Category: Self reflection

Setting Anchors

Posted on by Edward Howell

From the moment we draw our first breath, we begin dropping anchors. The first and most deeply set is the mother-child bond — driven into the bedrock of our being before we even have words to describe it. It holds us when storms come, orients us when we are lost, and shapes the very way we interact with every person who comes after. Some anchors are set just as deeply by fathers, siblings, and grandparents — the early architecture of our relational world.

As we grow and move outward into life, we cast anchors with every interaction. The childhood friendship that was a significant part of our world at that time. The teacher who saw something in us that only time and experience would reveal. The mentor who handed us a torch. Each of these connections, at the moment of their making, drove something into the ocean floor of our experience — a fixed point we could return to, measure ourselves against, and find our bearings by.

But not all anchors hold equally. Some, like deep friendships and profound loves, are set in solid rock — tested by time, conflict, distance, and change, and found to be immovable. These are the relationships that define us. Even if the person is no longer present in our daily lives, or has passed from this world entirely, the anchor remains. We still feel the tension of the line.

Others are set in sand. The acquaintance whose name we struggle to recall. The colleague we swore we’d keep in touch with. The neighbor we waved to for years without ever truly knowing. These anchors drag and shift with the tides of circumstance, and eventually, quietly, they let go — slipping into the soft sediment of distant memory without ceremony or grief.

What is remarkable is that we rarely know, in the moment of meeting someone, how deeply their anchor will be set. The stranger in a coffee shop who says exactly the right thing at exactly the right moment may set a mark in us that never fully lifts, while someone we have known for decades remains curiously weightless in our world. Life has a way of surprising us with who stays and who drifts.

And as we age, we begin to feel the full constellation of those anchor points — some pulling with the strength they always had, others faint and far away like stars at the very edge of visibility. Together they form a kind of map of who we have been, who we have loved, and who in turn has loved us. To look at that map honestly is to understand that we are not solitary creatures navigating life alone, but deeply relational beings, shaped at every turn by the anchors we have set and the ones others have set in us.

In the end, the richness of a life may be measured not in what we accumulated, but in how many anchors held — and in how many lives we became an anchor.

The Essence and the Path, Spirit vs. Spirituality

Posted on by Edward Howell

Distinguishing Spirit from Spirituality in the Healing Arts

In the journey of holistic and energy healing, few questions are as fundamental as the distinction between “spirit” and “spiritual.” While often used interchangeably in common parlance, these terms represent two profoundly different, yet intrinsically linked, dimensions of the human experience. For a healing arts practitioner, clarity on this distinction is not merely academic; it is the bedrock of effective and compassionate practice. To put it simply, spirit is the essential, non-physical core of our being, while spiritual refers to the active process of nurturing and connecting with that core. One is the noun of our existence; the other is the verb that gives that existence meaning and direction.

Spirit: The Innate Essence of Being

At its heart, “spirit” refers to the non-physical, animating principle within a person or being. It is the seat of our deepest consciousness, character, and vitality. As the provided definitions note, it is “the essence that connects individuals to what is perceived as higher consciousness or divine entities,” often considered the eternal part of a being. This concept of an indwelling, essential life force is a universal constant across healing traditions.

In Shamanism, the world is perceived as being alive with individual spirits. Every tree, river, and person possesses a unique spirit—a core consciousness. The shamanic view of illness often involves a fragmentation or loss of part of this vital spirit due to trauma, and the healing process is one of retrieval and restoration. Here, spirit is the fundamental substance of identity and life itself.

The practice of Reiki Ryoho operates directly with this concept, though it frames it as an impersonal universal force. The “Ki” in Reiki is the Japanese term for this universal life force energy (akin to “Qi” in Taoism or “Prana” in Yoga). It is the subtle, intelligent energy that animates all living things. A Reiki Ryoho practitioner serves as a conduit or focal point for this universal spirit energy, allowing it to flow to a recipient to restore balance and vitality. In this context, the client’s individual spirit is a localized expression of this greater universal spirit.

Taoism offers a refined model through its “Three Treasures.” Here, Jing (essence) is refined into Qi (energy), which is further refined into Shen (spirit). Shen represents the highest, most luminous aspect of a human being—our conscious awareness and connection to the divine, ineffable Tao. It is the radiant core of our being that, when cultivated, can align with the cosmic order.

Even Buddhism, which carefully deconstructs the idea of a permanent soul, points to a foundational quality of pure, luminous awareness—the Buddha-nature inherent in all sentient beings. This potential for awakening and purity, unobscured by defilements, functions as the Buddhist conception of our fundamental spirit.

Across these traditions, the consensus is clear: spirit is our birthright. It is the inherent, eternal, and essential “what” of our being. It does not need to be created, only recognized, honored, and healed.

Spiritual: The Conscious Path of Connection

If “spirit” is the core, then “spiritual” describes the path one walks to relate to that core. It encompasses the beliefs, practices, and experiences dedicated to personal growth, inner peace, and a deeper understanding of life’s purpose. As outlined, being spiritual “involves a focus on personal growth, inner peace, and a deeper understanding of life’s purpose.” It is the active cultivation of a relationship with the essence of life.

In Shamanism, the spiritual path is one of rigorous practice and relationship-building. It involves the disciplined use of journeying, drumming, and ceremony to communicate with the spirit world. A shaman’s life is spiritual not because they possess a spirit, but because they actively cultivate relationships with spirits for the healing and guidance of their community.

For the Reiki Ryoho practitioner, the spiritual dimension is embodied in the Reiki Precepts: “Just for today, do not anger, do not worry, be grateful, do your duties (work), and be compassionate to yourself and others.” These are not healing techniques but guidelines for living a spiritual life. By working to reduce ego, anger, fear, and embody gratitude and compassionate living, the practitioner becomes more and more attuned to the essence that is Reiki. Their spirituality is measured by their daily commitment to this personal growth and compassionate service.

The Taoist spiritual path (Xiu Dao) is the dedicated practice of internal alchemy—through meditation, Qigong, and ethical living—to refine one’s essence and energy, ultimately to merge with the Tao. It is a conscious, lifelong process of alignment and harmonization with the natural flow of existence.

In Buddhism, the spiritual life is explicitly codified in the Noble Eightfold Path, which encompasses ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. Spirituality here is the active engagement in meditation, mindfulness, and compassionate action to purify the mind and realize the true nature of reality.

Synthesis in the Healing Arts

For a healing arts instructor and practitioner, this distinction is operational. We are working with the client’s spirit—their core life force, which may be weakened, imbalanced, or disconnected. We interact with this essence through our intuitive senses and the modalities we employ.

Simultaneously, we must be engaged in our own spiritual practice. This is the commitment to our own personal growth, inner peace, and ethical conduct. It is our ongoing work to clear our own channels of perception and energy so that we do not project our own “unfinished business” onto the client. A healer with a vibrant personal spirit but no spiritual discipline may be powerful but lack wisdom and grounding. A healer with spiritual knowledge but a disconnected spirit may be theoretically sound but lack the authentic, embodied presence required for deep healing.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the journey in the healing arts is a dance between the noun and the verb, the essence and the path. Our spirit is the untouched canvas and the vibrant paints—the inherent potential for wholeness and connection within every client and ourselves. Our spirituality is the skill of the painter, the dedicated practice, the choice of subject, and the humility to be a vessel for a creativity greater than ourselves. By honoring both—by tending to our own spiritual development to better serve the spirit of another—we participate in the most sacred of arts: the art of facilitating remembrance, wholeness, and the return to one’s own essential, luminous nature.

Bibliography

Harner, M. (1980). The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing. Harper & Row.

Lubeck, W. (1998). The Complete Reiki Handbook. Lotus Press.

The Dalai Lama. (2001). Ethics for the New Millennium. Riverhead Books.

Wong, E. (1997). The Shambhala Guide to Taoism. Shambhala Publications.

Christianity.com  “Difference Between a Soul and a Spirit.” Retrieved from:
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/salvation/difference-between-a-soul-and-a-spirit.html

BibleChat.ai   “What is the difference between soul, spirit, and heart according to the Bible?”  Retrieved from:
https://biblechat.ai/knowledgebase/theological- concepts/pneumatology/what-difference-between-soul-spirit-heart-according-bible/

The Feet Have It.

Posted on by Edward Howell

Originally posted on 08/12/2013 by Edward

Interesting that at this time of year we (seemingly) take the stresses enjoyed in our daily lives and multiply them exponentially in the celebrations of the holiday season. Additional social gatherings to attend, gifts to be purchased, additional cooking and cleaning to attend to, for some the joys of crowded airports and airplanes, for others readying the home for guests, and so on….

While these situations are for some enjoyable, for many others the additional stresses are overwhelming, resulting in body aches, headaches, difficulty breathing, feeling anxious, feeling worried, difficulty sleeping, the list of stress-induced symptoms is a long one. And while short term stress can be beneficial, long term stress (unattended to) can have significant debilitating effects on our body and our life.

Much information can be found on the internet about stress, its mental, emotional and physical effects on the human system, and myriad means to address those effects. Some more effective than others.

One of the methods I recommend to my clients and I use when I feel that chest tightening, shortness of breath sense of anxiety or worry making itself known:

is to immediately (unless operating equipment, then stop if you can, and take a 10 minute break):

  1. Find a place to be seated, chair, bench, rock, log, on the ground or floor…
  2. Remove foot wear, and socks if you wish…
  3. Take a DEEP breath…and keep breathing…
  4. Bring one foot up where you can massage the foot with your hands…
  5. Start giving yourself a foot massage, minimum 5 minutes per foot,…time it! This is no time for the old ‘lick and a promise’. Your situation demands more of you than that.
  6. While massaging your feet, use the thumb and fingers (or knuckles) to find those sore spots (YES, you DO have them), and apply enough pressure to those points to elicit an ‘Ouch!’ from you.
  7. Keep massaging,… I didn’t say you could stop yet!
  8. Spread the front of the foot with your hands, pull on the toes, and at the end of the 5 minutes on the first foot, vigorously rub the foot between your hands.
  9. Now repeat (from step 3) with the other foot, no shortcuts!

What is accomplished with the foot massage applied per above instruction?

  1. You have made a conscious decision to put yourself first on your list of priorities. This may also be termed as determined self-love.
  2. When you hit those sore (okay, painful) points in your feet, your mind and body suddenly find themselves together in the best possible place to deal with stress, in the immediate here and NOW.
  3. This will ground you into the present moment, so that you can experience the effect of not being in the ‘Anxiety Gap1’, and offer you the opportunity to deal with your situation(s) from a different state of being.
  4. This different state of being will last well beyond the point of returning to whatever activity you were engaged in before you made time for yourself.

This is just one of many means of addressing stress, anxiety and worry, and it is my personal favorite.
Why?
Because it’s easy, can be implemented immediately  and is effective.
Also recommended is that you do this in the morning upon rising and at night before going to bed. You could incorporate into your foot massage the essential oils of either lavender or peppermint mixed into a neutral skin/foot care cream base (increases the sense of self-love).
For an even more grounding experience, massage into your feet a little of the essential oil blend known as Earth from The Apothecary in Calgary. (I usually have some in stock, or you can order direct from the good folks at The Apothecary.

There are certainly many other means of addressing stress, anxiety, worry, etc., (see: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11847/7-ways-to-control-your-anxiety-so-it-doesnt-control-you.html) and I recommend educating oneself as to what they are, how to implement them and their effectiveness. Some methods will be more effective than others, depending on the person and their circumstance(s).

A practice I find most effective for me (as do many, many others), is incorporating the practice of Reiki Ryoho into my daily routine of self-care.  The calming, grounding, centering and healing I experience in this self-caring practice is a gift I give to myself, so that the best of who I am is available to those I engage with during my day. I have studied and practiced Reiki Ryoho since 1997, teaching it since 2001 and currently offer Reiki Ryoho courses to those interested in becoming responsible for their own health and well-being.

Our best wishes that you and your family enjoy a safe and a more stress-free holiday.

Edward Howell, RMT
December 2013

  1.      “You can always cope with the present moment, but you cannot cope with something that is only a mind projection — you cannot cope with the future.” ~  Eckhart Tolle, Practicing the Power of Now

A Journey to Finding Peace

Posted on by Edward Howell

Several years ago, well, about 42 years ago, I was a hard-driving (and driven) young man working hard to support myself, my wife, and 2 sons. I worked for an international oilfield services company (beginning my employment as a truck driver) that would periodically send some of the more promising employees to its engineering training facility in Oklahoma. It was there that I had what seemed at the time a rather innocuous encounter with another company employee. I was seated at one of the dining tables in the large dining room when an older fellow approached me and asked if he could have a seat at the table. I responded, “Sure, glad to have the company. “
As we chatted over breakfast, I learned that he was one of the truck drivers for the manufacturing centre next door to the training facility and that he had been so for the previous 26 years. I was stunned. I could not fathom anyone driving trucks for that period of time without trying to “move up the ladder”.  When I asked him if he was ever interested in moving into a supervisory capacity, he said “No, all I’ve ever wanted was to be a truck driver. I get up each morning, go to work and I more often than not get to have dinner with my wife and family. I get most weekends off now, as the younger drivers want the overtime, so life is pretty good for me.”
My youthful judgment kicked in and I labeled him as having a mediocre life, one which I could not condone in myself and was loathe to accept in others. I didn’t mention my inner thoughts to him, just continued to make the easy chat of two people who have a working knowledge of each others place in “the company”. I never did see him again, and in the course of time and living, forgot about our interaction. Until I was in the midst of Reiki Ryoho master/teacher training, when during a self-exploration exercise facilitated by my teacher I brought up the memory of that conversation and my hardline judgment of the truck driver. New thoughts came in about him from my new perspective of having experienced another 20 years of living. I came to see him not as mediocre, but as one who is content with who he is, where he is, and with what he has. I now saw him not as a second-or-third best, but as wise beyond my understanding at the time. He embodied a peace and contentment of life that I didn’t recognize, and I’ve often wondered if I had acknowledged it then, if I had changed my perspective then, how different my life would have been.
I have told this story to a few people during the intervening years, but I have never written about it. It is worthy of serious contemplation, as I have experienced the competitive stresses I’ve placed on myself in trying to “get ahead”, all the while struggling to find peace and contentment with myself and whatever situation I had created for myself.  And now, I find myself more and more modeling that place of peace with the world and contentment with who, what, and where I am.
I was asked some time back how I would define a master, and my considered reply was that whoever embodies the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gokai (5 Principles or Precepts), I would consider being a master. Not a master of Reiki, but of themselves, at peace with who they are, where they are, and with what they are.
I encourage you (if you have received training in any style of Reiki Ryoho you will have been taught the 5 Principles) to re-visit those principles, and let the practice of integrating them into your life show you a path to knowing contentment and being at peace, with yourself, and with the world.