Reiki Help Blog :: Oasis Reiki Dojo

The hands-on application of Reiki is an important and core part of its teachings. Although it’s but one part of a continuum of teachings, Reiki’s hands-on practice is remarkable and beautiful. It’s also an area where practitioners can trip themselves up for a variety of reasons. Just as in meditation, it presents certain challenges to our normal modes of being.

Here we’re going to look at hands-on Reiki, especially hands-on-self, from the viewpoint of it being a form (kata in Japanese) of mindful touch, a type of present and awake touch. Some of the insights can be extrapolated to giving Reiki to others, but this is mainly about self-treatments.

The basic premise is quite simple: It’s about not making demands on experiences coming from spiritual and healing practices to be a certain way, to be this or that, to reveal the secrets of the universe, or have major metaphysical ‘fireworks’ occur. It’s about releasing all expectations every single time, and for the duration of self-treatments.

It’s about the very real value of WHAT IS.

Just let go of your demand on this moment. Any time you have a demand on the moment to give you something or remove something, there is suffering. Your demands keep you chained to the dream state of conditioned mind. The problem is that when there is a demand, you completely miss what is now.

— Adyashanti

Touch

Touch is perceived directly. It’s felt. It can be difficult to keep the mind out of the perception of touch since it’s a primary organ of perception, but we have to feel touch without added filters. If we analyze touch cognitively it loses all its power and beauty.

Touch is pre-verbal. Even after we learn speech, touch bypasses words and conceptual thinking.

Touch has a long, deep memory. For example, feeling supported—when learning to walk, a parent held our hand. Later in life, touch can evoke the same sense of support when we’re healing something.

Touch magnifies or creates focus on the area being touched. In other words, it’s a specialized form of awareness.

The hands too are a unique part of the body, and even more so in humans. The hands are what mold life according to what we generate in our heart and our mind, which is hopefully informed by our heart. Hands are the direct expression, or create the expression in form of all that’s formless within us; they carry our highest intentions and aspirations out into the world. We engage life and people with our hands.

Consider the holiness of your hands. They are how you do your work on this earth… — Dianne Sylvan

Often there are expectations as to what Reiki is supposed to “feel” like. Expectations can get in the way of what is actually happening. It may take time for the five physical senses to be refined enough to actually feel subtle energy. Then there are the inner counterparts of the five senses that work at the level of intuitive perception. That may take longer to develop. If there are expectations to begin with, then none of this is important because anything other than the expectations will be disappointing.

Experiences specific to the flow of Reiki into the body and being of a person are going to show up. When they don’t show up, and as a general orientation, the following points are vital to remember. These will enhance your hands-on-self Reiki, as well as your life overall.

WHAT IS

Apart from self-treatment being specifically Reiki touch (and all the qualities that go along with it), it’s also and always mindful touch, or awake touch. Having this orientation to your hands-on-self practice enables you to enter the state of WHAT IS, as opposed to what you want, or what you hope for.

‘What is’ can be many things. For example, it’s noticing the impatience under your hands (or the impatience of your hands), the impatience for some thing to happen, the impatience to feel differently, the impatience to have a mind-blowing experience, the impatience to move to the next hand position.

There’s much value in just being present with each position and if nothing else seems to happen, simply noting, and remembering that it’s the touch of coming home to yourself; a way of reminding yourself to trust, to love, to be there for you, to really have contact with yourself, have a solid connection.

Showing Up

Reiki as present, aware touch is really about showing up for yourself, even when nothing dramatic happens, when nothing particularly profound happens, no sparks fly.

The simple act of being present to yourself, showing up for yourself, listening to yourself and simply observing ‘what is’ in the moments of each hand position is an act of self-compassion, self-renewal, self-validation; it sends messages to parts of you below the conscious level that you are safe, you are loved, everything is fine, to feel secure and solid, and not fear.

Over time you build on this so you can have a much more easeful relationship with yourself, a much more continuous, more loving, firm and consistent relationship with yourself, so that your self-image improves and your insecurities diminish.

Beneath the noise

Reiki as awake touch is about getting underneath the noise. Sometimes all there is to do is observe ‘what is’, be with ‘what is’, go alongside it, just holding it in awareness because you can’t get past the noise to deeper experiences, or insight, or profound realizations that shift you.

Getting underneath the noise doesn’t always work if you’re striving to do that. It can simply be a matter of letting the noise run out and it does. That may not happen over the duration of a single session. It may happen over the duration of several sessions as practice, quiet and silence, and care for yourself, being present with yourself becomes a habit, a lifestyle.

Underneath the noise you have the ability to feel intuitively, and psychically, and with the inner counterparts of the outer senses; to feel spiritually which is different than feeling emotionally. Sometimes you have to wait out the noise, but still be in practice mode, be in application mode, applying Reiki and its various practices to quiet down the body, the mind, the psyche, to quiet your fears and expectations.

The body’s sensations

Just feeling your pulse, sensing your heartbeat, hearing your breath breathe is often enough, it’s all the healing you need. Noticing the various movements as the body functions under your hands, the various sounds, the various pulsations and vibrations are enough to tell you your state of balance, or send a message to the whole of you that all is well, love is available and there’s security. Often that is enough.

‘I love you’

Every hand placement on your own body during Reiki as mindful touch tells your whole body, your whole being, every part of you, every aspect of you that you are loved. It says directly, “I love you.” Everytime the hands are placed on a new part of the body, this message of “I love you” goes through the body to every single aspect of your existence. Within the body too, the message of “I love you” is received by every single cell. Your heart, your feelings and emotions, your mind, your cognition and mental processes, your very own spirit is bathed in this message of  “I love you,” and also that love is available, a universal, divine kind of love. Within that love is care and acknowledgment.

The things the body has to do on a daily basis, all the tasks, all the chores, all the obligations, none of those things can give you this message, can respond in that way. Even meaningful work that inspires and thrills you, a lot of it is mechanical and whatever you have to do each day, the minutiae,  the details, just really don’t care about you. A piece of paperwork, something that needs to be filed, an email that needs to be written, a plan that has to be made has absolutely no investment in your wellbeing. These are inert.

You need time, special time, this mindful, awake, present touch type of time. You need time to actively vibrate, engage, and release the message of love, acknowledgment and care to the totality of your being, because you can’t get it from anywhere else.

Friends and loved ones can source love, but unless and until you’re the source of love for yourself and everyone else and life in general, you’re lost, you’re incomplete, you can’t become whole, and life becomes a drag.

Everything else drags along with it, your energy, your emotions, your mind becomes dull. Your spirit weakens and fades.

You can take a moment now and turn your attention to life. You don’t have to know anything else… Just stop for a moment and turn your attention to life — whether it’s a good life, a bad life, a successful life, or a failure of a life. Life! Just the wonder of that can obliterate all of the dishonoring of it in an instant. In this instant.

— Gangaji

Each post for the Reiki Help Blog can take anywhere from 1-5 days to write/research, proofread/edit, and post with an appropriate image and formatting. If you leave this space with any value, knowledge, joy or understanding, please consider making a donation of your choice.

Donate to this blog. Thank you!

There’s a trend these days to read, follow, and quote authors and well-known figures in the world of spirituality. Watching a video or listening to a podcast are also popular. There are teleconference calls of every spiritual stripe. You can attend a multitude of seminars and workshops. Access to self-improvement information, spiritual and healing know-how, and empowered living is at unprecedented levels.

At the end of the day and upon awakening, however, we are left to our own devices, and we are still the same person before doing any of the above. It’s a good thing that we don’t have to travel to faraway lands and try to find elusive teachers. It’s a good thing that this information is establishing itself in humanity’s psyche. And although still not mainstream, there’s a definite tip in that direction.

On the other hand, without actual personal practice, it’s all a cop out.

None of the information we’re able to take in these days has any impact unless it’s internalized. And internalizing isn’t ‘being more compassionate’ because the Dalai Lama suggests it. In fact it’s near impossible to be any of what’s suggested through various sources unless and until we have an established and regular personal practice at home.

Contemplative practice is not based on belief, but on intrinsic confidence and understanding. — Sakyong Mipham

Understanding comes as a result of spiritual practices, chiefly meditation. We undertake such practices for spiritual development. Unless we develop spiritually within, no outer experience or knowledgebase can have any real impact.

Many people become dependent on the ‘high’ of a seminar or audiovisual program. While attending, the program seems miraculous, life-changing. But when it’s over there’s a slump, a let-down. To counter this, the next seminar seems highly attractive. And the cycle continues.

In this scenario there’s no steadiness, no deepening. No real groundwork is laid inside the person. There’s no foundation, nor scaffolding; no interior chambers to rely on, nor ladders to the next elevation.

Something else happens in true spiritual practice.

… meditation also means to cultivate basic human qualities, such as attention and compassion, and new ways of experiencing the world. What really matters is that a person gradually changes… We develop a propensity toward altruistic behavior and the cluster of qualities that give us the resources to deal with the ups and downs of life.

— Matthieu Ricard

Practice doesn’t develop ephemeral qualities, like only reading or attending a seminar can. Practice develops enduring spiritual qualities that enhance both our nonphysical self, and the life we live in physicality.

Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Whatever you do mindfully is meditation.” This is true. But without actual practice the mind is not mindful, the mind doesn’t present its best version, it isn’t an aid to us but an obstacle. We have to sit silently and engage other spiritual practices too so the mind can exhibit its luminosity.

If we don’t practice, we operate at a nominal human level. If we do practice we operate at a more conscious level. We become fully human. Practice makes us conscious. This isn’t the kind of ‘conscious’ we become upon waking up in the morning. It’s self-awareness. It’s the awakening to the many levels of reality and possibility. It’s becoming conscious to consciousness.

Consciousness as a lattice for reality, stores and gives access to qualities that bring out the highest expression of our humanity.

Human qualities often come in clusters. Altruism, inner peace, strength, freedom, and genuine happiness thrive together like the parts of a nourishing fruit. Likewise, selfishness, animosity, and fear grow together.

— Matthieu Ricard

What we sit with, what we allow, what we let accompany us in life internally and externally grows together. Left on its own the mind falls into all manner of patterns. What we want is neither the high of an intense program or impactful book, nor the low of habitual self-defeating patterns. Instead we need the steady thread of continuity and depth, of regularity and constant return to the storehouse of spiritual qualities and resources.

As we meditate, we simply sit straight and watch the breath. So what does that do? It creates space. In fact, the technique itself is just a trick. The main point is to recognize all these thoughts and distractions that are constantly bombarding us. We still get angry, but we know that we are angry. When we are angry and know it, the anger has a lot of humor. With that kind of anger, we have more control.

— Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Practice betters us by revealing all we have inside. We originate as a whole, then through life experiences we fragment and focus on the fragments. We’re not the fragments. We’re the Whole. Practice shows how this is so and how to source our life from wholeness.

Each post for the Reiki Help Blog can take anywhere from 1-5 days to write/research, proofread/edit, and post with an appropriate image and formatting. If you leave this space with any value, knowledge, joy or understanding, please consider making a donation of your choice.

Donate to this blog. Thank you!

Bamboo makes a great symbol for spiritual living. It’s sturdy and strong, but also flexible without being easily breakable. These are all qualities we need in our spirituality.

Bamboo is hollow which can represent the hollowness of being a conduit of the divine for healing, compassion, guidance, wisdom and awakening for self and others.

Bamboo is a perennial evergreen; it has leaves every season. Life is full of seasons. Even within a calendar season, our own life may go through more than one ‘season.’ Evergreens shed leaves while producing new ones. Similarly, we need to discard the old and dysfunctional for the fresh and empowering. Like a bamboo’s leaves we benefit from being self-renewing.

The most important symbology of the bamboo is in relation to developing a spiritual backbone. Whether your path is Reiki or another teaching, having a spiritual backbone is essential. Without it the path becomes unsteady. We waver. Both inner and outer temptations are too great and the path itself is already challenging.

Our spiritual backbone isn’t physical, although strengthening the back to sit for longer periods of meditation is important. Instead it’s about our integrity, resoluteness, and spiritual fortitude.

Someone just starting out on their path may not necessarily consider the long term aspect of it. Today we live longer and healthier lives and our spiritual path is meant to accompany us all the way through those years. There are an unknown number of twists and turns, ups and downs. Nothing is guaranteed and the end is obscured. And at the beginning the path is narrow, even hard to discern.

Given this, the only real ally we have is our commitment.

Our lives, like the ocean, constantly change, and we will naturally face great storms and dreary lulls. How, then, to put our minds in a space where practice is always there, whether tumultuous or in the doldrums? It requires a completely radical view of practice: practice is not something we do; it is something we are. We are not separate from our practice, and so no matter what, our practice is present.

— Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara

It takes spiritual backbone to commit to practice and lifelong spiritual living. This backbone develops and strengthens with the spiritual practice(s) we engage and also shows up for us when we need it, as long as we’ve put the time in. If you’ve put in solid spiritual time consistently and sincerely, your inner core of integrity and fortitude can take over during dry spells, when feeling bereft or challenged, or even just busy. (‘Busyness’ is a trap, however. It has to be recognized and held back.)

We also need this backbone to stay with our practice during such times. Those are exactly the times we need to practice. Spiritual practice can’t wait for idyllic conditions. It’s now or it’s not.

Bamboo has countless uses, from cooking to medicine to textiles to construction. It’s one of the most versatile plants there is. It’s also flexible in this sense, not only for bending in high wind. Life asks of us to be adaptable and resourceful. We’re endowed with many inner qualities, everything we need to face all situations.

Traditionally bamboo symbolizes longevity. This can also symbolize the longevity of our practice. The straight stem of the bamboo is seen as the (spiritual) path itself, and the segments of the stem are stages along the way.

Stephen R. Covey writes this of bamboo:

After the seed for this amazing tree is planted, you see nothing, absolutely nothing, for four years except for a tiny shoot coming out of a bulb. During those four years, all the growth is underground in a massive, fibrous root structure that spreads deep and wide in the earth. But then in the the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet!

This is significant in spirituality and healing in so many ways. How often do we become impatient with ourselves and/or the process? How often do we mistrust ourselves and/or the process? How often do we lose faith?

In spirituality or healing (which overlap) it’s also commonplace that there are no observable changes or growth, at least not on the surface. This can be discouraging, but if we abandon teachings then it’s like digging up the bamboo seed in the first four years because not much is visible above ground.

Spiritual teachings usually have several different practices, both formal and the overall practice of embodying our learning and growth as we apply ourselves. Reiki certainly has a variety of methods, beyond its most well-known hands-on application. In fact in Reiki and most other authentic paths, meditation is the foundation.

If your self-discipline or dedication seems to weaken, remember first of all, that this is natural and you don’t need to berate yourself for it. Seek inspiration in the form that works best for you—reading poetry or prose that inspires you, communicating with like-minded friends, finding a community of meditators, maybe a group to practice with… If you haven’t been keeping a meditation journal, start one. And keep in mind that no matter how badly you feel things are going, no matter how long it’s been since you last meditated, you can always begin again. Nothing is lost; nothing is ruined. We have this very moment in front of us. We can start now.

— Sharon Salzberg

That’s sage advice. And it can applied to any of the methods in which we have instruction. Let’s summarize how bamboo can be a helpful analogy for the spiritual life:

• It bends but doesn’t break. Curve balls are easier to handle if our fundamentals are strong, and we can also be fluid.
• It’s strong without being rigid. We have a firm base and core which allows us to be soft and yielding when needed.
• It’s hollow. We empty ourselves of preconceptions and expectations so the divine can fill us.
• It’s evergreen. We’re discarding and renewing at the same time; keeping and improving on the good, releasing the not-so-good.
• Bamboo doesn’t give up underground. It develops and incredible root system. Commitment and inner resolve are deep resources we draw from from start to finish.

Each post for the Reiki Help Blog can take anywhere from 1-5 days to write/research, proofread/edit, and post with an appropriate image and formatting. If you leave this space with any value, knowledge, joy or understanding, please consider making a donation of your choice.

Donate to this blog. Thank you!

We live in a time when scientific research is finding the same results that the meditative traditions have clearly explained, advocated and shared with humanity through the ages.

Meditative awareness has three primary qualities. The first is calmness, the second openness, and the third harmony. — Tarthang Tulku

How does calmness show up? Meditation has been found to lower the stress hormone cortisol, lower blood pressure, and heart and respiratory rates. Studies have also found less gray-matter density in the amygdala, a part of the brain that plays an important role in anxiety and stress.

Openness can be interpreted in many ways. One might be “empathy” which is a critical factor of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a set of skills and qualities which is significant all on its own: it increases our ability to manage our life and its pressures, and relate to others in a socially positive way.

Back to empathy itself:

Not too long ago, we thought of the body as a machine and the brain as some sort of computer that ran the show. But much recent research indicates that the brain is essentially a social organ with its cells and pathways wired for empathy, for experiencing the joys and sufferings of others as if they were our own. Our brain, our hormones, and our immune system are an intimately related care-connection system.

— Stephen Post, PhD [follow this link to a complete breakdown of how this actually works]

Let’s look at the meaning of “harmony.” Here’s a dictionary definition: “The quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.” That about sums it up. Being stress-free, relating to others in a meaningful way, and making friends with ourselves and life in general through increased emotional intelligence all lead to harmony. Harmony feels good and leads to clear, better decisions and choices.

Harmony is the secret principle that controls life; without it life will disintegrate. Your breath flows and your health is vibrant as long as your bodily organs work in harmony. But if there is discord, disease ensues… This is equally true in any type of organization—any structure that has interacting parts, from nature as a whole to human relationships to corporate businesses… Harmony is the soul of organization…

— Paramahansa Yogananda

Speaking of health, recent research has shown that meditation reduces the experience of pain in the brain. It does this better than morphine! Not only is the intensity of pain reduced, but how the entire experience of pain is felt and perceived.

One major network in the brain has been identified as the default mode network or default network. This is “a network of brain regions that are active when the individual is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at wakeful rest… The default network is an interconnected and anatomically defined brain system that preferentially activates when individuals focus on internal tasks such as daydreaming, envisioning the future, retrieving memories, and gauging others’ perspectives.” (Wikipedia)

The other network is the attentional network. “The attentional network is usually focused on something external, such as a manual task. The default network is involved in internal chatter and daydreaming.”

Usually the two networks are active when one or the other is inactive.

“But meditators are using this default network in unusual and novel ways,” Catherine Kerr, PhD tells WebMD. “People who meditate don’t get lost in mindless negative chatter. Meditation protects you from repetitive negative thinking, which puts you at risk for depression.”

An encouraging finding in many of these studies is that the measureable benefits of meditation are available to use with relatively short training, and positive effects remain well after each meditation period. In fact, certain ways of being and thinking can become lifelong. Meditators “may have formed a new default mode: one that is more present-centered (and less “me”-centered), no matter what they are doing.”

We sometimes regard meditation as an activity of pacifying or calming the mind, but it is also a way to gather and direct it. We gather the energy from hearing, seeing, feeling, and so forth, and place it very steadily on one object…

— Sakyong Mipham

Meditation increases concentration. It leads to better decision-making by removing emotions that may cloud clarity. Self-awareness is boosted because meditation works in the area of the brain associated with it. Several studies have shown that there’s a greater activation in the left prefrontal cortex as a result of meditation. This area is linked to positive emotions and greater responsiveness to negative events. Other research indicates that meditation may help with insomnia.

Why isn’t the whole world meditating?!

In this culture, if we sit and do nothing, people think we’re strange. In places like Tibet, where there is a tradition of meditation, sitting still is considered to be courageous. People appreciate that when someone meditates, they are working with their own mind, which is challenging. All of the pain and pleasure that we experience stems fundamentally from the mind.

— Sakyong Mipham

Even so, companies such as General Mills, Genentech, Google, and Prentice Hall are using meditation in the workplace. While the reasons for doing so may be more about their bottom-line (participants have reported greater satisfaction, productivity, communication, and clarity), such use mainstreams this ancient practice which is obviously so very beneficial.

At the same time, it’s very important to remember the real purpose of meditation:

Meditation is a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. It is the means for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. Meditation is not a part of any religion; it is a science, which means that the process of meditation follows a particular order, has definite principles, and produces results that can be verified….

The goal of meditation is to go beyond the mind and experience our essential nature—which is described as peace, happiness, and bliss…

Meditation is a practical means for calming yourself, for letting go of your biases and seeing what is, openly and clearly. It is a way of training the mind so that you are not distracted and caught up in its endless churning.

— Swami Rama

Related:

The Ins and Outs of Meditation

Meditation Reveals…

Put on the Brakes with Meditation

The Life of Meditation

Why Do Humans Meditate?

Each post for the Reiki Help Blog can take anywhere from 1-5 days to write/research, proofread/edit, and post with an appropriate image and formatting. If you leave this space with any value, knowledge, joy or understanding, please consider making a donation of your choice.

Donate to this blog. Thank you!

I have been fortunate through the years to train some great people at my Reiki dojo. This was evident again the other day, when the discussion was the subject of the previous post, The Mystery of Cosmic Light. As part of the presentation, I had prepared a list of qualities that reflect the light. Let me first cover those, in no particular order.

The light is always warm. It’s never cold or distant. It invites us into positive experiences. There isn’t an inner light that is negative. Light glows and is always pure. There isn’t a murky light in healing or meditation. It radiates and permeates all the spaces of the body and our being. When we make ourselves available to self-existing light, it’s freeing and we feel alive. The light is life! Another reason it’s freeing is that light is always open. We may contract to the light for various reasons, but there’s no contraction in the light itself. It’s expansive and infinite. The light goes on and on. In its expanse there’s much peace and we feel greatly comforted. And light heals. There’s no doubt that light heals. It’s light that heals. The light is life force and love. We can also wear it like a protective garment, and carry it like a protective shield.

As part of the Reiki Training I provide, I offer a lot of mentoring and support. One format this takes place is a practitioner-only meeting every month, a dojo meeting. And often in these meetings we crowdsource wisdom by sharing and listening.

Last week I asked participants how they were going to make the light more visible in 2012. This is what emerged!

• Encourage others: This is in regards to all the people around us. Encouraging people is a natural outgrowth of living a life of spiritual healing. When we ourselves become empowered, healed and benefit in all the ways spiritual practice adds to our life, we’re naturally motivated to lift others and have the resources to do so.
• Open minds: Healing transformation and spiritual growth need a certain willingness and ability to entertain possibilities. Without open-mindedness we don’t leave outdated beliefs and patterns behind. Helping others open their minds to greater realities is a way of sharing the light.
• “Taking care of your own house”: It all starts with ourselves. We have to engage the light first within our being and establish it in our heart and mind, and in our life. Otherwise it isn’t authentic, and we aren’t able to really bring the light into all the spaces the world needs it.
• Being present/mindful: This may seem obvious, but putting it into place and remembering it every moment is quite an undertaking. And it’s a prime way of sharing light. In presence and mindfulness we can drop expectations and judgments, and be with others and life in a natural, open way.
• Just being: This is a state of simply being the light we are. Often we are on the way to becoming this or that. We have to-do lists, goals and ambitions. Those have their place. But constantly being on that treadmill is exhausting!
  
• Smiling: The light spreads so wonderfully when we smile genuinely. It lights up others’ faces and lightens their hearts.
• Selflessness: When we receive so many blessings because of our dedication to our path, it becomes harder to hold on to them selfishly. There’s a natural abundance in blessings and it wants to be part of a domino effect of giving.
• Next generation: These are our kids, and all younger folk. They carry the light of the future as it is. As conscious and compassionate adults, we have a significant role to play in modeling how best the light can be harnessed and embodied.
• Service: This is outreach. Being full, we give. The light passing through us without resistance is limitless and more than enough for anyone who needs it.
• Listening: This is an echo of being present. Both the world and the earth, as well as other people and species need us to hear them! We’re wrapped up in our own busyness and distractions, but with spiritual practice we’re able to lower the noise and focus on the signal. If we listen without filters, the light flows unhindered.

Reiki is light. Life force is light. Ki is light. Light is consciousness. I’m a fortunate teacher to have people come to me to learn Reiki who can articulate and express so many facets of the light in a single meeting, spontaneously. I didn’t ask them to prepare these responses beforehand.

Light that is knowingly radiated into the world has a different vibration from light that is unknowingly brought into life. Light that is knowingly directed carries consciousness. It vibrates at a higher frequency and can directly interact with the consciousness of those whom it affects.

— Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee

Each post for the Reiki Help Blog can take anywhere from 1-5 days to write/research, proofread/edit, and post with an appropriate image and formatting. If you leave this space with any value, knowledge, joy or understanding, please consider making a donation of your choice.

Donate to this blog. Thank you!