Reiki Retreat Thoughts 2010

I put down these thoughts whilst waiting at Cairns airport for what some would consider way too long, interestingly I am returning from a week at the Reiki Retreat where the whole purpose was to sit still.

As a first time Reiki Retreater the very first day of meditation and sitting still for even 30 minutes seems now like one of the hardest yet rewarding things I have done this year. I have left the retreat with a sense of clam and inner stillness that I would have paid double for.

Day one: I arrived at Sanctuary – the name almost does the location justice, everyone is friendly the property is stunning and no one is wearing shoes. If I am completely honest I was a little concerned that there may be just a little too much nature and that I was a tad close to the local fauna and flora.

Day two: this was the first day of the retreat, it was great catching up with friends of past and meeting strangest who were soon to become fast friends. We talked about what we wanted to get from the retreat- for me it was to reconnect to Reiki.
after sitting and visualising for the morning ( I didn’t think my knees were going to make the four days) it was time for a break.

The plan was to go into town and gather supplies to last the rest of the retreat, I grabbed my bag and set off through the rain forrest by foot. I had arranged to meet Paul and some of the other retreatees in town after my 7k hike. The trip was wonderful, glorious sandy beach, fresh sea breeze and a forrest trail that was lots of fun to navigate, Stu from Sanctuary had given me a map and told me to keep an eye out for the green markers through the forrest. Everything went to plan and Paul and the gang arrived in the 4wd just as I did.

After lunch we were back for our afternoon session in the main Reiki room, this is about where the edges started to blur and one beautiful experience was closely followed and surpassed by another even more spectacular. Here are some of the highlights for me

The treatment by Frans was a turning point and it made me remember the joy of Reiki is what was I missed.

The Reiki Retreat, the chanting, the meditation and visualisation still fill me with joy and love.

The team at Santuary Paul, Stu, Hazel, Gus and others I did not get to meet and who’s names I do not know were amazing the food and hospitality was some of the best I have ever had.

The location is what I believe heaven would look like.

Chai tea on the balcony in the afternoon is a habit that I will take back with me.

The trip to the local healing pond and the time spent with the team from Echo Tours has given me a whole new respect for nature and the Aboriginal people.

But the highlight of highlights would have to be the lovely people I had the absolute privilege of spending the week with: the openness with which this group with different lives and experience came together with a shared interest and left it all on the table the dynamics of the group and the way we honestly interacted was what will stay with me forever.

Did I get what I wanted – yes and some! I have certainly reconnected which was my aim, the surprise though is that I reconnected with me which is really not that bad at all. So as I sit here at the airport for four hours sipping my tea, reflecting on my week, appreciating the people in my life who bring me joy, I feel is the perfect way to come back to real life, life which usually has so much going on, stores with blaring rock music, clanging of cutlery from the coffee shops, kids running around and people chatting or huffing at the staff who have no control over delayed flights.

We all have a choice as to whether we step into the fray or sit quietly, I will be sitting still and taking a little piece of Sanctuary and a lot of love back with me into the real world.

Frans, Bronwen and Bella

THANK YOU! – see you next year.

Cheryl Daley