Melody Laakso-Dickinson is a Co-Creative Practitioner with Nature. She is available for consultations regarding your gardens and/or your land to help create a balanced environment. Melody also has a private healing practice. She includes Reiki, Sacred Plant Medicine and Flower Essences in her work. Melody also teaches classes in Reiki and offers workshops in learning how to work with the Devas and Nature Spirits of your land. She can be reached at (509) 238-2369, e-mail address: melody@direcway.com.

Copyright © 1999, 2000 Melody Laakso-Dickinson / All Rights Reserved

My cat Sheba insists on sitting in my lap when I work at the computer. Inevitably she ends up on the floor, or she begrudgingly climbs into the chair next to me, flicking her tail, disgusted because I am moving around too much and she is not the center of my attention. Such is the way of the Goddess cat, proud and independent. Though Sheba may feel displaced, a bond was formed a long time ago and out of love there is an exchange of information that takes place on all levels for our partnership to work. As simple or as complicated as it may be, there is a trust between the two of us. It takes time and effort to create a relationship. Time to communicate, time to listen. We take so many things for granted these days, we get further away from communicating with Nature. We tend to forget our roots, our ancestors and our relationship to the Earth. It is not just a matter of remembering the earth, it is knowing that we can communicate with Nature on all levels and listen for the answers, for all the answers are contained within Nature's consciousness.

Nature is not just the plants and animals, it is everything that we can feel and touch. Webster's definition of Nature is: "the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing". Nature is: "the creative and controlling force in the universe". I would further elaborate and say, Nature is the order, organization and life vitality of all form and all form contains consciousness. Nature is then my car, my house, the chair I'm sitting in, my cat, the trees, the plants, rocks, the soil, all that exists on this planet and beyond. My car has order and organization and the molecules that make up my car have life vitality. Therefore my car, the seats, the engine, everything that makes it a car is part of that consciousness and intelligence that is Nature. How many times have you patted the dash of your car as if to say, "thank you, you're a great car". Or thought if I wash and clean my car she will run and feel better. If you take care of your car she may last forever. If you don't, are the repairs beyond fixing? If it was the only car you would or could ever have, would you take care of it? The earth is the only home we have, shouldn't we take care of her? We cannot just trade her off and get a new one; this is it. We must open ourselves to a level of communication with Nature in order to find the balance. It takes a willingness and the patience to hear what Nature has to say.

To participate, to be completely conscious and in the moment with nature, has a profundity beyond words. The possibilities of living in unison with all life, with all form, is endless. It brings to memory a time when I was taking a walk and I passed by a section of land that had been horribly logged. The trees that were left looked ragged and torn. Slash laid everywhere. The ground was broken and ripped from the heavy equipment that went through there. I kept hearing the trees and land call to me to come inside and sit with them. I resisted. I did not want to go in there, the brutal rape of the land was still fresh. I continued to walk but their request became louder and louder. Finally I stepped inside and found a stump to sit upon. I asked the trees and land what they wanted and they told me they wanted a song, for me to sing them a healing song. I sat quietly for awhile until I found my voice and began to sing softly, feeling the loss and pain of this piece of land. My song grew louder and I started to hear an echo and a reverberation around me. It was as if I was sitting in the center of a huge drum. I continued to sing until I felt it was complete.

There was a silence, a calmness that had not been there before. I was overwhelmed with what I had felt and I wept. I thanked the land and the trees for calling me in. On my way out I came upon a huge mullein plant. I was so amazed because it was mid November and most everything had withdrawn and gone back to the earth. This plant was beautiful, stately and full of life. It was, in my mind, a grandfather plant.

I sat with it for awhile and was ready to leave when the plant spoke to me. It told me to take some of its seed head and leaves to make an oil, it would be good for my skin. The plant also said that these seeds and leaves were a gift, an exchange for the healing song. I thanked the plant and did as I was instructed.

The interaction between myself, the trees and the land, the consciousness of that place was an act of co-creative partnership. A bond was formed, a trust ensued and there was communication between the Spirit of that land and my spirit. It is not unlike the goddess cat Sheba, whose main desire is to be understood, respected and loved.

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My grandfather Opa had the hands of a farmer. They always looked swollen to me as a child, fat strong fingers with split nails and deep cracks in the skin. I loved to look at them and put my small skinny hand in his. My grandfather's hands were rough like sandpaper and in his later years he was barely able to open his right one due to a small stroke. He would literally wrap it around his garden tool like a clamp and go about his business. My mother always told me I had the most beautiful hands, they are a gift she'd say, I never believed her. Now at 46 I can appreciate her words and know the gift that we all hold within ourselves. Our hands, such an expression of who we are.

The laying on of hands is as old and ancient as mankind. When we experience physical pain our first instinct is to touch it, to put our hands over it. When someone else is hurt, upset or in distress our inclination is to comfort them, hold them or put a supporting hand on their shoulder. Reiki is the laying on of hands, a healing method to comfort, balance, energize and stabilize ones system.

The Japanese word "Rei" as it is used in Reiki can be interpreted to mean a higher knowledge, spiritual or universal consciousness. The word "Ki" means life energy, the same as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit and Ti or Ki in Hawaiian. Ki is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. Reiki (pronounced Ray - Key) therefore can be defined as a universal life force energy.

The history of Reiki and its origins are still being told. William Rand, Reiki Master and founder of The International Center for Reiki Training, has done extensive research and has written a most probable historical account concerning Dr. Mikao Usui and the Usui System of Reiki Healing. It is thought that Dr. Usui first attended a Buddhist school at the age of four. He studied kiko, the Japanese version of qigong, which is a health and healing discipline based on the development and use of life energy. Usui's interests were broad and included medicine, psychology and religion. He traveled to Europe and China to further his studies.

Dr. Usui was known as a sensitive spiritualist and spent much of his time meditating at power spots on Mt. Kurama where he had received much of his early Buddhist training. Intrigued by the practice of self healing, the laying on of hands, he continued to study and gather information through various ancient texts stored in Buddhist monasteries.Challenged by his students to find out if it was possible to do energy work without depleting one's own system, as depicted by Christ and The Buddha, he again set out to Mt. Kurama where he sat meditating for twenty-one days. It is said that upon the twenty first day a radiant light entered his crown chakra where upon a vision of the four Reiki Symbols were witnessed along with their meaning. This energy enhanced his healing abilities tremendously and realizing the full extent of this gift he set out to teach and heal others.

It has been documented that Dr. Usui for the next several years worked with the poor people of Kyoto. In 1922 he moved to Tokyo and started a healing society named Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho, which means "The Usui System of Reiki Healing." Over the next four years the practice of Reiki grew throughout Japan. Dr. Usui taught more than 2000 students and initiated sixteen teachers. On March 9, 1926 Dr. Mikao Usui died after suffering a stroke. After his death a Mr. J. Ushida took over as president of the Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho and as of 1998 the current successor as president is a Mr. Kondo.

Another one of Usui's initiated teachers was Mr. Chujiro Hayashi. He too started a clinic and school in Tokyo. He kept good records of his treatments, practiced and taught Reiki classes. Many of his students received their Reiki training in exchange for working in his clinic.

It was in this clinic, in 1935 that Mrs. Hawayo Takata was treated for various ailments and completely cured of those ailments within four months. Mrs. Takata was so impressed with the work she too requested to be taught and initiated into Reiki. After her training Mrs. Takata returned to her home in Hawaii where she established several of her own clinics. Mrs. Takata became a well known healer and traveled to the U.S. mainland and abroad teaching and giving treatments. She taught many people but did not train any students to the Master level until 1970.

When she did start to teach the Level III Master class, she charged a fee of $10,000. It was thought this fee was her way of creating respect for Reiki. It has also been said and noted that Takata did not allow her students to take notes or to tape record the classes and they were not allowed to make any written copies of the Reiki symbols. Everything was to be memorized. Why Takata implemented these rules is unknown. The high fee and Takata's way of teaching Reiki, according to the research I have read, was not part of the Usui system. Somehow within the process of bringing Reiki to the West, changes were made.

Here in the West, the teaching of Reiki has developed in a direction that more closely resembles our culture today, zoom, zoom, zoom. Levels I and II taught in hours instead of days. Although this is a shame, and is not always the case, it simply isn't possible for many people to come into contact with this energy any other way. The Reiki energy itself shows no discrimination, it is a healing energy that has a life force of its own. We as practitioners are simply channels. What sets Reiki apart from other healing modalities is the use of specific symbols and the attunements by which those symbols are activated within ones system. During the attunement process the Master Teacher connects with the Reiki energy, activating the crown chakra of the student to open and receive this energy. The Reiki Master does not direct the process but is simply a channel of intention for the attunement energy to flow from the Universal Life Force.

The Reiki attunement is a powerful spiritual experience for most people and once you have received a Reiki attunement, you will have the ability to channel Reiki energy for the remainder of your life. You can never loose it. Once the attunement process is complete after each level of study, one simply intends the energy to flow and it does.

For instance, a good friend of mine had gone to the dentist for a root cannel and came home with severe jaw pain. Her system was highly sensitive to any medication so I offered to Reiki her jaw. She sat in a chair and I stood behind her. When I put my hands on her jaw I could feel a pulsating vibration about 6 inches beyond her face. As I called in the energy and intended it to flow I could feel the vibration collapse inward and as it did her pain subsided. Another time I was working with a friend of mine, giving her a session, when the door to my room opened and in ran my four year old daughter with her two year old brother in tow. She headed straight for the bathroom and threw up. She came out of the bathroom silently, looked at me with tears in her eyes and quietly went out the door as if to say, I'm sorry mom. Five minutes later she comes in again and the same thing happens. She goes out quietly. Again the door opens, she runs for the bathroom and again she quietly leaves. I was just ending the session and my poor daughter runs in for a fourth time.

This time I ran to the bathroom with her and when she finished I ask her if she was ok and would she please lie down on my table for a moment. She readily agreed and I put my hands on her stomach for about fifteen minutes. When I felt this was enough, she gets up, goes to the dining room and starts to eat an apple as if nothing has happened. The change from being sick to well was remarkable and I thank my very good friend Christine for her patience and kind heart.

I have been practicing Reiki now for over eight years and even though I have two Master certificates and a Karuna Reiki Master certificate I am always learning and love being the student. Perhaps one of the most profound experiences I have had in my practice was working with a woman who had breast cancer. She had multiple surgeries, reconstructive surgery and maintains an attitude of determination and strength. In working with my clients I ask them to lie down on my massage table, relax and listen to the music I play. I do not talk outwardly in a physical voice during my sessions but rather have conversations internally with my clients etheric self. I wanted to communicate with the essence and life force of the cancer. I wanted to find out the cause of this imbalance. As the Reiki energy relaxed her system the following scene unfolded as if I were watching an old black and white movie.

I found myself standing in the middle of a town, completely run down and falling apart. It  looked like a ghost town, windows broken, shutters hanging crooked, curtains torn, it looked and felt deserted. Then out of the side streets came these tattered, unkept dirty little children. They all came running toward me, jumping, wanting to be held, they were so scared. I could feel they were starved for affection so I asked them what was wrong. "Everyone hates us,"  they said, "they want to kill us." I then realized these children were the very essence of the cancer cells. They had no idea they were hurting anything or anyone. All they knew was that someone or something was killing them and that everyone hated them. They were living within a frequency that encouraged them to multiply. A frequency, a vibration, an environment that was out of balance. These children were trying to survive and did not know what to do. I explained to them that they were endangering the health and life of their host and that we had to find a way to bring the entire system back into balance. I suggested that we all cleanse ourselves and upon that thought a vibrant pool appeared like the mineral pools in Yellowstone. They jumped in with enthusiasm and as we washed ourselves the sun began to rise over the horizon and the penetrating light slowly lifted the darkness from the town. Windows were repaired, the buildings had fresh paint and everything was in color. A huge tree stood by the pool and one by one new outfits appeared, hanging like beautiful ornaments for the children to wear. They put on their new clothes and danced. I could feel a  shift happening, the dynamic changed. My client's system felt better, calmer and more peaceful. I said good-bye to the children, gave them all a big hug and encouraged them to keep the light shining within. The experience of that session left me with a deep feeling of gratitude and compassion. Communication is essential on all levels as is the willingness to learn.

Learning to practice Reiki is not difficult. It is a beautiful discipline available to anyone who chooses to work with it. In a Level I class learning the basic hand positions and what parts of the body they correspond with is primary. You should learn about the history of Reiki and how to give a full treatment to someone as well as how to treat yourself. The class may include learning how to scan a body for illness and how to keep yourself grounded. In doing any kind of energy work, and this is my personal opinion, it is essential to learn how to disconnect from your client. An attunement is given which activates the chakras in your hands and attunes you to the Reiki energy. This is the basis of a Level I.

In a Level II class learning three of the four traditional symbols is required. What they mean, how to use them and when to use them is mandatory. The symbols are the essence and formula of Reiki. They are the keys to using and passing on this healing system. Another attunement is given which further opens your palm chakras and attunes you to the three symbols within the Reiki energy.

In the Level III or Masters class you should learn the fourth traditional symbol, its purpose and how to work with it. The Masters level is focused mainly on how to give the attunements to students and how to teach Reiki. It is a teachers course. There has been a great deal of discussion surrounding the third level, its intent, its meaning and even its ethical validity. Traditionally when a student achieved the status of being a Master there were years of dedicated work and study that preceded it. In many disciplines this is still true. In the Reiki community itself there are those who require an extensive time of study and practice and then there are those who teach all three levels having only just completed the classes themselves. Certainly in this shorter course of study and practice, the integrity of the knowledge within the different levels may be compromised.

I spoke with a woman who required her potential Level I students to meditate every day for one month. If they could not accomplish this, it was her feeling that they were not dedicated enough and were not ready to receive Reiki training. From all the reading I have done, this was never a criteria required to learn Reiki. This was a personal choice of this particular teacher. I have also spoken with a student who was taught a Level I and II in less than five hours. What astounds me about this is, the student who took these courses felt a shift in his system. He didn't know exactly what he ad learned, or how he would make sense of it all, but  he did  know  that  something in himself had changed. I am not an advocate for  these micro classes but I am amazed at the simplicity and power of Reiki. In short, do some research. There are as many books out there with their own bent on Reiki as there are teachers. If you are interested in taking a class ask some basic questions of the instructor. At the very least ask how long they have been practicing and teaching Reiki.

Very often practitioners will study different disciplines, integrating them into their work. I have done the same over the years to strengthen and expand my practice. I  work with herbs and studied Sacred Plant Medicine with Stephen Buhner. I work with crystals and flower essences. I have studied clairvoyance and shamanism with different teachers. I have personally trained with three different Reiki Masters. I took my Level I with Frank Coopieters, a traditional Reiki Alliance Master. The class was methodical and precise. We worked for two long days. It was an excellent class. I had the opportunity to sponsor a Level I and II taught by Asara Brumbell Lovejoy, out of Seattle, Wa. Again it was taught over a long weekend. I continued my Advanced training with Asara and eventually sponsored and was initiated into the Reiki Master level. I felt there was more to learn so I also took an Advanced Reiki and Masters training with William Rand. I completed these classes within a year's time. Six years later I again studied with William Rand and completed another level of advanced training in Karuna Reiki. In all my studies I have worked with some truly gifted individuals. Have faith that whomever your teachers are, they are perfect for you at the time.

In closing it has been my intent to bring to you an overview of Reiki. Our world is changing everyday, the need for healers is paramount. Reiki in its simplicity has broadened my vision and in many ways has set me free from my own limitations. It has been a catalyst to expand my knowledge and  has  helped shape how I  practice and  work with people. I continue to learn through my work everyday. I am driven by the desire to understand my relationship with nature and how we as a society have come to be so out of balance with her. I have found that in working with the Reiki energy, systems are brought back into balance and a healing does occur, whether it is on the emotional, spiritual or physi-cal plane. Perhaps the practice of Reiki has to move with the fast changing pace of our culture. It is the integration of the old with the new, simplicity coupled with the complexity of our society. It is the weekend warrior, heal thyself. We are the innocence of our inner child, held in the hands of our grandfathers, desperately seeking to find our way home.

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My grandparents, my mother and my uncles came to the United States from Holland after World War II. My grandfather, Isaac Braat, was a farmer and dairyman who had the most beautiful garden that I can remember. He had a silent way with the land, an understanding, it was a kinship between two old souls. My grandfather planted a seed within my soul, and I have come to understand in being with him that there is more than just knowing what an herb can do; it is also making relationships in a sacred way to understand their spirit. It is honoring the plant for its strength and power to give of itself and to heal. It is remembering that spirit is in all life, and through prayer and thanksgiving a sacred union occurs between life forms. It is this union that brings about deep healing. There is a gentleness and a rhythm to all things. Such is true in healing with Medicinal Herbs.

When I first started working with herbs, like most people I was interested in knowing the medicinal value and capability of a particular plant. I would take my echinacea and goldenseal if I felt a cold coming on, or drink peppermint tea if I had an upset stomach. I would drink lots of cranberry juice and use Uva Ursi for the occasional urinary infection and take a tincture of Valerian, Hops and Skullcap if my nerves were ragged and on edge. I took care of myself and my family this way for many years using my books when I needed help. It is a good way to start learning, but my inner voice told me there was more, more to understand than what the books spoke of. How would I begin?

I began by simply sitting with the land, watching the sunsets and how the light changed with the movement of the earth. I would sit with the trees, leaning against them, feeling their strength against my body, listening to their songs with the wind. I would speak with the plants hoping they would answer my prayers. I looked up into the misty sky over Oregon and asked to be taken home. Over time my prayers were answered. My journey brought me to the Spokane area, specifically Chattaroy, Washington where I now live with my husband, 2 children, dogs, cats, goats and horses on 40 beautiful acres.

With a commitment to restore the land, I was planting some quaking aspen trees in one of our fields when our dog Dozer took off after my goats. It took me no more than 30 seconds to get to the barn, but he already had torn a gaping hole in the side of one goat and severely damaged the tail of the other. I quickly tied him up and went to get my herbs. I packed both wounds with Yarrow to stop the bleeding. After the bleeding had stopped I washed them with a strong infusion of rosemary and packed them again using a powdered rosemary. I did that for three days, washing and packing until they started to heal. I gave them each 9cc of Pau d' Arco - Echinacea / Goldenseal tincture twice a day from the beginning. I would sit with my goats and talk to them. I could feel the trauma in their wounds so I placed my hands over them and asked the Spirit of the Plants to help heal my companions. My hands would get hot as we pulled the trauma out and away from their torn skin to reestablish a balance. My goats would tremble with fear, a memory from the attack, and I would sing them a healing song all the time keeping my hands on them. My intention was clear and focused on their healing.

After just 9 days the wounds on my goats healed considerably. Both goats welcomed the tinctures, and drank them down as though they were sucking on a bottle, taking in nourishment for their bodies. I then treated them with an antibiotic salve made from a combination of herbs, oil and beeswax. This healing has created a relationship between the plants, the goats, the Earth and myself. The circle of prayer, asking, receiving and giving thanks has honored the Sacred, the living spirit in all things.

I thank the plants, the Earth and Creator everyday for helping me. I thank my grandfather for his gentleness and his quiet yet deep spirit with the land. I thank my teacher, mentor and friend, Stephen Harrod Buhner, author of Sacred Plant Medicine, for his guidance and support.

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