Happy 2018 to all…a fulfillment of my intention words for last year led me to book a spiritual reiki trip to Japan in November. It was there that my 2018 Intention words were inspired.

The Trip of a Lifetime

Yes – a trip of a lifetime opportunity arrived in my inbox early in 2017.  Coincidence or co-created by my intention words? I choose to believe that our thoughts are energetic and assist in attracting their matching experiences.  I read the invitation entitled, The Essence of our Practice, and felt my whole being respond with a YES!

Full Alignment

Then my head engaged and started the series of practical responses.  You know what I mean.  It is too much money, it is right after my chorus trip to Las Vegas, I should not take that much time away from my clients and on and on.  So I left it alone for almost 2 weeks, all the while thinking about it constantly.  Then I remembered my intention words for the year.  Fearless Living and Stillness. That was it – I decided that it was in full alignment with what I wanted to create and the universe would provide all I needed to support it.  My experience confirmed this to be absolutely true!

Intention Words for 2018

I will share a few blogs to start this year around my magical trip to Japan however this one will focus on my Intention words for 2018. It was organized and led by Phyllis Furumoto, the Grand Master of the Usui System of Reiki Healing. I joined 12 other reiki masters/practitioners from around the world to explore the Essence of our Practice; it’s deep roots and traditions. Part of our trip included a visit to Mount Kurama outside Kyoto, a sacred mountain for many and the location of Dr. Usui’s enlightenment Reiki experience.

Our first experience on the mountain was not an organized tour day.  Instead, Phyllis arranged for us to receive a beautiful boxed lunch, gather our notebooks and enter into a silent solo pilgrimage for the day.

It was a beautiful clear and cool fall day. I was filled with emotion as I pulled on my boots and bundled up for my day.  How many times have I shared the reiki story with my students over the years and now – I had the chance to walk the same path of our founding Master, a journey that has impacted so many lives over the last century including mine. I was definitely in a mindful space.  Once I paid my entrance fee, I received a map and a small printed ticket which included this prayer:

“Since Primordial times, the life-energizing vitality of Mao-san (symbol of Power), the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the Earth, has pervaded Mt. Kurama. Imbued with this life energy, a wide variety of life forms resides here in serenity, and the rich natural environment continues to flourish.

Since the guardians of heaven Bishamonten (symbol of light) at the end of the Nara Period and the thousand-armed Senju-kannon bodhisattva (symbol of love) at the beginning of Heian Period became enshrined in this land, people have continued to flock here to offer their heartfelt prayers.

At Kurama Temple today, these three venerated deities are worshipped as the trinity of Sonten (symbol of cosmic energy). All those who come into contact with Mt. Kurama not only receive the life energy emanating from the mountain but also become conscious of their own “shinge” (pure and innocent spirit), and look forward to the dawn of a world of peace and harmony where lives of all people will shine with the brightest of lights. To create a world, where all lives shine,

Beautiful as the Moon (Love)
Warm as the Sun (Light)
Powerful as the Earth (Power)
We trust in Sonten for all things.”

Reading this put me into the perfect inner space to become conscious of my own pure and innocent spirit and my day was magical and rich in embodying the roots of my practice.  As I descended the mountain late in the afternoon, these words came to me and I knew they would become my 2018 Intention words.

Honour – to honour my teachers, all living things, and the planet I call home.

Gratitude – closely related, however it felt more like focusing on having a grateful heart and attitude in my life.

Playfulness – with another mountain spirit present named Tengu, my seriousness was interrupted with something that took me by surprise and made me laugh. It reminded me to keep a playful spirit alive in my life.

2018 feels full of opportunity to challenge the status quo and to continue to play my part in creating a world where all lives shine. May we all adopt this symbol of trust in Sonten and let Light, Love and Power lead us forward.  It will challenge many deeply held patterns so make sure to allow for a playful spirit to accompany you.

More to come from my travels in Japan. Happy New Year.

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In harmony,

Karen