Rideau Lakes Reiki

02/05/2026

Just for today. ..🫶

Do the small things
with great love
❤️✨

02/04/2026

Just for today….🫶

“How do we go on living our ordinary, comfortable lives while knowing that terrible suffering is going on every single day for so many people around the world? Can we ever make peace with that suffering?”

It is a brilliant question.
I have struggled with it myself for years.

I do not think you “make peace” with cruelty and violence.
Not today. Maybe never.
And why should you.

Look. I cannot tell you how to grieve or how to fight. I cannot tell you what to do. But I can suggest the following.

Let the suffering of the innocent and the oppressed move you. Let it break your heart. Let it hurt. Deeply. The pain itself means your heart is still working! You are not numb. You are not detached, cold, or indifferent. You are not bypassing your humanity.

You hurt because your brothers and sisters are hurting. You belong to the same river of humanity.

At the same time, you must accept a limit to your hurting, if you can. Remember, you did not cause this horror. You cannot carry all of it without being crushed by it yourself, without being destroyed by the weight of the world’s suffering. You can only carry what is truly yours.

So you choose how and when to engage, as much as possible. When to read. When to watch. When to talk about world events. When to listen. You do this consciously, deliberately.

Grief and anger have to be held in presence, not poured endlessly into your nervous system all day long without limits. That is not compassion. It is a fast track to burnout and helplessness.

So you breathe first. You find your ground. You return to your real responsibility each day. How you speak. How you treat the people around you. How you love your child, your partner, your neighbour. How you refuse to pass unconsciousness onwards. How you refuse to fuel numbness, hatred, or violence in your family, your community, your workplace, your town or city.

You do your own inner work. You look honestly at the violence and prejudice in yourself. You attend to your own childhood wounds. You look at the log in your own eye before pointing at the splinter in your neighbour’s. Healing your own trauma is not a distraction from saving the world. I truly believe it is part of how the world is saved.

And yes, of course, you can still protest. But not as permanent outrage. Not as more hatred layered on top of hatred. You act where action is possible. You show up. You speak. You vote. You give generously. You withhold consent.

And you do not let protest make you cruel! If your protest costs you your capacity to love, the damage has already spread.

And you rest too. You rest when you can. Rest is not a luxury. It is fuel. It is the source of all things.

And you allow joy, without apology and without guilt! Joy is not a betrayal of the cause. Joy is how you stop the violence from taking your soul too.

You shine your light, even when it feels impossibly dark.

And remember, there is no clean or easy way to live with all this. Anyone who says there is is being glib, or trying to sell you comfort way too cheaply. Being deeply affected by the world does not resolve neatly. It does not offer easy closure.

You may never be at peace with all the suffering in the world, but maybe you can make peace with THAT.

Finally, I’d say that it really is fu***ng brave to choose to stay awake, tender, open-hearted and curious in a world that keeps asking you to shut down.

- Jeff Foster

01/29/2026

Just for today may we choose the path of kindness and peace.

✍️ Perhaps we were once taught that it was okay to hold onto resentment when life felt unfair. Or maybe, like a vine growing slowly over time, these reactions became a habit we didn’t even realize we were wearing. We might find ourselves reacting with a sharp word or a heavy heart whenever the world doesn't move quite the way we hoped it would.

In the beginning, there can be a flickering comfort in blame. It feels like a shield, a way to stay in control when things feel chaotic. But that warmth is fleeting. Before we know it, we are carrying a heavy burden of resentment in our minds. We might find ourselves at odds with the traffic, the rain, our circumstances, or even the reflection in the mirror. When our hearts are full of these heavy shadows, the light of peace simply cannot find a place to rest.

Then one day—perhaps in a moment of stillness, through a message of kindness, or simply because we are tired of the weight—something gentle awakens within us. A deep, patient peace reminds us of a truth we may have forgotten: We do not have to carry this anymore.

Anger and hatred are like embers held in the hand; they only burn the one who holds them. They gently fade our joy and quiet our laughter. When we realize this, a beautiful shift happens. We see that we have a choice. We can choose the path of letting go, the choice of peace, the path of mindfulness.

With patient practice—by noticing these feelings as they arise and greeting them with mindfulness, choosing peace and letting go—we can begin to heal. We can choose to be kind to ourselves as we unlearn these old ways.

May we each find that blessed day when we realize that our hearts deserve to be light. And may we choose, with infinite compassion for our own journey, the path that leads us home to peace.

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace. 🙏

01/27/2026

Just for today, walk in peace. 🫶👐🫶

✍ Walking Through All Conditions - Our walk takes us through sun and rain, dry roads and wet, through snow and warmth, through noise and blessed silence, through crowds and quiet solitude. Some days are gentle and kind. Some days ask more of us than we expected.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Some days surprise us with unexpected beauty or unexpected challenges.

And isn't this just like all our lives?

There are times when everything flows smoothly, when the path ahead feels clear and our steps feel light. And there are times—perhaps some of us are facing this right now—when the road feels rough, when obstacles keep appearing, when we feel cold or tired or uncertain about what comes next, making it hard to take even one more step.

The weather of our lives changes without asking permission. Sunny moments give way to storms we didn't see coming. Ease gives way to struggle. Joy and difficulty sit side by side in our hearts. We cannot control these shifts, no matter how hard we try. We cannot demand that life only bring us gentle days.

But here is what we can do, and it changes everything: we can choose the path of peace for our minds, even when our circumstances feel anything but peaceful.

When we make this choice—when we gently commit to being mindful with our breath and our daily actions, when we practice being present instead of fighting what is—we discover something that feels like grace. We find a peace within that the changing conditions cannot shake, cannot steal, cannot destroy.

The rain still falls, but we are not swept away by it. The rough path still asks us to be brave, but we do not lose who we are. The noise still surrounds us, but we are not drowned by it. Because beneath all of it, there is something in us that remains steady, quiet, whole.

This is the peace that lives beneath all circumstances. It doesn't depend on perfect weather or smooth roads. It doesn't require everything to go our way. It simply asks that we show up for ourselves with kindness and mindfulness, breathe as consciously as we can, and meet whatever comes with gentleness instead of harsh judgment.

Life will bring sun and rain—that is simply its nature. But peace—true, lasting peace—is not found in controlling the weather around us or within us. It's found in learning to walk through all of it with minds that stay as grounded as we can, hearts that try to stay open, and spirits that whisper to us on the hardest days: this too shall pass, and we are still here, still breathing, still whole, still capable of choosing peace.

We are stronger than we know. And peace is closer than we think.
May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.

01/10/2026

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12/21/2025

Happy Solstice! The sun will return. Rest. Be kind to yourself.

12/17/2025

More evidence on Reiki effectiveness.

Join Emerald Gate’s Jason Yotopoulos and Adam Hanley as they reveal groundbreaking research showing Reiki reduces pain by 30%, surpassing placebo and opioid effects—reshaping energy healing science.

12/07/2025

No “reiki room” in our new-to-us house, so needing to do a little purging. Send me a PM if you’re interested in a 4 inch glass crystal ball with stand. Only a few very tiny nicks. Pick up in Almonte. $50.

11/28/2025

I M A G I N E a world where we give our children the tools to manage stress, chaos and conflict in a peaceful, loving and kind way ✨🫶

Join us for a heart-led children's wellness workshop on Saturday December 6th 10:30am-12pm at The Healing Nook ✨

Author, yoga and arts teacher Anita Mitra will be offering this interactive and fun workshop where children will learn gentle yoga moves through story time, practice being kind, and explore lessons in kindness and mindfulness.🫶

We only have 2 sponsored spots left, so send your email today to save a spot for your child!
Email anita.mitra_yoga@icould.com

Suggested age range 4yrs - 8yrs
See poster in comments below ⬇for ALL the details!

PS - This is my beautiful granddaughter Peyton, practicing her mindful moments at Niagara Falls! ❤🫶

11/15/2025

Join Denise for a Reiki Share – November 16th, 1:00–3:00 PM

You're warmly invited to a Reiki Share with Denise on Monday, November 16th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or simply curious about Reiki, this is a welcoming space to connect, learn, and experience healing energy in a supportive group setting.

The session will begin with a short grounding meditation, followed by group Reiki treatments. In a group treatment, one person receives Reiki from multiple practitioners at the same time, then the group rotates so everyone has a chance to both give and receive.

No previous Reiki experience is required—just an open heart and a willingness to explore. The session typically lasts about two hours.

There is no fee to attend, but a freewill offering is appreciated. All donations will go to the Children’s Make-A-Wish Foundation.

To learn more or to RSVP, please contact Denise at 613-913-2803.

11/08/2025

https://youtu.be/MgtwKumL79k

Have you ever noticed how your body knows you're stressed before your mind does? That's your nervous system's ancient wisdom at work. In this groundbreaking ...

10/23/2025

Looks like a great resource!

Well-Being, Your Way Feeling well can be hard. Sometimes it seems like endless things can get in the way of feeling our best selves. In this series, we dive ...