Year End Reiki Gathering in Anapra, Mexico

December 5, 2008 was a very special day for the Reiki students: Mothers and care givers of the the disabled children, who have been apart of the Santo Nino Clinica. This was their 1st Reiki review for them, a day for all the classes to come together and celebrate their gift of Reiki. It was the end of the year of receiving this incredible support system, Reiki. Their lives were all different and their children's lives had all changed. They had an assignment: to write down an experience of how Reiki had changed their life. We would put them in a grab bag and each would draw from the experiences. There was great excitement as they gathered that morning in the clinic. Sister Carol, Eva Dominguez(translator and my El Paso Reiki Sponsor) and myself were addressing the questions of how to share one experience from the many they could choose from. As they drew from the bag of experiences, they were asked to put the gift in their hands, to Reiki the experience and to embrace it as their own. The circle of sharing began to unfold as each person sat on the edge of their chairs to listen, to learn and to receive from this magic place of Oral Tradition.

One lady shares, "4 years ago I had 3 tumors in my womb. I did not know what was to become of me. Day after day, I felt very bad. The doctors said my womb needed to be removed and they knew not if the tumors were malignant. I had my period 3 to 4 times every month. I did not have the money for the operation or any insurance. I thought I was going to die.

Then a miracle occurred. A teacher came to offer Reiki and I was invited to take the training. I felt that I was the most fortunate woman on earth. For it was at the moment that I practiced Reiki, I felt something very special. Our Reiki teacher mentioned, if we work on ourselves daily, we would heal even if it was little by little but we would heal. I began by giving myself Reiki in the morning and in the evening every day. Five months went by and I went to have an ultrasound. The doctor told me I had only 2 tumors left and it seemed strange to him. I was supposed to have 3. He told me he needed to see me again in 3 weeks. He needed to give me a treatment in order to operate. I agreed.

Three weeks went by and I did not go to the doctor because I did not have any money. I continued practicing my Reiki and 4 months passed. I felt well and my bleeding stopped. I then went to get another ultrasound and the same doctor was the one administered it. He got after me because I had not returned when he had asked me to. I explained I did not have the money. He asked me what had happened to me because I no longer had any tumors. He could not believe it, nor could I. I did not know what to tell him. It was a gift, Reiki. Merry Christmas and thank you Master Jean!" Later, she had shared that she had seen Hawayo Takata come to her several times in her treatments.

Several of the babies were with us, as the other children were being cared for in a nearby house. A 2-year boy sat next to his baby sister who was cradled in a bouncer. He was totally attentive to the group and in the caring of his sister. He periodically would start up the bouncing to quiet her. Grandmother was nearby sharing her wonder of Reiki. Our gathering is surrounded by people being killed, beheaded and shot in restaurants by drug lords who are on the rampage against humanity. This is not Iraq, this is right across from where we live. Yet, we all sit in this beautiful sharing of Reiki, listening to the truth of our experiences, thrilled at being able to have community together and to share Reiki with each-other.
The tables were set up and soon were filled with people eager to get on and receive and give Reiki. Eva, Carol and I wandered throughout the room giving Reiki to the kids and answering questions of their many experiences.

I brought our celebration meal of fried chicken, homemade Thai peanut cold slaw, and our special Reiki cake for dessert. They consumed the entire 100 pieces of chicken and every little morsel was saved for them to take home. They felt they had been served a feast for Kings and were ever so grateful.

We ended with Reiki being shared to Eva, myself, and Sister Carol. We all leave filled with Reiki, carrying stories of miracles and our hearts swollen with gratitude of receiving our year end Reiki gathering, despite the surroundings of the destruction of Mexico. We all hold on to the truth of our experiences and go out to join the New Year.

Where is my Reiki Certificate?

Where is my Reiki certificate? How often have I heard that phone message or email from a student?
My first response is to say, "Just for Today, Do Not Worry?" The second response is, "Just for Today, Do not Anger!" The third response is, "Treat the situation".

Let me share some history with you on this topic. When Hawayo Takata started teaching there were no certificates. You don't need a certificate to do Reiki. The westerners were at a loss, they had to have a certificate. Like it was some kind of proof you could do Reiki. See how the mind messes things up. After a while she did start giving certificates to those who wanted them but she charged $ for them. Over time everyone got a certificate. By the time I got my Reiki training, certificates were given out to everyone without charge.

Some Masters used the certificates from the Reiki Alliance and others created their own. Helen Haberly had always created her own. Because I was her first Master, she had not designed a Master certificate. I waited and waited patiently, knowing she was traveling so much , it would have been hard to create a new certificate. After 1 year, I finally asked her if she had my Master certificate. She said no, but because I had been so patient, she would order one for from the Reiki Alliance Office. So, I finally received my certificate about a year and a half after I had been Initiated as Master. It is viewed on the Blog site at the beginning.

"Why can't I have my certificate right away? I want it on Sunday as I finish the class", students sometimes ask. Well there is a lot that goes into the making of your certificate. I have just finished the year 2008 certificates and they were mailed for the holidays.


For years, I would do the certificates every 3 months. I would tell everyone, that is about the time you are getting lazy in doing your Reiki. Then magically the certificate arrives. Over the last few years, I started doing them 2 times a year because of my increased time away from home. I remember a long time ago, I was almost a year in getting a certificate to a mother in India. I felt a little guilty until I got a response that the certificate had arrived on her birthday and it was so well timed and such a gift. After that I knew Reiki was in charge and I didn't have to worry about the certificates arriving at a self appointed doctrine time.

I have tried various ways of getting this ongoing task at hand done. I like being home when I do the certificates. There is an ease of not hauling the letters, the class lists, the certificates, the Hon from the Reiki Alliance, the ink, the seals and the seal crimper. Are you beginning to get what this picture looks like! Sometimes I have had to do them while traveling. Then,I have to make sure the certificates are wrapped in cardboard so they don't get damaged.

I enjoy creating your certificate privately. On rare occasions, I have had students participate with me in the completion of the process. It is an incredible opportunity when this has happened. Like I said, I did this year end certificates during the holidays with my twin, Hira Reid in the Pacific Northwest during the snow bound days before Christmas.

Here is the process that reveals why I can't just get them out to you right away: the area of where I am going to do this is first energetically cleared. The names of all the students are in the computer and the class lists are imported into a program that correlates to my printer. These names, addresses, phone numbers, and etc are correlated back to the original class list for errors before they are printed out.

Copies of each class list are printed out for each student. The first and second degree letters are printed for each student. I now use my own certificate that was especially created. Each of these are printed out with your name, class date and my name. The next step is the hardest-the time of cleaning and then inking the Hon- finding the right cushion for the Hon to be clearly read and then the time in putting it on to the certificate.

Each gold seal has to be embossed with the Usui Shiki Ryoho and Master name. These are then put onto the certificate.


Each certificate is treated with Reiki.
After all that is done, the class list is pulled out to make sure each student has a certificate and the large envelopes are put together including the certificate, letter and class list.
Finally there is the trip to the post office and the certificates are sent along the way to each of you. This entire process takes me 4 to 5 days to accomplish.

The time spent in this process allows me to be with each of you energetically through all the steps. It is time of remembering you and your classmates and a time of reflection of how Reiki touches our lives and changes us. I ask you to honor my time, as a Reiki Master in completing this process and reflect on what this certificate means to you. It is not just a mere piece of paper that states you have taken this class but an energetic reflection of the gift you have given yourself. Do you need to have this to do Reiki? No, nor was it ever meant to be. It is a reflection of our shared journey with Reiki as our teacher. This gift of a certificate is given to you from me. Honor it in the same way it has been created for you. There is a $10 fee to duplicate your certificate and you will have to wait for the next time the certificates are created.