The soul whispers to your mind in colors, mystifying images and symbols. It is not necessarily our job to decode these images and symbols, but to acknowledge that they are feelings that are hidden behind more than just the material wants and needs, fears and doubts. They are in us and between us, as feelings of Love and Compassion.

~Dan Eckman-Thomas / David Thomas~

I feel as if Reiki has always been inside of me, part of my soul, waiting for the right time to lift upward from the subconscious mind, bringing its pure love and compassion into my every-day life.

Of course there are many to thank for this path, my teachers, Susan Stone, Mary Sherwood and Colleen Benelli, my fellow Reiki friends, my clients and of course my wife Kathy for supporting me and encouraging me during the changes that have come about because of Reiki and there have been many.

For the past 36 years I have loved my everyday job taking care of the outside operation of the Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area in MN. It is a hands on type of work and can be very intense at times.

At home my hobbies are woodworking and welding.  

Creating things has been my life’s passion.  In some way I believe this has helped me on to this path of Reiki by seeing beyond the physical work that I can do with my hands and trusting the spiritual awakening, working again with my hands only bringing about a whole different dimension… healing.

I first got interested in Reiki through my sister-in-law, Mary Sherwood, back in 2007 through reading material she had given me and experiencing Reiki sessions with her and others.

I decided in 2009 to take my first class from Susan Stone. It was a true awakening to Reiki was about and can do.

I was going to take my Level ll Reiki class from Susan but she had fallen ill with cancer and was not able to teach. She had passed away a few months later having chosen to let life takes is natural course with out the help of modern medicine.

In the winter of 2010 I had decided to take Reiki Level II, along with my friend Gina, from my sister-in-law Mary. It became truly a challenge to get it done. We tried two times to do this, but snowstorms had caused it to be canceled.  Finally on the third try, even though there was another snowstorm, my friend Gina and I drove through the storm to Mary’s house determined to take this class.  This ride usually takes forty-five minutes but because of the storm took us two hours…Reiki was with us.   

Going through the Reiki ll class was an awesome awakening.  It is after that when I had decided to amp up my self-Reiki to an everyday occurrence.  This helped develop trust in my Reiki practice.

In May of 2011, after working with self-Reiki, family and friends I decided it was time to start seeing clients and have never looked back. I look at it as helping to heal the world one person at a time with love and compassion.  It is always heart warming and gratifying to see the look on their faces when they are done with their session.  Especially first time clients that have that look of, what just happen there! I know that it’s Reiki working at its finest and the longer I work with it the more I trust it. I have come to understand to stay out of the way, set aside my ego and personal intensions, and let Reiki do this amazing work.

I took my Reiki Master class from Mary, in September of 2011 along with three others. This was a very powerful experience getting in deeper to the workings of Reiki and learning how to teach and attune others to Reiki. I think back to, when asked by Mary in my Reiki ll class, what I wanted to do with Reiki as I progressed.  I remember saying I wasn’t sure if I was going to take it any further.  Then during the meet your Reiki guide meditation it came threw loud and clear that I was not done and teaching was to be part of my path. 

What compels me to stay on this path of Reiki:

During the time that lead up to my master training I had the privilege of working with Angella Frank who was recovering from brain surgery.  She had a brain tumor removed and was looking for some more holistic modalities to assist with the recovery and the healing process.  Her husband Adam, who I worked with at Hyland, is how I had found out about Angella’s search for holistic alternative healing.  When we did set a Reiki session up I thought it was important not to just work on healing Angella, but to help Adam heal from the anxiety and fear he was feeling going through this with her.  I think at times we forget about the other half of a relationship.  I have come to realize that it is very important helping keep things as positive and peaceful during this healing time. I asked my dear friend Shelia if she would help me give Reiki to both of them, side by side. It was a beautiful experience not only for Adam and Angella but also for Shelia and myself.

In 2013, Angella had a relapse and needed another surgery.   I spent time with her and her family at the hospital the day of the surgery and at Angella and Adams home after the surgery.  She is now on the road to recovery.  She has one of the most optimistic outlooks on life and a great sense of humor.

Karen Bessel, is one of my fellow students I met in my Master Reiki class.

Karen loves teaching Reiki to her students.  She has a special segment of hands on teaching while working with Reiki on the horses.  This helps the students feel confident to work with their own horse.

Karen had an operation shorty after our Master Reiki training and was in need of Reiki healing.  Shelia and I worked together again using Reiki healing on Karen.  The sessions that followed turned into an amazing bond between us three.  When Karen was well enough, we started up Reiki share sessions and still continue the shares to this day.

Karen had another unfortunate life trauma just this last fall.  She was suffering from extreme migraines. After several doctor appointments, with no success to rid her of these migraines, she finally ended up in the emergency room.  They found that she had a dissected blood vessel going to the brain, which was life threatening. I was able to give her Reiki at the hospital and when she got home.

Karen was told she could not get on a horse for 4 to 6 months and to take it easy to allow healing to happen and if she didn’t it could mean losing her life.  She isn’t a very patient person, but with reflection she realized how blessed she was and listen to the doctors advice. Karen has now been given the OK to ride and train again and she loves it even more, with a greater appreciation for life. She is truly devoted to her horses, Reiki and most of all her family.

She has become fondly know to me as my medicine women because of her very comforting and powerful healing touch and her knowledge of essential oils. 

I tell these stories because they are part of what has confirmed that this is the right path I have chosen.  It’s not all because of the extreme cases as described above.  It’s also about the everyday person who comes to you or spontaneous encounter and they experience a soul connection, an awakening of their true emotions, for mental clarity, grounding and the release of everyday stress. Or maybe… just a chance to let it all go for an hour and enjoy a perfect elixir for good health, and a wonderful integration of body and mind. In this age of faster is better technology and impersonal medicine; Reiki offers a drug-free, humanistic approach to healing.

Teaching is another thing that is very gratifying for me.   Seeing students so engaged in class and beginning to understand that this is something that they can do for themselves and others.

My wife and I hope to start teaching kids Reiki by using Barbra McKell’s program and handouts.  My wife is so good with children.   Kathy and I believe it can be very beneficial to bring this awareness to children and continue to open the minds of the young to healing energies, to help make the future world a more peaceful and joyous place in this universe.

I took, Karuna® Reiki with Colleen Benelli, in Oregon this past October and it was such a profound experience.

I look forward to working with my clients taking advantage of Karuna® and the many benefits it has helping to heal past and present life trauma.

In closing I feel very blessed to have found this path of Reiki and knowing it is going to be with me for life. 

I would like to also thank all of you that do this amazing work with Reiki!

“Sing loud from the roof tops

Come dance by the rivers edge

Carry me over mountains to the end of Love” ~Alpha Rev~

Painting by Angella Frank

David can be contacted by email at david@lotusworkshop.com

www.lotusworkshop.com

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