I’m offering this 4 hour workshop for anyone who practices Reiki, but is specifically designed to provide support for practitioners who are still new to their Reiki practice, or who need to get a jump-start after some time away.  The ”Reiki Refresher” workshop will focus on questions and general discussion about Reiki practice, learn hands-on practice for traditional Japanese Reiki techniques, participate in a group meditation and give Reiki treatments to each other. 

As part of the workshop, I will also offer a reiju (attunement) to each of the students in attendance.  Traditional Japanese Reiki practice encouraged the practice of giving attunements again to Reiki practitioners in order to help clear and refine the recipients’ energy field.  Even those who practice Reiki regularly will feel a boost in their energy after receiving a reiju. 

The next scheduled class is Sunday, September 19, 2010 from 12-4 pm.

Space is limited to 10 people. Please contact me to reserve your place by September 11 so I can ensure adequate materials and table space.

Cost: $40

Location: Candler Park Chiropractic
                     1522 Dekalb Avenue
                     Atlanta, GA 30307

Remember when we were kids and the start of the school year felt a brand-new beginning? Now is the perfect time to get a fresh start, whether it’s relief from stress, or making a shift in a new direction. Here are some great “back to school” specials to help you get the ball rolling!

60 minute massage + Reiki package

Neuromuscular massage therapist Toni Hale and I are offering a 60 minute massage and Reiki special for $60 through September 15. This is an awesome deal, particularly because Toni is one of the most talented massage therapists I know.

Participants will receive 30 minutes of massage and 30 minutes of Reiki for stress or pain relief. Toni and I both work at Candler Park Chiropractic  in Atlanta and can coordinate our schedules to provide this service in our treatment room. Massage and Reiki sessions must be concurrent, but participants may request whether they prefer to receive Reiki before or after their massage. Please contact me for more information and to schedule your session!

Reiki + life coaching package

I’m offering a 90 minute life coaching session with a FREE 30 minute Reiki session for $75  ($25 off regular pricing.)   I do recommend scheduling Reiki before the coaching session to help release any physical or emotional tension to allow for greater clarity.  The benefits of Reiki combined with life coaching can be tremendous for facilitating the changes you seek in your life.  This offer is good through September 15.

Other Reiki pricing specials

• Two 60 minute Reiki sessions: $100 ($20 off regular pricing)
• 30 minute session for $30 (weekends only – please contact me for availability)

Firstly the mind must be healed, and secondly,
the body must be made sound.
If the mind is healthy, conforming to a path of integrity,
then the body becomes sturdy of its own accord.
–  Usui Mikao (1865-1926)

I recently had the privilege of learning Komyo Reiki Kai with Hyakuten Inamato, an “independent” Pure Land Buddhist monk and Reiki Master from Kyoto, Japan.  His student, Lilia Marquez, R.N., arranged for him to teach Shinpiden for Reiki Masters in New York City.  Komyo Reiki Kai is Japanese Reiki as it was taught by Chujiro Hayashi in the 1930s, with an emphasis on spiritual enfoldment leading to enlightenment.  Reiki as a system is often viewed as a therapeutic healing art, but it is also (and perhaps most importantly) a spiritual practice.  Inamoto Sensei reminded us of this several times during the two-day training, “First the mind, then the body!”

Learning Komyo Reiki Kai in New York City was like coming home again twice.  I grew up in New York City, and my parents still live in Flushing, Queens.  The neighborhood where I grew up is largely Asian, and this lifelong exposure to East and West Asian cultures directly influenced my spiritual interests and zazen (Zen Buddhist) and yoga practices.  Walking to and from the train station each morning, I noticed that traditional Asian healing arts, such as acupuncture, reflexology and traditional Chinese herbal medicine are just as prominent as Western doctors’ offices.  I didn’t see any mentions of Reiki, but I bet that some form of hands-on energy healing is also being practiced in some of those offices.

Walking past all of these influences and right into the spiritual heart of Reiki was an uplifting and enriching experience for me.  Even though I’ve been practicing Reiki for years, I immediately approached Komyo Reiki Kai with “beginner’s mind” (shoshin), the idea that we approach a subject or situation with an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions, regardless of our knowledge or experience.  On one hand, the baseline concepts and practices used in Western Reiki are the same as traditional Japanese Reiki.  On the other hand, as the system made its way West, through the efforts of Hayashi Sensei and Mrs. Hawayo Takata, changes were made for reasons we can only surmise.  Some of these changes include the number of levels, the symbols (shirushi) and mantras (jumon) as well as the hand positions used for treating oneself and others.  Rather than spending too much time trying to analyze why or make judgments about what is “correct” or “better,” I decided to remain open and embrace the direction that felt the most natural to me. 

What struck me about both Western Reiki and traditional Japanese Reiki systems such as Komyo Reiki Kai and Jikiden Reiki is that the pivotal lineage bearers are women.  We have Takata Sensei to thank for bringing Reiki to Hawai’i and Chiyoko Yamaguchi to thank for keeping Reiki alive in her family so that both her son, Tadao Yamaguchi, and my teacher, Inamoto Sensei, would eventually carry on the teachings and practices.

My first impression of Inamoto Sensei was warm, humble and beneficent energy.  I was waiting in line to receive my manual and name-tag, and when he came past us to look for something with which to light the incense he placed before Usui Sensei’s photo, I could feel his presence even before he emerged.  During the class, he presented traditional Japanese Reiki concepts in their simplest terms coupled with complete understanding.  A true Master doesn’t seek to make spiritual practice complicated and secret; rather, he or she conveys a genuine expression of compassion and direct experience.  Inamoto Sensei also made it very clear that we must present only about the history of Reiki what can be verified as fact.  There is a lot of misinformation and half-truths perpetuated in the Reiki community about who Usui Sensei was and how he developed the system of Reiki.

During the weekend, we received two attunements (reiju.)  Our class was large, approximately 20 people, so he split us up into two groups.  On the first day, I was in the group that was witnessing the others receive reiju first.  As soon as Inamoto Sensei began the process, I could feel a strong current of Reiki energy envelop the room.  It actually felt like we were receiving reiju, even though we were witnessing the blessing.   It was beautiful to receive Reiki indirectly while witnessing the others receive it directly.  I felt a real sense of interconnection to everyone in the room.  While I was receiving reiju from Inamoto Sensei, there was a moment where I could feel his compassion flow through to me while he lightly clasped my hands.  It reminded me of an experience I had many years ago during zazen, when one of the lay priests came up behind me to adjust my posture during the sitting period.  The way she lightly made corrections was so gentle and caring, as if she knew exactly what I needed, that it moved me to tears.  And yes, I cried through the first reiju I received from Inamoto Sensei.

I also appreciated the opportunity to meet other Reiki Masters (Shihans) from around the world during the Komyo Reiki Kai training.  I have gotten to know many Reiki practitioners via Facebook and other online forums, but having the chance to physically spend time in community with people from other states and countries who also practice Reiki was such a blessing.  I learned so much during my conversations and practice time with each of them. 

I’m looking forward to teaching Komyo Reiki Kai in its entirety soon.  I’ve been integrating traditional Japanese Reiki techniques into my Reiki practice and classes for quite a while, after reading The Reiki Sourcebook and The Japanese Art of Reiki, both written by Frans and Bronwen Stiene.  However, I now have the training to be able to provide students with the option to learn both Western and traditional Japanese Reiki.  As a result of this training, my practice is deepening and evolving in both very simple and profound ways. 

I want to express my gratitude to my Reiki teacher, Hyakuten Inamoto, for his teaching and guidance.  I am also grateful for Lilia Marquez for arranging Sensei’s visit, and for the other students I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with in such a beautiful space. My hands are raised together in gassho to you all.

I’m featuring a guest blog post by one of my Reiki students, Kim Frazier Shaughnessy.  I appreciate that she agreed to share her Reiki story here with all of you.
 

I don’t recall the first time I heard the word Reiki, or if I wondered what it meant. I do know that it slipped into my consciousness and bounced around for a number of years until one day I found myself searching for someone to show me.
 
One day was a few months ago and that someone was Dana Lisa Young.
 
I did what everyone does. I Googled it. I then allowed my intuition to help me find the doorway to what I was certain I needed to do next. When I saw Dragonfly Reiki, I knew I was knocking on the right door (Dragonfly was my mother’s favorite movie and one of the last movies I watched with her). When I read Dana’s bio and saw her photo, I knew the door was open.
 
Simply put, I heard the call and I answered it. I walked through that door and I haven’t looked back since. Not only have I not looked back, consequently I haven’t looked forward. I am right here in this moment and I am sharing my experience in hopes that it will help you to decide if Reiki is right for you.
 
If you’re reading this, you’ve heard the call. Whether or not you respond is up to you. Like anything else in life, Reiki is a choice.
 
When I chose Reiki and the teacher, I chose so many unexpected things. For instance, I’ve always been more aware of my spiritual nature. I have meditated off and on for years – alone, in groups and with another. And I have seen things in some of those meditations that made everyday life look like a joke to me. As a result, I haven’t been very grounded. In a sense, connected and yet still lost. I can honestly say I no longer feel lost. And even though I’ve had Reiki experiences that would lead some to believe I’m just plain crazy, I am now very much here – more in tune with everyday life than I have ever been. The balance is not perfect, but my feet are more firmly on the ground…even when my head is in the clouds.
 
What has my life been like since my first attunement? Well, I’d be lying if I said it was suddenly a bed of roses. I don’t look ten years younger and I haven‘t won the lottery because my energy is now attracting only good things. But you know what? It’s okay. As a matter of fact, it’s so okay that I woke up one morning and decided to stop coloring my hair. Just like that. I have never enjoyed that process and decided it was no longer a worthwhile use of my time or money. Why bother when I’m just going to have to do it again in a few short weeks? This may sound silly to you, but it has been very liberating for me. In a more general sense, I’ve noticed a significant decline in my stress level. My attitude towards family, friends and co-workers has shifted and I now have a better sense of what to say, when to say it and, more importantly, when to listen. I don’t always get it right, but that’s okay too. I am noticing that those less-than-perfect moments no longer have the same power over me and as a result the negative thoughts and emotions do not linger.
 
If you asked me to describe a Reiki self treatment, I would tell you that the moment I raise my hands and ask for what I refer to as “Reiki Rain,“ I feel an instant surge of energy that I would compare to the feeling you get when a storm is coming. The atmosphere is charged with electricity and anticipation. When I put my hands together, repeat the admonitions and set my intention that same electric energy surrounds me like a warm blanket. My hands become heavy and I slip into an easy groove of acceptance of healing and a feeling of gratitude. It is that simple.
 
I’ve only had one moment of fear during a self treatment, but having made the commitment I chose to let go of that fear and trust the process. Without going into too much personal detail, I felt the strong presence of another. I let them stay and the experience was one I will never forget. I saw colors in a way I had not seen them before, like a camera with the shutter wide open and a dust-free lens. By the end of the session I was crying, but that was okay too. I was not upset.
 
If the “presence of another” confession leads you to believe that I do fall into the “just plain crazy” category, I understand. But if it makes you feel better, it isn’t usually like that. More often than not, it’s just comforting. Like a good massage on a non-physical level. Sometimes I get up from the table and I feel sleepy, so I know I need to rest. Sometimes I get up and feel energized, so I know I need to do something. And sometimes I’m just more content to go about the routine of daily life.  I might add that I’m a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a staff agent for State Farm.  How normal is that?
 
As for sharing it with others, I am learning that the experience is a little different for everyone. I have channeled Reiki for my youngest daughter who experienced relief from anxiety, but continues to struggle with a deep sadness so our sessions are infrequent. It is too much for her right now. On demand, I channeled Reiki for my middle daughter who described it as itchy and hot. She was curious and thanked me afterwards. She’s straightforward like that. My husband also described it as itchy and was certain that I pinched his ears. Not surprisingly, he has trouble with his ears. When he got up, he was yawning and I was glad to see him relaxed since he is typically hyper. He also told me that mornings would be better for him. A friend and her daughter both described heat and that night I learned that Reiki is truly in charge. My friend was feeling a lot of tension in her shoulders that did not respond to my hands when placed in that area. Instead, she felt a warm rush and release in her shoulders when I touched her feet. Go figure.
 
To date, the most touching sessions have been with my granddaughter. She is five years old, sweet, sassy and everything in between. She lets go in an instant and I am honored by her trust. One night she was so agitated and out of control that I informed her we were going to the table. She didn’t argue. She wanted to go. She kept her eyes open that time and we whispered to each other.
 
$150 for Reiki I: a day to remember. Time, energy and commitment to daily self treatment: beginning to see results. $160 for a Reiki Table and another $30 for music: a more comfortable place to do Reiki. $170 for a beautiful, soft sage room divider: privacy, so people walking around in the kitchen don’t stare into the sunroom and make fun of you while you’re lying on a table with your hands up in the air! Seeing a sweet smile on your granddaughter’s face when she places her own hands beneath yours and whispers “I can feel it, Grammy!”: priceless.
 
Okay, so I paid Dana with a check. You get my point. And truthfully, I’ve spent less money than I did on my hair last year.
 
If you choose to share the experience of a Reiki attunement with Dana Lisa Young, you will not choose – as someone so aptly put it in a testimonial – an “airy fairy.” Dana presents the gift of Reiki in a concise and intelligent manner. No frills, no nonsense. And with just the right amount of humor.

My advice to you? If you hear the call, answer it. I assure you, it’s okay.

Interested in learning how to do Reiki energy healing for balancing mind, body and spirit?  Sign up now to reserve your place for the following classes:

• Reiki I – Saturday, August 28, 2010 (12 PM – 6 PM)
• Reiki II – Saturday, August 14, 2010 (12 PM – 6 PM)

 My Reiki training classes are single-day workshops with plenty of opportunity to practice channeling Reiki to yourself and others.  Along with the necessary Reiki energetic attunements, students will receive all the information, tools and ongoing guidance to practice Reiki with confidence.  I also provide support to my Reiki students by providing them with the opportunity to participate in refresher workshops, receive a monthly student newsletter, practice in community with other Reiki practitioners, and maintain contact to answer questions as needed.

All classes will be held at Candler Park Chiropractic in Atlanta. For more information, pricing and to sign up, see my Reiki Classes page.

I will be offering Reiki for donation-only pricing at Candler Park Chiropractic on Sunday, August 8 from 11 a.m – 2 p.m. Participants will receive a 20-25 minute mini Reiki session in a soothing setting with ambient music and aromatherapy.

If you’ve never had energy work done, this is a great opportunity to experience it, while being mindful of your budget. I regularly offer a low-cost Reiki healing clinic in the Atlanta area as part of my mission to make energy medicine more accessible and affordable to the public. 

Space for the Reiki clinic is limited. To sign up for a time slot, contact me via email or by phone: 678-640-6146.

Candler Park Chiropractic is located in the Candler Park Connection complex adjacent to the Edgewood-Candler Park MARTA station.  The office is on the second floor:

1522 Dekalb Avenue, Ste B.
Atlanta, GA 30307

*Please note: I accept cash or check only. Thank you for your consideration!

Reiki is a healing art from Japan that uses light touch on or just above the body to help facilitate deep relaxation, balance energy levels and promote an optimal state of well-being.  The gentle nature of this bodywork is especially beneficial for expectant and new mothers because it helps prepare women for the physical, emotional and spiritual changes necessary for a “centered” pregnancy, labor and post-partum recovery experience.

Reiki healing is especially useful for relieving the physical discomforts of pregnancy.  The hormones associated with pregnancy – human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and estrogen — contributes to gastric distress. Reiki relaxes the gastrointestinal walls and can reduce or alleviate the sensation of nausea.  It also provides relief from round ligament pain, as well as hip, back and nerve-based pain (sciatica and carpal tunnel are two common conditions) typically experienced as pregnancy progresses.  Reiki can be so deeply relaxing that people often drift off into asleep – and as any pregnant woman knows, sleep is a valuable commodity! 

Many pregnant women are juggling demands associated with careers, expectations from their families, changes in their relationships with their partners, and of course, in their bodies. These factors can exacerbate fatigue and mood swings.  Reiki can help expectant mothers reduce stress and remain more grounded emotionally.  A Reiki treatment is, first and foremost, time for women to reorient themselves and their bodies during a time when they may no longer feel like it belongs to them.  Reiki, along with other supportive practices such as chiropractic, prenatal massage and prenatal yoga, can have great benefits for a mother-to-be and her developing baby.

The soothing energy of Reiki provides a non-invasive comfort measure, relieving pain from contractions and reducing anxiety during labor.  The use of Reiki may reduce or eliminate the need for an epidural or other pharmaceutical pain relief.  Spouses, partners, doulas and other childbirth professionals trained in Reiki can be a valuable source of support for laboring women:

The birth partner has the very specific role during labor, delivery and post-birth of giving the mother and the baby Reiki, creating that Reiki space of peaceful, deep relaxation that assists the mother in flowing with her body and the baby throughout labor. – “Reiki and Sacred Childbirth”, Summer 2010 issue of Reiki News Magazine 

Assisting a laboring mother with Reiki can provide the space and support for her to experience a centered, empowered birth experience. It can be tremendously gratifying for the spouse or partner to be able to provide an additional source of loving and energetic support, creating a deep shared connection between the couple.

Reiki is also helpful for post-partum recovery.  Women’s bodies undergo tremendous change to support the new life growing inside them; it takes a while for the body’s organs and processes to return to a normal non-pregnancy state.  Healing is still occurring inside a mother’s body after her baby is born, even after an easy or uncomplicated birth. Reiki can help new mothers maintain energetic and emotional balance during those first weeks of adjustment.  This is especially important for the percentage of women who may experience post-partum depression. 

For those women who had a difficult labor, or had a cesarean birth, Reiki can help facilitate healing on physical and emotional levels.  Recent clinical studies show Reiki to be effective for reducing anxiety and post-surgical pain in hospitalized patients.  Women recovering from surgery or birth trauma can certainly benefit from this additional source of compassionate, palliative support. The medications used to relieve post-surgical pain often have unpleasant side effects, and the discomfort from the incision can make it difficult for women to hold or breastfeed their babies.  Reiki augments the physical healing process, enabling women to get back on their feet sooner.  Energy-based therapies, such as Reiki, emit extra low-frequency (ELF) signals, which have been shown to stimulate tissue repair and nerve regeneration:

[Dr. John] Zimmerman found that the pulsing field produced by the hands of practitioners is not steady in frequency, but varies from moment to moment.  The frequency sweeps up and down through the very same range of frequencies in the ELF band that medical researchers have identified as being effective for jump starting the healing process in the various tissues. –  Science and the Human Energy Field, Oschman, James L. Ph.D

Reiki also works on emotional levels, helping women integrate their experience, alleviate PTSD symptoms and allowing them to experience wholeness and well-being again.

Reiki honors the women we are: our bodies, our emotions and the spirit within that give us strength and purpose.  Please contact me if you are expecting a baby, and would like to find out more how Reiki can help support you in a healthy, happy and centered pregnancy. 

 Photo credit: Storyvillegirl

Is your stress level as high as the heat index?  Are you in need of mental, physical or emotional balance? Ready to seek new direction in your life?

For the month of July, I’m offering the following specials:

• Two 60 minute Reiki sessions: $100 ($20 off regular pricing)
• Refer a friend and receive a FREE 30 minute Reiki session! (Referral must book and complete a Reiki or life coaching session.)
• 60 minute life coaching session: $60 ($15 off regular pricing)
• 30 minute session for $30 (weekends only – please contact me for availability)

Please contact me via email or phone (678-640-6146) for more information and to schedule your session.

“Practice being gentle, respectful and loving towards the life force in all things.  In other words, behave as if the God in all life really mattered.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

Several days ago, my husband left for work in the morning as usual.  About 5 minutes later, he returned, carefully holding a bag that was rustling in his hand.  “We have an event,” he said.  Inside the bag were two tiny, pink, hairless possum babies.  Someone had hit the mama possum at the end of our road, and my husband stopped to respectfully move her body over to the grass.  As he did so, he saw the babies outside their mama’s pouch. 

Although my husband was not entirely sure what to do, he knew he couldn’t leave them there.  So, he picked them up and brought them home immediately.  We placed them inside a shoebox lined with an an old t-shirt and placed the box on top of a heating pad set on low.  I called our vet and the Chattahoochee Nature Center to see who might be able to care for these babies.  They referred me to For Pet’s Sake, a veterinarian’s office specializing in avian and exotic species, because they work with a wildlife rehabilitator.  The office is located not far from my home and I was already familiar with their practice.  Years ago, I owned a cockatiel whose wing became infected and Dr. Hutcheson helped me nurse him back to health. 

My husband had to leave for work, so I took the possum babies over to the veterinarian’s office.  I drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shoebox.  I gave Reiki to those babies the whole way.  The energy was very strong.  They were mewling softly, but still active.  We have no idea how long it had been since the mother possum died, but the babies were clearly hungry. 

It was a very emotional experience, connecting to these babies with this spiritual energy.  It brought back memories of holding my infant daughter in my arms, feeling Reiki flowing from me to her effortlessly.  These little beings no longer had their mama and needed all the help they could get simply to survive.  I was praying for their well-being, while trusting that Reiki would work for their highest good. 

As I was about to make a left onto the road where the office was, a car suddenly appeared in front of me with the license plate: BLSINGS.  I began crying because I knew I’d been sent a sign that Spirit was present and working on the babies’ behalf.  I also believe it was Spirit that led my husband down the street in the opposite direction he usually takes to go to the office in order to be of loving service to these animals. 

I brought the possums into the office and the veterinary assistant immediately whisked them into the back to place them in an incubator.  After examining them, she told me they were a boy and a girl.  They required tube feeding, because their mouths weren’t even fully open yet.  (To get a sense of just how small they were, see this story about a bushtail possum baby that was rescued in Australia.) The assistant added that we could call later that day to check on their status, which I really appreciated. 

Sharing Reiki with the babies was a profound moment of bonding.  Dr. Wayne Dyer says:

Being gentle, respectful and loving to one other person or creature has major significance for you and the other.  The energy of love is sent out into the universe and connects with the same loving essence that is in all things.

The possum babies are now with the wildlife rehabilitator.  I’m hopeful they will survive and thrive to where they can be released.  Having the opportunity to assist in their rescue was humbling and touching.  It was a very direct experience of being interconnected to a species we otherwise have little contact with, since possums are nocturnal and naturally shy. 

In the space and spirit of Reiki, there is no other.  There is only us held in the midst of the healing, affirmational energy of love.

Learn about the seven major Archangels and how you can work directly with them for protection, manifestation and spiritual growth.  Each of us has some degree of extra-sensory awareness.  This workshop will help you understand what information to look for and how to increase your clairvoyant capabilities.

I will also initiate you to the Colors of Angels Attunement, which assists in helping increase energetic contact with the Archangels and their associated color rays.

The attunement is ideal for:

• Healers who wants to incorporate the assistance of the Archangels in their practice
• Someone who feels a connection already to one or more Archangels but would like to strengthen the connection
• Someone who is interested in connecting to the Archangels, but isn’t sure where to start

The Colors of Angels attunement will connect you more deeply to each Archangel, making it easier to call upon any or all of these Archangels much more easily and whenever you wish.  

Archangels are associated with color rays that represent their spiritual power. Simply visualizing the color of each Archangel will help you feel the connection strengthen.  The Seven Archangels and Rays are:

• ARCHANGEL MICHAEL who serves in the First Ray which is the Blue Ray and the Ray of Protection and Power
• ARCHANGEL JOPHIEL who serves on the Second or Yellow Ray which is the Ray of Illumination and Wisdom
• ARCHANGEL CHAMUEL who serves on the Third or Pink Ray which is the Ray of Love
• ARCHANGEL GABRIEL who serves on the Fourth or White Ray which is the Ray of Harmony and Purity
• ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL who serves on the Fifth Ray or Green Ray which is the Ray of Healing
• ARCHANGEL URIEL who serves on the Sixth Ray or Gold Ray which is the Ray of Peace
• ARCHANGEL ZADKIEL who serves on the Seventh Ray or Violet Ray which is the Ray of Freedom

The workshop also includes the Colors of Angels manual and related handouts.

Date: Sunday, August 22 (12-4 PM) at Candler Park Chiropractic

Cost: $60

Space is limited to 8 people.  Please reserve your place by Friday, August 20.