2008 Reiki Symposium

"Reiki and Your Creative Spirit"
Presidents' Day HOLIDAY ~ February 18, 2008

Open to Reiki students and practitioners of all lineages... and anyone** interested in Reiki!

A joyous one-day event that includes:
* experiential presentations
* book signing with Frans and Bronwen Stiene
* Reiki exchange room all day
* meditation room
* special “Reiki” bookstore
* and Reiki Healing Circle

KEEP READING for descriptions of presentations and bios of presenters.

Tuition: $125 * CEUs available

To register, please call the New York Open Center at 212.219.2527, or visit http://www.opencenter.org/.

** Note: If you not already a Reiki student or practitioner: (1) you will not be learning Reiki at the Symposium, and (2) the use of Reiki will be referenced in the presentations, however, it may not be possible to explain references.

2008 Presentations

"Dancing with the Chakras" with Jean Bromage, Reiki practitioner, owner of Dancing Light Candles
In this workshop, we will explore how dance and movement can be a healing and invigorating way to experience and transform the vibrations in our energy field. We will begin the workshop by calling in the Reiki as a group and experiencing its energetic flow together while using guided imagery to take us through the seven chakras and the different energetic qualities each one offers. From there we will explore how the qualities of each chakra can be expressed in our bodies through dance and creative movement. For each chakra, we will have a chance to move together as a group and then to improvise as individuals allowing us to experience the Reiki energy and chakra vibrations in different ways. As we dance our way through each of the seven chakras, music that resonates with the vibration of each energy center will be played for inspiration as we find our creative voice through movement. No previous dance experience will be necessary. Just come with the desire to dance and experience the joy of movement.

"Reiki and Puppetry: Divine Connection Between Healing Art Forms" with Yvette Edery, M.A., Reiki Master, founding Director of ArtistrYE Productions
Beginning with a marionette performance that takes you from the most simple marionette through the most complex controlled puppetry, Yvette will walk you through understanding positive and healing energy transfer in multiple realms of life. You will learn an internal process Yvette uses that combines meditation, Reiki, healing oils and prayer while designing, building, and performing puppetry. There will be short puppeteering lessons, followed by practice with the sample marionettes… or you can begin designing your own puppets.

"Mandala: Drawing Out Your Creative Spirit" with Natasha Shapiro, LCAT, ATR-BC, Advanced Reiki Practitioner, visual artist
The mandala sacred circle form is used as a symbol of the Self. This workshop will focus, strengthen, and enhance your personal relationship with your Creativity through a combination of body sensation and art making. You’ll experience how energy work, Reiki and meditation can help with creative blocks located in the body. The workshop includes: a meditation/relaxation exercise including a body scan, and guided imagery to help you go to a place of their choosing to encounter their creativity, or Muse or Creative Spirit. Then Natasha will guide you through creating your own mandala, using Reiki, meditation, and imagery. Discover how to use art making to enhance your Reiki practice. No drawing experience is required -- just a willingness to explore your creative connection to Self.

"Write from the Heart: Developing Your Writing Skills with Reiki" with Bronwen Stiene, Reiki practitioner, teacher, internationally acclaimed author
In this workshop Bronwen will help you discover ways to let Reiki guide you in developing your writing skills. As a published author and Reiki teacher, Bronwen understands the difficulty that many Reiki practitioners experience when faced with writing material for advertising, articles or even books. There are a number of techniques that Reiki practitioners can utilize to support and stimulate them in these tasks. Find out what these techniques are and let them work for you! Gain confidence in getting your message across without being self-conscious. You will need to bring a notepad and pen to this workshop as you learn to let your creativity flow.

"Reiki, Sacred Imagery and Your Creative Life" with Faith Linda Weissman, astrologer, storyteller, Reiki practitioner
The opening and extension of one's creative channels are augmented by being in the profoundly relaxed state that Reiki facilitates. In this open, receptive and confident state of being, very specific and short imagery exercises from the ancient system of the Kabbalah of Light bring a wealth of concrete images, sense impressions, ideas and openings for creative projects. These exercises also can help remove blockages or obstacles on the path of creative endeavors when done as an ongoing practice. In this workshop, breath work in a group and private writing by each participant of issues related to their creative lives will be followed by hands-on transmission of Reiki energy and then the short imagery exercises. A sharing period will end the workshop.

Bios of Presenters at the 2008 Reiki Symposium

Jean Bromage, BFA, Reiki Master, began her Reiki studies in 2003 and received the master attunement in 2005. For Jean, Reiki has expanded the creative inspiration she finds in her daily life, enhancing her artistic expression in dance, writing and crafting candles. As both healer and artist she has helped people connect with this flow of inspiration and creativity that reawakens the inner journey to becoming whole on every level of being. Jean brings a fluid, graceful and compassionate nature to her sessions as a Reiki Master and Spiritual Counselor. She enjoys incorporating her knowledge of the Chakras, crystals, color and aromatherapy into her sessions. Her continued interests in other healing traditions and wisdoms also bring a unique depth and insight to her work. Before becoming a Reiki Master, Jean earned a B.F.A. in Dance from Purchase College and has performed and choreographed her own work in New York City.

Yvette Edery, Director of ArtistrYE Productions, Puppeteer, Creator Producer, Reiki Master, and RisingStar Practitioner. She has built and performed her ownpuppets all over the world including Spain, Italy,Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the UK. Sheis the recipient of an individual Masters degree,Producing Puppetry for Cinema and Theater, from NYU,the Fractured Atlas 2007 Emerging Artist grant, the2005 O'Neill Puppetry Conference Emerging Artist, andfour national ambassadorship grants abroad. She is currently writing a book on how she relearned to behappy, creating her first feature film with all marionettes, and teaching a course at the Tisch Schoolof the Arts at NYU, Puppetry in NYC.http://www.artistrye.com/.

Natasha Shapiro, LCAT, ATR-BC, Licensed Art Therapist, Advanced Reiki Practitioner and visual artist. Natasha has a private practice in her Tribeca art studio where she works with adults. She combines Reiki and art therapy in longer 1-1/2 hour sessions that consist of consultation and Reiki table work followed by time for processing the experience through drawing and reflecting on the images that came up from the Reiki experience. She has also co-led workshops on Yoga and Art with yoga therapists and has conducted workshops combining meditation and art making. She is currently working on a series entitled “Inner Landscapes”, using drawing and mixed media as well as collage on paper and canvas.

Bronwen Stiene, Reiki practitioner, teacher, speaker and author in healing and spirituality. Australian-born Bronwen Stiene has worked with, taught and/or researched healing in the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan. With husband Frans, they began researching the system of Reiki, and Bronwen wrote her first book The Reiki Sourcebook. This book was the culmination of their initial research into the system of Reiki from Western and Japanese perspectives and was soon followed by a number of other equally successful books such as The Japanese Art of Reiki and Your Reiki Treatment. Bronwen is an active member of the Reiki community. The writing of Reiki books has been just one avenue she has taken to support her passion for promoting education in the Reiki community. Another major project to support this passion has been the ongoing development of the Reiki information portal http://www.reiki.net.au/ which hosts a weekly audio interview program called “The Reiki Show.”

Faith Linda Weissman has had astrological, spiritual and healing transmissions from many teachers, including some very early Reiki teachers in the United States, including Aurora Agni and Ellen Sokolow, beginning in 1983. She maintains an active in person healing and counseling practice as "spiritual midwife" in NYC, Bergen County, NJ, Maryland and upstate New York. She connects by telephone counseling sessions and Reiki transmissions with clients all over the world. She has received the Kabbalah of Light ancient tradition of 'spiritual medicine' personally from Gerald Epstein, MD, taught astrology and mythology, which are central to her counseling practice, leads retreats, and been a storyteller at The New York Theosophical Society, The Open Center, The Women's Rites Center, The C. G. Jung Center, the Mount Eden Retreat Center, and many others. She is lay leader in the Jewish Renewal Movement. She works as a writer, contributing to the C.G. Jung Center/ARAS' Encyclopedia of Archetypal Symbolism and The Dictionary of Symbols.

Join us for the 2nd Annual Reiki Symposium on February 18, 2008 (Presidents Day)

Theme: "Reiki and Creativity ~ Imagination, Inspiration and the Muses"

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1st Annual Reiki Symposium at the NY Open Center

A Special One-Day Event for Reiki practitioners of all lineages
Monday, January 15, 2007 (MLK Holiday)

Join us for a powerful day of community, learning and sharing. This exciting one-day event will include experiential presentations, interactive lectures, Q & A forums, and panel discussion. Plus Reiki exchange room all day, meditation room, special “Reiki” bookstore, and Master sessions.

The day will conclude with a Reiki Healing Circle in the evening, open to the general public. All are welcome! Evening includes guided-imagery meditation, the Healing Circle, and personal Reiki mini-sessions with a certified practitioner.

So whether you’re an experienced Reiki practitioner, have just taken your first class, or are somewhere in between, there’s something here for you.

Event and Presentation Schedule Grid

NOTE:
(1) If you have not studied Reiki with Reiki Arts Continuum, a photocopy of your Reiki certificate is required for admittance to this event.
(2) Some presentations have an add’l materials fee.
(3) Master sessions are an add’l fee.

REIKI SYMPOSIUM
Monday, January 15, 2007 (MLK Holiday)
9:30am – 5:30pm
$100 in advance/$125 at the door
Prerequisite: Reiki 1 and above

SPECIAL HEALING CIRCLE
6:30-8pm @ the NY Open Center
$5 Requested Donation
No prerequisite ~ Open to all!

To register, call the NY Open Center Wellness Dept. at 212.274.1829.

Description of Symposium Offerings

EXPERIENTIAL PRESENTATIONS

Universal Energy, Personal Energy: Qigong for Reiki Practitioners
With Reiki Master Janet Dagley Dagley
All Reiki practitioners are familiar with the force known as ki in Japanese and qi, or chi, in Chinese. In Reiki practice, the ki is not the practitioner's personal energy, but universal life force energy, while in qigong practice, the goal is to cultivate the practitioner's own energy field. In this active workshop, practitioners will focus on the energy within themselves, using gentle movement, breathing exercises, self-massage, meditation, and visualization to gather and cultivate personal qi. A stronger, more balanced personal energy field enables a practitioner to become a clearer, more powerful channel for Reiki energy.

Aromatherapy for Reiki Practitioners
With Reiki Master Michelle Shinagawa
This will be an exciting demonstration of how aromatherapy will benefit your Reiki sessions. Essential Oils have been used for thousands of years to balance, calm, and energize the body, mind and spirit. You will be shown specific examples for using these oils and bringing these benefits to your Reiki clients. A hands-on mini-workshop, practitioners will leave with the experience and knowledge to incorporate this powerful modality into their practices.

Healing Light: Candle Magic with Reiki
With Reiki Master Jean Bromage
Lighten up your Reiki practice using candles! Candles offer a warm and magical glow that is both relaxing and rejuvenating. Using them in our Reiki and meditation practice invites this magical presence into our sacred space. In this workshop we’ll discuss using color and scent in candles, including an overview of the chakra colors and essential oils. There will also be a candle reflection meditation. We will end with an intention setting exercise using candles. Each person will choose their own candle for this exercise (scented and unscented will be available) and take it home to experience the candle magic first hand. There is a $5 materials fee for this class.

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INTERACTIVE LECTURES, Q&A FORUMS, PANEL DISCUSSION

Q&A Forum: General Practice
With Reiki Arts Continuum Founder and Director, Margaret Ann Case, BA, Reiki Master, RPP

Meditation through Calligraphy with the Reiki Symbols
With Reiki Master Margaret Ann Case
Prerequisite: Reiki 2 and above
Discover the beauty of meditation with the Reiki System symbols, using the practice of calligraphy. Master Usui developed the symbols based on mystical practices of esoteric Japanese Buddhism (Shingon). Come and discover why spiritual traditions the world over use calligraphy as an entrance into deeper levels of being and perception. There is a materials fee for this workshop. No calligraphy or meditation experience is necessary.

Connect with Your Inner-Self - A Four-Step Process
With Reiki Master Sinikka Laitamaki
In this interactive session we will explore how to connect with your inner-self and how to sustain a positive outlook. You will be guided through meditation, visualization and behavioral anchoring to establish the connection. You will also discover supportive affirmations and action steps to release resistant thoughts and replace those with more allowing thoughts. We can utilize the process daily to enable us go with the positive flow of life. Also, this four-step process provides a helpful platform for co-creating and manifesting what you want in your life. Come and experience how to tap into the power of your positive inner-self!

Reiki in Cyberspace
With Reiki Masters Janet Dagley Dagley and James Rosenow
Like Reiki, the Internet can facilitate connections across space and time. Reiki is all over cyberspace – found on more than 20 million sites, and counting. But how can you sort through it all, and what can you believe? Can you get a real attunement from a web site? (No, but you can find valuable information and connect with other practitioners as well as clients.) Are the Master Certificates advertised online worth anything? (Yes, to the sellers!) Can you set up and maintain your own web site, online calendar, and e-newsletter yourself for free? (Yes! We'll show you how.)

Q&A Forum: Professional Practice
With Reiki Arts Continuum Founder and Director, Margaret Ann Case, BA, Reiki Master, RPP

Panel Discussion: Blending Reiki With Other Modalities
Panel members include:
Margaret Ann Case, Reiki Master and Polarity Therapy Practitioner
Maggie Connell, Reiki Master, LMT and Certified Reflexologist
Janet Dagley Dagley, Reiki Master, Qi Gong Practitioner and Thai Yoga Therapist
Nicholas Sweeney, Reiki Master and Tarot Consultant

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OTHER EVENTS

SPECIAL Reiki Healing Circle
All are welcome! Open to the general public, as well as Reiki practitioners
Experience the Reiki System of Natural Healing. Evening includes guided-imagery meditation, the Healing Circle, and personal Reiki mini-sessions with a certified practitioner. $5 requested donation.

Reiki Exchange Room
Open to all Reiki practitioners attending the Symposium
Exchange and share Reiki with one another in pairs or in groups. The room will be set up with tables, chairs, pillows, music… and you can come and go as you please.

Master Sessions: $60 special rate for those attending Symposium

Bios of Presenters

Jean Bromage, BFA, Reiki Master, began her Reiki journey in 2003 and received the master attunement from Margaret Ann Case in 2005. Jean is also a candle maker and her products are popular both locally and internationally. Weaving these two beautiful art forms together has been a real joy for her. Jean has her B.F.A. in dance from Purchase College and has performed and choreographed her own work in New York City.

For more than 14 years Margaret Ann Case, BA, Reiki Master, RPP, has been a recognized leader and innovator in the teaching of Reiki and spiritual healing, as well as an esteemed healing practitioner, intuitive-spiritual counselor, and mentor. She is a life-long student of holistic and wisdom traditions. Ms. Case is the founder and director of Reiki Arts Continuum, as well as director of the Reiki training program at the NY Open Center. Ms. Case maintains a private practice in New York City.

Maggie Connell, LMT, CR, Reiki Master, has been a student of the Healing Arts for 15 years and practitioner for 10. Maggie’s teachers include Rosalyn L. Bruyere, and Reiki Master Margaret Ann Case. She incorporates massage, reflexology, shiatsu, as well as shamanic techniques, into her Reiki sessions with clients. Also a veteran songwriter, Maggie continues to play and record original music.

Reiki Master and Thai Yoga Therapist Janet Dagley Dagley dedicated herself to natural healing after a journalism career that included a stint as "Keeping Fit" columnist for the Los Angeles Times and science and health reporting for such publications as the Orange County Register and Dayton Daily News. A qigong practitioner for 20 years, she is the proprietor of Healing Movement in Hoboken, NJ, and editor of The Reiki Digest and Qigong Digest.

Sinikka Laitamaki, MS, MEd, is a Reiki Master, Spiritual Healing Practitioner, Spiritual Counselor, and a Master–Teacher of Magnified Healing. She maintains a private practice in New Jersey. She is also a visiting lecturer in New York University. Prior to her Reiki journey, Sinikka successfully led corporate culture changes and the development of high- performance organizations with empowered employees for over 15 years. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Human Resources from Cornell University and a Masters in Education from Finland.

James Rosenow, MFA, Reiki Master, is an award-winning filmmaker and graduate of New York University's Graduate film school who left the film business to focus on a more spiritually centered life. James received his Reiki Master certification in 2006 and is the president of AwakeningVoices.org. As a not-for-profit corporation, combining the written word and multi-media, AwakeningVoices.org explores Christian dogma, alternative concepts in spirituality, and the viability of a spiritually-based model of abundance.

Michelle Shinagawa, BFA, is a Reiki Master and certified Aroma Therapist. She is dedicated to spreading her knowledge about the importance of organic lifestyles and complimentary non-invasive healing therapies—for people as well as for dogs! Through her extensive background and trainings, Michelle has established a working relationship with the most recent developments in such fields as macrobiotics, ontology, animal communication, dog massage, esoteric healing, chakra theory, and crystals.

In 2005 Nicholas Sweeney, MFA, Reiki Master, made a life-long commitment to his own and others' personal healing journeys and began his formal Reiki training with Margaret Ann Case at the New York Open Center and Reiki Arts Continuum. In June 2006 he graduated from the Reiki Arts Continuum Reiki Master-Spiritual Healing Practitioner-Spiritual Counseling program. Nicholas is the founder of Phoenix Wisdom Healing. Currently, he serves the New York City area with Reiki, spiritual counseling, Tarot, and Astrology.