Today has been a consistently sunny day, with snowdrops peering through in my outdoor space promising a new start to the year and hinting at better times ahead.  The snow of the past week or so froze things physically and metaphorically… it was almost as if everything was put on hold until the thaw and the New Year had been a false start, but the sunshine of the past few days seems to have woken everything up again and 2013 has kicked up a gear!

A lot of my friends and acquaintances found the energy towards the end of last year hugely transformative with many starting completely new ventures in 2013 after the energetic changes of 21.12.12.  I felt around 12.12.12 that there were some changes taking place at the level of our DNA and two of my Reiki and Shamanic Friends verified they were getting the same message during their meditations.  It will be interesting to see how this manifests on a mind/body/spirit level.  The energy of the whole of 2012 to me reinforced the concept of our physical world being illusory, a dream of our imagination, and as we come into our power co-creating with the Universe, we shall start to accept this into our consciousness as a Spiritual Truth. One of my new intentions for 2013 is to run larger group events to consolidate the new energies which we are now working with and to celebrate our Oneness.    On February 4th we move into the Chinese Year of the  Water Snake which bodes well for people coming together for the greater good in community and friendship.  It also is significant for a more peaceful year than has been the past few years (many limped into 2013 licking their wounds from 2012!).  There should be a definate improvement in most people’s lives, which again coincides with the new era which is upon us and the idea of a new beginning.

Our fabulously high energy event, the annual Reiki Drum Share is taking place on March 24^th.  I am waiting to see if we have any places left as the event is as always pretty much full.  If you haven’t yet booked but would like to come, please let me know as we sometimes get last minute cancellations.  This day just gets better year on year and very much reflects the energy of the times.  As we all have so much to look forward to in 2013 and beyond, I am anticipating the energy will be very high spirited and joyous.

One of my ventures for 2013 is a collaboration with those wonderful people Bryan Pummell and Deborah Lewis-Pummell of Bearpaw Therapies.  Bryan and Debs have organised for me to facilitate a one day Introduction to Sound Healing workshop in Weedon, Buckinghamshire on Sunday 14^th April.  If you are curious about sound healing and would like to find out some more, please contact Bryan at bryan@bearpawtherapies.co.uk or on 07971 691356 to reserve your place.  Intro To Sound Healing Workshop Flyer and Booking Form The fee for the day is £55.   The day is both an experiential and practical day using drums, rattles, crystal bowls, percussion, gongs, monochord sound chair and our natural instruments, our voices.

For those of you who are Level II Reiki attuned and above, I’m running an Advanced Training Usui Reiki Kotodama and Buddhist Chant workshop in Sheering, Essex on Sunday 12^th May. The workshop will be a practical and experiential day working with the Usui Reiki Kotodama for deep and insightful personal healing.   Kotodama (the spiritual power of words) are the sacred sounds used with the various different Reiki energies.   The majority of the day will be spent working with the Kotodama in many different ways and there will be other Buddhist chants which will be introduced to during the day which can also be used for personal healing.   Some of you may have already been taught the Kotodama in your training, and this will give you the opportunity to work with a larger group energy and use them for different applications. For those of you who have not worked with Kotodama before, working with these powerful sounds in this way for a whole day along with other sacred chants will be hugely transformational.  As always it will be a bonus to be in the company of like minded. Your investment for the day is £55 and is open to Level II Reiki Students, Masters and Teachers. Please email me should you wish to reserve a place, as spaces are limited and I already have had a great response for this day.

And finally but by no means least, I have a few places left for the Annual Summer Solstice Reiki Retreat in Cornwall June 17^th-21^st.  I must say the venue for this particular retreat is really something very special.  The Bluff Centre is a beautiful centre, lovingly run by Marianne and Charlie Tapper.   The energy of the centre is made up of a very refined energy with a lot of the air element (being at the top of a cliff overlooking the sea has a lot to do with this!) and is perfect for the practises we will be doing.  We will be staying just outside Tintagel overlooking Trebarwith Strand, a marvellous stretch of golden sand overlooking the fabulous Gull Rock.  I have stayed here several times and every time I come back completely rejuvenated and inspired.  We will be visiting Tintagel Castle and St Nectan’s Glen as part of the retreat activities.  Tintagel is reputed to be the birthplace of King Arthur and is a majestic site in its lofty perch overlooking the Atlantic.  Weather permitting we will be visiting Tintagel by way of a stunning coastal walk.    St Nectan’s is one of the ten most important Sacred Sites here in the UK. The excursion to St Nectan’s will involve a beautiful walk through a magical valley leading to the Waterfall which is a place of incredible elemental energy.  People from all over the world visit here to bathe in the water and take photographs to capture the beautiful and amazing orbs which show up.  If the centre and the other locations weren’t enough, we will be celebrating the Summer Solstice and doing wonderful Reiki practises for the entire stay, coupled with the fact we will be amongst like minded Reiki practitioners… I’ve been planning this retreat for over two years, so it is going to be quite some week!  Don’t miss out, there are only a few places left and it will be a very special few days.  You can download a brochure with lots of photos to whet your appetite from the Retreats page of the website.

Besides these large group events, I am running the normal Usui Reiki classes, Reiki Drum Practitioner Workshops and Karuna classes, as well as holding regular sound events.  I hope to see some of you during 2013 and wish you all joy for all of your New Beginnings.

Sending love, Sarah xx

Forthcoming Events & Workshops

February 2/3 – Shoden Reiki First Degree

February 9/10 – Okuden Reiki Second Degree

March 1 – 3 – Karuna Reiki Master Class

March 24^th – Reiki Drum Share, Sheering, Essex

April 14^th – Intro to Sound Healing, Weedon, Buckinghamshire

April 27-28 – Reiki Drum Practitioner Class

May 4/5 – Shoden Reiki First Degree

May 12^th – Kotodama Workshop, Sheering, Essex

May 17-19 – Advanced Practitioner/Master Healer and Master Teacher Training

June 1^st/2^nd – Okuden Reiki Second Degree

June 17-21 – Summer Solstice Reiki Retreat, Tintagel, North Cornwall

Dear Sound Healing Friends, I’ve just returned from the  College of Sound Healing’s annual conference.  It was lovely to catch up with old friends and make some new acquaintances too.  It was a joy to bump into my friend Phil McNamara at the conference.  Phil and I trained together on our Gong Practitioner’s Course with the College.  Phil has had a life long interest in gongs, and besides a more recent interest with gong sound healing, has played as a percussionist in various different orchestras throughout the UK.  As such, he is something of an expert on gongs, and I would like to recommend his recent book, Gongs and Tam-Tams:  A Guide for Percussionists, Drummers and Sound Healers.  I often get asked during gong baths about the gongs and this book is an excellent resource if you want to find out more about the actual different gongs that are available around the world.

Gongs and Tam-Tams:  A Guide for Percussionists, Drummers and Sound Healers can be sourced from Sound Travels as well as YPD Books and Waterstones and is highly recommended for those of you who would like to purchase your own gong and are bemused by the different ones available.  This book is a one-stop shop covering all aspects of these fascinating instruments. With information about their construction, history, and playing techniques as well as the paraphernalia needed in terms of beaters, cases and stands, cleaning and care, and a comprehensive listing and description of many of the gongs available today or in the recent past.

This book is intended for anyone interested in gongs, from players through to sound healers, including composers, music arrangers, and students of music, metallurgy and percussion history. It is believed to be the first book of its kind in the World, and would be an excellent Christmas present for anyone who is just about to embark on their gong journey.

Another reminder about the Reiki Drum Share next March 24th in Essex.  As always, it’s booking up fast.  There are about 15 spaces left.  Please let me know should you like to attend and I will reserve you a place.  The same applies for the North Cornwall Reiki retreat which is being held around the Summer Solstice next June 17-21st.  This is going to be the most magical of the retreats I have run over the past few years.  It truly is not to be missed and there are a handful of places remaining.  This retreat will be a wonderful opportunity to deepen your Reiki practise in beautiful, high vibrational surroundings so conducive to self development and healing.  Please let me know if you would like further information.

I have a beautiful three days ahead of me.  Shoden tomorrow, followed by two days of Okuden and a Reiki Share tomorrow night… what bliss!  I am looking forward to seeing some of you at our Sawbridgeworth Yule chant evening on 6th December and of course for the Ascension Evening 12.12.12 which is going to be AMAZING!

With love xxx

Forthcoming Events:

• November 23 – Reiki Share (Students only) 1930 hrs (donation).
• December 6 – Christmas/Yule Sacred Chant Evening, 0730-0930 hrs, Sawbridgeworth. Fee £8 payable on the night
• December 12 – Ascension Evening 12.12.12. A magical evening of sound commencing with sacred drumming, a special group Ascension Ceremony and a hour long gong bath meditation. Sheering Village Hall, Sheering, Essex.  Doors open 07:00 pm, last entry 07:25 pm.  Gong Bath  ends at 10:00 pm.  – Fee £20 payable in advance.  An evening to celebrate our interconnectness with like minded. (Full)
• January 26 & 27 – Reiki Drum Practitioner Class, Sawbridgeworth
• February 2 & 3 – Reiki One Shoden
• February 9 & 10 – Reiki Two Okuden
• Sunday March 24th 2013 – Reiki Drum Share, Sheering, Essex to celebrate the Spring Equinox 10:00-16:30  Fee £20 payable in advance.
• Monday 17th-Friday 21st June 2013 – Reiki Retreat, Tintagel, Cornwall