8 amazing days with Jenny Ray

Bury the Soul - from Sacred Strokes

My recent trip to England and the 8 days with Jenny Ray proved to be all that I had predicted and much, much more. Words are simply not enough to describe it all, and it would take months to recount everything. The courses were an important step on my Spiritual Journey.

And now I'm also certified as an Advanced LaStone Therapist.

The 8 days were very intensive, and amazingly powerful and cleansing. As I return to my daily life, I notice how the Journey has been healing for me as well. Subtle changes that I only notice after I've done things differently. I predict that in the months to come I will realize more things where I have healed and changed for the better.

Every day brought new spiritual insights, but in a very down to earth manner without any magic or supernatural woo-woo. Jenny Ray is an amazing woman. Calm, down to earth, logic reasoning, openly admitting if she doesn't know, good sense of humour, and an appreciation and gratitude for life here and now that we all could learn a lot from.

Each morning we would gather in a circle and lay out the altar and tie prayer ties in Native American tradition, with the Medicine Wheel, the four elements and calling in the protectors from the four directions. This is a spiritual, and not religious, practice which fits into practically any belief you might have. Jenny would lay the alter cloth in the centre, light the sage and place the four elements and the guardians while speaking of their symbolic meanings.

The symbolic meanings serve as a focus while communicating with Creator (whatever you might call him/her/it and think it is). Much more can be said about the wheel and the directions, but I'll leave that for another article.

My finished drum

We would then place a prayer tie in each direction, some spoke out aloud their prayers, others kept them private. As the days passed by, many voiced their prayers which were deeply personal and the support of the group created a wonderful atmosphere which facilitated healing.

During the time in the circle, after tying Prayer Ties, Jenny would speak and teach us. Sometimes the talks could last all morning, because there were so much to discuss and learn from her. Not only did she teach what was scheduled, but she also openly shared her ways and taught us about Ceremonies and practices, giving us all a greater understanding and appreciation for the Native American culture and life.

The first four days were the LaStone® Sacred Strokes. Sacred Strokes is three different treatments, and then a some very powerful techniques which we can implement into other treatments. We covered pressure point and energy work, Sacred Symbols, facial massages and stone rituals aimed at building a person's strength and emotional healing.

Drum-making on Monday was amazing and so much fun. I was like a child again, having a blast and the best time of my life. Just like children can sit there in their own very happy world with a big smile on their face while they work on something. I was that child, especially during the lacing of the drum. This will certainly not be the last drum I make. I will host workshops teaching others drum-making.

Tuesday was the Shamanic Journey. Which in essence is a guided meditation using the drum. It lasts about 20 minutes and you might meet animals or become animals during the time. Afterwards you talk about the Journey and the messages your sub-consciousness gives you. The underlying belief is that we all hold all our answers, we just have to listen to ourselves.

Various animals have different symbolism, depending on region and part of the world. It can be very interesting to see what their meaning is and how they relate to our present situation. The discussions were interesting and enlightening. And the meditation in itself was very relaxing and energizing.

Jenny Ray in regalia

Healing Hands is energy work and touch therapy, where the practitioner serves as a channel for Creator. It's a very gentle and caring treatment, which leaves you feel relaxed and comfortably warm afterwards. A bit like when you've received a great hug. Some people might experience sensations, see colours and go on a small Journey during the treatment.

There is nothing mystical or magical about Healing Hands. We merely serve as tools for Creator, as a channel for the healing energy. We do not control what happens, nor do we take credit for it.

The initiation as a Healing Hand practitioner isn't anything magic or mystic either. The Ceremony taking place is just an affirmation or confirmation of what skills we already possess. The ability to be a channel for Creator and facilitate wellness for others.

What makes Healing Hands initiation special and different from eg. Reiki is that there's a lot of Ceremony. It is a Native American practice, so the Medicine Wheel and other practices are involved. Another difference is that the symbols are not secret, nor is the initiation something done privately. Everything is out in the open, taking place with everybody in the circle.

I am very grateful and happy I took the instructors course. I understood and truly learned how to lay the alter. The spiritual practices I have been introduced to are traditions I want to carry on and teach people. The mindset and philosophy behind these Native American practices fit into my own world-view and are very compatible with what I was already doing.

Becoming ceremony can be very cleansing and powerful, even if you do it on your own. It's a great alternative to the daily meditation because you actually do something with your hands and seem to produce something out of it when you tie Prayer Ties.

This will not be the last time I study under Jenny Ray. My hope is to be able to visit her in the USA and attend some of her workshops, learn further skills and become Ceremony again with her.

Ah ho (it is complete)

Sacred Symbols

A Sacred Symbol is a lay-out of the stones used during a treatment. When the stones are taken off the client, they're placed ceremoniously on the floor in a pattern by the therapist. Creating Sacred Symbols is an ancient Native American practice used in Inyan Pejuta - Stone Medicine.

Originally there would be Stone Walkers who gave the treatment with the stones and placed the stones in Sacred Symbols afterwards, and then others who could read and interpret the layouts. Now a days there are no more symbol readers left and the art has mostly disappeared. The practitioners of Inyan Pejuta picked up a bit here and there and do offer readings of the stones.

Sacred Symbols are used in LaStone and Stone Medicine. They make for a nice supplement to a bodywork treatment and often the clients are asked to look at the symbol and receive the messages there are in it for them. It can be a piece of art and beauty to find joy in, or it can be deeper messages that can help one during difficult times.

Image by Taunaki via Flickr

The picture is one of my own Sacred Symbols, made on the third day of our recent LaStone® Sacred Strokes course. Jenny Ray, our teacher did a reading on the layout which I'll share with you.

At the bottom she saw a strong foundation. Lots of stones piled on top of each other, solid. Where two stones on top of each other indicates a desire to connect with Creator, several stones on top of each other indicates that I'm already connected to creator.

In the circle in the middle she saw the sweat-lodge, a sacred ceremony for the People. The small crystal there is actually a small buffalo, and Jenny saw the buffalo carry my prayers out through the east to Creator. The east is where the eagle reside who carries our prayers up to Creator.

Above is a clear pathway without obstacles or any great choices. A balanced path leading me onward in my life.

As the practitioner becomes more and more familiar with her stones and the communication between them becomes stronger, the Sacred Symbols become easier to read and the messages clearer.

Sacred Symbols can be an interesting thing to study and explore.

Stressed - what to do?

Image via Wikipedia

Trouble sleeping lately? Grouchy and aggressive? Short-tempered and lacking patience? Tired and worn out? Sore shoulders and headaches? If so, you might very well be experiencing stress.

Stress has become a predominant factor in our lives. Luckily it is fairly easy to manage stress once we are aware of the symptoms and know the steps to take.

Organize yourself
Scheduling is effective to reduce stress and get time to do all the things you need to do. First step is to write down all the tasks which needs to be done. Next you prioritize them in order so the most important is first. Clear out all the unnecessary projects and tasks. Divide large projects into smaller manageable steps and focus on one step at a time. Start with the largest and most important task.

Be sure to schedule time for relaxation. By having enough air in your daily schedule you have room for the unforeseen and can eliminate many potential stress factors. Make sure the time you have planned for relaxation and fun becomes that and don't fall for the temptation of getting those chores done while you have that break. Use your child's nap time to get a bit of time for yourself. Relax, read a good book or catch a nap and don't let that pile of dishes beckon you.

Exercise and relaxation
It's important to exercise. Not only for our general health and well-being, but also as stress management. Exercise gives us a physical tiredness which aids us in obtaining a deep healthy sleep, which again allows our body to relax completely while our body recovers and heals itself.

Practising relaxation, both physically and mentally will quickly reduce your stress. Since stress increases stress, any step to lower stress is helpful and will aid in breaking that circle. Yoga and meditation are two excellent techniques to achieve both physical and mental relaxation. They are structured practices which provide you with a set of instructions on how to obtain relaxation.

Make sure you find time to do good things for yourself, like watching a film or reading a good book. But even better, get out and visit a hamam and be spoiled for two hours with mud wraps and massages or enjoy a visit to the hair-dresser. You can go to your favourite café with a friend, take a walk through the forest or sit in a park while you feel the sun warm your skin. Any activity that you take time to truly enjoy will aid in dealing with stress.

Sleep
Make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for both our physical and mental health. It is during sleep that our body heals itself from the strains of the day and our brain has time to deal with the intellectual and emotional issues we face.

Lack of sleep causes us to have a shorter temper, it makes us more prone to negativity and potentially brings depressions. Since lack of sleep also affects our body, our immune system can be lowered and we risk catching yet another round of gastro (stomach flu). Proper rest and healthy sleep change our entire outlook on life as well as strengthen our body to deal with the challenges it is exposed to every day.

Positive thinking
Focus on the good in life and don't think about the bad things. By focusing on the good you give yourself a strong tool to deal with all the various stress causes present in your life. Focus on the victories you have, on the good things you do and experience. Focus on what you get done during a day and don't dwell on all the things you still need to do. Do not allow yourself to dwell in negative thought patterns but recognize them as a destructive behaviour that will not change your situation or reduce your stress level.

It is a process that takes training and effort, but it is well worth it. Our approach to life and its demands is what makes the entire difference in how we deal with the situations that come up and how stressed they make us.

Social networks
Use your friends, family and networks to lighten your burden when you become overwhelmed. Join networks with other people in similar situations as yourself. There we all share the same type of problems and stresses and there is always someone who can relate. It can also be useful to join social networks as a volunteer to help out those less fortunate than ourselves, as it allows us to put our own problems in perspective.

Use your networks to lend you a hand when you are in need of a break and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. It is what we are here for.

More LaStone courses

Jenny Ray teaching LaStone®

Today I am again travelling to England and Chelmsford to attend several courses with Jenny Ray. This time it will be eight days of courses, four days with LaStone Sacred Strokes, one day Drum Making, one day Shamanic Journey, and two days with Healing Hands - learning and learning to teach others in Healing Hands.

I am very excited. I have been wanting to study with Jenny, a Native American Shaman, ever since I was introduced to LaStone. This is an important part of my spiritual journey.

Sacred Strokes was developed by Jenny Ray to teach specific stone layouts and strokes for treatment of well defined issues. Each 'stroke' is actually a sequence of motions and stone placement that is a full body treatment. All of the strokes are offered in a ceremonial attitude but because they are so specific and reproducible they work very well for the spa setting.

Drum making. During this workshop you will participate in Shamanic ceremonies to honour all who provide the raw materials for a drum. 'Wakan Huntopah' (Sacred Four Legged), that provide the hide and 'Standing Tall Ones' (trees)  that offer wood for a hoop are recognized in 'Sacred Circle' as a part of the overall education process.

Shamanic Journey. During the workshop several traditional ceremonies are gifted to the students. The first is a 'Smudging' done with sage and a full explanation of the history and meaning behind this common practice is explored. After the group has been led on the first journey into the animal kingdom there is a discussion period that helps with the understanding of the experience. The animals that presented themselves are explained in terms of their spiritual meaning and the energies associated with them according to ancient traditions.

'Healing Hands' is a term being used to describe a variety of wellness methods taught to energy healers throughout the modern world. This class reaches into ancient history for its foundation. Shamans have been offering this form of hands on, energetic healing for generations. The most common and popular form of this type work at the moment is from Japan and is known as Reiki. 'Healing Hands' uses a different symbol system than Reiki yet draws on the same innate wisdom of the universe to bring about balance for the client. The symbols used in 'Healing Hands' have been drawn as petroglyphs and pictographs in Native American rock art throughout the Americas. In this class you learn how to use those symbols and what they stand for in regards to health and wellness.

Thank you!
A big thank you to everybody who booked extra massages and helped me reach this goal. I am grateful for the support I have received and can't wait to come back and share with you my new knowledge and skills.

Love Massage

Image by mozzercork via Flickr

This is my last post in the "Eat, Love, Pray" massage series I have written over the last few weeks.

Massage and love go hand in hand. I am not talking about physical or familial love, the type of love you have for a spouse or child, but rather about a more universal love. Other ways to describe this love are compassion, caring, nurturing, comfort, relaxation, support, healing, and wanting to give the best to the recipient. They are all different expressions for love.

A good therapist gives love to every client. She gives care and nurturing, her intent is to help you with your healing and make you feel good.

It can be a transforming experience to feel this unconditional love from your therapist. For some it might be the first time in years that they have experienced a compassionate touch, for others they might only have experienced non-loving touches, some might just need physical closeness at this time in life.

I have several experiences with clients who reacted strongly to the love given during the massage. Tears and release of pent up emotions. The unconditional compassion and care during the treatment was the triggering factor. I have written about some of my experiences as a massage therapist, which includes emotional release.

Another important thing to factor in, is that massage also helps you to love and accept yourself. Research done by the Touch Institute and others show how important touch is for our own self-acceptance and self-love. If somebody else shows unconditional care and accept of you, it challenges your own views and promotes emotional healing. It is hard to dislike yourself when another so lovingly massages you and loves you just as you are.

Massage without love becomes mechanic and cold. The hands of the therapist might feel cold or there just seems to be some sort of distance and lack of connection between the two of you. High technical skill cannot make up for lack of true caring. At least not if you want a massage that supports the healing of your body, mind, and soul.