It's been exactly 15 years since I’ve first heard about
Reiki. I still remember those first few months that led me to learn Reiki and
all the magical things that happened during those months (and many more in following
years).
It was the last week of January in 2002. One weekend, my
mother-in-law and I were talking on the phone like we do every week. She casually
mentioned that she has learned Reiki in a weekend workshop. I probably wouldn’t believe what I’ve heard if
it would have been someone else but I trust my mother-in-law, she is very down
to earth and sharp woman. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around how could you
touch and heal. I always believed that
some people are born with the ability to heal but those were natural healers, I
believed. It’s just that I didn’t think anyone could do it.
Of course I went to internet, googled Reiki and there were
lots and lots of information, anywhere from free distant attunements to classes
charging $10,000. I lay it to rest for a while.
Couple weeks later, in mid-February, I went to Florida for
business. I had 1 hour free time until a business
dinner. I was driving back to the hotel when I saw a book store in a strip
mall. The rest, I’ll never forget….
I made a sharp left
turn, parked the car in front of the book store. I walked in to the store. I
walked right into an aisle on the left. I walked to the end of the book shelf
and reach out and grabbed a book, yes…
a Reiki book.
Even today, when I
know where the Health/Alternative healing, etc. books are located in a
bookstore I can’t find Reiki books at first try. It was simply a miracle to
walk right to a store and pick a book, a Reiki book, without searching or even
thinking about it. It was like the book jumped to me.
It was Sandy Leir Shuffrey’s Teach Yourself Reiki and the
first sentence of the book was that You cannot teach yourself Reiki! It’s
because this book is published by ”Teach Yourself” series, it’s called Teach
Yourself Reiki. Anyway, I immediately started to read the book, memorized the
hand positions and started doing Reiki to myself. It was amazing that even though
I didn’t have the attunements, I was feeling the energy. I can’t forget the deep restful sleeps I got
those first few weeks.
When I returned home I immediately started looking for
classes in Cincinnati.
That journey was quite amazing too. I found couple Reiki Masters and Mira Shukla
amongst them who teaches at Tri Health Pavillion. I realized I missed her class
by one week and I was going to be out of the country in her next class; and the
following class coincided with my sister’s wedding. It was like a curse. Months
have passed and I was still chasing a class.
It was September, the schools started and my son’s school
had an Open House. There were after school activities accepting registrations
during the Open House. My son and his best friend wanted to go to Kumon, an
after school reading and math program. I
talked to the Director of Kumon during Open House, and registered my son. I
grabbed the Director’s business card and it was Mira Shukla. I walked with the
card in my hand and read the name few times. I couldn’t believe it, it was the
Reiki Master I was chasing for month. I went back to the desk and asked her if
she is the Reiki Master Mira Shukla. We both laughed and I told her that I was
chasing her classes for months. She promised to let me know for the next class
in October. That class got cancelled and I was at the end
of my patience. I couldn’t wait any longer. I was reading William Rand’s web
site and I was even corresponding with one of his Turkish students. I realized
there is a class coming up next weekend in Detroit. I called immediately and
the associate said the class was full for weeks and someone just called and
cancelled. One spot was available and it was mine. I signed up immediately.
The next day I saw Mira at school. She asked me if I got her
phone message. No, I didn’t. She said she left me a message that she was going
to teach me a private class because I was waiting for so long. I told her that
I signed up to William Rand’s class and I am going to Detroit next weekend.
I went home and there was a red light blinking in the answering
machine, which neither me or my husband noticed in last 2 days. I played the message.
I couldn’t believe it. I rewind it again. It was an empty message with no
recording.
I knew I was supposed to go to William to Detroit.
