Readings by Jody

For many many years I have heard Animals dont have emotions, they dont feel like humans do. I disagree with this. It has been a rough road for my husband and myself the last 2 weeks. You see 2 weeks ago today we had to put down our beloved pet Storm, he was not only our pet he was our friend, he was my husbands buddy and was my baby. I got him when he was a puppy and we had 13 of the most special years together. When he fell ill neither of us wanted to admit it was happening but the day came when we could not lie to ourselves anymore and we could not put him through anymore. The day he went to the vet,,,,I took his face in my hands Wand I said to him plz tell me we are doing the right thing Storm, are you ready to go home now? He looked at me with his old eyes and licked my cheek which I had taught him meant kiss. He then turned away from me, I told him I will find you again my friend, one day very soon Ill find you. I plan on keeping that promise to my baby. Sadly on that day he quietly went to sleep and his strong spirit went over the rainbow bridge into summerland.  We had storm cremated and his ashes came home to us this week. His memory will fill our hearts forever, no matter how many pets we get. I dedicate this blog to you my friend Storm Fox……May your spirit play free from pain until the day we meet again…..

For more on Pet Loss and grief visit. www.readingsbyjody,com

I am writing this for a various number of reasons, one being to show that no matter how long we work at something or how old we are we never stop learning. I hope you can all take your own special thoughts from this blog and enjoy it

As many of you well know I have been working as a professional medium for many years, over 20 actually and the things I learn daily always amaze me. This past year personally for me and our family has had its share of up and downs. Alot of tears shed, alot of prayers said and answered. At certain points of the year my faith has been tested to the fullest, sometimes it weakened and sometimes it grew stronger. I always seemed to make it through though, but at a cost to my physical and emotional well being. Which I am strongly working on daily. November of this year my beloved husband and myself became proud owners of a new home, a new start, new energy, and new beginnings. It was when we moved into the house I noticed I had a new focus….I have always loved nature and the wonders she offers. I especially am fond of all creatures ( well maybe not bugs or  snakes,,lol ) butterflies have always been an amazing and beautiful creature to me. Since we moved into the house I have been extremely focused on making a butterfly room. I dont know why, its just something that started when we moved here. I have to have them hung on the walls and surrounding me. I know from my teachings and I have always told my clients that butterfly means change, a spreading of your wings and learning to fly. To reach your highest goals and know that even if your wings are not strong enough at first to get you there eventually you will make it.  Butterfly also means coming out of your cocoon and showing your beauty, showing your strength and not keeping yourself locked up inside your personal cocoon.

I feel that this may also be one of the reasons that I am so attracted to the beauties of nature, but to me it goes deeper. I need to change and grow with a lot of things and people in my life. Some will be closer and some will sadly be left behind. My business will change immensely,it will take flight and come out of its own cocoon with in the coming weeks and months. I myself have begun to feel an inner change happening. I feel lighter, I want to spread my own wings and show others how to do the same. Butterfly has a strong place in my life right now, and hopefully for some time to come.

I wanted to write this to show everyone, the times are changing both around us and within us, butterfly comes to help us feel our own wings, to reach our own goals and heights. So spread your wings little butterflies and soar to the highest, and the best. Knowing the whole time that no matter how high you soar their will always be someone there to catch you.

Please keep your eyes on our website for the MANY changes I have mentioned briefly here, I know you will be amazed and will always find answers you seek here at www.readingsbyjody.com

Welcome to Moose totem….Most people think Moose is to put it bluntly as dumb as a box of rocks but if you watch and listen to Moose closely it has a lot to say about you. They are a strong force of the forest and have strong messages for you. Just remember you don’t have to get close to hear these messages as Moose can and will be very aggressive when approached, especially a mom moose with her baby. Below are the messages moose has to offer:

Moose medicine teaches us the value of self-esteem, and of rewarding ourselves and others for a job well done. Moose walks with a measured and regal gait with his head held high for he knows he has value and dignity.

Moose people do not hesitate to encourage others to learn and grow for they are not threatened with the thought that someone might get to be better at a thing; the student surpassing the teacher as it were. Moose will not only encourage others to learn, he will jump in and help teach, and will show by example. Moose people will never ask others to do what they will not do themselves.

Moose knows how damaging unkind criticism and nitpicking is to the spirit of someone trying to learn and do their best. Moose will look for any excuse to tell the world about something that has been done well.

Moose does not suffer from false shyness or inhibitions or the tendency to make light of his own accomplishments. He is not coy about his successes. Moose says, “I worked hard to do this, and I did it well. I’m proud of myself”. When you acknowledge that your own acceptance of a thing well done, and satisfying your own standards, really is important to you, you are on the road to building a bedrock of solid self-esteem. Remember that “self” esteem comes from the inside out — not from outside sources.

These are just some of the messages that moose has to offer to you. it is all about you and how you view yourself and treat others. So when moose comes into your life you know it is time to sing your own praises and be proud of yourself and your accomplishments.

Each and every single day I receive emails about a donation button to help the website to stay afloat. Summer time is always a slow time for any readings site as so many families are spending time outdoors or away on vacations.From the bottom of my heart I truly appreciate everyone that has donated to keep costs down and keep us online so that myself and Dave can continue to grow and reach as many that need our help as possible. So having said that, on the front page of the website readingsbyjody.com scroll down and on the right hand side of the tool bar you will see a donation button. You can donate anonymously or include your name. With all donations you will receive a thank you email and an angel message for you…..It is people like you that keep our site alive and growing….Thank you from us here at readingsbyjody.com

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” ~ Zig Ziglar


It’s a warm Sunday afternoon.  The breeze by the lake quickly disappears as we wander into the forest.  Under the canopy of trees, it’s cool though.  With a bounce in our step, we begin our ascent toward the most picturesque view in the park. 

{…the easy moments on our path toward success…}

Some rocks to climb on, a large hawk flying overhead, a few other fellow journeyer’s on this hike.

The Climb

A turn and we are moving upward.  The forest begins to give way to a steep upward climb — a climb highlighted by large boulders and open skies.  A narrow path leads upward, large stone steps.  We curve back and forth, slowly getting higher and higher.

{…the success journey often has moments where it becomes an uphill climb…}

We pause, replenish our bodies with water.  We pause, and reflect back down to where we have come.  We pause, and take in that moment — seeing where we have reached to.  A look forward, and we see continued steps, no end in sight.

{…when we stop on our success journey, we give ourselves time to reflect and re-focus…}

The climb continues.  We are hot, our legs not wanting to take that next step.  We continue on.  It’s easy to think about what the view will look like once we’ve reached the top.  What about each step along the way, though?  We notice the trees growing out of the rocks.  We notice a chipmunk near another tree.  We see that hawk again, this time much closer.  We see the rocks — all these rocks.…

{…success is in the whole journey, not just some perceived peak…}

We reach the top.  Surrounded now by foliage, and no majestic view in sight — there is still this sense of joy, of accomplishment, of bliss.  Even though we fully expect that our journey (on this path) is not reached, we still savor the accomplishment of the climb we have made.  A glance back, at these steps we’ve just climbed…a smile…a knowing that we have persevered, a knowing that we did not back down from the challenge of this climb.

{…take time to savor the path you have traveled, and the steps you have taken to get where you are…}

The Summit

We continue on, the path now much easier.  Soon we reach a gorgeous rocky overlook.  For many minutes, we just explore the area…climbing, sitting, walking.  Others are here also — a stopping place to take in the amazing views. 

{…soak in the success that you have created…}

The Journey Continues

Our journey doesn’t end, though.  We cannot stay here forever.  We move on, working our way back down a different path.  Many people are coming up, to see that view we saw.  We offer encouraging words here and there. 

{…share your knowledge with others, so they may too experience their own success…}

We reach the trail head, our bodies sill warmed up from this hike.  The nearby lake is calling out.  It’s time to play, to splash, to have some unstructured fun! 

{…take time to rejuvenate and have some extra fun…}

Later on that day, we again explore another trail.  This time, we take a wrong turn, and soon find ourselves in the middle of the forest, no trail in sight.  We wander, looking for the trail we had started on.  Eventually we find that trail.

{…sometimes you will get off track.  That’s okay.  Take time to adjust your bearings.  And remember, also, that these off-track adventures often lead to new discoveries…}

We return home, our day filled with memories, and with all sorts of moments we’ll treasure.

{…wherever your journey takes you, remember that this is YOUR journey.  Savor what you are creating…}

Note:  This story was developed from actual moments spent together as a family at one of Wisconsin’s true treasures — Devil’s Lake State Park.  If your journey ever brings you through central Wisconsin, a day (or longer) at this park is joy and fun all wrapped up together!

Is there such a thing as true silence? Incarnate in the world, probably not. In the most secluded, pristine corner of nature there are sounds, as pleasant as they may be. In deepest meditation, we may still hear our breath or bloodstream. Life pulses and makes sounds. Worse is all the noise of machines and technology. Even worse is the noise pollution we’re bombarded with from media, and the noise that’s in our own head.

This doesn’t mean silence has no value or we shouldn’t aspire to it. Silence is a remarkable counterbalance, one that’s vital for us to cultivate with the understanding that silence doesn’t have to be ‘silent’ to be effective and life restoring. Silence is really an orientation. It’s an inner hub, and flows through all activity, engagement and stillness as long as it’s cultivated.

The problem with the various kinds of noise we have to contend with around the clock is that they separate us from what is whole, true and beautiful in us. Noise keeps us off kilter. It doesn’t allow our naturalness to be, to inform our life. Noise pushes us to keep doing more. Not in a healthy, creative and productive way, but for the sake of doing alone. We do and do until we no longer are, until we walk away from ourselves.

There are many ways silence can touch us. Reading a book is one, especially if it’s poetry like haiku or some other short form. Sitting in nature without any objective. Taking a bath. Listening to quality, inspirational music. Yes, listening. Mindfully. Listening to your own heart. Not it’s beat, although that’s affirming too, but listening to its guidance and perspective. Preparing a meal, consciously, slow food style. Eating consciously, without too much talking. Sleeping in a hammock.

Meditation is of course a primary way to touch silence. Here we notice how unquiet the mind is. It’s constantly churning. Churning and churning, to what effect?

The mind can be quieted. Everything we have at our disposal to lessen the noise is useful. We have to fins ways to be the silence. Otherwise the noise swallows us up and we can’t hear ourselves, each other, life, or the numinous and the mystery. We have to be able to hear the mystery, for as Lewis Hyde says, “The passage into mystery always refreshes.”

Find the hub of silence within that refreshes.

There is an inner silence and an outer silence and a silence that transcends inner and outer, a silence of the breath and a silence of the body, a silence in the absence of words and a silence when the world is quiet, a silence where there is no sound and a silence that can be heard, and there is a silence that is a passage to emptiness, a silence of the mind in which there is no thought. There is a silence which is a response, a silence which is a truer witness than words. — Ralph Davis

Related:

Silence
Silence… again
Anchoring silence

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By Elaine Grundy

One of the more surprising aspects of the Reiki Survey was the significant improvement in benefits perceived by those with higher levels of training. The chart below shows that like for like, Reiki practitioners report more improvement if they are trained at a higher level assuming they are doing the same number of hours of self-Reiki. Interestingly, a Reiki level 1 practitioner doing self-Reiki for more than an hour a week will see as much improvement as a Reiki Master doing less than 1 hour per week – which in itself is a testament that the quantity of Reiki is still more important than the level of Reiki training. However, for a student wishing for maximum benefit it would seem that the higher levels of training will make a difference. This was something I was not expecting when I ran the report though with reflection it certainly makes sense. Level 2 is a quantum leap in many ways as it takes self-healing to a higher and more deliberate level. At the most basic level with Reiki we are simply acting as funnels, or to use a football analogy, we are simply spectators. Reiki flows through our hands into our cells and at that cellular level, we heal. Of course to see significant change we are also responsible in making changes happen, but essentially, when it comes to the Reiki, we are not in charge and we have no say in what areas are healed, at what rate, and with what priority.




“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure ” ~ Joseph Campbell

How are you choosing to live?  More than the work you do, more than the things you have — what are the experiences in your life that make you feel fully alive?

The Experiences of Life

Life is a series of moments.  Strung together, these moments are the life we are living.  Many of these moments are simply ordinary moments.

Eating dinner.  Sleeping.  Watching a movie.  Cleaning the house.  Driving to work.  Etc. Etc.

And perhaps these moments feel just that way — “ordinary”.  Especially those which we repeatedly do.

How do we make even these seemingly ordinary and daily moments come more fully to life?

The Adventures That Stimulate Our Lives

Stepping out of the comfort zone we’re living in is such a powerful way to re-energize our senses.  And in energizing our senses, even the most basic of daily routines can become new again.

The photo above, is of my wife, Lora — just before she headed out on the track at the Milwaukee Mile to race in a stock car (a very awesome and cool experience!).  In early June, she completed twelve laps in the Home Depot #20 car — being able to feel the exhilaration of racing, of speed, of cornering, of getting outside of the norm.

Note: If you’re having trouble seeing the short (and slightly humorous) video, click here.

Being outside of the norm, this moment in itself was filled with much excitement and with the sense of doing something new.

It’s so much more than that, though. 

This moment is just that — a moment in time of this life we are living. 

…just a moment…

Perhaps, though, that moment is one which somehow changes us.  See, we are not the same person we were.  We’ve had this experience (whatever that is).  And from that experience, if we choose to let it be not just the experience itself, but something more…

…something more…

The experience of being alive, of being in that moment — of feeling (really feeling) a sense of connectedness to self, to possibility, to “being”.

What Can Be

Then maybe, just maybe, we can be more fully in the simplest of moments in our lives.

Aware of the textures of the foods we eat, the feeling the grass between our toes, the watching of the stars and feeling like part of something so much bigger.…

This experience of being alive, of not just going through the motions…it is possible.  And it does not have to be just one-time flirts with experiences.  It is possible even in the simple moments of our days.  It is, when we choose to honor the self within and experience the moment. 

Experience the Moment

This is a tough one.  Oh, maybe in those exhilarating moments (like the race car), we are in that moment.  What about all of our moments, though?

It would be a lie for me to say that I’m really (and fully) experiencing every moment of my days.  And I’m sure it’s that way for you, too. 

We get rushed.  We get distracted.  We zone out.  And many more.  Many more things which keep us from being fully alive to the experience of the moment.

So, this is not something that we’re going to wave a magic wand at, and suddenly we’ll be so alive in every moment. (hmmm…doesn’t work that way, I guess)

Small steps.  Small steps in the direction of being more fully awakened to the moments of your day.

The Challenge

Pick something.  It can be anything really — as long as it’s a regular part of your life.  Breakfast could be a good one.  Or brushing your teeth.  Or driving to work.   Something you do regularly.

Okay — now actively choose to be more aware during whatever thing you have chosen. 

Aware of the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the feel — really, all that can be in that moment. 

And in this awareness, let that feeling of being in that experience (as simple as it might seem) awaken you even more fully to the experience of living this life of yours.

Reiki practitioners face a double challenge: the credibility of Reiki practice and the credibility of the practitioner.

Credibility is an obvious concern for Reiki professionals, but it is salient for all practitioners. We want to feel proud of our practice, and we want to share it with others.

Clearly, meeting the credibility challenge is good for your self-respect. If you are a Reiki professional, being credible is also good for business.

But the benefits of meeting the credibility challenge extend much further. Being a credible Reiki practitioner is a service to the practice, and to the community of practitioners who value a thoughtful, credible approach to Reiki–the kind of approach that helps the person on the street take a second look at what Reiki practice might offer him and his family.

Let’s explore what it takes to exude Reiki credibility. Here are four aspects to start the conversation.

What’s Your Reiki Experience?

Nothing establishes credibility like years of experience and a long list of accomplishments. Additionally, years of daily Reiki self-treatment and clinical practice bring a depth of confidence and clarity that can’t be faked.

But even a Reiki beginner can be a credible Reiki beginner. Just be upfront about your level of experience, tone down the enthusiasm so as not to overwhelm anyone, and have a seasoned mentor you can turn to as needed.

Can You Stick with the Reiki Facts?

Credible practitioners share accurate, factual information and document their sources. Folk tales are not credible, unless of course you are an expert in folk literature, and then you not only tell the story, you trace its history, etc. Many Reiki myths and folk tales have been circulated as fact.

How can you tell what is credible information in this unregulated, non-academic field? This is admittedly a challenge, and I started Campaign for Credible Reiki to help the community address it. If you have a question, click here to ask it.

Being credible doesn’t mean having all the answers. You build credibility when you admit that you don’t know the answer to a question, promise to find out, and then follow through with your promise.

Do You Model the Gifts of Reiki Practice?

An even temperament is essential for establishing credibility. If you doubt it, consider the last time you were impressed by 2-year-old tantrums or teenage drama.

A credible practitioner is more than respectful of questions and other perspectives; she welcomes and anticipates them.

A credible Reiki practitioner shares credible information so that people can make informed choices; she doesn’t persuade the listener or sell the practice.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Good listening skills are essential to establishing credibility. Not only do people need to feel heard, but also, when we listen, our understanding is deepened by what we learn from others.

When we truly listen to others, we learn what matters to them, which is important if we want to serve them. We also learn how we are perceived, which is important if we want to serve more people like them.

The best practitioners and teachers are perennial students of their practice and of their community. Keep listening to the people you serve, and they will keep teaching you how best to serve them.

Scroll down to the comment section to share what you look for in a credible Reiki practitioner.

The TALKING REIKI: Communication series is designed to improve your effectiveness, credibility, and comfort when talking about Reiki, and you can access the recordings online anytime you want, as many times as you want. Click here to  learn more.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be Reiki Credible? is a post from: reikiinmedicine.org

Have you ever wondered, what is it we send when we “send Reiki?”

Surely it’s not Reiki itself. No matter where we might want to send it, isn’t Reiki already there? Isn’t Reiki every place all the time, all-pervasive and unending?

How can we send something somewhere when it is everywhere all the time? That doesn’t make sense.

Reiki, mystery, and common sense

Making sense doesn’t matter to everyone. Some have accused me of over-thinking, of trying to take the mystery out of Reiki. But there is a difference between mystery and foolishness.

Contemplating what we are doing doesn’t remove the mystery. If anything, it makes us more aware of how much we don’t know. And of how foolish our pat phrases about Reiki are.

If we don’t think about what we are doing when we “send Reiki,” we imagine little Reiki bits emanating from our hands and going where they’re told. Is that what you think is happening?

I don’t.

What are we sending when we “send Reiki?”

What if Reiki is the ultimate Oneness, the all-pervasive beingness from which the world as we know it manifests and into which all manifestation dissolves.

Then what do we send when we send Reiki?

We offer the Reiki connection, that mysterious something that increases our awareness of our own intrinsic Reiki-ness. And that changes everything.

What do you think? Does this fit your contemplated practice experience? Scroll down to leave a comment.

Looking for help speaking credibly about Reiki? Click here for limited special webinar offer.

What If Reiki Is Already There? is a post from: reikiinmedicine.org