Author Archives: Dana Taylor

Jan 5 2013

What is Reiki?

Tapping400 A new year brings new directions. For myself, the expansion of my Reiki Practice is evolving. Reiki and similiar energy healing modalities are coming more into the mainstream. Below is some basic introductory information.

What is Reiki?

Reiki is a healing modality that originated in Japan about a hundred years ago by Dr. Mikao Usui or Usui Sensei, as he was known by his students. During a dark-moment-of-the-soul period in his life, Usui Sensei made a pilgrimage to the holy mountain Mt. Kurama for guidance and renewal.

During a twenty-one day spiritual retreat, he encountered the Reiki (meaning “God’s Light”) energy, which entered his head, and provided an unending stream of healing power.

Not only could Usui Sensei channel this power personally, he could pass the power onto students via “attunements.” 

Over the decades, Reiki centers opened in Japan. After World War II, the West learned about Reiki via an American of Japanese heritage named Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Today there are thousands of Reiki practitioners worldwide.

Reiki Energy Treatments

 Reiki and other forms of complementary therapies are being increasingly employed in the health care industry. Energy therapists serve as healing facilitators transferring energy frequencies, much as a light bulb transmits electricity.

Benefits from treatments include:

  • Accelerated healing ability
  • Relaxation Response
  • Sleep Improvement
  • Reduction in pain, anxiety, nausea, muscle tension
  • Post-op healing
  • End of life transition
  • Over-all sense of well-being

What to Expect

A client sits or lies down, fully-clothed. The therapist generally works a few inches away from the body. People emit energy patterns around their bodies, sometimes called the auric field. The therapist works with various energy frequencies to adjust the client’s auric field toward wellness. The energy may feel warm, cool, or create a slight buzzing sensation. The client absorbs healing energy and utilizes it to the best of their ability. Sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

Hospitals employing Reiki:

Whittier Presbyterian Hospital

University of Arizona Medical Center

Hartford Hospital, Connecticut

Find more information at Reiki.org

Dana Taylor, RM

By Dana Taylor • Posted in Reiki
4
Dec 31 2012

Remembering a Prayer Warrior

My good friend, mentor, and kindred-spirit, Jeanie Davis, went to heaven early Christmas morning. She’d asked me several years ago to offer a eulogy for her memorial service and life celebration. Jeanie understood faith and the power of prayer better than anyone I’ve ever known. Here is the message I offered for her family and friends–Dana Taylor

Jeanie David with daughter, Shelley, Christmas Eeve 2012
Jeanie Davis with daughter, Shelley, Christmas Eve 2012

Jeanie Lavelle Emberton came into the world at the family home in Drumright, Oklahoma on October 30, 1932. She was one of five children born to Clifford Crilly Emberton and Verna Willie Young Emberton. During the Depression years, her dad, Clifford, worked for Phillips Petroleum, moving the family through several small Oklahoma towns.

Her Grandma Emberton sewed the seeds of faith early in Jeanie.  A stroke at the age of 32 marked Grandma Emberton with a limp and residual paralysis. Yet she regularly spent morning time kneeling beside Jeanie’s bed to begin their day in prayer. She answered Jeanie’s questions about Jesus. Those morning talks laid a foundation for the Christian life that would influence so many people in the years to come.

During Jeanie’s high school years, the family lived in Shidler, Oklahoma. Her vivacious personality made her a class favorite and she often sang comedy solos. She stayed in touch with several of her classmates and continued to attend reunions throughout her life.

After graduation she moved to the big city—Tulsa—and became a working girl. She met Bill Davis and they married on April 9, 1953. From that union came the treasures of Jeanie’s heart-her four children Shelley, Cindy, Chris and Holly.

The marriage proved to be difficult and turbulent. By 1968 her life was falling apart—her health was poor and she knew her dependence on alcohol had gotten out of control. She was wandering in a personal spiritual desert. Her one glimmer of hope came from dreams of encouragement with Grandma Emberton. She remembered the prayers of her grandmother. On one fateful night, Jeanie fell to her knees in her bedroom. A vision of Jesus appeared. He showed an honest life review. She saw all the ways she was falling short. In those minutes, she experienced true repentance and she received supernatural forgiveness from the Lord. She heard the phrases, “Peace I leave you. Peace I give you. Let your heart not be afraid.” Warmth and the peace of God poured through her. She was given the joy and strength she needed to divorce and move on.

From that point, walking a spiritual path became the highest focus of Jeanie’s life. We all knew her in different roles—friend, mother, or grandmother. But we all sensed her authentic faith. She generously took people into her home. She prayed from the heart and developed her spiritual gifts through study and practice.

Her life had many challenges—physically and financially. But she knew God would always come through.

We all have our favorite Jeanie moments. I met Jeanie in the Servants in Prayer group at Our Lords Community Church. We were truly kindred spirits and became life long prayer partners. She became a mother figure to me after she helped me get through the difficult days of my own mother’s passing.

We were both cat lovers and gave each other feline friends that would be perfect companions. Jeanie adopted a friendly stray that showed up at my house and named her “Sadie.” “She” turned out to be a “he.”  After that discovery, he became “Sadie-Boy.” A couple of years later she returned the favor. I was between pets. Kind-hearted Holly left food out for the local feral cats at the home she shared with Jeanie.  One black-and-white kept running into their house. One day Jeanie called me, “Come over here and pick up this dang cat. He is driving us crazy.” She knew he was meant for me. He’s still my best pal, Buddy.

The last time I saw Jeanie, she was at the assisted living center, looking like a million bucks. Her hair was done; her make-up perfect. When we went downstairs, the workers and residents all knew her and shared a joke or two. In recent months, despite trips to the hospital, Jeanie was a leader in a Bible study and was always ready with a prayer.

The last evening of Jeanie’s life was about as perfect as one could hope. She was surrounded by her family on Christmas Eve. She looked and felt good. She basked in the joy and warmth of her loved ones. Then, as they were celebrating the birth of the Savior at a candlelight service, Jeanie was at home surrounded by angels. She joined Jesus on Christmas morning. Now, she is in her heavenly home.

She will be missed by many, but, Jeanie lives on in the memories and spiritual lessons she taught us. Someone as special as Jeanie may move from one plane of existence to another, but, like Jesus, she is with us… always.

With Love–

Dana

By Dana Taylor • Posted in Musings
4
Dec 29 2012

Dawn Paul, “A Healer of Souls”

Enjoy this excerpt from this new release from British Healer, Dawn Paul. Her vision at Machu Picchu is the beginning of her great spiritual adventure…

How it all began….by Dawn Paul, Master Shaman and Spiritual Teacher

A Healer of Souls: A helping hand on your journey through lifeI had been drawn to Machu Picchu for years but for some reason, had never managed to get there. Machu Picchu is cited as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, and is often referred to as ‘The Lost City of the Inca.’ A mountain rising to just under eight thousand feet above sea level, covered in 15th Century Inca ruins, it surely is a sight to behold, and breathtaking in more ways than one.

 As so often happens when one is on a spiritual path, as soon as I admitted defeat and stopped trying to find my path, it found me. For during my visit to Machu Picchu, quite unexpectedly, I received a powerful and mystical vision which was to change my life forever. I had climbed to the highest point at Machu Picchu to see the Intihuatana stone – also known as the “hitching post of the Sun.” I was feeling frustrated as I had only caught the last two minutes of a talk about the stone, and the crowd was being shown out of the area down some steep and crumbling steps. I was the last to leave the enclosure, and as I cautiously made my way down the ancient steps, something red caught my eye.

Startled, I looked up and saw that I was surrounded by about twenty Inca, all staring intently at me, red cloaks blowing in the strong valley winds, with feathered helmets on their heads and what appeared to be spears in their hands. Having previously enjoyed a trip to Rome that same year, and seen locals dressed up as gladiators and centurions posing for photos outside the Coliseum, I assumed that the Inca before me were a similar sort of tourist attraction, which to be honest I was a little upset about. But as I was able to focus my attention more fully onto them, I noticed that they were fading in and out, as if they were being tuned out on an old fashioned television.

I stopped dead in my tracks right there on the steps. I looked around to see if anyone else was close by, and amazingly, given the 400 visitors a day who visit Machu Picchu, no one was around. I could just make out a friend sitting against a rock on the distance but that was it. Fearing my knees would fail me, I wobbled my way to the bottom of the stairs.

An Inca was stood a short distance away from me, but he was dressed differently to the rest. Apart from a slit in his helmet exposing his deep black eyes, he was completely covered in golden armour. And he was immensely powerful, so powerful that I could barely stand in front of him. I kept subtly pinching myself to make sure I was not dreaming, but there was no doubt he was there, right in front of me and I was wide awake. I will admit it, I was pretty terrified, but something in me knew that I must maintain eye contact with him. The charge from his eyes was so strong that when his gaze met mine, a blue ball of electricity formed equidistant between us which crackled and sparked in mid-air. Tears flowed from my eyes and my knees shook, but I maintained my stance at what I hoped was a respectful distance.

I had no idea what I was supposed to do – or who he was- so I just stood there, bravely fronting up to him, holding my own. Suddenly his armoured arm shot out and he pointed directly at me. His voice boomed, “You must follow this path – and we will help you!”

He then pointed to another Inca on the plateau below us, and indicated I was to go to him. Again, this Inca was powerful but dressed more traditionally. I stood in front of him, again having no idea what to do and was pretty alarmed when he made a grab for my throat! He wrestled something out of me, threw it into the wind and then indicated I could leave down some uneven steps down the side of the mountain. A sharp stone dug into the underside of my foot and when I looked down at it I saw that instead of my sturdy walking boots, I had on a pair of black leather Inca boots wrapped around my feet. This stunned me and I realised it was a sign I had been here before. The winds rushed up from the river valley below and plastered me against the side of the mountain. I could barely catch my breath. But then suddenly the wind died down and I heard a voice saying I could go now, and that was it! I was completely dazed, but it was a truly amazing experience and I will never forget it as long as I live.

Find A Healer of Souls at Amazon US AmazonUK Barnes & Noble

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dawnDawn Paul was born in 1965 in Nottingham, England. At around the age of three she realised three things, one, that she was hugely fascinated by people’s minds, two, that she was not from here, and three, that she had a lot of questions! Dawn struggled to find her place in the world, feeling hugely drawn to all things spiritual, but ending up working in financial services for 20 years despite the fact that she felt constantly pushed to do something – but she did not know what that was. Eventually, after years of searching she felt that she had no option but to give up. Exhausted from her search and the constant challenges she had faced in her life, she found herself at Machu Picchu, Peru. There, she received a mystical vision and was told to follow the path of the shaman, and then everything became much clearer! Waving goodbye to her six figure salary, Dawn stepped onto the path of the shaman, where she had always belonged. She now works worldwide as a shamanic healer and spiritual teacher, and her book, A Healer of Souls – A helping hand on your journey through life, is her gift to the community, without which a shaman cannot exist.

 Visit Dawn Paul’s website at  www.liberate-online.co.uk

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streamshandsmall  EVER-FLOWING STREAMS: TAPPING INTO HEALING ENERGY

 “A book not to simply read, but to experience…” Tampa Bay Examiner

Dec 24 2012

Legend of the Angelic Inspiration of Handel’s “Messiah”

Angel Anecdotes Series #3–

 

Did George Fredric Handel have “help” writing one of the greatest pieces of music of all time? As a man in his mid-50’s Handel appeared to be well past his prime. A few years earlier he had suffered what was possibly a stroke, paralyzing his right hand. His ability to play a keyboard or conduct musicians had been severely impaired. He complained of blurry vision. He was a man in debt, discouraged, and depressed.

By 1741 he had fallen out of public favor. He had a single commission–to write a composition to benefit debtors in a Dublin prison. (A fate he himself had barely eluded). Handel found inspiration in a libretto received from a devout Anglican named Charles Jennens. Comprised almost entirely of King James Biblical Scripture, Jennens sought to highlight God’s interaction with mankind. Handel divided the work into three sections (1)–Old Testament prophecies (2) The Life of Christ (3) Revelation’s End Times triumph over death and evil.

Handel sequestered himself three weeks, caught in the grip of creative forces. Servants reported hearing him crying and moaning, rarely eating. He talked of having visions and is quoted saying–

“singing angelsI did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with his Company of Angels.”

After only twenty four days he emerged with a complex choral and orchestral masterpiece that would stir the souls of listeners for centuries to come. Listen to this performance and judge for yourself if this intricate composition could be heaven inspired:

Proceeds from the first concert freed 142 men from debtors prison. At a later performance, King George II of England himself stood to the rousing Hallelujah Chorus, thus beginning a tradition that has lasted three hundred years.

Angels are God’s messengers. Handel’s Messiah is a Message of Hope for the Ages.

Blessings to all–

Dana Taylor

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holidaymediumHope for the Holidays     

Angels come in many guises. Enjoy three stories of angelic inspiration!

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Dec 19 2012

Angel Nanny

Angel Anecdotes Series–
valentineMy daughter, Sara, and her husband moved into a lovely 1920’s era home in St. Louis when they got married. From the beginning, we sensed a kindly spirit in the upstairs area. Several of the Supernal Friends picked up similar images of a Victorian era woman. I pictured  one with a Gibson girl upswept hair style;  others saw her hair long and full.

Will, 1 yr

Will, 1 yr

During the time Sara was pregnant with her son, Will, she had the opportunity to receive her Reiki II attunement from Helen (www.rippleoflights.com). Helen told her that Will would also receive the attunement. He is our Reiki Baby. He has been extraordinarily healthy and happy. We also think he may have been watched over by the Victorian woman we sensed. Sara and I received similar names for her–“Lilli” or “Lillian.” Will was often content to stay in his crib and vocalized happily “alone.” Supernal Friend Paula once told me he was learning many things from Lilli.

When I visited their home, I shared Will’s room. One afternoon I closed the door to have some quiet prayer and meditation time. The windows were closed; no fan whirred. I sat in the rocking chair and went through my meditation. After a while, it occurred to me to address Lilli. I said in my mind, “I don’t know if you’re here, Lilli, but if you are I would like to thank you for taking care of Will.” I felt a little silly addressing what could have just been a figment of everyone’s imaginations, but it couldn’t hurt, right?

A couple of minutes later, a piece of paper sailed off the top of the armoire and drifted down to my feet.

Hmm, I guess that was Lilli’s way of saying, “You’re welcome.”

Blessings–

Dana Taylor

Dec 15 2012

Angel Anecdotes

When terrible events occur like the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., our faith in a loving Divine Source can get seriously shaken. I’m not going to even begin pondering the Big Questions. Instead, through the holidays I thought I would share some  Angel Anecdotes. I don’t have the Whole Picture, but I’ve had enough experiences to know we’re not alone.

My daughter, Cary, keeps her Guardian Angels on their toes. Her name means Strong Woman. She announced by age eight that she was going to be a missionary and is living out her destiny. She’s traveled to Nicaragua, India, Nepal, China, Fiji and Cambodia, with intrepid courage. Whether she’s in a small plane edging over the Himalayas or a rickety bus in Angkor Wat, her Mother is praying her through.

ANGELIC INTERVENTION  OF INCOMPETENT PARENTING

No mother is perfect, and neither was I, as these stories clearly reveal:

Incident #1: At 18 months old Cary was already a fearless explorer. Our Oklahoma rent house back yard had a beautiful bush with poisonous, red berries.  I’d set up a barrier around the bush to be on the safe side. Cary and I were enjoying a little sunshine. I settled on a chaise lounge; she played nearby. You know how it goes–warm sun shine, soft breeze. My eyes grew drowsy…I wasn’t asleep, but I was heading that direction when I clearly heard–SHE’S ABOUT TO EAT A BERRY.

I sat up in time to see her a few feet away reaching under the make-shift fence for one of those irresistible berries. “No!” I yelled. She sat back and blinked at me, all innocent brown eyes.

Incident #2: At three years old, Cary could paddle around a pool quite well in an inner-tube. My parents’ back yard was our second summer home with its big pool. On this particular day, my friend, Sue, and her two children joined my two girls and me for a play date and lunch. We’d finished eating and were cleaning up. The kids played under the patio. I carried dirty dishes back into the house, turning my back on Sue and the kids. Sue picked up the used napkins and turned her back from the pool for a minute to throw them in the trash can.

That’s when Cary decided it was time to get back in the pool. She picked up her inner tube and placed it over her head, not thinking to stick her arms through the hole also. I had just closed the sliding screen behind me and entered the house when I heard–SHE’S GETTING IN THE POOL.

I turned around just in time to see her head disappear under the swim ring as she walked off the bottom shallow end step. I threw the dishes down, whipped open the screen, dashed across the concrete and jumped in the water. I doubt Cary was under water more than 10 seconds.

Sue and I were horrified that we’d both diverted our attention from the children at the same time. Good thing the Angel was still on watch!

I’m not generally a clairaudient intuitive (hearing messages)–but I guess when a situation is critical enough, a non-physical entity can give a shout-out. Or maybe being a Mother gave me an extra portion of ESP. I don’t know all the forces that came into play, but I am grateful I heard the messages and averted serious consequences to my momentary lapses of attention.

Thank God the Angels are out there. I obviously need all the help I can get! More anecdotes soon…Feel free to share yours.

Enjoy your weekend and hug your kids–

Dana Taylor

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holidaymedium Do you believe in angels? Three stories of angels in various guises.

   HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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