Have you ever experienced the same message coming at you from multiple sources at once? It seems I have needed a whole cast of characters to help me appreciate the power of the present moment.

First, and always, there is Reiki in my life. I went to Idaho last July to take a course for Reiki masters with Phyllis Furumoto, Lineage Bearer of the Usui System, and Paul Mitchell, Head of the Discipline. One of the greatest gifts of that experience was that my daily self-treatments with Reiki grew longer and deeper. I began to feel more present in myself, and more present with my clients in a different way.

In January, Kathy and I had the honor to meet a Burmese monk named Cealo at a gathering at Unity Church. This man was so full of peace and joy that he was barely able to talk about the impending war. "Excuse me", he told us, "I cannot talk about war very long because I cannot stop laughing!" He also shared stories of walking barefoot in the hot desert and not feeling pain. I understood that Cealo is always present, but is present to a reality we are not trained to see.

About the same time, I began to learn the art of spiritual peacemaking with James Twyman's internet class "The Spoonbenders Course". James Twyman's focus is on creating world peace by helping people become more peaceful inside. The simple practices I learned helped me to experience with certainty that when we are fully present, there is only love. The more I experience this truth, the more peaceful I feel.

Then, in February, I attended a meeting of Young Living Essential Oils leaders at the home of Sophie Ann Aoki. I have witnessed Sophie Ann help people move through emotional and physical challenges quickly, even in the middle of large gatherings. I knew she offered something special in addition to the exquisite essential oils. When I asked her to teach us how she does this, she said simply "Oh, you mean being present."

Could the message be any clearer? So, I started to read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, which had sat on my shelf for months. I am still beginning to read this book, since I am practicing the exercises as I go. I notice that when I pay attention to my body and feelings, both physical and emotional pain simply disappear.

As if that were not enough, in March I received a packet of information from a healer in Georgia, which usually I would throw away. This time the words on the cassette tape caught my attention: Lighten Up, Letting Go. I listened to it, and discovered the Illusion Conclusion course, by a man named Jerry who lived in the woods for many years totally separated from our culture. "Eight years ago", he reveals, "the voices in my head stopped". His course and tape set focus on teaching us to be present to what is real, not the illusory world we think of as real.

I look forward to continuing my journey toward the peace of the present moment. Would you like to join me?
-Liza