I’m here to help, what can I do?

Nine years ago I moved to San Diego from New York City not knowing what to expect.  

Why did I move to San Diego?  While here on a visit two years earlier, I was impressed with the beauty of the coast line; the backdrop of the mountains was just inspiring.  [I’m still very much affected by the natural beauty of this area.] The great weather, the friendliness of the people, and the energy, as compared to the frenetic activity of New York City, was a balm to me. But that was just the surface. Underneath it was a feeling of exhilaration, of adventure, of doing the right thing for me.

The move went really well, everything, literally, fell in to place. I was here for a reason, or so I felt.  I knew only one person in San Diego, and not very well. I didn’t have a job or a place to live. But a thought kept repeating in my mind, “I’m here to help, what can I do?” over and over again. Where the thought came from I don’t know, but I trusted it.  I also trusted that if I kept my awareness open, I would find out why.

I took a couple of office jobs and while I liked the people I worked with, I didn’t like the work.  What to do, what to do? Then one day I heard a presentation on Reiki. I liked what the speaker said and how she said it; it felt right. So I started taking classes with her. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. My curiosity was never-ending.  

More Reiki learning opportunities came to me over the years that have made me wonder at the sequence of events that have lead me to where I am today as a Reiki master, practitioner and teacher. I look back on it all with wonder. Were unseen hands in it from the beginning? Yes, I would say so.

I’m here to help, what can I do?

Emmy Martinez
Reiki master, practitioner, & teacher
San Diego, CA

Reiki Power of Touch

Are you a non-conformist?

Written 2013

A non-conformist, according to http://www.thefreedictionary.com is  “…a person who refuses to conform, as to established customs, attitudes, or ideas.”

Recently I had a choice to make.  Whether to go with the flow, or not.  I chose not to. 

My principles were being tested.  It was a situation where I knew I would grieve for a terrible loss, and I did, or go with my gut feeling which said my decision was the right one.  Ever get that feeling?  

I guess being a con-conformist is also why I chose to become an alternative energy worker.  But that’s a story for another time.

Emmy Martinez
Reiki Master
San Diego, CA 

Reiki Power of Touch

“Teach me to do what you do!”

First posted 2013

Wow!  What a compliment. This from a family member who’s mother I was treating and who’s health was improving as a result of my Reiki ministrations.

As a Reiki Master I delight in being asked to talk about and/or teach someone Reiki. I believe we were all given the gift of healing in what ever form it manifests itself to us.  We are all Healers*.

By coming to me and asking me to teach you Reiki, you have chosen a method by which to begin. This is your first step. It will definitely not be your last, that is, if you are serious about your commitment to help others.  If you are as enthusiastic as I was when I first heard of Reiki, you will do whatever it takes:  find the right teacher, pay the price, and travel as far as you need to be taught by that teacher who inspired you. Listen to your gut feelings.

Is Reiki easy to learn?  Is it easy to do?  Yes and yes.  Does it take a long time to learn?  Well, yes and no.  The class itself does not take a great deal of time; that of course depends on the teacher’s style.  However, and I love the phrase:  You learn Reiki by doing Reiki.  Don’t know if I made that up or if I “borrowed” it, but it’s a fact.  You learn Reiki by doing Reiki.  The more you “do” Reiki, the more you learn.  How is that?  You learn by becoming aware of the energy, the energy moving through you, the energy moving through your hands, the energy moving into your client. Each time will be different from the last.  

There is more to it, but you’ll have to take a class with me to learn what that would be.

Emmy Martinez
Reiki Master
San Diego, CA

*Caveat:  In Reiki WE do not heal; it is the Universal Life Force that heals.


Reiki Power of Touch 

Reiki at Sharp Memoiral Hospital

First published in the San Diego Reiki Corps Newsletter in 2011, vol. 9

I was giving Maria, an Oncology patient at Sharp Memorial Hospital, her first Reiki treatment; she dozed off easily after a few minutes. As I completed the treatment she awoke and to my surprise began to cry. I asked her, in Spanish, are you OK? She replied, “I have not felt so at peace in a very long time. God Bless you.”

As a member of the San Diego Reiki Corps, I volunteer at Sharp Memorial Hospital. I have been treating Oncology patients with Reiki energy in One West for two years, before that in Eight North for several years. I’m amazed at how quickly time has passed.

Michael, a Leukemia patient, at the end of his session thanked me with a look of wonder saying, "The headache I had going into the treatment, is now gone." Invariably, once a patient has had a Reiki treatment they will request more during their stay. Some will ask about receiving treatment after leaving the hospital.

The first thing you notice about the Oncology unit at Sharp Memorial is the dedication of the nursing staff; the absolute concentration they exhibit in their work. When we tell them why we’re there, they acknowledge us, and smile immediately. They know that the Reiki energy we lovingly give will help their patients recover that much quicker.  Even doctors, when we come across them of an evening, will acquiesce to our presence and let us do what we came to do. First time patients, after receiving a treatment, are surprised at how very relaxed they feel. 

What do I get out of it? I think that’s evident. The look of wonder, the smile from the patient or the patient’s family for helping their loved one, is enough for me.

Emmy Martinez

Reiki Master

San Diego, CA

Reiki Power of Touch

How To Find The Right Reiki Teacher

First posted in the San Diego Reiki Corps Newsletter in 2012 vol. 1, and 2013 vol. 15.

First, consider that you attract into your life the right person for you at the right time, always, for whatever lesson(s) need to be learned.

I received a call the other day from a young man who said he was interviewing for “a Reiki teacher who does attunements.”  He went on to say, “I’m gathering information on (Reiki) masters and venues to figure out which is best for me.”  This call is what prompted me to write about how to find the right teacher; I got the impression from our short conversation that he was more interested in getting “attuned” than taking the necessary steps/class to become a Reiki practitioner.

Here are some guidelines to use in the pursuit of the right Reiki teacher for you.  While there may be many questions you would like to ask in your interview, the following, I think, are the more pertinent.  By the way, before you even begin your research, you need to ask yourself the question of why you want to learn to do Reiki.  If your (honest) answer is less than altruistic, maybe you need to look elsewhere for a new interest.

1. How long has the teacher been practicing Reiki?  Teaching?  This assumes that the person you are speaking to has gone through the necessary levels of Reiki instruction, to mastership.  It is the master who has the knowledge to give you the correct attunement for the level of Reiki you are completing, and can guide you in how to give a proper Reiki treatment.  Choosing a person who says they have been a Reiki master for 20 years over someone who has only five years (as an example) does not necessarily make one better than the other.  Yes, 20 years is an impressive number, but has that person been practicing, studying and teaching in that time?  Or, has it been a sometime thing?  A Reiki master with only five years of experience may have the experience you need to understand the nuances of the Reiki energy and how to handle situations as they come up.  More on that in the following steps.

2. Has the teacher been affiliated with a hospital and/or hospice? Volunteering in a clinical environment will have given your teacher a wider sense of familiarity in giving Reiki treatment to patients who have had varying energy deficiencies.  The more experience your teacher has, the more information he/she can impart. 

3. Does the teacher/practitioner perform a daily centering, meditative ritual or routine? The practice of training the mind to be still and at peace is an added benefit to giving a Reiki treatment. Although Reiki can be given without this preparation, stilling the mind so that it can focus solely on the patient/client at hand will allow the energy to flow freely and unhindered.

4. Does the teacher/practitioner practice self-healing (Reiki) on themselves everyday?  Reiki self-treatment is essential for anyone who is serious about practicing or teaching Reiki. Becoming in tune with the energy in your body helps you to expand and deepen your sense of awareness of the energy called Reiki. It also helps you sleep better.

5. What type of Reiki does the teacher practice? Be ware of practices that call themselves Reiki, but are not. You’ll want to be sure that your teacher has come from the lineage begun by Dr. Mikao Usui, in Japan, and subsequently Mrs. Hawayo Takata who brought Reiki to the West.  Your teacher should come from this lineage. 

6. What is covered in the class? How many hours/class? Will there be hands-on practice? From past experience, the Reiki master will be able to give you an overview of the class you are signing up for.

7. Will this training initiate you into the Usui Reiki lineage?  The answer should be yes.

8. What is an attunement? Again, the Reiki master should be able to give you a brief idea of what an attunement encompasses.

9. Will the Reiki master be available to you for questions, after the class is over? When beginning, there are always questions as to whether Reiki is being done correctly.  Reiki is learned by doing. The more Reiki you practice, the more confident you become. However, there may be a few questions after all is said and done. You’d like to have someone to reach out to.

10. Does the Reiki master belong to a support group and can you join? It benefits all Reiki practitioners to belong to a Reiki support group. Here you can meet other practitioners, trade information, ask questions, and may hear of opportunities available to you within the community.

I hope these guidelines help you in your pursuit of the right Reiki teacher. Will you attract the right person into your life at this time? Only you will know.

 

Emmy Martinez

Reiki master, practitioner & teacher

San Diego, CA


Reiki Power of Touch

This Spring, Watch Your Words Grow...by Gillian MacBeth-Louthan

Read this article and liked it, hope you do too.

Spring 2014

“Words, like little seeds, have a great creative power. When we speak, we are giving life to what we are saying.  We are all farmers of our lives, planting seeds every day. We are going to get exactly what we sowed. Life is a powerful current that sometimes takes us in a bumpy direction that does not always fit us so well. There are no straight lines in the natural world, so we always end up exactly where we need to be.

We are who we are today because of the words we have spoken in the past. All of our words are self-fulfilling prophecies. Listen to what you say. Negative thoughts do not need to be planted in your tilled fields. The moment you speak something outright, it takes on a completely new connotation and an entirely different energy. Like a teenager off to college, it kicks up its heels and heads straight for the forbidden fruit.

We prophesy the future by the words we speak. If you don’t like what you’re experiencing, start changing your words. Our words are always a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Don’t be a Danny-downer farmer expecting the worst from the seeds he planted. You can cancel out the universe’s best-laid plans by your own negative musings. Prophesy the good within you. You will have what you say. Your words are going to give exactly what you have spoken. (From your lips to God’s ear.)

It’s better to say nothing than to say something negative. Negative words cancel out God’s plan; you are either blessing or cursing your life with every word. Speak words of faith; declare God’s kindness in your life and heart. Change the atmosphere of your life with words: Call in good, call in light, call in love, and call in blessings. Do not talk about your problems; talk about solutions. Call to the invisible as if it were visible. Call with faith-filled words, at least half full. Change your world by changing your words. Circumstances line up with every word you utter. Your words become a self-fulfilling prophesy. You are the architect of your state of affairs. What you have created by your words, you can change. There are countless futures that exist at the same time. Your own behavior determines which universe you exist in and enter. Prophecy is seeing the future in present actions.”


Emmy Martinez
Reiki Master
Reiki Power of Touch 
San Diego, CA
 

So you’ve become a Reiki Practitioner, now what?

Reiki Self-Treatment

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