Reiki

 The summer of 2009... This was a very good time for me, and because of it, my life was forever changed. I was working at A Cup A Joe, which was a little coffee shop in south Minneapolis. We had fun, but never made any money. Because of this, at the time I was sleeping on a couch in the basement of the cafe.
 We had open mic nights on Tuesdays. These brought together the diversity of south Minneapolis, and our events were loaded with interesting characters. One of these aforementioned characters was Collin Mackay. 
 Collin had come into town from upstate New York, and had applied for a job as a massage therapist at the massage house around the corner from the cafe. He wasn't a good fit for the massage parlor, and the woman who ran it recommended that he come to A Cup A Joe and ask about doing massage at our events. We were thrilled to get a massage therapist at our shop, so it was a done deal.
 Collin is hard to describe. Tallish(yes, tallish) and thin with long, wispy blonde hair, he appears to be a classic Lord of the Rings style elf. He has an otherworldly purity and beauty about him that puts some at ease, and makes others nervous. I would not be surprised if he were actually from Lothlorien.
 As I got to know Collin, he mentioned that he was a Reiki healer. I had no idea what that meant, but I was interested in energy work, and Reiki sounded cool. One day Collin asked me if I would like to experience Reiki for myself, and I jumped at the chance.  We agreed to meet the next afternoon in Powderhorn Park, a peaceful park not far from the cafe.
 The day was Tuesday, August 4th, 2 days after my birthday. After a short and rather frightening ride in Collin's Jetta, we found a secluded, stone bench in the park.(Collin's driving style is another story completely)
 I sat down on the bench, and Collin showed me some breathing and grounding techniques to help me relax. He told me to put my palms together in front of my heart in a position I had seen on countless Hindu and Buddhist statues and depictions. Eyes closed...gentle, timed breathing in a classic position of prayer. I could have remained there in silent meditation forever, as my body and mind reacted very well to the simple act of sitting in that position.
 After a bit, I could feel Collin's presence as he stood behind me, and he began whispering in a language I couldn't understand. I briefly opened my eyes as he took my hands, and still whispering, used his fingers to trace symbols in the air above my palms. I closed my eyes again, and after a moment, it was done.
 He followed by showing me some self treatment techniques. The first self treatment he showed me was to place my palms in front of my forehead and let the energy flow. I closed my eyes and did as instructed, and after a second or so, there was a lightning flash. I took my hands down and looked around for the stormclouds that caused the lightning. There was no storm, and the afternoon was as beautiful as it was when we got to the park.
 "What the Hell was that?!?!"
 Collin said nothing, but gave me a patient smile.
 I put my palms back in front of my forehead, and again there was a flash.  This cycle repeated for several minutes... I would put my palms in front of my forehead, see a flash, and each time I would look around for lightning. Collin was thoroughly amused.
 Collin recommended that, in the coming days, I use my palms to share energy with trees and plants. We concluded our session in the park, and feeling energized and strong, we went back to the cafe.
 I really have no recollection of the open mic that night, but I assume that I played. When everyone had left, and I had the place cleaned up I retired to the couch in the basement. Someone had gifted me a Dieffenbachia houseplant earlier in the summer, and remembering Collin's words, I placed my palms above it. I didn't know what I was doing, or what was supposed to happen, but as soon as my hands were above the leaves, my palms started sweating. The heat I felt on my hands completely freaked me out. My beloved Dieffenbachia(Greenface) felt like a campfire. I must have sat for an hour, marveling over the energy exchange and literally warming my hands over the houseplant.
 I spent another hour "scanning" every object in the cafe. I could feel the energy around every single item I scanned! Tables, chairs, knives, cups, everything! I eventually went into the parking lot for a smoke. The moon was full that night, I stepped from the shadow of the cafe into full moonlight... It was a warm summer night, and in my t-shirt and shorts, every bit of my exposed skin tingled. It felt like the moonlight was electric, and the thrill that went through my body in the light of the full moon was beyond description. I don't remember if I shouted, but I must have. I started moving my body with what seem to have been Tai Chi motions, but I didn't and still don't know Tai Chi. I'm not sure how long it went on, it must have been hours, but I didn't want my experience with the moonlight to end.
 At this time I was convinced that Collin was an alien. How could any human cause what was happening to me? I know I didn't sleep that night, and I remember opening the cafe at 8am. I was unable to communicate what had happened to me, and also completely unable to carry on a normal conversation. Two of our regulars came in that morning, and I still feel bad for Bonnie and Pete for having to listen to the apparently insane barista.

 That afternoon/evening was the beginning of my life with Reiki. Over the next couple of weeks I began to not only feel, but see the energy surrounding everything.
 For the next 2 weeks, I was afraid to use Reiki on anything but my beloved plant Greenface. The first time I used Reiki on a human spurred the meeting with my other teacher, Ben Albers. My recently shattered perception was about to shatter again...