right up until that moment, you looked at yourself and never knew who you were or what mattered. At times like this, you feel as if you have awoken. Everything becomes clear.
My earliest and first memory of a life-changing realization came when I was about 17. I have long forgotten the circumstances that surrounded it, but the awareness has always stayed with me. I realized that the greatest tragedy of a lifetime was not to follow your heart and to live forever with regret.
The credit for this realization belongs to my mother, whose positive thinking was inspirational. I can still hear her saying ‘It’s always the things you don’t do, that you regret.’ Despite the fact that her life had more challenges than most, she spent more time helping others than being saved. She practised positive thinking long before the phrase was coined. No matter how challenging her days became, she continued to make the most of her life and encouraged her family, friends and colleagues to do the same. Even when faced with the prospect of her own death, she merely paused, took a deep breath and considered how many people she loved. My mother reflected on how lucky her life had been. She then went on to make the best use of the time she had left.
I was fortunate to grow up believing anything was possible, and later on began to read widely on the subject of self-development. When Chris and I met, we both quickly realized that while our backgrounds were different, we had much in common. Human potential fascinated us both. We attended philosophy lectures drawn from both Eastern and Western teachings. We read books on subjects such as psychology, spirituality and Eastern mysticism. We took part in a number of courses and joined various groups. We were fortunate in finding excellent teachers who provided us with encouragement and inspiration.
Being keen advocates of a holistic lifestyle, we enjoyed a nutritious diet, supplemented by vitamins and minerals. We used complementary therapies wherever possible and, additionally, Chris believed that good health depended on regular exercise. All our cupboards were filled with eco-friendly products. We ran a business that had been family owned for several generations, had three well-balanced children, supportive parents plus brothers and sisters all living nearby with their families. We were happy, healthy and blissfully unaware of what was to come.
For the two of us as a couple, the year 1991 was the catalyst for fundamental change. We were presented with a number of challenges, both personally and professionally, that led us to review our priorities and values. Our family business failed. Chris’ parents became terminally ill. We were the subjects of legal action. Our health deteriorated, and each day seemed to be a feat of survival. The relationship with everyone and everything in our lives changed. We no longer knew whom we could depend upon or trust, and felt as if we had been catapulted head-first into a life to which we didn’t belong. For a time, everything we had learned seemed distant and out of focus.
In the space of 12 months, our lives changed completely. Chris remembers feeling as if he had been crushed and broken into little pieces that were scattered all over the floor. He blamed himself for the loss of several hundred jobs, as well as our own livelihood. Despite all we had learned and our positive ‘no pain, no gain’ attitude and ‘can do’ perspective, it was as if we were looking at ourselves, who we were and where we were going, for the first time ever.
It was in Chris’ darkest hour that I knew without any shadow of doubt that none of this mattered at all. We both knew. It just marked the end of an era, and a new beginning was just a step away. I remembered the words of Helen Keller, who said that sometimes when you are looking so hard at the door that had closed, you don’t even notice that another one has opened. We began to climb out of the abyss.
One of the year’s saddest events was losing both of Chris’ parents within a short period. We witnessed their struggle against cancer without really being able to help, at least not in any meaningful way. Even if their deaths were inevitable, we had longed to find a way of helping them. We wondered how to ease their inner anguish other than attending to their physical needs and pain-management.
Not long after Chris’ parents had passed away, my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma. While she was positive and even philosophical about the illness, we knew there must be some way in which she could be helped. It was at this point we realized how much we needed to address our own self-healing.
We read about Reiki in a magazine from the local health food shop. An American called Carrlyn Clay was visiting from Arizona and she was giving a talk on a healing art that anyone could learn. It was called Reiki. We attended out of curiosity.
The talk was fascinating. During the evening we were invited to experience a demonstration of Reiki. This turned out to be particularly interesting, as both of us had an unusual experience. A powerful feeling of love and connection to all living things overwhelmed Chris. I experienced an extraordinary feeling of peace, as if all was just as it should be.
We met Carrlyn after the talk. She was a warm, caring person whom we both immediately liked. Things happened quickly after this. We cancelled our weekend arrangements and took First-degree Reiki training instead.
Carrlyn was an excellent teacher and the course was fascinating. We had some interesting experiences while training, but no confirmation of just how effective Reiki was. Would it work for us? Would it work for others? We were shortly to find out.
We often spend time in a delightful, unspoilt seaside village called Aberdaron, in the heart of North Wales. It is a special place, serenely located in a beautiful Welsh valley, by the sea. While returning from one particular visit, we stopped briefly at a motorway service station. While there, I twisted my ankle. It swelled up and became painful. Hobbling back to the car, I sat down and steeled myself for what I anticipated would be an uncomfortable journey.
Suddenly we looked at each other. Could Reiki help? Chris put his hands gently over the area and allowed the energy to flow. To my astonishment, the pain eased after just a few minutes. Then the swelling began to subside and mobility returned. Within 20 minutes I was not only feeling fine, but I was driving again! It felt marvellous.
As soon as we got home we wanted everyone to experience this wonderful energy! Anyone who happened to have an ache or pain was offered a demonstration. We took every opportunity to try out our newly discovered healing technique.
One of the first people to receive a longer treatment was my mother. The cancer had advanced quite rapidly by this time, but she was keen to try this unusual and mysterious healing art.
While she was a positive person, she was also pragmatic and not particularly drawn to the ethereal. We knew that, whatever her experience, she could be relied upon for honest feedback. She slept deeply during the treatment and we wondered if she would remember anything at all.
When she awoke, she told us that she had experienced vivid, colourful dreams that made her feel peaceful and calm. We noticed how relaxed she looked and how her eyes seemed to sparkle again. She told us that the pain and fear had gone. She felt energized and relaxed. The strain was gone from her face.
We went on to give her regular treatments. Although she sadly died several months later, she told us how much she had benefited from the sessions. She had found the inner peace that had so eluded Chris’ parents.
We went on to practise on others, and found Reiki to be effective. As soon as we were able, we took the next level, Second Degree. This was even more powerful.
It was not long afterwards that we decided to train as Reiki teachers or Masters. The apprentice-style training was intense and we came to realize the true vastness of Reiki. Everything we had ever learned and experienced came together in a way we had never dreamed of. A whole new world opened. We learned many fascinating processes which changed our lives for the better. Over time, the true secrets of Reiki were gradually revealed.
We would like to share these with you so that you can take charge of your own well-being and transform your life.
WHY WE FORMED THE REIKI SCHOOL
We are passionate about Reiki and believe that it can bring positive change. At the time we learned, classes were taught in the traditional manner, with adequate time in between each level to give students time