one of their healing fire dances:
Richard Katz, a Harvard Psychologist reports that the !Kung use the fire to heat up their energy, which they call n/um:
“It is quite easy for you to do these things, they told him,” because you are a peasant and used to hardship. But if you were of gentle blood you would not be able to live in this way.” “Quite true, replied Francis smiling, “I am a peasant.” They were sitting near a big fire to ward off the winter cold. “And if I were not, I would not be able to do things like this.” With that he reached into the nearby blaze and grabbed a handful of burning logs and embers. Holding them in his hands he said to the canon: “You see, I could not do this if I were not a peasant.” The canon then prostrated himself on the ground and sought to kiss Francis’ hands and feet, but the saintly peasant would not allow it. Francis of Paoloa was canonized in 1519 with countless witnesses present to testify to his amazing abilities”.
In Bali, the mystical South Sea island, it is not the men who dance on the fire, but young girls as the Balinese believe the gods to be “children of the people” and thus most of the trance-dances are performed by children. In India, Tibet, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Argentina, to mention a few, people dance and walk, joyously, solemnly, exuberantly, or devotionally across fire.

In the Hindu fire ceremony Agni Hotra, fire is used to purify the physical and spiritual atmosphere, and in Peru it is used to spiritually uplift participants in the fire-ceremony.

Around this little globe people rely on their spiritual kinship with this dynamic element to bring them closer to their true nature and, through touching the fire of their spirit, feel renewed and healed. But lest you put down this writing with a sense of “but what about North America?” I will give you a little of our fire heritage: In a 17th century letter a Jesuit priest, Father Le Jeune, writes to his superior, telling of a healing firewalk he witnessed among the Indians. He reports of a sick woman walking through two or three hundred fires with bare legs and feet, not only without burning, but all the while complaining about the lack of heat she was feeling.

Some 30 years later, Father Marquette reported similar firewalks among the Ottawa Indians and Jonathan Carver writes in his 1802 book “Travels in North America” that one of the most astounding sights he saw was the parade of warriors who would “walk naked through a fire… with apparent immunity. “Other North American Indians who were known to have shamanic traditions which included fire handling were the Fox, Menomini, Keres, Blackfeet and particularly the Zuni, who had, and some claim still have, a “great fire fraternity.” The Kahunas, or native priests of the Hawaiian Islands, had powerful practices as the following report will demonstrate.

In his youth, ethnologist William Tufts Brigham walked over semi-molten lava in Hawaii along with three Kahunas. Before stepping onto the lava the priests tied Ti leaves to their ankles and chanted archaic Hawaiian songs to the goddess Pele.
Barefoot, one of them trotted onto the red-hot lava and, as Brigham watched open-mouthed, he was pushed onto the lava himself! Still wearing his boots and socks he ran for the other side of the flow which, despite the broiling heat, he reached safely. The soles of his shoes and his socks were burned through, but his feet were fine, as were the feet of the Kahunas, though their Ti leave anklets were also charred. This very rational doctor had the following to say about his experience: “The Kahunas use magic in their fire-walking as well as many other things. There is one set of natural laws for the physical world and another for the other world. And, try to believe this if you can: The laws of the other side are so much the stronger, that they can be used to neutralize and reverse the laws of the physical.”

Despite the rational, mental, mono-culture in our country, proliferated by our schooling system and the media, I am quite happy to be able to say that fire worship, handling and walking has not died out in America. Some Christian churches today use fire handling as a dynamic demonstration of the power of their faith as reported by Dr. Kane in “Ethos”, the journal of the Society for Psychological Anthropology. Kane spent sixteen months studying Christian fire handlers in six southern states. His subjects were active witnesses for Christ in the same Holiness churches that interpret snake handling and speaking in tongues as evidence of God’s presence. During what Kane calls “the tumultuous portion” of the religious service, fire handlers direct flames from kerosene torches directly onto their bare feet, hands and faces. They attribute their immunity to the protection of the Holy Ghost. “Nothin’ can penetrate it, not even bullets,” one worshiper told Kane.
…they (the !Kung dancers) seemed to pass into a dimension of reality far out of reach of my understanding, and to a moment and place which belonged only technically to the desert in which we were all gathered. Indeed so obsessed did the men become with their search for fire that they were drawn nearer and nearer to the flames… Then, suddenly, they halved the circle and went dancing with their bare feet through the middle of the flames.”

I am often called the mother or originator of the firewalking movement. Given the history I’ve just written about, that seems a rather unlikely title, quite like calling myself the mother of the human race because I have given birth to children.

What I will take credit for is bringing Firewalking into the public eye and allowing it to re-emerge in the Western culture as a practice for people who are exploring consciousness and personal power.

Compared with the intensity of the other culture’s firewalking ceremonies, ours is a rather mild affair. That statement is not meant to deny the transformative experiences people have firewalking in the western cultures, as the depth of healing, inspiration and life-altering change is truly remarkable.

It is merely meant to point out that we are just beginning to explore the inner fire of spirit and that we have little to no history of ecstatic practices within our culture to draw on. We don’t gather with our families in town squares for communal healings, wild, rollicking dances around fires, or exhilarating ceremonies of devotion and thanksgiving to the Infinite. Our Puritan Christian past has all but eliminated our capacity for transcending the mundane and reaching beyond our human experience into healing altered states. I see the firewalk as the budding of these practices within our culture, an affirmation of even our capacity to tap that inner source of energy. Energy, N/um, chi, prana, ki, life-force, by any name, is that fire of spirit, the inner fire: fire which our accepted cultural behaviour and many established religions have attempted to snuff out. And we see the results of it, we live in a community of people where fire suppression has been practiced too long, a society packed with ignitable tinder, people ready to explode at any moment, where violence is a way of life

Nature is teaching us that our wild lands need to burn for renewal and, in the same way, we human beings need to renew ourselves by allowing the inner fires, the fire of spirit, to burn passionately. Fire handling or firewalking is often seen by witnesses or even taken by the practitioner to be an external and visible sign of inward spiritual grace.

I see it differently. I see it as a practice to learn how to allow that inner fire to burn hot: inspiring, purifying, healing and guiding us as we wander down this path of life.

I have great hopes that, as we begin to comprehend the true benevolence of life and we realize hell-fire is but a myth, we will once again allow this most passionate element its rightful place in the cycle of purification and renewal. But until that time, wildfires will burn out of control. So, would someone please hand me those tissues?

I want to thank the following sources for their excellent material that I used in my research.
They are listed in the order in which I incorporate them within the article:

Peggy Dylan is often referred to as the driving force behind the contemporary firewalking movement. She is the founder/director of SUNDOOR, an international foundation devoted to exploring and teaching excellence in the field of human potential. This article may be reproduced in its entirety without permission of the author.

A message from Peggy

I wanted to pass on this beautiful letter from my spiritual master, Peggy Dylan.
please pass it on,

love Stephen

There are millions meditating today to herald in the new world we’ve been yearning for. That is what I will be focusing on: for the world, for you, for myself. I’ll be putting a special energetic force out at noon PT, 8pm in the UK, 9pm on the European continent, in case you want to join me. The three important cycles in the Mayan culture which end today can help us all end aspects of our personal… cycle which are needing to be disolved. The more consciously we do it the more effective it will be: fill with the love of your amazing friends, fill with Universal love, allow it to flow into aspects of yourself needing this essence, allowing it to transform those fearful or stuck places into a golden flow. The past is over, whatever it was, it is over. The cycle is finished, the patterns established by that past are now disolving. Allow the Creator’s beauty, joy, and magnificent sense of deep well-being to flow through every cell of your body. This is your birthright, make it the base of this new cycle. From this moment on, the Creator’s love, great well-being, confidence and alignment are the base of this, the new cycle! I love you.

Peru!

Just back from the mountains of Peru where our group had the most Life is beautiful affirming experiences. The shamans we were held by, opened a rare access into an ancient world of magical healing. To trek in the Andes, on earth barely touched by humans, was such a gift.
Thank you to everyone who had the calling to join Peggy and myself on this journey. The rituals touched my heart so deeply and the land filled me to the brim with peace. It was well described as being ‘the most amazing spiritual experiences combined with camping in the mountains with all your best friends’. Bliss on earth.

Happy sunny days at Lendrick

A beautiful feeling is breezing through Lendrick Lodge. The place is so lush with a hundred shades of green in the trees. We are all really excited about or yoga course beginning with Sandra Sabatini of Italy. And then… next week Peggy Dylan arrives for Sundoor Initiation and Certification. Initiation is the week that quite literally changed my life, and thousands of peoples around the world. Excited that Peggy is bringing her magic to Lendrick. Hope you enjoy this photo of the sun saying hello!

A big smile of love to you

A big smile of love to you and everyone in our global community. I know lots of people are dealing with loved ones or themselves ill at the moment. If your cup is full at the moment please let it overflow to those in need, do ritual and share your love. If your cup is empty, connect to a source of life for you, and fill up. Todays Reiki share at Lendrick will gather and send love, tonight more ritual will take place to support. Lets expand love together. Thank you for being in this world.

Living the Dream

As a child I dreamt that one day I would live in a world full of love and wonder, last night as we danced across coals for Belatine the dream was alive. To see three girls (around 7-8 year old ) walk across the firewalk holding hands gave me, not hope but certainty for our planet. We were in the company of sheros and heros last night! The courage from young and old beamed light around the world. And Claire Roche from Dublin playing Irish lullabies and gigs with her harps reminded me of kneeling by my mother, as she sung to me sweetly as a bairn. I woke up this morning fluttering with ecstasy. Sending that healing miracle to you.

Stephen x

Mothers Day

The sun is golden this morning and nature is wakening all around Lendrick. A sweet happy mothers day to all. To my sweet Vicky, to my mum out there dancing in the stars, to Peggy and all the women who hold Lendrick so tenderly, our Ellen and Varie and Al and all you amazing volunteers, Lendrick would not exist without your holding it in your loving embrace. Kisses to my big sis Maggie and my girls. Thank you to all the sisters whose love is the sun that brings light to the world. Shine on!

Coming Home to Lendrick

Driving home to Lendrick the other day, I had a feeling that I know you have had. The last of the sunlight was retreating and the light on the snowcapped mountains made my heart swell. Coming into Lendrick I felt held, safe and part of a expansive community. A feeling beyond my intellectual capacity. Words failed me and spirit filled me. This is our circle that just keeps spiraling into new moments of beauty. So glad to be in this dance with you

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