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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-06-03, Page 13• Tired of traditional medicine? Reiki may be for you By Craig Bradford T -A Reporter LUCAN - Sheila Butchart is used to skepticism. •- "Spiritual healer" is what it says on Butchart'~ business card. But .that lofty moniker doesn't explain exactly what Butchart does. Butchart, a Lucan resident for 30 years, is a Reiki practi- tioner and teacher. Iler chosen profession is a favorite whip- ping post of medical skeptics of whom Butchart was a card- carrying menihcr. "1 took it because 1 didn't believe in it. Butchart said _recalling a sad time in her lite six years ago. in deep depres- sion and suffering some serious .health problems, Butchart started researching the immune system and eventually came across Reiki. "1 took the first degree Reiki to prove it didn't work," she said. "I found i1 changed the path of niy life, - Thc benefits of Reiki were hammered home when Butchart's mother was diagnosed with hone cancer lour and a half years ago. Butchart's mom agreed to Reiki treatments after even morphine could no longer stem the pain. The Reiki sessions cased -her mother's .pain and Butchart has been a Reiki-Advocate ever since. Pronounced Ray -key. Reiki is an ancient form _of healing that dates hack thousands of rears and originates in Tibet. India and Japan and was rediscovered b\; 1)r. Mikas Usui in Japan in the 19th century.. ' Reiki is the channelling of universal cncrgy through the hands of a healer to create wholeness and maintain wellness. Butchart said it is a tool for stress release. total relaxation, self transformation and enlightenment • - A Reiki practitioner simply moves.their hands on the clothed client in traditional ways passed down by Reiki teachers. The practitioner starts by placing their hands over the eyes of the client which —opens up" the Rciki energy channel. The practitioner then changes the positions of the hands and runs them without pressure over most of the body. A Rciki treatment lasts an hour to n-Ivour and a half. • A Reiki treatment is above all relaxing and often the -Client • falls asleep. The Reiki practitioner often is silent and doesn't need to ask the client specifically what's wrong. Butchart said the Reiki energy goes to wherever it will he hest used, even if its not to the part of the body that shows the painful symptoms. Rei means spiritual wisdom and -Ki is the life force that sustains. all living things. Butchart said anyone can learn and. use Reiki to relieve pain in themselves and others, promote healing after surgery and to case chronic health conditions and daily life stresses. TheReiki practitioner doesn't direct the cncrgy. Butchart said. It goes directly to the root cause of•the problem to dis- solve the "blocks" people may -have, be it physical, mental, emotional or. spiritual. "1 am only an instrument," Butchart said. "It is not me healing. The energy is being channelled through me through my hands." Butchart is a third degree Reiki healer, meaning she can help people with emotional blocks. She is also qualified to teach others to become Reiki teachers. 'The first degree of Rciki teaches people to heal themselves and others through touch. The second degree focuses on help- ing others and sending Reiki cncrgy over long distances. Butchart said our life force is responsive to thoughts And feelings and it becomes disrupted when we accept, eight con- sciously or •unconsciously. negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves. Those disruptions attach themselves to our cncrgy field which diminishes organ and cell function in our bodies. • - it's not hard to see why firm believers in western medicine treat Reiki as just another 'New -Age' or fringe belief that doesn't work. But even the biggest skeptics have to admit that simply touching between -.people and cvcn•betwccn pct owners and their pets can alleviate stress and create well- being, especially since numerous studies have proven it. "it's not my _lob to make them believe." Butchdrr said of naysayers. "I find. the skeptics the most tun to work with because they fall the hardest. Remember, 1 was one of those skeptics." - When she first became "attuned" -to Reiki (what happens to someone who can use Reiki). Butchart 'said she wanted to let everyone in on tier secret and. pushed it like sonic religious sects do with their beliefs. Now Butchart quietly goes about her business and gains most clients through word of mouth. She has treated a wide range of people aged 10 to 90 includ— ing even doctors and ministers. "There arc lots of different paths out there people can try." Butchart said. Who should try Reiki? - "Whoever is looking for an answer and hasn't found it yet," she said. But what about traditional. western medicine? "Do we need the medical field?" she questioned. 'Yes. we need the balance." • Butchart's personal symbol that skims up what Reiki stands for is a two trunked tree that shows both its roots and ,branches. One •of the trunks stands for the immune system. while the other rcpresents•thc emotional and spiritual side of - people. Buichart's services also include a weekly- medita- tion/healing circle that meets at her. home every Tuesday eve- ning, affirrnations (where people learn about the power of • believing in yourself) and using colors to heal. A Ride Back in Time Lucan Area Heritage hosted their third annual Ride Back in Time historical theatre production Sat- urday evening. Six hay wagons holding 30 to 40 people each cir- cled the Lucan race track, stop- ping at 10 sites to view brief his- torical skits. Over 60 volunteer actors took part in the produc- tion. At left, Jim Hearn, Pete Mar- tens, Greg Wragg and Tom Hearn, played the fans who watched the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Lu - can Irish Six when the Canadiens came to Lucan on December 5, 1952. Other re-enactments in- cluded plays on the Wilburforce and the Donnelly school house. Lucan's Sheila Butchart is a Rend healer and firmly believes the ancient art can help everyone. Behind her is her personal symbol, a two trunked tree that shows its roots:and branches. A uniform kick-start. Mocha Temple Shiners Camel Coach past president Cecil Lewis, left, hands Lucan Minor Soccer Association secretary -treasurer Ron Reytner a $200 cheque that will go towards paying for player uniforms including ones for the eight seven and under teams. The Shriners raise money to benefit sick or injured children under age 18 in their hospitals located throughout North America. The Camel Coach club started in Lucan 21 years ago, Lewis said, and they are looking for more members.