Healing and Ascension: Moving into the Fourth Dimension

 

Many people have now begun their healing journey by taking responsibility for their health and wellbeing and are consciously working to let go of the hurt, pain, negativity and darkness they have been carrying in their energy body resulting from emotional trauma in their present life and from past lives. Every time you let go of a little more pain and darkness, you allow space for more light to enter. The greater the amount of light you hold, the higher your personal vibration.

You can recognise those who are still working through the process of releasing their negativity. They seem to be stuck in, and repeating, dramas in their daily life. At this stage they have no concept of repeating karmic cycles, how to stop them and set themselves free. This is known as being in third dimensional reality – a belief that the here and now day to day reality is all there is. These people will keep attracting the same bad relationships or have the same thing constantly going wrong at work even if they change their job.

If we adopt a higher fourth dimensional perspective, however, we would understand that these repeating negative karmic patterns are actually a gift from the universe because every time they arise, they present us with another opportunity to clear the karmic pattern and stop it repeating. As soon as you adopt a different approach, the cycle is broken and we are set free. The ideal approach is always based on love, kindness and compassion – and that must be for ourselves as well as others. Often it is a case of having enough love and compassion for yourself to know that you deserve better. We must take responsibility for ourselves and choose the path of peace and love, having faith in ourselves to deal with whatever it is we are facing.

Many people can extend love and compassion to others, especially family, friends and partners, but struggle to give that to themselves, maybe due to low self-esteem or self-worth. Other times we need to stop blaming others and accept that it is us that needs to change. Adopting a new approach with a repeating pattern and choosing peace and love enables us to move out of the fear-based ego of the solar plexus and into the heart, where true soul healing occurs. Once you have moved into the heart, you can see life from a higher perspective. Living life from the heart moves you into the fourth dimension and is a massive step on the ascension journey.

More and more people are now living from the heart, at least most of the time, and more and more people worldwide are developing a social conscience. Many are involved in humanitarian causes, helping others such as the homeless and people in recovery, and healing themselves, others and animals through a wide variety of healing therapies.

You’ll know that your energy vibration is more aligned to the fourth dimension when you realise that you are manifesting more quickly. This happens naturally as you release more negativity/darkness from your energy body that usually hinders this process. This is why some people struggle with manifesting – part of you is trying to manifest something good with positive thinking, visualisation and affirmations, but another part of you is resisting the change, telling you that you don’t really deserve something better or that you don’t really want it because of fear of what change would actually bring. In the fourth dimension our thoughts, words and actions are reflected back to us very quickly so you should always be mindful of what you are thinking and doing. There is a wonderful saying: “Energy flows where attention goes.”

When negativity does arise, be aware of what is being presented to you and why. Recognise that this is a part of you that is resisting growth, change and moving forward. Recognise that this is a part of you that needs healing.

Spiritual Practices to Aid Ascension

Gratitude:  Feeling grateful for the things you do have is one of the most powerful ways to attract more things to be grateful for. You can feel grateful for supportive friends, good health, a nice home, a beautiful flower, a sunny day etc. Find something in your life that you feel gratitude for, even if it is just one thing, focus on that and the universe will bring you more opportunities to feel gratitude. Gratitude is therefore an abundance tool. Be grateful for all you have and more will flow to you. Joy and delight are also forms of gratitude. The more thankful you are, the more good things will be showered upon you. If you have difficulty feeling gratitude and genuine appreciation, call upon Archangel Chamuel to expand your heart and Archangel Gabriel to raise the frequency of your base and sacral chakras so you feel more safe, secure and trusting.

Blessing:  Like gratitude, blessing also carries a high vibration energy. When you bless someone, genuinely wishing them well, you open your heart to them and the energy of love flows. Energetically this helps dissolve any hurt and pain within the receiver. The ability to bless someone who has hurt you or your loved ones means that you have mastered your ego and is a massive step on the ascension path.

Forgiveness:  When you genuinely, open-heartedly forgive someone who has hurt or harmed you or a loved one, a huge energetic shift takes place. The energy you have sent out dissolves not just your pain but also the effects of the negative (third dimensional) energies in the other person. You set yourself free from hurt and allow the other person the opportunity to change their own behaviour. Often it is very hard to forgive because the suffering runs very deep but holding onto painful emotions distorts energy flow in our chakra system which leads to dis-ease and only hurts ourselves.

Love and Kindness:  Practising love and kindness on a daily basis is a surefire way to ascend and is indicative of someone truly living from the heart. These people may not have much materially but they generously and joyfully share what they do have without expecting reward. They may give their time rather than money. They selflessly serve those less fortunate and believe that everyone deserves to be loved and cared for. Qualities to cultivate as a foundation for the path of love and kindness are courtesy, warmth, compassion, empathy, listening from the heart, graciousness, generosity, openness and trust. All are based on love and abundance consciousness.

Acceptance:  This can be defined as recognising and accommodating others exactly as they are without judgement or expectation. When we are accepted, we feel valued and therefore safe to be open about ourselves. When we accept others as they are, we extend this energy of feeling valued and safe to them.

Harmlessness:  When we are completely at peace within ourselves, we radiate the energy of harmlessness. Every person or creature we meet senses it and feels safe with us.

Higher Vibration Diet:  As part of the ascension or healing process, you may well be prompted to improve your diet and choose foods with a higher vibration such as fruit, veg, nuts and seeds and reduce or eliminate foods with a dense, heavy vibration such as processed foods, fatty/sugary foods and meat products. As part of the practice of harmlessness, many people decide to adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. As well as improving digestive disorders and various other physical ailments, this diet will literally help you feel lighter, cleaner, more clear headed and more energised.  Eating foods of a higher vibration means that this is the energy vibration you are absorbing from the fuel you give your body. You will start to energetically vibrate at a higher frequency so that you more readily resonate with the energies of the fourth dimension.

[I will be writing more about Spiritual Eating in my next blog in April.]

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

Creating a Balanced Lifestyle

So, how are the New Year resolutions going? If you’ve stuck to yours, well done, but chances are many people abandoned theirs not long after the return to work and the sinking back into the relentlessly busy lifestyle of work commitments and organising the family. Before you know it, your stress levels will be back to where they were before Christmas. Finding the time to relax, so that you can recover from stress before being bombarded with more, is essential for your health and wellbeing. Relaxation, exercise and ‘time for you’ will give your body and mind time to recuperate.
 

Making Time to Relax

There is a wonderful saying that the busier you are, the more time you need to spend meditating. Many people use the explanation of being too busy as an excuse for not meditating but the busier you are, the more you need to meditate to calm your mind and provide the mental break you need in order to keep going. If you don’t want to meditate, just taking 5 or 10 minutes out of your busy day twice a day to focus on your breathing will be of great benefit. Perhaps you can find the opportunity to do some deep breathing exercises on the bus on your way to and from work or in your lunch break.

Setting boundaries is also incredibly important and is something many of us struggle with. So that means not taking work home with you or at least having a sensible cut-off time if this is necessary and not checking emails or taking work calls in the evenings. Even socially or with family, have a clear idea of what you can and cannot commit to and assert that when others try to over-step the mark. Some ‘down time’ alone in the evenings is essential for many people to help them process and let go of the day. If this is you, make time for this in your schedule.

 

Write it Down

Journalling is now regarded as a very beneficial form of personal therapy. Buy a notebook specifically for this purpose and write down how you feel as a way of exorcising stressful thoughts and emotions from your mind. Try to find at least 10 minutes in the evening to write about the events of the day and how they made you feel. Be completely honest –this is your opportunity to privately vent your anger, sadness, hurt and pain.

 

Create Time for Activities you Enjoy

Taking up a hobby such as painting, reading, furniture restoration or jewellery making can help combat stress. A hobby can calm your emotions and boost your self-esteem. Being totally absorbed in a creative pursuit can actually be a form of light meditation – you are so engrossed in what you are doing that you lose all awareness of what is going on around you, so you have managed to switch off without even trying. It is essential to find an activity that you really enjoy and only do it when you feel like it; otherwise it will just become another obligation.

Spending time with your family and seeing friends are also excellent ways to switch off from the stresses of work and the daily grind – as long as you don’t spend the whole time talking about work! If possible, do something new or different to ring the changes and provide new experiences. This will help you feel you are moving forward rather than being stuck in the same old routine of groundhog day.

 

Take Regular Exercise

Exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress. It relieves muscular tension, improves health, boosts wellbeing through the release of endorphins and helps you sleep better. Walking or running are great for clearing the mind, especially if you can get out into the countryside. If you can’t get to a gym, step exercises on the bottom stairs are better than nothing. Pounding, punching and kicking are great for getting the stress out of your body. Always choose a form of exercise you enjoy otherwise you won’t stick with it. Yoga, tai chi and chi kung are great for those wanting a more holistic approach to exercise. Yoga and Pilates are great for stretching out the energy channels in the body and releasing tension and energy blocks.

 

Holistic Therapy

Making time for a relaxing therapeutic treatment such as Reiki, Reflexology or a back massage once a month can provide well-needed ‘me-time’ and boost your physical health as well. Book your next appointment when you attend your first treatment as appointments are always easier to stick to when they are already in your diary.

 

Plan a Free Day

When you’re feeling really low in energy and your batteries need recharging, it’s time to take a day off and spend it doing exactly what you want. Sleep in as late as you like, go for a walk, visit a friend or do an activity of your choosing, watch a film or read a book, then have a nice relaxing bubble bath before bed.

 

Adopt a Balanced Diet

Stress and exhaustion can have a detrimental effect on the immune system which in turn makes you more susceptible to colds and other viruses. Constant stress depletes your body’s store on nutrients and leaves you less able to cope with a busy, demanding lifestyle. The nutrients most affected by stress are vitamins B, C and E and the minerals magnesium, zinc, potassium and sodium. You can address this by ensuring that you have your 5 a day and incorporating more fruit, salad and vegetables into your diet and by reducing processed food, fizzy drinks, cakes and biscuits. Taking a good multivitamin is also an option if you’re feeling run down.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

Reiki Precept No 5: Just for Today, I will be kind to my neighbour and every living being

When we hurt others, we hurt ourselves. We may not mean to hurt others but sometimes we are careless with what we say and do. Be mindful of your words and actions for they can have a powerful effect on others. This comes with taking responsibility for ourselves, on all levels of our being. We need to be aware of the energy we are giving out, our thoughts, words, deeds, intentions.  Intention is important: how can I help this person for their highest good? Ask your guides and angels and follow your inspiration. Being mindful of your own energy also implies being mindful of your own boundaries and needs. Help others but put boundaries in place regarding your limits and do not let others cross them. Kindness should extend to yourself too.


Kindness is on the love vibration. Its energy is warm, expansive, uplifting. Conversely when meanness, judgement and harshness hold you in their grip, your energy body contracts and draws in on itself - you literally become smaller as a person - and that is exactly what is happening, your soul is being squeezed of its light. That is why when you are mean and cruel to someone else, you are actually damaging yourself and shutting yourself off from the light  of your soul. We've all heard the phrase 'what you give out comes back to you' and it does, in the end. Those who carry more negativity than light don't usually experience instant karma (that is reserved for those who do carry more light) but your actions will always bear fruit in the end. Our actions, thoughts and words always reflect our true essence. Maybe we should look at ourselves in a new light through our spiritual eyes!


Kindness is contagious. If you do someone a good deed, they absorb the energy of that positive, uplifting interaction and are more likely to pass it on to someone else. In other words, when we are in a good place ourselves, kindness comes naturally.


So, kindness starts with you. What needs do you have that aren't being met right now? What can you do to change this? Maybe your work/life balance isn't right or maybe you are over-giving when it isn't appreciated. If it doesn't feel right, it usually isn't. Are you pushing yourself too hard, working long hours, putting up with something you hate, eating rubbish processed food? All these are damaging to your health and wellbeing. Equally are you happy with the way to treat the people around you - family, friends, colleagues? If not, that is usually a sign of an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Be kind to yourself. When you are filled with that energy, it will radiate out to others. But always remember, you can only give what you currently have.

Increasing the Reiki Power

There are several ways you can increase the Reiki power while giving a Reiki treatment. When working over problem areas you may want an extra boost in order to shift blocks or to speed healing. Here are three suggestions you can try:-

 

• Visualisation – while giving Reiki to the area, actually visualise the area healing or the energy block being dissolved and released. You may also like to incorporate colour into your visualisation, for example orange for physical energy and to clear congestion/catarrh, green to release tension and balance emotions, blue to calm and relax (ideal for high blood pressure) and red to warm cold areas such as hands and feet. A rich sapphire blue is good for helping to reduce pain.
   
• Joshin Kokyuu-Ho – this breathing technique creates a strong connection to the Reiki power and is used to intensify the flow of energy. It is taught in the Reiki Level 1 course but here is a reminder: Inhale slowly through the nose and at the same time imagine you are breathing in Reiki energy through the crown chakra. (You may be aware of a slight pressure on the top of your head.) Draw in the breath and the Reiki energy down into your belly to the energy centre 2 or 3 finger widths beneath the naval.  Hold the breath here in the belly (Tanden) for a few seconds.  As you are doing this, imagine energy from the Tanden spreading throughout your entire body and energising the whole body. Exhale through the mouth.  Imagine the breath and Reiki energy flowing out of the mouth and also from the fingertips, tips of toes and from the chakras in the palms and feet.

 

Use Joshin Kokyuu-Ho to channel pure white light into a person’s energy field. I have used this method to clear the mental/emotional auric bodies of worry and negativity and raise the person’s vibration. Hold your hands around the head area while performing Joshin Kokyuu-Ho and visualise white light filling the person’s entire mental and emotional bodies, not just around the head. This is ideal for clients who worry a lot, have anxiety and/or depression.

 

• Attunement breathing technique – Reiki Master Teachers can practice the breathing technique taught for attuning someone to Reiki. Hold in the Hui Yin point and place your tongue behind your top teeth to prevent energy flowing out your central channel. You will then have more energy to project out your hands.

 

 

Boosting Your Own Energy Levels

 

There are also ways to boost your own energy levels generally so that you have more energy at all times, not just during treatments. If you are generally more energised you will be less likely to feel tired or depleted if giving several treatments in one day. Suggested methods are as follows:-

 

• Regular meditation practice, whichever method you prefer.
   
• Practising Chi Kung or Tai Chi to increase your personal energy.
   
• Regularly practising the Reiki Three Diamonds energy enhancing technique to build, strengthen and maintain Earth Ki, Heaven Ki and Heart Ki.
   
• A healthy nutritious diet including plenty of fruit, salad and vegetables.

 

 

Reiki Three Diamonds Workshop

 

I am intending to run a Reiki Three Diamonds workshop in the Spring of 2017 at 15 Wheeler Gate Nottingham.

 

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

 

Reiki Precept No. 4: Just for Today, I will do my work honestly

This precept traditionally relates to your work, obligations, responsibilities and ultimately your mission in life. Do what you have to do and do it to the best of your abilities. Try not to see work as a chore; take pride in what you do. Be joyful, share your knowledge and serve you fellow man. Live for today. Do not worry about the past or project your fears and worries into the future. Be present; be mindful of the task in hand.

 

Most importantly, I feel the main message here is to be authentic. Step into your own power, not someone else’s. Live your own dream, not someone else’s. Seek inspiration but do not copy someone else because what will work for you is not necessarily what works for someone else. Find your own path. Connect with spirit and ask for guidance. Notice what brightens you and lifts you up and puts a smile on your face.

 

To do this you must know what it is in your heart – what do you want to be, what do you want to do, what do you want to share? This is important because it is all about service. How can you serve your fellow man and contribute to society. Now make a plan to bring your heartfelt goal to fruition. At this point you may well make changes in your working life or daily routine. Your work should always reflect who you are and your own unique talents and passions.

 

If you feel good about your work, you are sending positive energy into any role, project or business you undertake. This positive energy will be returned to you by the universe many times over. You can only fail if you are under-prepared – either yourself or your knowledge. Just take corrective action – improve yourself or your knowledge and try again.

 

If however you do not enjoy your work, think of the energy you are giving out into your workplace and into your own particular role. This energy is absorbed into the working environment and only serves to deplete you further. Tiredness, anxiety and under-achievement will result. Re-assess the situation. You can either change your perspective and improve things where you are or accept that it is time to move on. If you feel resentful or are lazy, skipping corners or being deceitful, you are not on the right path and not living in your truth. It is all too easy to let things ride and continue on a familiar path for years when you should have moved on long ago. Disillusionment and frustration can only result from this non-action.

 

Ultimately this Reiki precept means that whatever work you do, you should do it from the heart with an open heart. This incorporates kindness, co-operation, consideration and respect for others. Be honest about how you feel about what you are giving and what you are receiving. Be honest and open in your interactions with others but also be honest with yourself. After all, the work we do is just an extension of ourselves. Are we reflecting the best possible aspects of ourselves? Whatever you do, make sure your actions portray the best possible aspects of you and you will live a much more contented life.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

Looking Back at 2016 and Releasing it with Love

2016 can certainly be described as a year of surprises. Think of the unusually high number of celebrities who died this year, followed by the shock referendum result regarding Brexit, then the alarm and concern the new president elect of America has created. Not to mention the ongoing crises in Syria and the Middle East which no-one seems able to resolve. This has definitely been a tumultuous year and one which many people will no doubt be glad to see the back of.

 

Those who didn’t vote for Brexit, myself included, or the new president elect of America, are faced with having to learn acceptance. My personal ethos is to value unity over division: this goes to the core of who I am. I think one of the reasons why the referendum result was so emotive is that for many people it goes to the core of who they are – their own personal values, ideology and belief systems were brought fully into the spotlight.  So much anger has been expressed over the result but, from a spiritual perspective, this highlights that there is anger in us that needs healing. After all Brexit is only something to focus our anger on. The anger comes from us. There is concern that our country is becoming more insular in its way of thinking and concern too that some people are projecting their fears and insecurities onto ‘foreigners’ (sadly a human failing the world over). Now as 2016 draws to a close, some who voted for Brexit are frustrated with the length of time it is taking to push it forward as well as the possibility that it might never happen. One way or another, we will all be given the opportunity to learn acceptance this year.

 

Times of major change always bring opportunities to learn the spiritual lessons we need to learn. Every challenge presents an opportunity for growth and this, I feel, is the over-riding message of 2016. Whether we like it or not, change happens, and we must all find acceptance within ourselves, make peace within ourselves for the sake of our own wellbeing and sanity.  If we can make peace within ourselves, we can make peace in our communities and in the world. It is far better to focus on healing rifts in our communities. Time to stop arguing and fighting; time to find acceptance and make peace.

 

Hidden Blessings

 

Times of uncertainty bring us all the opportunity to:-

 

• find calm and peace in the middle of change and turmoil
• develop faith that things can still work out satisfactorily
• trust in the divine plan that everything is unfolding exactly as it is meant to.
   

We can send light and positive energy to any situation of concern. We can ask God and/or the angels to resolve the situation for the greatest good of all concerned.

 

Global Change and Global Healing

 

Our greatest challenges bring the greatest opportunities to heal what needs healing. Whatever emotions this year’s events have thrown up – anger, frustration, disillusionment, despair, shock, disappointment, sadness, powerlessness, fear – use this opportunity to gather up that emotion in your heart centre and breathe it out into a container such as a pure white orb at your heart centre. See it fill with the dark cloudy energy you are breathing out. When it is all gathered there, ask your angels and guides, or God or Spirit if you prefer, to take it away. Now breathe pure white light into your heart centre and on the out breath let it fill your body. Replace pain with light; replace anger with love.

 

Major events bring the opportunity for healing to many people at once. They are not the usual personal challenges that affect us individually. Global change creates opportunities for global healing. If enough people release their anger and fear at this time, it will create a massive vibrational shift that will let in a large amount of light to the planet and humankind, thereby raising the vibration of the planet as a whole. This is why chaos ultimately always precedes peace.

 

Finding Peace

 

On the morning I started writing this blog, the message for the day on my angel calendar was “Messages from Heaven are mostly profound in their simplicity”. The message I am receiving as I write this blog is “Love one another”, repeated over and over again. This profoundly simple message is what Spirit wants us to focus on at this uncertain time.

 

In times of change we must come back to what is constant within, and what is constant within is our eternal soul – our source of love. When you feel love, you cannot feel anger or fear. So let’s take the time now to come back into our hearts and release the events of 2016 with thanks for the teachings it has brought:-

 

Hold your hands together in prayer position at chest height (over the heart chakra). Close your eyes but keep your focus on the place where the tips of the middle two fingers meet. Let go of whatever may be on your mind. Let your mind become clear. Whenever thoughts arise, just let them go and keep returning to the place where the tips of the two middle fingers meet. If it is uncomfortable to hold your hands at chest height, let them sink down to a comfortable position in our lap (keeping them together) and continue the meditation.

 

This meditation technique is called ‘Gassho’ and is the first of the Three Pillars of Reiki which are taught in the Reiki Master Healer level course. Holding the hands together in prayer position acknowledges and honours the spirit within. This position makes an energy circuit between the arms, hands at the chest and the heart chakra. With practice you will feel energy flowing in a circuit around your chest, arms and hands. The heart chakra is the 4^th chakra, situated mid-way between the root and crown chakras. It is therefore our spiritual centre, at the centre point of the chakra system. Holding our hands here calms, centres and refocuses; it brings us back into our hearts.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

 

Reiki Precept No. 3: Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings.

In our modern society it is all too easy to focus on what we don't have. There are basic needs that certainly must be met but beyond that is it really serving your soul to crave more and more? In the media we are constantly being fed messages of what we should have in order to feel happy and successful. For many people the idea that we must 'have it all' just leads to constant dissatisfaction. Even when we get what we want, many of us still feel an emptiness inside - because a physical object rarely enriches our soul or spirit.


On our journey through life one of the greatest discoveries we can make is that it is the little things that matter, not the latest smartphone or the biggest television. Maybe we should all go back to basics and start feeling thankful for what we do have, such as the roof over our heads, food to eat, friendships and companionship. There is always something we can find to feel thankful for. There may be one part of your life that is going well, such as a group of supportive friends, and other areas which are not going so well. If you focus on feeling blessed to have such good friends, you will find even more reasons to feel thankful for your friendships. What you focus on will magnify so your feelings will magnify. Eventually just by being thankful for all the friends you have, this feeling of being blessed will extend to other areas of your life and begin to manifest positive changes there.


Focusing on how blessed we are brings us peace, not dissatisfaction. Everyone will go through difficult times at some stage in their life but at least you can send positive healing energy to situations and feel more empowered to overcome them. Everyone can do this, regardless of whether you have been attuned to Reiki or not. (A Reiki attunement just enables you to hold and channel a greater amount of life force energy which you can direct towards your goals.)


When we feel blessed we are rich in spirit. We are rich in the heart. Material things really don't matter. What is important is how we have loved, how we have made a difference, how we have inspired and helped others, how we have matured as a person and the spiritual lessons we learned along the way. We learn what matters and what does not matter. Judgements, grudges and negativity don't serve us. What matters is what enriches the spirit - the feeling of being alive that love brings, the kindness of a stranger, a beautiful view of nature, the support and companionship of those we hold dear.

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.