This is another in our series of “My Reiki Story” posts that we will be adding to the Reiki Evolution blog, where a Reiki person talks about their journey with Reiki. In today’s “My Reiki Story” we hear from Paula Ghazai from Kent…

I came to Reiki via massage and other therapies. I worked for ten years within the Beauty and Cosmetic Industry and when I left I wished to continue with the hands-on part of that. I continued to offer massage treatments, training in Aromatherapy and Indian head Massage but would find myself getting really tired after massaging someone if they were not well and in particular if a client had emotional issues such as anxiety or depression I would sometimes even be physically sick.

A friend mentioned Reiki quite a few times but I feel that I am quite an earth bound individual and thought that Reiki was a bit too spiritual and “airy fairy” for me! However Reiki just kept popping up everywhere..online, books, magazines.. so I gave in and researched my subject a little more and on discovering Reiki Evolution and Taggart’s “simply it is” and straightforward approach I decided to do Reiki 1 (April 2007) with Laetitia, as she too had a Beauty Therapy and Massage background. My last attunement was a revelation. I had gone with a totally open mind and no expectation. I felt like I was plugged in to a sort of super grid.. Reiki 2 followed in July 2007.

During this time my father became ill with the first telltale sign of vascular dementia. My Reiki meditations were sustenance throughout.. that gentle yet powerful hum. He just got worse and in 2009 had a devastating stroke which means he is now in full time care. I really kept the Reiki to myself during this time, just offering here and there to family and friends and also did not really have much spare time to pursue any other therapies.
Spring this year I knew the time was right to get going with it all again and I attended a catch up with Louise, it was just the same and oh so new all at the same time. I now offer Reiki, EFT, Hopi Ear Candling and Therapeutic and Indian head Massage. I see Reiki as something that stands alone but also underpins all my other treatment offers and in fact pretty much everything I do and am.. I even stir it into cakes!!

I am in the process of setting up my room and now have a website and will soon be offering a venue for Reiki Shares in West Kent Area www.palmtosoulholistics.com

I am sure I will at some point go back to one of the RE teachers for the Masters training and I am sure I will know when. My personal Reiki mission statement would have to be “Don’t expect just accept”

Paula Ghazai

If you would like to tell your Reiki story on the Reiki Evolution blog then send a jpeg head/shoulders photo of you, your name, and let us know about your story: when and why did you learn Reiki, what happened on your course, how do you use Reiki and how has Reiki changed things for you? Send your contribution to taggart@reiki-evolution.co.uk.

And if you like the sound of what Reiki can do for you, or if you’d like to take your Reiki further, remember that we have Reiki courses running throughout the UK, as well as multimedia home study courses.

Live UK Reiki training courses
Home study courses

This is another in our series of “My Reiki Story” posts that we will be adding to the Reiki Evolution blog, where a Reiki person talks about their journey with Reiki. In today’s “My Reiki Story” we hear from Carol Leslie from Aberdeen…

My Reiki ‘journey’ began in the year 2000 when my brother Ronnie was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer. He was barely 45 years old and I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do initially, but I simply could not stand by and watch my brother deteriorate before my eyes without helping him in some way. I began my search for help and meaning and had actually heard something about Reiki healing from a good friend at the time. Back then hardly anyone taught Reiki in our area but there was a teacher in Aberdeen who I could go to. My friend agreed to accompany me to the one day class for the First Degree. At this point I hadn’t even experienced a session of the hands on healing, which would change my life. The day of the lesson eventually came and when I did receive the first laying on of hands, after our attunements were received, I was so moved to tears and my body shook quite considerably. I had no idea that I would be this affected. I had come to receive Reiki in order to help my brother, but had been told by my most compassionate teacher that I would heal first! This was amazing to me to learn at the time.

It was not long before I was ‘champing at the bit’ after using the energies for myself and some friends (and Ronnie) and wanted to move on with my tuition. Surely the Second Degree would help me, my family and ultimately my brother, even more? Ronnie had in fact been through major surgery by the time I had moved from one degree into the next, and was in a form of ‘remission’. We were all but holding our breaths at this stage. It seemed so hopeful that Ronnie might even beat the horrible illness he had manifested in his life. I was so keen with my studies and soon I had case histories to complete and I was becoming quite well known in my community for being a Reiki practitioner. I had many who wanted to experience the therapy and so many bookings. I qualified before long as a professional therapist and what some had considered a radical and new lifestyle for me to adopt (and some even considered quite whimsical at the time!), I began to prove myself ‘worthy’ when many of my new clients returned to me often for more treatment. By now I had notched up a few ‘success stories’ and many talked about my relaxing and alternative approach to healing. There was no doubt that my brother enjoyed his therapies as well, because I visited him on a regular basis offering him solace and he began to ask for more when he was going through his chemotherapy treatments. I kept a case history of all of Ronnie’s treatments as I progressed with my tuition. I moved on to ‘mastership’ and I had to travel to Manchester to receive my attunement from another, wonderful and compassionate, international Reiki master. I must of course mention that my first two master/teachers were teaching (and continue to teach) the Western way of Reiki. By this time my brother Ronnie was beginning to show signs of becoming ‘worse’ with regards to the cancer he had developed and he was told that it had grown in his liver and was not getting any better. I continued to offer him Reiki and Ronnie became quite spiritual towards the end of his life. He definitely got a lot out of the treatments in a mental/emotional and spiritual sense, even though he didn’t seem to get better physically at this point. I supported all of my family with Reiki throughout Ronnie’s illness and when he finally passed from this world we were prepared for what lay ahead. I will always believe that Ronnie received what he was meant to through Reiki and that his life was cut short for a reason. (Something which is yet to be revealed) Ronnie was given only weeks to live from his consultant at the hospital, but he lived for a further two years. He was a very theatrical and talented man, who took to the stage in Aberdeen. He was still able to perform, even close to the end of his life, and went on some amazing holidays with friends and family. Something that I do not think may have happened without the help of Reiki!

I wrote a book in tribute to him soon after his passing, called ‘Divine Timing’. I promoted it for a time, but now simply allow the book to ‘sell’ itself. Many have healed from reading it and I have managed to send it to a few choice celebrities around the world.

My story would not be complete without mentioning my most recent master/teacher and mentor for a time of course. When my brother Ronnie passed away I felt lost and it was like a gap was left in my world. I had begun to feel this way about Reiki for some time before his tragic death in fact, but could not put my finger on why this was. I realised what it was when I ‘discovered’ Taggart King during one of my searches online. Reiki Evolution shouted out from the pages of my computer one fateful day. I instantly knew that I needed to refresh all of my degrees in Reiki. Since Taggart took me on board as one of his students I have never looked back. I filled in the gaps of what I felt was missing from my Reiki education. My meditation is more fulfilling on a daily basis for one thing. I have created many students since being able to pass on ‘Usui Do’…..and continue to do so. In my opinion, Reiki is like a stepping stone towards our ultimate ‘waking up’ to What Is. I recommend it to everyone, no matter what the condition they present. Reiki brings everything back to balance and harmony by reminding us of who and what we really are….our essential selves are restored.

Carol Leslie

If you would like to tell your Reiki story on the Reiki Evolution blog then send a jpeg head/shoulders photo of you, your name, and let us know about your story: when and why did you learn Reiki, what happened on your course, how do you use Reiki and how has Reiki changed things for you? Send your contribution to taggart@reiki-evolution.co.uk.

And if you like the sound of what Reiki can do for you, or if you’d like to take your Reiki further, remember that we have Reiki courses running throughout the UK, as well as multimedia home study courses.

Live UK Reiki training courses
Home study courses