by Reiki Master Keith Webb

10th Annual Reiki Retreat 2015

If you missed the 10^th annual RJKD retreat last year, you missed one of the best.

In celebration of the 10^th Retreat, Angela and Karl Robb created a slide show from retreats past. All 20+ of us there ooh’ed and ahh’ed seeing friends from over the years.  Many were there this year, some were unable to make it, and others are sorely missed.   If you haven’t had a chance to view it, or would like to see it again, here’s the link.  It’s well worth your time.

Pat Fogle led us in the art of story-telling – a practice that was the primary focus of the retreat.  We were all asked to bring an object to the retreat that held meaning for us.  When it was time for story-telling we had the opportunity to share the story behind the object.  There were many poignant stories and many humorous stories.  Each and every story revealed the heart of the story-teller. Nico DeJong shared the story of a dear friend who mysteriously disappeared from his life. Angela Robb shared the story of how she and Karl met and fell in love.  Jessica Gallahan shared the story behind her son. As each story unfolded and hearts opened, the bonds between us all grew closer and closer.  By the end of the retreat on Sunday afternoon, not one of us wanted to break the magical spell that engulfed us all.

As each person shared, we all listened. We listened intently. We were fully engaged with the narrator, and we were fully engaged with each other. During breaks, we touched one another.  We hugged. We held hands. We looked into each other’s eyes.  We communicated non-verbally, as there were times when words were superfluous.

The personal sharing brought us all closer together than I have ever seen this group. There has always been an unusual trust amongst us, but with this retreat, I would venture to say that it would take hurricanes and tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanoes, and meteors smashing into the earth to break this trust.

The 2016 Retreat will be held again at the Roslyn Retreat Center near Richmond. VA.  The dates are September 30^th -October 2^nd.  They are in ink on my calendar.  I sincerely hope to see you there.

Keith Webb