FEBRUARY 1996 NEWSLETTER
by PENELOPE JEWELL

Traditional Teaching Master of Reiki
P.O. Box 1403
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
Phone: 518/ 695-3954
Fax: 518/ 695-4662
Email: Penelope-Jewell@cyb1.com

Dearest Friends -

Save a tree - I am updating my mailing list. If you find a postcard enclosed, and if you want to continue to receive these mailings, you need to write your name, address and phone number on the back of the card, stamp it, and return it to me. Otherwise I will assume that you have heard enough, already, passed this information on to someone who might be interested, or at least chucked this into the recycle bin, and I'll move your vital information into a more restful inactive file. If there is no postcard enclosed it means I'll continue to send you my sporadic greetings unless you contact me directly and ask me to stop.

Also under saving a tree, for those of you who are computer oriented and into electronic mail, I have new addresses:

Email: Penelope-Jewell@cyb1.com

Home Page: Http://www.cyb1.com/reiki and Http://www.cyb1.com/Jewell

My friend Dave Miller (Email: Millerd@cyb1.com) at CyberOne (518-437-1600) is supporting me to get into this. We are just getting set up, so I'll let you know how it is working next time I write. "They" may have invented something even more fantastic by then. I'm old enough to remember no dial telephones with a live, polite operator at the other end, and the first tiny screen televisions. This feels like television all over again, with a quantum leap added. It's really exciting to be part of this process.

So, how have you all been? It has been a while since I've written, and I wonder what is new for you, what new directions your life may have taken. There are registration forms enclosed for some workshops and happenings in the Reiki world, and my 1996 calendar which will, of course, have additions and revisions five minutes after this mailing goes out. So please call ahead to confirm any dates. And - guess who is coming to dinner at the North East Reiki Gathering this year -

Phyllis Furumoto has agreed to be our guest presenter at both the Master's meeting and the practitioner's gathering at Phoenicia this year. For those of you who have not been initiated into Reiki, she is what we call the Lineage Bearer of the Usui System of Reiki, also known as our Grand Master. We are fortunate to have her presence at our gathering. If you would like to meet her and hear her speak about the Usui System please register early, space at the Phoenicia Pathworks Center is limited. The gathering is limited to Reiki practitioners.

The North East Reiki Gathering is in its fifth year. It is an open gathering for practitioners and Masters of all lineages. We have been sponsoring a Master's meeting before the general gathering each year. Last year we began having "breakout" Master's meetings because a year seemed too long to go between sharing time together. We meet in mid-March and July near Saratoga Springs, New York, at Carol von Kaenel's house. Her number is 518-584-4617 if you would like further information.

The North East Reiki Gathering is looking into sponsoring Reiki gatherings in areas besides Phoenicia, New York. If you feel the pull to have a Reiki gathering in your state or area, for Masters, student/practitioner, or both, please call Jan Smith (603-279-8568), Carol von Kaenel (518-584-4617), or Enoch Davis (914-664-7021/1142) to discuss things further.

You may be wondering what "open" gathering means, isn't Reiki simply Reiki? Isn't all Reiki the same? Well, yes and no. At the North East Reiki Gathering we spend out time celebrating our common experience of Reiki as a healing aspect in our lives. However, there are different approaches to practicing Reiki.

Reiki Paths
and Lines ...

Remember, Reiki is not a religion, Reiki is a healing technique. You do not have to believe anything about Reiki to practice it, or receive benefits from a treatment. Reiki energy addresses body, mind and spirit; supporting physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. Reiki doesn't do the healing, you do, as you practice Reiki, the Usui system of Natural Healing.

Reiki is a lot like meditation - you have to actually practice meditation to enjoy the benefits, you can't just read or talk about it. So in Reiki, a Master (teacher) has to teach you how to do it, and initiate you into the practice - you can't just learn Reiki from a book.

Being a practice, or something you must "do", it is inevitable that there are differences of opinion as to how best to practice Reiki, and/or how best to teach others how to practice it. It reminds me of the different schools of martial arts, and the lineages within those schools.

Energetic compatibility with your teacher and their method is important. Whichever lineage or Master you choose to begin with, what really counts is your own discipline and practice - how it fits and works in your life. You need to know what is important for you, and ask these questions of your potential teacher. This is an area where you, as the consumer, really need to be informed, and it isn't always easy. The terms can be confusing, even to Masters.

There is no central clearing house for information on the various lineages or the methods they practice. Going to a "Traditional" Master only means the particular tradition in which that Master was trained, not necessarily the "original" path or way. There are no universally agreed upon or enforced definitions at this time. "Reiki" has come to be as generic a term in the healing world as "Christian" or "Jewish" are in the religious world.

If you would like a copy of an article I wrote on this subject, If You Are Considering Mastery, I'll send you one if you send me a stamped, self-addressed legal size envelope. Or, look on Email. In case you are wondering, I was trained in and practice the Usui System of Natural Healing as defined by Phyllis Furumoto (see the article), and my lineage is: Usui (founder), Hayashi, Takata (who brought Reiki to the West), Phyllis Furumoto (Takata's granddaughter, current Lineage Bearer), Linda Keiser Mardis (my teaching Master). I teach classes, and train Usui Masters.

Training time is important for Masters. It is possible to be initiated as a Master, but not have the training or experience to teach. Training is the beginning of a continuing relationship that Usui Masters maintain with their initiating Master, part of the strength of our lineage and tradition.

I have trained and initiated seven Masters in the Usui System and they all hold Reiki classes, information nights and sharing groups in their areas, as well as giving private sessions and traveling to teach - how not, they trained with me! Call them for Reiki events in their areas.

Master Candidates who sponsor Reiki sharings and classes:

Dedicated Reiki Practitioners who sponsor sharings and classes:

If you are Reiki trained, I encourage you to begin your own sharing or exchange group for Reiki in your area. If you would like to talk about ways to do this you can call me or any of the people listed above. It is a great way to get a Reiki treatment! Of course I always encourage you to sponsor a Reiki class - that is a great way to get interested people for a sharing group or individual exchanges! If you are not Reiki trained you may be wondering what a class is like.

Classes in the first level of Reiki (in the tradition I teach) are held in four consecutive sessions of about three hours each, with one initiation or attunement to the energy in each section. Usually the first session describes the history of Reiki and how it applies in your life, including the self healing positions. The second session begins with a demonstration of positions on the head, followed by practice. The third session addresses the chest/stomach area including organs of the body; the fourth session covers the back area and glands. The student practices giving and receiving Reiki in each section of the class, and will have given and received a full treatment by the end of the class.

The fee for a first level Reiki class is now $150. In July I will be raising my fee to $175, which includes a Reiki I manual hot off the presses. (More on the Reiki manual later.)

The fee to repeat a Reiki class if you are originally my student is $50 or a comparable energy exchange, and I ask that you attend the entire class. Repeater room is limited, so please call me if you have any questions, or call the sponsor to make arrangements.

The fee for a Reiki II class is $500. Classes in the second level of Reiki have a different format, and include the use of symbols to access and direct the flow of energy. The same policies apply for repeating. If you are not my student and wish to sit in on a class, please call me directly.

Classes and Retreats:

Speaking of classes, the enclosed calendar lists my upcoming classes and the sponsors to call in each area.

This will be the third year I'll be giving a Reiki I training at Ferry Beach in Saco, Maine, over the Fourth of July. Ferry Beach, truly right on the beach, is run by the Unitarian Universalist church as a workshop/resort in the summer. Workshop leaders donate their time and services. Many people who have already taken Reiki come to spend this time as a retreat - reconnecting with Reiki and lots of treatment time. Call Ferry Beach 207-282-4489 for a catalogue.

And speaking of retreats, there are two coming up this year that might be of interest. The first is a women's empowerment (more on empowerment in two paragraphs) retreat in March in New Hampshire. Jan Smith (603-279-8568)is sponsoring this one for me.

I will be hosting a Reiki retreat in Lake George, New York, Tuesday, September 10 - Sunday, September 15. This is open to my students of any level. We will be sharing treatments and experiences in a lovely mansion right on the water. The fee is $250 which includes food and lodging. There will be plenty of free time to enjoy the scenery, go swimming if you are brave of heart (the water is cold!), or visit downtown Lake George, which is a quaint tourist heaven.

Empowerment:

For those of you who have been following these newsletters awhile, you know that Randy Gearhart and I began teaching self empowerment classes together about six years ago. Randy is a nationally certified addictions counselor, and when we met he was looking for a more holistic method of therapy. Reiki was it.

We began working together and found a natural connection between his psychology and my philosophy, his intellectual and my experiential approach in bringing about healing, growth and change in ourselves and our clients. We are both dedicated to our own healing and growth, we continue to study the underlying concepts, and use these techniques ourselves.

We created "self-empowerment" workshops in both substance and behavioral addictions/recovery areas. We use broader understandings of traditional ideas, for example: personal boundaries are a natural part of our auric field; inner child and higher self are powerful parts of our functional being whether we recognize them or not, whether we integrate their wisdom, or not.

We use the term self-empowerment because our basic premise is conscious use of our own power to recognize, release and change old, non productive, or addictive patterns and behaviors. These patterns/behaviors are often based on erroneous information or understandings from our childhood, and they have profound effects on our decision making processes and the resulting quality of our life. Once we recognize these patterns, and choose to change them, we can move into truly conscious living, clear decision making which creates the future we really want and deserve.

Randy and I combine many different techniques, using both intellectual and experiential approaches to look at the attitudes and assumptions that affect our lives. We work with forgiveness and release of self and others, use healing to fill injured areas and dissolve the need for any dysfunction.

The women's empowerment that I teach looks particularly at the family, religious and cultural influences on women in this society, and the effects of limited thinking based on our assumptions. The emphasis is on recognition and release of outdated or harmful information, making the space and freeing up the energy needed to take clear responsibility for ourselves, and to create our lives as we choose from this time on.

All of these workshops are intensive, and life changing. We provide a safe and supportive atmosphere to do this work. Many people repeat an empowerment workshop each year, noticing the changes in thinking and behavior that occur as old behavior patterns are replaced with conscious living. Reiki is used as a support and healing energy in all these workshops. Randy and I are teaching empowerment together in March (11-14) and July (15-18) Gansevoort, New York, at Carol von Kaenel's (518-584-4617). I am teaching women's empowerment in March (28-31)in New Hampshire at Jan Smith's (603-279-8568) and September (26-29). Fee, $250, including food, lodging may be extra.
In case you are wondering what I've been up to since you last heard from me. (you can skip the next few paragraphs if you are not wondering) I'm still travelling a lot. So if you are one of the phone calls that my answering machine ate, or my son erased, please accept my apologies and try me again. I called home one day and this was the conversation: "Any calls for me?" "Yeah, somebody called from Spain." "What's the name and number?" "Oh, I erased it. Was it important?" I especially liked the one where another son took a full answer tape off the machine to keep the messages intact. Does anyone know where he might have put it?

Reiki I and II Manuals:

The other thing I've been up to is a Reiki I manual. I wrote a manual on Reiki II, also, but you have to come to a Reiki II class to get that one. The Reiki I manual is self-published at the moment, and is available in the United States for $20 for my students, $35 otherwise. It's worth it. This includes shipping. You can get one free if you take a Reiki I class, tho.

I really struggled about writing things down because in Reiki, I come through an oral tradition. Nothing was written about Reiki in my lineage when I first became initiated in the spring of 1985. I remember really wanting more information and stories about Reiki.

In an oral tradition these come through the practice of Reiki - giving and receiving treatments, sitting in on classes and attending gatherings. This is all part of the "discipline" of Reiki - incorporating it in our life.

An oral tradition also ensures that each student has a working relationship with a Master, which is necessary to become initiated. This supports the student/practitioner as they deepen their own experience with Reiki healing.

I support the oral tradition and the practice it engenders. Reading about something is not experiencing it. I tell people that reading about Reiki is a lot like reading about sex - it might give you some background, even some pointers, but you'll miss a lot if you limit your experience to the book.

Nothing can replace receiving a Reiki treatment, or being in the presence of a Master who tells the Reiki story, or teaches a class. Yet, I remember being so very grateful when the first books on Reiki started coming out - at least the ones by Helen Haberly and Fran Brown. I've been less grateful for some of the others. And I read all the things currently written about Reiki - at least what I know about or that are in English - I believe there are more books in German now than in English. I have a whopping total of six titles on my recommended list, a few more on my "don't waste your money or time" list.

So, this book of mine got created with every request for written information from my students. I carried it in my mind and heart for years while it grew strong enough to stand on its own. And I finally wrote it down last November. Thanks to Dave Miller who equipped me with a lap-top computer, Peter Coates and Heather Buglear who let me use their home and equipment and nursed me through computerese in England.

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