Grounding In Reiki

Grounding is the process of bringing your energy in harmony with the resonance of the earth. Grounding slows, calms, and infuses you with strength and steadiness. You may notice a distinct shift in your mood as you connect with the Mother Earth.

Grounding, making protection for yourself or shielding is especially important for a practitioner who uses energy healing on others, like Reiki, Prana Healing or any other kind of energy work.It is easy to do and also can be done on a regular basis, when you feel angry or sad, "out of balance",  "wound up" , "stressed" or drained by our surroundings or the lifestyle.As our modern lifestyle sometimes rips us away from the healing, strengthening qualities of nature and the earth.It is important to be grounded before and after the healing session.It will give practitioners sence of peace, inner strength and power. When you heal a person, you make a contact with the patient's energy field. So you need to protect yourself, in order to prevent your body/energy field, from taking the patient's unwanted negative energy, physical symptoms or energy blocks as/or when they get reliesed during the treatment. Protection works both ways it shields the practitioner and the patient from each other's unwanted negative energy.
The grounding process works like a strainer removing only the unwanted energy debris and allowing the healing process to continue its work at much stronger level. After the healing session clean the client's aura and ask Reiki Energy, God, Higher Power or your Spirit Guides to remove any "footprints" from aura of both the client and yourself.And reliese thiese "footprints' to the ground and transform them into positive energy. A practitioner should always ground and shield one's self in situations where his energy system may be vulnerable.This is a very beneficial practise.You can groung yourself every morning before you leave your home and this will protect you during the day.

To ground or make energetic protection for yourself, stand or sit on the chair with your feet flat on the floor or on the ground if you're outside.Than visualize the roots of a tree developing from your base chakra , moving down your legs, to the bottom of your feet and going deep into the ground.Connecting you to the Mother Earth. Allow your awareness to drop down to the ground with the roots till you feel physically heavier. Feel you are rooted to the center of the earth. If you feel like releasing your negative energy try to do so through your roots. The earth energy will transform it. If you need extra energy, draw it from the earth. Let the earth's energy come up through the roots into your feet, base chakra and than the whole body.Finaly feel how the energy reaching your shoulders and head and than coming out of the top of your head and showering back again to the ground. Awareness should always be grounded on the earth even when you imagine energy going up your body.

Choosing A Reiki Teacher

There are a number of Reiki masters who are willing to teach Reiki to others. But selecting a Reiki teacher can be a difficult task. When there are many who are willing to teach and you have to choose one after comparing them the task becomes more difficult. Here are a few tips to help you choose a teacher who is suitable for you

• Compatibility between the student and the teacher is very important. Take a few Reiki sessions from prospective teachers and see how you feel. Ask them questions and see if your philosophies and ideas match. Trust your intuition if you feel comfortable about a particular person and like his ideas then you are likely to enjoy learning from him.
• Taking a session with a teacher will give you an idea as to how they work, the environment in which they work and you will be able to share their energy. Sharing energy is important before you decide on a teacher.
• The teacher should honor and respect you at all times. He must support you and aid the growth of your Reiki practice in any way he can. Must act with integrity at all times and must work towards your best interests.
• Ask the person about their practice experience with Reiki. If the person has not been practicing Reiki for some time before deciding to teach then they are not likely to have the range of experience necessary for a teacher. Regular Reiki practice is necessary for developing awareness about the transmission of energy and is required for personal growth of the practitioner.
• Ask the person about their philosophy and approach to Reiki. These days there are a number of variations in the practice of Reiki. Usui Reiki is the fundamental form of Reiki from here the different forms have taken shape. Choose a teacher who provides a balanced approach and respects all the approaches.
• The cost of a Reiki class will depend on the type of material that the practitioner distributes. You may be given photocopied handouts or full manuals. Find out what you will get. Good reference material is essential, as you as you will have to integrate, what you have learnt as you continue your Reiki practice.
• Cost will depend on the length of the classes as well.But they should be affordable. Individual classes may last from 4 hours to two days. A Level 1 class should be at least a daylong. If  it is shorter then the basic foundation is being compromised.
• In Reiki hands on experience in required. Therefore find out how many experiential sessions the person will have. Experiential learning is necessary to learn Reiki and this is possible only with enough practice. You have to understand the foundations and philosophy and have to feel the experience of using Reiki. The practitioner should give equal importance to both.
• Find out whether the person will be willing to help and support you even after you have completed the requisite number of classes.
• Verify that the person has the required approval to teach you Reiki.Like Reiki Master-Teacher's certificate.

10 Paterns of Negative Thinking

The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.” - His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama

10 Paterns of Negative Thinking
Life could be so much better for many people, if they would just spot their negative thinking habits and replace them with positive ones.Negative thinking, in all its many-splendored forms, has a way of creeping into conversations and our thinking without our noticing them. The key to success, in my humble opinion, is learning to spot these thoughts and squash them like little bugs. Then replace them with positive ones. You’ll
notice a huge difference in everything you do.Let’s take a look at 10 common ways that negative thinking emerges — get good at spotting these patterns, and practice replacing them with positive thinking patterns. It has made all the difference in the world for me.


1. I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn X).
Problem: If you think you can’t be happy until you reach a certain point, or until you reach a certain income, or have a certain type of house or car or computer setup, you’ll never be happy. That elusive goal is always
just out of reach. Once we reach those goals, we are not satisfied — we want more.
Solution: Learn to be happy with what you have, where you are, and who you are, right at this moment. Happiness doesn’t have to be some state that we want to get to eventually — it can be found right now. Learn to count your blessings, and see the positive in your situation. This might sound simplistic, but it works.
2. I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).
Problem: We’ll never be as pretty, as talented, as rich, as sculpted, as cool, as everyone else. There will always be someone better, if you look hard enough. Therefore, if we compare ourselves to others like this, we will always pale, and will always fail, and will always feel bad about ourselves.This is no way to be happy.
Solution: Stop comparing yourself to others, and look instead at yourself — what are your strengths, your accomplishments, your successes, however small? What do you love about yourself? Learn to love who you are, right now, not who you want to become. There is good in each of us, love in each of us, and a wonderful human spirit in every one of us.
3. Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.
Problem: First, this assumes that only a small number of people can be successful. In truth, many, many people can be successful — in different ways.
Solution: Learn to admire the success of others, and learn from it, and be happy for them, by empathizing with them and understanding what it must be like to be them. And then turn away from them, and look at
yourself — you can be successful too, in whatever you choose to do. And even more, you already are successful. Look not at those above you in the social ladder, but those below you — there are always millions of people worse off than you, people who couldn’t even read this article or afford a computer. In that light, you are a huge success.
4. I am a miserable failure — I can’t seem to do anything right.
Problem: Everyone is a failure, if you look at it in certain ways. Everyone has failed, many times, at different things. I have certainly failed so many times I cannot count them — and I continue to fail, daily. However,
looking at your failures as failures only makes you feel bad about yourself.By thinking in this way, we will have a negative self-image and never move on from here.
Solution: See your successes and ignore your failures. Look back on your life, in the last month, or year, or 5 years. And try to remember your successes. If you have trouble with this, start documenting them — keep a
success journal, either in a notebook or online. Document your success each day, or each week. When you look back at what you’ve accomplished, over a year, you will be amazed. It’s an incredibly positive feeling.
5. I’m going to beat so-and-so no matter what — I’m better than him. And there’s no way I’ll help him succeed — he might beat me.
Problem: Competitiveness assumes that there is a small amount of gold to be had, and I need to get it before he does. It makes us into greedy, back-stabbing, hurtful people. We try to claw our way over people to get
to success, because of our competitive feelings. For example, if a blogger wants to have more subscribers than another blogger, he may never link to or mention that other blogger. However, who is to say that my
subscribers can’t also be yours? People can read and subscribe to more than one blog.
Solution: Learn to see success as something that can be shared, and learn that if we help each other out, we can each have a better chance to be successful. Two people working towards a common goal are better than
two people trying to beat each other up to get to that goal. There is more than enough success to go around. Learn to think in terms of abundance rather than scarcity.
6. Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?
Problem: Bad things happen to everybody. If we dwell on them, they will frustrate us and bring us down.
Solution: See bad things as a part of the ebb and flow of life. Suffering is a part of the human condition — but it passes. All pain goes away, eventually. Meanwhile, don’t let it hold you back. Don’t dwell on bad
things, but look forward towards something good in your future. And learn to take the bad things in stride, and learn from them. Bad things are actually opportunities to grow and learn and get stronger, in disguise.
7. You can’t do anything right! Why can’t you be like ____ ?
Problem: This can be said to your child or your subordinate or your sibling.The problem? Comparing two people, first of all, is always a fallacy.People are different, with different ways of doing things, different strengths and weaknesses, different human characteristics. If we were all the same, we’d be robots. Second, saying negative things like this to another person never helps the situation. It might make you feel better, and more powerful, but in truth, it hurts your relationship, it will actually make you feel negative, and it will certainly make the other person feel negative and more likely to continue negative behavior. Everyone loses.
Solution: Take the mistakes or bad behavior of others as an opportunity to
teach. Show them how to do something. Second, praise them for their positive behavior, and encourage their success. Last, and most important, love them for who they are, and celebrate their differences.
8. Your work sucks. It’s super lame. You are a moron and I hope you never reproduce.
Problem: So how does saying something negative like this help you? I guess it might feel good to someone if you feel like your time has been wasted. But really, how much of your time has been wasted? A few minutes? And whose fault is that? In truth, making negative comments just keeps you in a negative mindset. It’s also not a good way to make friends.
Solution: Learn to offer constructive solutions, first of all. Instead of telling someone their blog sucks, or that a post is lame, offer some specific suggestions for improvement. Help them get better. If you are going to
take the time to make a comment, make it worth your time. Second, learn to interact with people in a more positive way — it makes others feel good and it makes you feel better about yourself. And you can make
some great friends this way. That’s a good thing.
9. Insulting People Back
Problem: If someone insults you or angers you in some way, insulting them back and continuing your anger only transfer their problem to you. This person was probably having a bad day (or a bad year) and took it out on you for some reason. If you reciprocate, you are now having a bad day too. His problem has become yours. Not only that, but the cycle of insults can get worse and worse until it results in violence or other negative consequences — for both of you.
Solution: Let the insults or negative comments of others slide off you like Teflon. Don’t let their problem become yours. In fact, try to understand their problem more — why would someone say something like that? What problems are they going through? Having a little empathy for someone not only makes you understand that their comment is not about you, but it can make you feel and act in a positive manner towards them — and make you feel better about yourself in the process.
10. I don’t think I can do this — I don’t have enough discipline. May be some other time.
Problem: If you don’t think you can do something, you probably won’t.Especially for the big stuff. Discipline has nothing to do with it — motivation and focus has everything to do with it. And if you put stuff off for “some other time”, you’ll never get it done. Negative thinking like this inhibits us from accomplishing anything.
Solution: Turn your thinking around: you can do this! You don’t need discipline. Find ways to make yourself a success at your goal. If you fail, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Instead of putting a goal off for
later, start now. And focus on one goal at a time, putting all of your energy into it, and getting as much help from others as you can. You can really move mountains if you start with positive thinking.

Main Mudras - Hand Gestures of the Buddha

The gestures performed by the hands of a Buddha (Mudras) have specific meanings that refer to some event in the life of the Buddha or denote a special characteristic. There are six main hand gestures of the Buddha in  Asia.

Abhaya Mudra - Imparting Fearlessness (Reassurance)

This gesture is made with the hand raised and the palm facing outwards, fingers extended pointing upward. The wrist is bent at a right angle with the forearm. The gesture is sometimes made with both hands. Sometimes the Abhaya Mudra is made with one hand, while another Mudra (such as Varuda Mudra) is made with the other hand. The Buddha may be either standing, sitting or walking.

Bhumisparsa Mudra : Subduing Mara, Calling the Earth to Witness
The left hand lies in the lap, palm upward. The right hand bends over the right knee, with fingers slightly touching the ground.
During meditation, Siddhartha is subjected to many temptations many posed by the evil Mara, who bombards him with his demons , monsters, violent storms and his three seductive daughters. The Buddha remains steadfast. Then to testify to Mara of his meritorious past, he points to the earth with his hand and calls the Earth Goddess. Thorani, the Earth Goddess rises from the ground and wrings the water from her long black hair, by this action raising a torrential flood that drowns Mara and his army of demons.
This gesture symbolizes enlightenment, as well as steadfastness (imperturbability). It is easily the most common Buddha gesture.

 Dharmachakra Mudra - Turning the Wheel of the Law in Motion.
Some gesture with both hands as in Vitarka Mudra. However the hands are generally held closer to the chest of the Buddha. However the fingers of the left hand rest against the palm of the right hand (as if turning the wheel, made by the index finger and thumb of the right hand). 
The Dharmachakra Mudra signifies the teaching of the first sermon of the Buddha at the Deer Park in Sarnath.

 Dhyana Mudra.
This mudra signifies meditation. Both hands are in the lap with palms upward. The right hand is on top of the left hand. The Buddha is most seated in the half-lotus posture (sometimes called 'yoga', 'Indian', 'Buddha' posture). Some images display the Buddha in the so-called adamantine (diamond, or full-lotus) posture with tightly crossed legs, so that the soles of both feet are visible.

Varada Mudra - Symbolizing Charity.
The hand lowered with the palm facing outward is the gesture of bestowing blessings or of giving charity. The hand is extended downward, palm out. Mostly on standing Buddha images, but sometimes also represented in the sitting position.

Vitarka Mudra - Teaching, Giving Instruction, Reason
The hand is held closer to the chest than in the Abhaya Mudra. The palm is facing outward. A circle is made with the index finger and the thumb. The other three fingers point upward. Initially made with the right hand, later on the gesture is often portrayed with both hands.
Common gesture in Dvaravati Buddha images.
Sometimes also substituted for the Dharmachakra Mudra (see below)
The Vitarka Mudra can be made while in sitting or standing position.

Yoga Nidra Audio

Finally I have made Yoga-Nidra audio record.Its for those, who cannot attend my Yoga-Nidra Meditations at Himalaya Shop or would like to practice it more often.You can download this audio from the link bellow and practice Yoga-Nidra at home at any time.All you need to do is to find comfortable place were nobody will disturb you , lye down comfortably in shavasana.And listen to the audio record with your mp3 player.Also i would recomend to cover yourself with the blanket during the time of meditation practice.Just not to get cold,as when you relax you body temperature can drop down.Please note that the audio material is copyrited and is for the personal use only.

Yoga-Nidra Audio

Namaste!

Eckhart Tolle The Power Of Now

What is it like to live in the present moment? This shift in consciousness for most people is not a single event, but a process, a gradual disidentification from thoughts and emotions through the arising of awareness.

Eckhart Tolle was born in Germany, where he spent the first thirteen years of his life. After graduating from the University of London, he was a research scholar and supervisor at Cambridge University. When he was twenty-nine, a profound spiritual transformation virtually dissolved his old identity and radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey.

Eckhart Tolle is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition. In his teaching, he conveys a simple yet profound message with the timeless and uncomplicated clarity of the ancient spiritual masters: there is a way out of suffering and into peace. It is to live in the eternal NOW ... in the tranquil silence of the moment ! Underneath the words, between them, in the energy of presence conveyed by them, we find the power of Stillness. This vibrantly alive state found only in the Here and Now, is one with our Being and the field out of which all "arises".

Eckhart feels a strong connection to J Krishnamurti and Ramana Maharshi and says that his teaching is a coming together of the teachings of both those teachers, and it is a continuation of that. In addition, he states that by listening to and speaking with the spiritual teacher Barry Long, he understood things more deeply.

Ekhart Tolle - The Power Of Now Audio Book (Free Download)

Ekhart Tolle - "The Power Of Now" PDF book(Free Download)

Yoga Nidra

Yoga-Nidra Meditaton is dynamic state of deep conscious relaxation.It has two main futures, full relaxation of body and mind, and strong motivation - Sankalpa.This combination can change all your life around!When your rational mind is resting your subconsciousness becomes more active that develops ideal ground for planting the seeds of sankalpa.




Yoga-nidra may be rendered in English as "yoga sleep". It is a sleep-like state of consciousness that occurs with some practitioners of meditation, details of which have been handed down by guru-to-disciple transmission (parampara) within the Indian religions. These aspects may include relaxation and guided visualization techniques as well as the psychology of dream, sleep and yoga.

During meditation the practitioner lies down in shavasana posture to experience the full effect of relaxation and follows guided instructions of the teacher.The practice of Yoga-Nidra has been found to reduce tension and anxiety and increase relaxation. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain,  sweating, abdominal pain respond well. It has been used to help soldiers from war cope with Posttraumatic stress disorders and traumas.

Yoga-nidra was popularised Swami Satyananda Saraswati.He learned it when he was living with his guru Swami Shivananda in Rishikesh.He explained Yoga-nidra as a state of mind between wakefulness and dream that deep phases of the mind, suggesting a connection with the ancient tantric practice called nyasa.

One appears to be sleeping but the unconscious mind is functioning at a deeper level: it is conscious sleep with deep awareness. In normal sleep we lose track of our self but in yoga-nidra, while consciousness of the world is dim and relaxation is deep, there remains an inward lucidity and experiences may be absorbed at much deeper level and to be recalled later. Since yoga-nidra involves an aimless and effortless relaxation it is often held to be best practised with yoga teacher who verbally delivers instructions.

The form of practice taught by Swami Satyananda includes eight stages - Internalisation, Sankalpa, Rotation of Consciousness, Breath Awareness, Manifestation of Opposites, Creative Visualization, Sankalpa and Externalisation.

Every Wednesday 6 pm Yoga-Nidra Guided Meditations
at Himalaya Charity Shop, 20 South Clerk street, Edinburgh