How I found Reiki

Although I was enjoying a conventional teaching career, the late 1990s were beginning to feel stressful. There were professional changes to contend with, and I was mother to two beautiful daughters. I became interested in ways of alleviating stress and maintaining not only physical and emotional balance, but also satisfying my spiritual needs. My soul was beginning to cry out for ‘more’! I had always been interested in and had an affinity with all things spiritual and subtle, and was fortunate enough to have grown up with tolerance for my spiritual experiences.

I began to explore some complementary therapies and met some interesting people along the way. When I first saw Reiki on a leaflet and asked what it was, I was simply told that I would love it – so I booked a session! And love it I did. Reiki reconnected me with a part of me that had lain dormant for a long time and I began to heal on all sorts of levels. Healing doesn’t necessarily take place because one is ill or stressed, healing is about making whole. Before I knew it I was taking Reiki 1, then within couple of months I took Reiki 2 and Reiki Master Practitioner followed. These were calm and uplifting experiences, not all singing and dancing ones with ESP! If anyone had even hinted at the fact that I would give up a successful mainstream career to teach it, I would have been deeply suspicious of their motive or psychic ability, and yet… Reiki invites change, and when you learn to flow with it, it really does support it. So, two years later, I left what had once been my dream job, a post I originally thought I would only leave at normal retirement age, in order to practise Reiki, massage and do Life coaching sessions for which I had qualified in the meantime.

At the same time, I was invited to pioneer Reiki in a Macmillan day oncology unit, and, thirteen years on, I am still working there one day a month. Some of my patients have even gone on to learn Reiki with me.

My meeting with Taggart was as “accidental” or “lucky” and well-timed as many other encounters on my journey. I had originally been teaching Western/Tibetan Reiki. Arjava Petter had published his book Reiki Fire, I had heard of Reiju and, as ever, I wanted to learn more.   Delight came with the simplicity and genuineness with which Taggart engaged with me in an email conversation, as my experience had generally been that Reiki Masters kept their cards close to their chest. And so it was that I decided to study Reiki again with Taggart, learn the Reiju Empowerments I had been seeking to learn, and re-do my Master Teacher training with him, in Essex in January 2003.

Since then, I have continued to follow my intuition. I support people in discovering and exploring their questions. I love guiding them in developing their spirituality in ways that are empowering, to ensure that they have a beneficial experience of life’s wonder and energy, and help them develop their consciousness and grow in compassion.

All other workshops I offer are complementary to Reiki: Endorphin Effect, Journey through the Chakras – the Soul’s Journey, Effective Energy Medicine, Spiritual Practice and count as credits towards becoming a Spiritual Companion.

I was born to teach – there is no escaping destiny!

Reiki Shares

The way we teach Reiki here, is a far cry from the ‘one-day-course-and-good-bye’ criticism I have heard levied against Reiki over the years.

Growth and development take place over time. Once a month I hold an evening Reiki Practice and Development Group in Harrogate. It is a real community of like-minded people, between 7 and up to 20 of us, who come together to meditate, do distant healing, share insights or explore questions, receive an empowerment and share multi-handed Reiki treatments. It’s a powerful group experience and a real treat. The group met for the first time in December 2001 and we are still meeting. Of course, some people come and go, but only bad weather can see it being cancelled!

We have a big room in central Harrogate. Whether you have trained with me or not, all you have to do is contact me to join us.

Every year, I also organise Reiki Energy Retreat Days, some with specialist themes.

The annual Reiki Retreat

In 2004 I ran the first three-day Reiki and Personal/Spiritual Development Residential Retreat in a comfortable purpose built centre near Appleby-in-Cumbria. This has become an annual event, offering a small group of people trained in Reiki a space for reflection and practice, given that our journey with Reiki either starts with or encourages often profound and sometimes confusing inner change. It is also a sanctuary away from the demands of everyday life!

The joy of teaching Reiki

I really enjoy teaching Reiki. It is a pleasure to witness students, male and female, from all ages and backgrounds, recognise, develop and affirm the latent healing abilities and personal potential we all have, and to which end Mikao Usui developed such a simple and universally accessible system.

Through being attuned to Reiki, I discovered that my own relationship with subtle energies deepened, became stronger and more consistent, and through its practice I became more aware of how my intuition works and can be developed further. To share this learning with others and help them experience and develop the potential for themselves is a great joy.

The Reiki Evolution training materials are excellent: comprehensive, multi-media, addressing different learning styles, well researched and devoid of fluffy and unhelpful ‘New Ageism’. With a class size of up to six, every student has a chance to ask their questions in an unhurried atmosphere. I also offer one to one training, on week days from my home in Harrogate.

Having kept in touch with Taggart, I was delighted to join his team in 2006.

Reiki energy never ceases to enrich my personal journey and my commitment to self-awareness and growth.

Reiki for me supports Change, of any kind. Teaching it is straightforward and a delight, and you now know that I support my students long-term. I am experienced, trustworthy, have a good sense of humour and also additional trainings that make me very safe to work with….. but I’ll let the testimonials speak for themselves. Reiki has undoubtedly played a big part in developing way of being, my practice and what I am able to bring to others.

 

Martine Moorby