VRA winter ‘05 -‘06 newsletter
In this newsletter we will review the activities of the Vermont Reiki Association during 2005 and recognize our VRA volunteers.
We participated in 4 significant events in ‘05: the Stowe Weekend of Hope for Cancer Survivors, Camp Knock Knock for children and their families who have lost a loved one, The Breast Cancer Conference at the Sheraton Inn in Burlington, and our first annual meeting held in Montpelier. We continued giving monthly Reiki sessions at Respite House in Williston.
We have also empowered our Reiki practitioners by updating the VRA web site and practitioner directory and making it more accessible, providing them with an affordable place to promote their healing work. We have negotiated discounts on Reiki tables for VRA members. We have located a source of reasonably priced Reiki liability insurance. We have supported a Reiki research project.
1) On Friday Oct. 21st, 2005, VRA members gave approximately 50 Reiki sessions at the Breast Cancer Conference at the Sheraton Hotel Conference Center in South Burlington. Members participating were Donna Thomas, Jean Salch, Jean Potter, Kelly McDermott-Burns, Tanya Cimonetti, Colleen Manning-Brito, Stefani Us, and Chris Hanna. Many of the clients were breast cancer survivors or those currently undergoing treatment. A number of nurses, nursing students and Catholic nuns experienced Reiki for the first time. Several doctors stopped at our booth and asked questions about Reiki. We spoke with the new director of the "Stowe Weekend of Hope for Cancer Survivors."
2) On Saturday, Sept 24th, 2005 , 25 people attended the VRA annual meeting in a beautiful room at the Montpelier public library. Nicole Poirier made brochures and placed ads for the event and David Hale’
scheduled the room. Eight members were present including Jean Potter, Nicole Poirier, Bridget Kimsey, Chris Hanna, Sylvia Lio, Lynn McNicol, Reenie Sargent and Candice Russel. Norman Sevigny and Pamela Joy Sokol, from the Rutland area became VRA members at the meeting. Attendees had traveled from as far as Rutland, Middlebury, Plattsburg, Duxbury, and Burlington. VRA events of the past summer and spring were reviewed followed by an open discussion period. Animal intuitive and Reiki Master April Frost was the key-note speaker. Her talk was about using Reiki and intuitive communication to help domestic animals.
3) On June 4th, 2005 we participated in Camp Knock Knock located on the shores of Lake Champlain in North Hero. (The camp is named for a child with cancer who loved “knock, knock” jokes.) The camp offers counseling, recreation and relaxation to help families with children adjust to the loss of a family member. Donna Thomas coordinated our participation in the event. Donna, Jean Potter, Bridget Kimsey, Nicole Poirier, and Kelly McDermontt-Burns gave approximately 25 Reiki sessions to the participants (about 70 people attended). A saying on a teashirt given out at the event best expresses the camp’s purpose. “Camp Knock Knock, Opening the Door to Healing.”
4) On April 30th, 2005 nine of our members gave approximately 80 Reiki sessions to participants at the Stowe Weekend of Hope for cancer survivors. Donna Thomas, Chris Hanna, Kelly McDermontt-Burns, Nicolle Poirier, Bridget Kimsey, Susan Fortier, Tanya Cimonetti, Reenie Sargent and Lynn McNicol attended. We had 4 Reiki tables set up in the gymnasium and did sessions there throughout the day. We also gave two one hour classroom presentations where we spoke about Reiki and answered questions.
Some of our practitioners gave Reiki to participants in the group while others were talking about the benefits of Reiki for people undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Approximately 1000 people from all over New England (and beyond) attended the Weekend of Hope. Every aspect of dealing with cancer was presented at this free event.
5) Jean Potter coordinated monthly Reiki sessions at Respite house in Williston, a comfortable home for people in their last weeks of life, operated by the Visiting Nurses’ Association. Reiki sessions were given to staff, volunteers, and residents. Being able to provide healing energy in this end of life setting is humbling but very meaningful. Besides Jean other members who gave Reiki sessions at Respite House were Resa Williamson, Bridget Kimsey, Chris Hanna, and Norman Sevigny. Contact Jean at 732-887-9831 or jeangenevap@adelphia.net if you would like to help.
6) We supported a Reiki research study conducted by Nursing PhD candidate Marcia Ring. Marcia has completed her research interviews and is compiling results.
7) The Astra - Lite massage table is available to VRA members at a 20% discount.
8) Reiki Liability insurance is available from South Burlington, Vermont, State Farm agent David Means.
9) Despite moving to North Carolina our volunteer web site coordinator VRA member Sunflower Sutherland has continued to maintain and improve our web site updating the practitioner directory and VRA news section on a regular basis.
In 2006 we plan on participating in all of the clinics that we did last year including Respite House and holding the 2nd annual VRA meeting in Montpelier. We hope to promote membership in areas of Vermont not represented, continue our education of the public about Reiki and support our Reiki practitioners. It is our intention not to compete with or overshadow any Reiki practitioners’ private practice. The clinics that we have participated in are quite large and often involve hundreds of attendees. It is our hope that individual practitioners will follow-up on the clinics by providing individual Reiki sessions where appropriate.
In this newsletter we are highlighting our two regional member coordinators.
Rev.Trudi Denison is our member coordinator in east-central Vermont. The area she represents is Bethel to Montpelier. She grew up in Randolph Center, attending Randolph schools. She lived in Windsor, VT during the years her children were growing up. She attended Castleton State College receiving a BS in Counseling and Human Services and the Seminary where she received ordination and a Doctor of Divinity degree. She also has a degree of Doctor of Metaphysical Science. She continues to study with some of the world’s best teachers. Her complementary healing ministry began in Windsor and continued after returning to Randolph Center. Trudi has facilitated Reiki classes and clinics for 15 years and has been a Reiki Master Teacher for 10 years. She has presented to several state organizations. She uses music and vibrational therapy and meditation in her healing work and offers classes to assist people in finding their purpose in life. To contact Trudi go to www.trudidenison.com or you may email her at trudi4light@innevi.com or call 802-728-5244. Trudi offers discounts on Reiki classes and sessions to members of the VRA.
Sylvia Lio is our member coordinator representing Rutland County. She is a Reiki master, registered pharmacist, herbalist and owner of the Vermont Herbal General Store in Rutland. She has been a registered pharmacist since 1968 and makes all of the stores herbal products including herbal teas, lotions, cough syrup, and ear drops. The store offers Reiki sessions, health analysis, aromatherapy, earconology, massage therapy, hypnotherapy, and custom herbal tea blending. She enjoys teaching Reiki courses and has recently experimented with long distance attunements. For more information about Sylvia’s store go to www.vermontherbal.com. Contact Sylvia at info.@vermontherbal.com, or (802) 438-2766.
Welcome to new members: Dede Tracy / Randolph, Jean Salch / Vergennes, Sylvia Lio / West Rutland, (founder’s member), Holly Hall / White River Junction, Norman Sevigny / West Rutland, Pamela Joy Sokol / West Rutland, Michael Brown / Vergennes.
Your membership is important and helps us educate the public about Reiki and support Reiki practitioners in their work. We want to thank all of our members including those who have contributed to our planning sessions and the day to day functioning of the organization. *Please let us know if we have forgotten to list your name as participating in an ‘05 event. If you have comments or questions you can send an email to:
info.@vermontreikiassociation.org.
Sincerely, Chris Hanna, President
Donna Thomas, Membership coordinator
Jean Potter, Respite House coordinator
Gerri Cobb, Treasurer
Sylvia Lio, Regional member coordinator, Rutland County Trudi Denison, Regional member coordinator, Bethel to Montpelier Sunflower Sutherland, web site coordinator