Once again a commemoration,
LHSG’s Anniversary celebration.
A multiple of Reiki camps 1 & 2,
At the girls’ shelter on 19th October .
The young ladies were unsure,
What lay for them in store.
Their lives had been through suffering ,
But now they were safe and felt secure,
Learning the gift of self healing,
For the betterment that they were craving.
Their innocent looks humbled us all,
Their silence spoke quite a lot.
Quick to learn, they turned to heal,
With the hands of reiki with a zeal.
Then there were others who knew reiki,
And progressed towards an enhancement,
A higher level of the healing advancement.
With the newly acquired symbols three,
They are now on a big healing spree.
Noting down some light & some intense requests,
Their Reiki Boxes aimed at wishes of fulfillment.
Humbled were sevaks of LHSG Nairobi,
As the little and growing ladies of TAGS,
Gulped down the toasted sandwiches,
Along with flatbreads and cups of milk,
And continued their practice of being healers.
That which becomes the anguish and injury peeler,
Sending thought healing to find their lost mothers,
Aiming their Reiki to continue school and find donors.
Excitement enthused the atmosphere,
When they received the friendly gesture,
Of getting gifts that LHSG brought for them.
Smiles broadened at peeping into packets,
Of stationery, sweets , combs & Vaseline ,
The day appeared to be that of Valentine.
The eyes had a bright twinkle in them,
At being gifted slippers and panties,
That brought some dignity and respect to them.
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In The Media:
Published in The Asian Weekly – edition 323 ( 28th October-3rd November)http://www.theasianweekly.net/web/
The Lotus Healing Seva Group conducted a Reiki Camp on 25/8/16 at The Makimei Children’s Home in the slums of Nairobi. The day incidentally was of the Hindu Festival of Janamashtmi – celebration of Lord Krishna’s earthly birthday.
What was amazing was that instead of being hooked on to the rituals connected to the festival ( not that there is anything wrong with rituals) the members actually practiced the teachings of Krishna who had emphasized the importance of one’s duty being above all. During the legendary Battle of Mahabharata Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to carry on with his duty of fighting the war for the just cause and not be influenced with his relationship with the opponents.
What is the duty these ladies carried on as their celebration? Being part of a group of energy healers they have accepted their duty of spreading the joys of Reiki among various segments of society at large by either conducting Reiki Healing Sessions or imparting the training for same as a selfless form of service.
Each time I get the opportunity to do such a Seva (selfless service) I encounter a very gratifying experience within myself. This seva at Makimei was a very fulfilling one too. I have expressed some of it as a poetry below. Looking at the infants lying around in a room was very soul searching for me. I thought of how much we have in life, and yet we are the most unsatisfied lot of grown ups. These little ones, were quiet to the extent to be mistaken as being asleep. At a closer look we noticed they were awake.
Nidhi, who is a regular voluntary counsellor at this home said that these kids were usually quiet as they hadn’t known the luxury of being pampered or being attended to more than required. That was a revelation. We usually pamper and shower our best upon our children to the extent of spoiling them and here were these children who were satisfied at being fed. Their forlorn looks were so due to their ignorance of the joys of being pleased at each step. These little bundles of joy had not known to be coaxed to laugh the childish giggle that warms up many of the parenting hearts.
21 children got trained to Reiki that day. It was interesting to observe how the things which attract us are a mere life stance for them. As Punita taught the children and Grace guided them with the positioning of hands I noticed a small cat moving around in the open tent. Perhaps the cat wanted some Reiki I thought to myself a bit amused. It went under a chair and came out from under another one moving over the feet of the young boys, our students. It didn’t bother these boys that the cat was moving around in the tent. They were so matter of fact about it. Then a tawny lean dog came in too with his slight limp. He wasn’t following the cat, he was just simply being there. This was life in it’s true essence for these children who were living together in harmony with these dog and cat mates without a fuss. And we, the privileged lot, take them as pets. We cuddle them, give them the luxurious life style as ourselves, and then portray that as being human. I sense different nature of humanness in different situations.
Another humane touch became so evident when some very young children due to the scorching heat were tired and sleepy. In their slumbery mood their hand posture would go wrong sometimes. The older children were very quick to guide the younger ones. They were not mere students, they behaved as gaurdians of the younger ones in the class. Mama Margaret the founder of the home had definitely ensured a valuable upbringing towards those fell under her care.
Reiki camp on Janamashtmi By Monica Gokaldas
Heart touching their silence
Became our LHSG observation
As we entered the Makimai Home
And the place to us was shown
Infants, babies so very little
Covered cosy in warm blankets
All scattered around in a room
On the bed, the couch and even
On the floor
As we made way through the door
Missing were the rocking cradles
Or the luxuries of my childhood
I wondered whose little kids were these
And how could their mothers be at peace
Having left them alone to survive
Causing their motherhood a deprive
Were they cruel, were they unjust?
Were they dead or bowed to painful thrust?
Mama Margaret became their mum and dad
Be it a little girl or a young lad
Nurtured in her calming care
With running noses they stare
Silently gaping from the lap or their chair
Happiness comes to them with a dare
As we move ahead to the tent
Obedience displays with no dent
The students big and small gather all
Pulling chairs and lining up them all
To the unwalled tented walls
21 of them to be precise
They seated themselves with unseen pride
Of singing praises in prayer form
Poverty to them is not a storm
With cheerful faces full of life
Their energy immense knew no strife
Quick to learn, so very smart
God gifted is their craft and art
Being educated to the healing Reiki
By Punita with a disciplined making
Their grasping ability very vast
Calculating healing time, not moving fast
And did I mention that we didn’t observe
The very auspicious Janamashtmi fast
Observing the Birth Anniversary of Krishna
Him being our Hindu Divine Lord
Grace, Punita, Nidhi and I,Monica
Observed this pious divine day
By worshiping Krishna in anew form
His African Form of little kids
Who are divine in their Kenyan spirit
Purity of heart and thought
In their eyes we have caught
The true celebration of a festival
Is this joy of making it a Reiki-Val
And watching with delight the children
Practicing Healing on themselves
And their friendly partners
Some little imps playing pranks
Others silently giving thanks
Learning the attitude of gratitude
With healing that has no substitute
Mark and Henry the older boys
Correcting and guiding younger girls and boys
The positioning of hands appropriate
At the chakras back and front
The meridians too with hands so warm
The healers and the healees with charm
Giving and receiving the Reiki gift
Enjoying burgers, cakes and milk
Playing football in their break
Oozing with energy
So very real, not a fake
They chirped like birds at some lake
Yet serious lessons they did take
Some so young got tired
They wished to sleep, on chairs retired
The day so relaxing needed more break
As the warm sun broke into a heat spell
They needed to quench the parching throats
In the tent so ventilated yet hot
A drink of water midway was required
Satiated they quietly then returned
Back in action to practice the art
Of newly learnt Reiki craft.
Each year during childhood as we sent and purchased the Diwali Greeting Cards I was fascinated by this particular greeting, “Wishing you a Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year. I often wondered as to why the New Year was wished along with Diwali. As far as I knew the New Year was celebrated on the 1st of January always.
I let it pass taking for granted that people didn’t want to spend sending cards twice ( once for Diwali and second time for New Year) so combined the two. Then as I was growing up I realized that the New Year for various communities came at different times. Majority of them are celebrated around March-April as per their solar or lunar calendars which didn’t have too much relevance to the calendar from January till December.
The New Year Greetings were basically meant for a particular Hindu community which celebrates their New Year just after Diwali. The myth was undone and here I share with you the various New Year days celebrated by different Hindu communities as per my knowledge. I might not be very accurate but the dates mentioned are as practiced in the year 2016 and could change again in the coming years.
As published in The Asian Weekly issue # 294
They wished, they greeted,
They celebrated it with joy.
The end of the gone year,
And welcoming the new one.
For so many years at stretch
Year after each comes a new year.
Some traditions practiced to cherish,
Some festivities that homes do garnish.
Having welcomed the exciting 2016 ,
We are not done, just not done yet.
For the auspiciousness and the fervor,
Of the Month of April is yet to come.
Come the eighth day of the month,
And the excitement rules Cheti Chand.
That to Sindhis all round the world,
Brings the day of their special Cheti Chand
Not just a new beginning to a new lunar month,
It marks the beginning of the Sindhi New Year.
The Tahiri rice is cooked so sweet in no haste
Accompanied by chick peas to savor the taste.
Lord Jhulelal is worshipped and the deg is cooked to set,
Bahirano Sahib is prayed upon before being immersed.
The Hindu state of Maharashtra is lit up in joy,
Gudi Parva, their new year they all do enjoy.
The Puran poli is rolled to perfection again,
The sweetness of modaks, lit up lamps in lanes.
The gudhi flag is hoisted, and houses cleaned,
The new year is greeted with a lavni dance meet.
The Puthandu brings the fun in Tamil Nadu,
The year hence begins very pompous in Nadu.
While in Southern India, a lot more to fete,
In Karnataka and it’s neighbor Andhra Pradesh.
Ugadi comes as a year when the harvest is new,
The pongal and payasam has the sweetness hue.
The coconuts line up on trees as if in a queue,
The Malayalam new year that’s called Vishu.
The temples are all hustle and bustle galore,
The elephants adorned, the boats shine at the shore.
The pleated sarees, with flowers adorning hair,
The lungis with borders, the white stamped stairs.
The brass lamp holders, that hold the flames,
Encircled in movement during the Arti prayers.
The jasmine stringed garlands and kumkum in temple,
chrysanthemum and bells that all mark the day so simple.
The young and the old, all greet each other this day,
The Hindu New Year, Vikram Samvat 2073 is here.
And not just in Hindustan, the day celebrated,
In Nepal and Lanka, the Hindu new year is feted.
That’s not the end, there are more to come,
The calendar moves to 13-15th of the month.
Vaisakhi marks the Sikh New Year all over the Globe,
With hoisting of flags, and serving of langars to note.
The Holy book in continuation is read all day and night,
The Gurudwara Sahibs are all lit up and gleaming bright.
Kathas and kirtans and paath Sahibs all enchanting the soul,
And each household keeps making the Prasad to fill bowls.
The Poila Boishak also called Nab Barsha comes too in line,
In Bengal it’s a celebration, and so in Bangladesh at the time.
Cultural geity being every Bengali’s tradition and pride,
Each house is well cleaned and decked as anew bride.
The rose scented syrup of Rosogolla pleases the tongue
The Durga stuti is sung along with Tagore by old and young.
The sandesh and the puja find common ground
By traditions and music they are all so bound.
The Bihu comes along in the neighboring Assam,
Celebrations encore in Jharkhand and Orissa towns.
Chaitti is the New year in the state of Himachal Pradesh
Comes on the first day of the first month of the Samvat.
Basoa celebrated on first day of Baisakh by some,
With the folk music of aboriginal Himachal outcome.
Fermenting the cakes of the Korda flour to perfection,
Consuming with daughters, along with jaggery concoction.
The Marwari celebrate the Thapna by song and dance,
The rich folk culture in Rajasthan takes to a vibrant trance.
Commencing on the primary day of the Chaitra Navratri
Also is Navreh, the New Year celebrated in Kashmir.
Commemorating the day in memory of the victorious King,
King Lalitadriya it is spent in festivity, fun and frolic swing.
The day considered as sacred as the Maha Shivratri there,
Kashmir raises its level of excitement and religious cheer.
Sajibu Cheiraoba celebrated with rites and rituals many,
In Manipur it is the New Year in all simplistic sanctity.
Comrades these days appear to each other, in unison,
States varying, styles integrating, but all celebrating.
Be it the rangoli, be it the conch shell blowing, it glows,
And showers the blessings that the elder bestows.
My trip to Dubai got a new meaning when I got to practice Reiki upon some very special children in February. I was planning to go and see my mother for a couple of days on my way back from India to Nairobi. At the same time I wanted to meet and pay my condolence to my Cousin Brother Harry’s family having lost Harry a few months ago. I could sense how disturbing it would be for the wife Ruchi to once again repeat the hurt feeling at having lost her husband. I certainly didn’t want to go and ask her the whys and hows of Harry’s death as it would be too painful for both of us as well as her daughter Mehar. So I decided to pay my condolence the LHSG way by offering to do a seva activity dedicated to the deceased making it my homage to my loving brother Harry who was always very helpful to those in need of moral or medical support.
THE PERMISSION:
I learnt from Ruchi that their daughter Mehar had started doing voluntary work at a school where she assisted teachers in teaching the Special Needs Children. I grabbed the opportunity and requested permission via my sister in law Ruchi to enable me go and do Reiki for those children. Luck favored me and the permission was granted on 12/2/16. I was scheduled to arrive in Dubai on 22/2/16 and the Reiki seva was finalized for 24/2/16.
ON THE DAY:
On the eventful day I was given a lift by my sister in law Sheila, a past LHSG member in Dubai. Four of us left together (Sheilu, Ruchi, Mehar and me) for The Elite English School in Dubai. This was the first time ever I was going to lead and conduct a Seva single handed hence I had requested Sheila to help me out. She was a bit hesitant being out of practice but then agreed to do it the way she felt comfortable. W e reached the school by 9.15 am, way ahead of the 10am time allocated to us. While waiting we familiarized ourselves to the school as Mehar guided us. She introduced us to Ms. Heena Jaising, The Special Educator for the children we were going to meet.
Heena confirmed with me if what I was going to conduct would be safe enough of the children before allowing me to proceed as Ruchi hadn’t briefed her about what therapy would be used. Once I mentioned that Reiki is extremely safe practice and causes no harm whatsoever, she immediately told me that she had learnt Reiki too and had no inhibitions about it. Heena told us that the children under her care were slow learners/autistic/down’s syndrome affected and might not be able to concentrate on what I teach them or talk to them. She suggested I conduct a meditation with them.
I called upon Master Usui’s and my Guru Kamal Tolia’s guidance to conduct the meditation in a way the children could relate to. At 9.45 am we were finally led to the room that was to be the Reiki Workshop for the next two hours. The children were seated on the chairs and their faces were brimming with happiness to see Mehar. They appeared to be very fond of her and hugged her, held her hands and greeted her as Didi (elder sister). We ladies introduced ourselves to the children and then Heena told them that we were the teachers who will teach meditation.
I was quite surprised at the way the children arranged themselves with little bit of guidance from the teachers. They sat on the chairs placed in a semi circular way. The children who were between the ages 7 to 16 years seemed excited at the mention of meditation. Since I thought it would be better to make it simple and interactive I called upon Master Usui once again along with the LHSG etheric Group to add on their energies along with mine.
THE MEDITATION AND REIKI:
Before commencing with the meditation I placed the intention of Reiki to flow through the hands of all children and everyone else present in the room while going through the steps. It involved placing their hands on each part of the body one by one, starting from the Crown Chakra going towards the feet. While I gave instruction Sheila was very helpful in displaying the posture and also correcting their postures. The children were very interactive and took very well to this. To my amazement, they were the ones prompting me for the next part saying, “nose/cheeks/chin etc”. At each position, they repeated after me, “my (body part where the hands were) … I love you”, thrice. Besides that we together (the students and I) discussed the significance of each part of the body.
They were so happy at offering this love to themselves that towards the end they clapped with joy. Then Sheila and I gave them mass healing as the teachers said they might not allow us to place our hands on them or might not be able to sit silently for that frame of time. But with faith in our hearts and blessings from the Almighty we made a beginning with a little girl who had impaired hearing. The teacher, Heena felt at least this one girl should receive the benefits of hands on healing. Before we knew others were lining up and sitting on the chairs besides mine to get the hands on healing. Sheila once again was a big help as she joined in too.
Together the two of us gave hands on healing to 27 of the 29 children, six teachers and our heroine of the day Mehar Panjabi as she is still grieving over the demise of her father Harry. The children though did not like to settle down quietly, for Reiki stayed calm and smiling while receiving it.
GRATITUDE:
I give a very big gratitude to my Guru, Kamal Tolia for instilling these noble thoughts of seva in me on occasions happy or sad, celebrations or grievances, seen or unseen. I give my gratitude to the management and teachers of the Elite English School, Dubai for permitting me to conduct this workshop, it being a very humbling experience. Mehar Panjabi in particular deserves very big thanks for making it possible. Finally I thank my pillar of strength, my sisters at Lotus Healing Seva Group, who added their energies and wished me success at this workshop.
Planting a tree is not just an activity. It is a sacred ceremony of nature.
Planting a tree is done with love in the heart. It is an act that is very Divine.
Dig the soil out to make that hollow but with an apology to Mother Earth,
For you disturb her in her quite restful atmosphere—-
Asking for Forgiveness with Love in your heart, dig out the soil that you step upon
Place your hands with healing and apology and all that love into the hollow,
Place the plant, the sapling, the mini tree that you wish to plant into the hollow.
The hollow that appears a hollow but is full of life for creatures innumerable,
That breed, and feast, and live their life in that very special soil that you dug.
While placing the plant say the Holy name and chant the chant of Aum Shanti
If that is what pleases your heart, then let be the mantra to chant again and again.
If that not be the magic chant to ooze the love and divinity from your heart,
Be free to chant the name Divine in a way that resonates with you and your faith.
Shower your love straight on to the plant that you wish to plant and bless—
If a blesser or a healer you be, or else just love it with your loving heart instead.
Then cover it with the soil, that affectionate gem of Mother Earth that you dug out,
And with your bare hands push it back into the hollow that is now to be filled.
Needless to say, that whatever you do, do it with all your unconditional love,
Filling the pocket of your mother, a mother to all, our precious Earth.
Fill it back with her content that you pulled out from within her and more,
For years and years and lifetimes many that she nurtured you and yours.
Once filled in, very fondly pat it to even it out with a gentle firmness,
Using your bare hands throughout that vibrate your love into the soil.
Hold your hands in cupped fashion, maneuvering the water with affection,
pouring over the newly planted, love of your life, with a chanting notion.
Speaking to the Earth and the Plant that it holds in its womb now,
your loving notes and magical words for your beloved Earth, your Keeper.
Having accomplished this ritual as a sacred act, you have turned so noble,
A mundane chore of planting, you turned it an act so very Divine.
The least that you could do as a return gift to the Mother you rely upon,
You cherish her fruits for ever and ever, but do not forget your endeavor,
Of fulfilling the need of giving back, O man! high time that you became clever.
The deed remains yet undone, if forgotten have you to care again in turn,
So visit the plant again and again, to Water it with your Mantra clad hands,
That bestow your affection to some extent, upon the plant that has to tree.
Care for it, Water upon it, condition it with your loving statements,
And see it grow to its full form and watch it grow and gain some height.
When the tree stands upright, sturdy and strong and gives you its shade,
Then you know, it is now time to let it enjoy its freedom and let go.
For nothing on Earth belongs to thee, for you came on it with hands free,
So learn to let go of it as a possession, and live in peace, provide protection.
Sikiladi
The following is an account of the experience from a Tree Planting at a slum area of Nairobi where the children were taught Tree Planting as a sacred ceremony chanting the mantras. This is dated back to 2014.http://www.kamaltolia.com/?p=2093 . http://www.kamaltolia.com/?p=2121
Thanks and congratulations on the successful completion of the tree planting Seva Activity. The Tree Planting in the slum environs was a spiritual experience for me. It is very gratifying to do such a Seva during the auspicious period of the Navratri Festival. I felt that there is no need to follow the old practice of feeding girls on Durga Ashtmi as I dedicated today’s Seva to the Divine Mother by serving and honoring Mother Earth. The significance is immense: 1. By planting trees we are helping the environs and the atmosphere. 2. We taught a valuable lesson to Kenya’s future, the children who make our country. 3. A good deed done in the form of an offering to mark the Beginning of the 9th Anniversary of LHSG. 4. We worship 9 forms of Mother Goddess during this nine day festival. I took it as each tree to be symbolic of one form and our dedication to her. The tenth tree was symbolic of Mother Earth herself. That is the best form of prayer or offering. 5. Instead of simply feeding the girls on the eighth day of Navratri I felt this is a better thing to do during such occasions. The food is eaten and forgotten but the trees will remain to provide shade and comfort for long. The children were very good and very enthusiastic as well. It felt very good to see that they have been practicing Reiki and remembered the Reiki way of planting trees. Love and Light Monica
Enough, Oh! Enough of the suffering
A niche of well being I am carving
With a lot of effort and determination
Fading away pains in their pigmentation
The right diagnosis, comes forward
I will fight and not be a coward
Taking steps of determination
Chopping illness by segmentation
With Reiki Healing by my side
LHSG is my belonging and my pride
I once felt like a fallen leaf
But they brightened me to my rosy pink
Thy lovely energies my Lotus sisters
Scare all negativity and give it jitters
Glowing light it fills inside me
In seva when I come and join thee
I bow down in utter Gratitude
So forgiving is your attitude
In helping others you get a glee
Suffering of others you cannot see
Physically I may have suffered
Your caring hands but have buffered
My soul now lives in thankfulness
You nurtured me to a wholeness
I retraced as a healer my identity
My road to recovery in all sanctity.
Sikiladi
24/10/15
Above words to express Sikiladi’s gratitude towards her support group of healers.
HEALING THE AGED:
The following is an account of the Reiki activity conducted at the Old Age Home which was conducted in October 2015. This write up was published on the LHSG website.
REIKI TO THE ELDERLY
by Monica Gokaldas LHSG Kenya
Everything that I need is before me.
Alas! I know not how to receive it.
The way to receive is, – to give.
Give what you have and you will get what you need!
These words by the great spiritual Master Sadhu Vaswani turned true for me
very recently.
The date: 15/10/15, Thursday
The venue: Nyumba ya Wazee, Little Sisters of the Poor,Kasarani The
occasion: Celebrating 10th Anniversary of the existence of the Lotus Healing
Seva Group.
The date was finalized on the 1st day of August when I went to this Home for
the Aged, with a donation of Eye Medicines on behalf of LHSG along with my
daughter Harleen. We met Sr. Anthony there and handed over the medicines.
Talking about the several illnesses and ailments suffered by the elderly in
this Home and the challenges they face in procuring medicines the sister
mentioned that the last time the group visited them to give Reiki while
conducting an Eye Camp, they felt very good for some time.
Harleen and I immediately decided to call up Kamal to ask if we could book a
date in October to go and give healing to the elderly as part of our
Anniversary celebration.
Early in August, I had not perceived that I would be going through
challenges with my own health which might leave a question mark to my being
part of the group that goes there for the seva. As they say, “where there’s
a will, there’s a way”. Two days prior to the Seva, I wasn’t doing so well.
Then on the 14th I was in much pain but determined to go and be of some
service to the elderly. For me the auspicious Nine day festivity period on
our Hindu Calendar meant my own dedication to spirituality and seva rather
than going to the temple to please others by my presence as a formality. I
had a task of proving it to myself by doing the seva.
On the morning of 15th I was all excited and in the spirit of seva. Having
done my session of physiotherapy I moved towards Kasarani. Once there, my
heart bloomed at seeing all group members in their purple tops so
affectionately giving Reiki treatments. Without wasting much time, I just
began with an elderly gentleman. That’s when I realized that I hadn’t even
bothered to go and greet Kamal, but then, that was not what I had come there
for.
The moment I placed my hands on this man, I felt a release of sorts from
within me. It felt so good to be doing this seva after a few months of being
away that my soul felt uplifted. The Mzee (in my excitement I forgot to ask
his name) kept saying something in Kiswahili but I couldn’t understand. I
just knew that he was enjoying the healing and felt the warmth from my
hands. It was a feeling like never before. Though I am not a new healer, but
having done some seva after a break, gave me back my identity of being my
true self, a healer. I asked Grace to communicate with him and she explained
to him what Reiki was when he mentioned that he felt warmth from you hands.
Then he started showing me his problem areas and guided me to give reiki in
those areas. He suggested that his legs were fine and I need not give Reiki
there. I felt so very grateful to the powers of Reiki that a person getting
it could be that wise about receiving it in the right direction.
Very few among us get the opportunity to serve the elderly in this manner.
It was a unique experience for the entire group. After having done reiki on
all the elderly, we gave healing to the Sisters who run the Home and all the
workers over there. It was a very fulfilling seva.
We got opportunity to give Reiki to the 95 year old Sister Louise who was on
the wheelchair. While giving her healing on one of her knees, I silently
asked for forgiveness from her and that was a moment of realization for me.
At that moment I was guided to ask forgiveness from all those, who have knee
and leg problems, those who walk with a limp, those who are imbalanced and
in my childhood in my innocence I might have made fun of them. I don’t
remember anyone in particular but I know that in childhood I did laugh at
people who couldn’t walk straight. I asked forgiveness from all such people
in the world for their condition and for not having understood their pain.
I felt super charged after completing the seva event. Kamal and Grace were a
bit concerned ref my health but I assured them that I was very fine. I know
my limitations with my health conditions but whenever an opportunity
strikes, I would love to be in my Healer Shoes again and again and be
grateful to the society in my own way.
It would be selfish of me to not acknowledge the entire LHSG group for
always being with me in my trying times and making me see the daylight of my
dark nights. Without the support of LHSG I would not be standing upright as
I am today.
P.S. Sr. Louise in the picture above passed on recently and I feel immense gratitude at being allowed to give her that touch healing and more recently procuring the last set of medicines for her as ordered by Mother Brigid of the Home.
26th May dawned upon me as a challenge. I say Challenge as this was an opportunity for us healers to transform an area from fear to being fruitful, from darkness to light, from bitterness to sweetness, from hatred to love and from being dreadful to become a welcoming area.
It was a task for me to get into the mall a day before the actual healing, as this time I was alone, to be led by an askari through the dreary back passage towards the management office to fine tune the healing session for the next morning. It felt eerie, sullen and heavy but I wasn’t scared. I knew I am there for a purpose and I have to be strong mentally and emotionally.
On the morning of 26th as I went it, I felt I had conquered half the battle, as I was full of energy unlike the very serious looking group of ladies from LHSG. Each one of them had a sense of heaviness very evident on their faces as they entered and I just knew that it would soon be altered for the powerful healing energy each one possessed within them would take a turn within minutes.
As we settled in into a circle by 10.05 am, with a most beautiful Altar set up by Cooky, Priya, Sheela and Rashmeen we commenced with chantings of Hanuman Chalisa, Gayatri Mantra, Mool Mantra (Ek Om Kar…) The healings were yet to begin as some International Group members as well as some others from Kenya Group were to join us etherically at 10.30 am, Kenya time. While chanting, I saw an unborn child who came to receive healing. The child told me that He couldn’t take birth as his mother was killed at the incident which occurred at the mall. Later Leah, who had joined us for the session along with Daniel from the WG management team, informed that indeed there were two pregnant women who were killed on the unfateful day.
At 10.30 am we commenced the healing with the instructions that were very thoughtfully charted out by our Guru Kamal Tolia. We progressed gradually from one step to another, each one of us with our own experiences which were our own yet in unison. Since the Healing for Westgate affected was extended in purpose to other terrorist attacks across the world in the past two years I felt the pain of Garissa University victims, the fear of the Pakistan School Children who were killed, and the agony of their parents along with the survivors of and the souls of Westgate victims. There were different sentiments time to time during the course of healing.
In barely fifteen minutes of beginning the healing, the dense and hollow feelings were turning into lightness and love feelings. It was an outpour of Love oozing out from my heart and spreading everywhere. Oblivious of the noises of the construction workers around us, the whole group focused on the intensity of Reiki unhindered. I felt the Fingers of the Buddha Idol placed on the Altar moving, as if patting someone. The bowl in the hands of Buddha appeared to me as a skull at one time and again when I looked at it after few minutes, it appeared like a fruit.
I felt surrounded by a lot of children at one instance. They all wanted to be hugged and loved. They were fearful. My heart melted at that vision and I suddenly felt I was hugging each one of them in a group hug and that I was larger in form than I am. Those kids surely needed lot of healing. I could not make out if they were the children who were killed at Westgate or the children killed in Pakistan or the children who survived having witnessed any of the terrorist acts. All I knew was that they needed healing and we were all there doing our bit.
Then suddenly I saw Pope John Paul II standing near the Altar and he blessed all of us and went. That felt very good. A lot of souls appeared at intervals and took lot of healing. The air around felt much more peaceful by 12 noon. The two hours were the very useful two hours of my life as they were used in the service of Mankind at large – by helping the hurt souls, by healing the hurt survivors, by helping the witness of these massacres, by helping the affected families via the powerful tool of Reiki.
At noon we conducted our closing prayers and then proceeded to a tour of the various parts of the mall led by Leah. It was amazing how each one of us, was so engrossed in chanting throughout our movement from one area to another, sprinkling the healing water everywhere. None of us were fascinated by moving around to see what was coming up at which part of the mall. What caught our attention most was, which areas were affected (where someone was killed, trapped, hiding etc) at the time of attack and we healed all those areas and even sprinkled the holy water over there. It was a very moving experience for all of us as we were being led from one area to another including the car parks.
Having done this Seva, I felt very humble and gratified at being giving this opportunity. Indeed we are privileged to be given this chance for our own maturity as healers guided by our Guru.
