When I took Reiki I and II in the spring of 1998 I did not anticipate the changes that have occurred in my life and work.  I wanted to learn self-healing techniques to heal some personal issues but I never dreamed Reiki would become such an integral part of my work as a watercolor artist.  Reiki self-healing indeed helped me heal and totally changed the direction of my art career.  After learning Reiki I was directed to use the energy with the painting process.  Now I approach a painting session as a healing session. 

Subsequent to painting I activate my hands with the Reiki I and II symbols and ask Reiki to flow freely into the painting, filling it with healing love and light.  I ask for inspiration from my angels and guides.  I state my intention to co-create an image that needs to be birthed into the Third Dimension at this time.  At this point I will spend a few minutes in quiet meditation visualizing myself as an empty vessel being filled and expanded with the creative, white light energy of the universe.  I see that white light infusing the art supplies and my entire studio.  I acknowledge that the healing love and light will continue so when people view the art they can feel the energy or see it with their third eye.  I give thanks and ask for a special blessing to attract the person that needs this healing by invoking the distant healing symbol.

As I started using Reiki in the creative process a dramatic shift occurred in my commission work.  I started getting stories, messages and visual soul readings for the people who had commissioned the work.  I did not consider myself psychic and was not sure what to do with this information.  I decided to just pass it on with the art and see what happened.  Much to my delight the recipients were thrilled with the information and the visual representations of their soul essence.

In the spring of 1999 an individual was referred to me that asked me to do a soul essence painting for a friend's birthday.  I had never met the recipient but agreed to meditate on her and asked the guides to help me create a painting of her soul essence.  The image that came was of a white Lilly on a field of cobalt and turquoise.  When I presented them with the image and story they said it was a perfect match and could not believe I had never met the recipient.  At that point it seemed clear that Reiki self-healing was awakening my intuitive and psychic side.

The artist Piet Mondrian has said 'The artist is humble.  He is essentially a channel.'  Reiki combined with pure intent enables me to channel spiritual energy, the most powerful and creative energy in the universe.  The art becomes a visual bridge, or representation, of one's soul essence.  Symbolically it connects us with our light bodies.  The art creates a personal healing that is brought into the physical self through the third eye and optic nerve.  I have seen this healing increase personal joy, faith and trust.

Now it is clear to me why I was led to Reiki.  The ability to integrate Reiki into every facet of our lives, including our work, compounds the healing and transformation that is taking place in ourselves and our planet.  Through art I have learned to look for every opportunity to incorporate Reiki into my everyday life and urge you to do the same.  Together, we are touching many lives and impacting the future of our beloved planet.

Tara Moorman is a Reiki Master and owner of Healing Images, an art and publishing company in Cedar Rapids, IA. You can learn more about her work or contact her at her web site, http://www.artspace2000.com/gallery/tara