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Artwork from Russian Gathering June 2016 depicting Reiki and the Earth as living systems

In This Issue
Something Greater Than Ourselves
The OGM Retreat and Regeneration
Webinars
Pre-Register for Usui III

Calendar of Events 
for 2017
 
February 1-5
Usui I
Phyllis Furumoto & Paul Mitchell
Green Valley, AZ
Organizer: Joyce Winough
To pre-register: click here

Feb 28-Mar 5
Personal Development with the Game of Transformation
Green Valley AZ USA
Phyllis Furumoto 
For information:  click here
 
March 24-26
AMFR Meeting, France 
Paul Mitchell 
 
Mar. 27 - Apr. 2
The Way to Harmony
Paul Mitchell 
France
Organizer: Jean Francois Roussot
To register: click here 

April 7-13 
The Way to Harmony
Paul Mitchell
UK
Organizer: Vrinda Anjali
To register: click here  

April 18-24 
The Way to Harmony
Paul Mitchell
Wettenbostel, Germany
Organizer: Irene Gelmi
To register: click here  
 
Apr. 30 - May 7   
TRA Conference 
Sofia, Bulgaria
Paul Mitchell attending

May 16-21  
Preparation and Initiation of Masters

Green Valley AZ USA 
Phyllis Furumoto
To pre-register:  click here
                
June 1 - 4  
Tradition Keepers of Usui Shiki Ryoho
Phyllis Furumoto &  Paul Mitchell
Cataldo ID USA
To register:  click here

June 6 - 11  
Usui III
Spokane WA USA
Paul Mitchell and Phyllis Furumoto 
Organizer:  Kandy Brandt
To pre-register:   click here 

June 
Global Reiki Webinar Gathering:  We are Sacred Earth
Place and exact dates are not known as of printing
Phyllis Furumoto and Rachel Goldberg

October 6-13
November 14-21
2 English speaking tours:
The Essence of our Practice
Kyoto Japan
Phyllis Furumoto
To pre-register: click here


Featured Community Resource


Community Resources
Connection!  

We have had good success in having a small number of virtual participants in some of the events. 

We are continuing to grow into a more virtual world....not to replace  being together in person, but to use our technology to keep our community moving forward and our members active.

Welcome to our newsletter            November 2016
We have really entered the virtual age!  During the OGM Retreat held in Almaty Kazakhstan at the end of September Paul attended through a conference call service!  And Phyllis was there in person.  To accommodate the time difference of 13 hours.....we started our meetings at 7:30 am and had a long break midday.  Then met up with Paul in the evening again.  

We are also offering virtual attendance in many of our events. Usually we register virtual participants two weeks before the event to see how many we feel the event can maintain.  

Phyllis attended the Succession Weekend in Austria on November 3-6 virtually.  Along with several others!  

It is not the real deal with hugs but it is very close!  The contribution Paul made to the OGM Retreat energetically and physically was palpable.  Thank you to all those "geeks" that make this possible!

Phyllis Furumoto and Paul Mitchell

Something Greater Than Ourselves
Paul Mitchell
I just had the pleasure of attending the 32nd annual Reiki gathering at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon in the United States.  I was also able to attend the Master Time which takes place the two days before the student gathering.

Both events were facilitated by my wife, Susan.  The theme was Stories of Our Reiki Families: Connecting through Oral Tradition and the exploration and sharing were both profound and sweet.

One of the things that I came away with was stimulated by a question we considered during the Master Time:  What is Reiki calling me to?  I have been asking this question for years both of myself and others in talks that I have given to varied groups of Reiki students.  What struck me so poignantly during this gathering was a profound gratitude to be part of a world-wide community that continuously asks itself this question.

What touched me so deeply is what I believe this implies, namely, that we are a community of people who acknowledge that we are a part of something so much greater than ourselves, that what we are connected to and an expression of is benign, healing, loving, and conspiring for our good and the good of all life.  It means that we are conscious and willing participants in an innate calling.  Our response to this call is a striving to care not only for our own well-being but also for the flourishing of others and ultimately the greater good of all life.  As we "live into" the question "What is Reiki calling me to?", we have the opportunity to support one another in finding our way both individually and communally to serve Life with the gifts each of us have been blessed with.

I am honored to be a part of this community.

Paul D. Mitchell

The OGM Retreat and Regeneration 
Phyllis Furumoto



The integration of the principles of Regenerative Development was stunning during the OGM Retreat this year.  From the design of the daily program to the way that the Docents worked with the group was not the usual process where people arrived and waited to be spoken to. The participants of the OGM Retreat came to work for the system and for greater clarity of all students.  

The Docent group was a mix of 8 Russian and English Speaking Masters....and after a day of working together to plan the Retreat, they became a strong second line group, meaning that they knew they would be personally challenged and would develop a part of themselves that before had been hidden.  They knew they were there to serve the system and the OGM even though they did not know how this would happen.  And they were committed to serve each other by respecting the others' opinions and wishes.  Everyone's opinion and ideas were heard and carried out if the direction was to serve the system and the OGM.  

The topics that were brought to the Retreat from the Docents as well as from the OGM were as follows:  How does local culture affect Reiki practice?  In light of devaluation of the US dollar in many countries, including Kazakhstan, what would be a supportive posture from the OGM?  Should these countries set a local currency amount based on the US dollar but not permanently attached to the US dollar?  What are the functions of the energetic being of the Student Body?  

We started with the question of Culture which then flowed through the days as a foundation of the conversations.  As well, there were many cultures represented in the group of 135 members of the OGM that weekend.  It was a rich and stimulating time.  

Working most of the time in smaller groups of 14-20 people, the OGM Retreat participants grew accustomed to speaking for themselves and not being too polite or afraid to have a different opinion.  Others in the group were interested and used differences to find a spark of insight or understanding.  All understood that this was the way to serve the system. 

And serve they did!  Deep understandings that will inform the way all of the participants hold Reiki practice were spoken.  Wisdom along with sharp sometimes painful memories/experiences was shared about the experience of money as the local currency slipped to 50% of the value against the US dollar.  Despite the usual concerns of economic inequality, the group wished to preserve the tradition and integrity of the system by keeping the US dollar amounts for First and Second Degree.  They also spoke about cultural integrity and dignity.  As the group then went to discussing the functions of the Spiritual Lineage and Master Body which flowed directly from the discussions of money as a part of the system, they pondered the functions of the Student Body.  As they did this, they grappled with the understanding of what was a Spiritual Lineage, what was the Master Body, and what was the Student Body?  These energetic being bodies that form the substance of the system.  The form has a life of its own.  When joined with the living systems of these being bodies, there is a synergy that occurs.  

We bathed in this synergy.  

Without the continual exploration of Regenerative Development and principles that have been woven through all the events in the last years of the OGM, this amazing work could not have emerged.  What came forth was the accumulated wisdom of hundreds of years of experience that was represented in the group, the willingness to stay conscious and move into second line community work even though it was scary, and the profound connection of everyone there through the practice of Reiki.  

The OGM Retreat for 2017 has not been scheduled yet.  Please keep an eye on our schedule at the beginning of the year for this date and place!

Phyllis Lei Furumoto
 
Webinars
What's up with webinars?

For the last 18 months, Rachel Goldberg and I have been producing and publishing webinars about every 6 weeks or so.  The topics are far ranging and are addressed to the Global Reiki Community.  There is a Facebook page:  Global Reiki Webinars.  It is worth the read.  I like the discussions that are happening on many different topics that concern the Reiki community.  

I "met" Rachel because I asked on my Facebook page if anyone had the skills and interest to work with me on this long dreamed project of webinars.  I wanted to become available to those who would not be able to come and meet me.....and to do the transition from traveling to staying more at home.  I feel that we have reached this goal of mine and are now surpassing what I thought possible.  

We are going to use Zoom, another webinar platform, for the pay-for-participation webinars.  It is a much easier platform for the participants to be able to have open real-time discussions not only with me but with each other!  Fabulous!  Another improvement!  

Rachel introduced me to the idea of having a live event as well!  We are considering Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico and Ronora Lodge and Retreat Center in Michigan.  There natural settings underlining the theme of the global gathering:  We are Sacred Earth.  

One of our fundamental principles in producing the webinars was to nourish our similarities and celebrate our differences in Reiki practice.  One of our similarities is, of course, being human.  And hearing the call of Reiki to nourish the understanding that we are Earth.....we are not controllers of Earth or in relationship to Earth.....we are Earth.  

Rachel's dream is to offer program spots to those who would like to offer a 2-3 hour event for the whole group (we envision 75 people) or for a smaller group.  The offerings will be asked to be in accordance with the theme of the gathering and to support our sameness of being Reiki. Other obvious program spots are sessions of hands on Reiki, conversations with Phyllis and Rachel, and ceremony.  

If you are interested in knowing more, stay tuned on the Facebook page or in the webinars.  Applications for program leaders and Registration for participants will open December 31 after the Webinar. 
Pre- Register for the Usui III in Spokane

The date, time and place have been determined for the second Usui III, an intensive for masters practicing Usui Shiki Ryoho, for the purpose of entering into work that allows us to advance our conscious understanding of this system.  The Place is Red Lion Inn in Spokane Washington. The dates are June 5-11 2017.  This is for Masters of Usui Shiki Ryoho.  There are no pre-requisites for this Intensive.  

Help us by pre-registering.  This will allow us to set the cost of the event in relationship with the interest of the master community.