Kamal Tolia & Lotus Healing Seva Group

Sanitary Napkins Donation to HAGEP — part of 10th Anniversary Celebrations

The founder and Director of HAGEP (Hope Alive Girls Empowerment Program) Ms.Catherine Adhiambo Andrew visited us at a LHSG, Thursday meeting on 24th September at the residence of LHSG member Neena Gupta.

She was presented with 39 cartons of Sanitary Napkins worth KSh 20,500/- for the girls in Kakamega in Kenya, whom this organization provides with the supply of Sanitary Napkins for the whole year. Thus the girls can continue with their schooling unhindered by lack of sanitary care during their periods.

Catherine informed the group that their organization is registered as a charitable organization. They announce this project of collection via various helping hands such as ours once a year and gather enough stock to cater for the girls under their care in Kakamega for the whole year.

Our donation of 39 cartons consisted of each carton containing 16 pkts of napkins so we gave a total of 624 packets which will benefit 54 girls for a year.

Love and Light

Monica Gokaldas LHSG Founder Member
photos:

 Seva No. 7

REIKI TO THE ELDERLY
by Monica Gokaldas LHSG Kenya

Everything that I need is before me.
Alas! I know not how to receive it.
The way to receive is, – to give.
Give what you have and you will get what you need!
These words by the great spiritual Master Sadhu Vaswani turned true for me
very recently.
The date: 15/10/15, Thursday
The venue: Nyumba ya Wazee, Little Sisters of the Poor,Kasarani The
occasion: Celebrating 10th Anniversary of the existence of the Lotus Healing
Seva Group.
The date was finalized on the 1st day of August when I went to this Home for
the Aged, with a donation of Eye Medicines on behalf of LHSG along with my
daughter Harleen. We met Sr. Anthony there and handed over the medicines.
Talking about the several illnesses and ailments suffered by the elderly in
this Home and the challenges they face in procuring medicines the sister
mentioned that the last time the group visited them to give Reiki while
conducting an Eye Camp, they felt very good for some time.
Harleen and I immediately decided to call up Kamal to ask if we could book a
date in October to go and give healing to the elderly as part of our
Anniversary celebration.

Early in August, I had not perceived that I would be going through
challenges with my own health which might leave a question mark to my being
part of the group that goes there for the seva. As they say, “where there’s
a will, there’s a way”. Two days prior to the Seva, I wasn’t doing so well.
Then on the 14th I was in much pain but determined to go and be of some
service to the elderly. For me the auspicious Nine day festivity period on
our Hindu Calendar meant my own dedication to spirituality and seva rather
than going to the temple to please others by my presence as a formality. I
had a task of proving it to myself by doing the seva.

On the morning of 15th I was all excited and in the spirit of seva. Having
done my session of physiotherapy I moved towards Kasarani. Once there, my
heart bloomed at seeing all group members in their purple tops so
affectionately giving Reiki treatments. Without wasting much time, I just
began with an elderly gentleman. That’s when I realized that I hadn’t even
bothered to go and greet Kamal, but then, that was not what I had come there
for.

The moment I placed my hands on this man, I felt a release of sorts from
within me. It felt so good to be doing this seva after a few months of being
away that my soul felt uplifted. The Mzee (in my excitement I forgot to ask
his name) kept saying something in Kiswahili but I couldn’t understand. I
just knew that he was enjoying the healing and felt the warmth from my
hands. It was a feeling like never before. Though I am not a new healer, but
having done some seva after a break, gave me back my identity of being my
true self, a healer. I asked Grace to communicate with him and she explained
to him what Reiki was when he mentioned that he felt warmth from you hands.
Then he started showing me his problem areas and guided me to give reiki in
those areas. He suggested that his legs were fine and I need not give Reiki
there. I felt so very grateful to the powers of Reiki that a person getting
it could be that wise about receiving it in the right direction.

Very few among us get the opportunity to serve the elderly in this manner.
It was a unique experience for the entire group. After having done reiki on
all the elderly, we gave healing to the Sisters who run the Home and all the
workers over there. It was a very fulfilling seva.

We got opportunity to give Reiki to the 95 year old Sister Louise who was on
the wheelchair. While giving her healing on one of her knees, I silently
asked for forgiveness from her and that was a moment of realization for me.
At that moment I was guided to ask forgiveness from all those, who have knee
and leg problems, those who walk with a limp, those who are imbalanced and
in my childhood in my innocence I might have made fun of them. I don’t
remember anyone in particular but I know that in childhood I did laugh at
people who couldn’t walk straight. I asked forgiveness from all such people
in the world for their condition and for not having understood their pain.

I felt super charged after completing the seva event. Kamal and Grace were a
bit concerned ref my health but I assured them that I was very fine. I know
my limitations with my health conditions but whenever an opportunity
strikes, I would love to be in my Healer Shoes again and again and be
grateful to the society in my own way.

It would be selfish of me to not acknowledge the entire LHSG group for
always being with me in my trying times and making me see the daylight of my
dark nights. Without the support of LHSG I would not be standing upright as
I am today.

** The Sevaks that took part in this seva were

** The Sevaks that did this seva were: Yatinder, Kamal, Nalina, Jean, Shalini, Shariffa, Lata, Dee, Pratima, Hiral, Bindi, Nuri, Priya, Rashmeen, Sheela, Laveena, Monica and Grace.

photos:

Seva No. 5. Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Our next seva was on 27th September. We were introduced to a shelter for the homeless a few kilometers away from the busy, bustling city of Madurai by Rashmeen’s friend Purni.

In 2004, a young man named Edison was moved at the sight of homeless people in town. He decided to make a meal for them. This philanthropic act did not stop there. He continued making meals for them every day. Soon the numbers increased to such an extent, that he could not cope alone. People started to donate to his feeding programme, but Edison soon realized that feeding them was not enough. They needed to be looked after in a bigger way …. And in a short time, Hands of Compassion Trust was born. A kind philanthropist donated his land with two sheds to this kind effort of Edison. Today, the Trust houses about 68 men, young and old, some physically and or mentally challenged. These are picked up from the streets and railway stations where they are found abandoned, uncared for and unloved.

Lotus Healing Seva Group set about sharing their Love and Light with these souls. In the open air, under the refreshing aura of a neem tree we gave Reiki healing to those who were able to walk to the tree. For those who could not walk, we went up to their shed, and once again, in the open air gave them a Reiki treatment. Some of us became emotional as our hearts filled with gratitude for the privilege of being a part of their lives even if for a couple of hours.

We also gave Reiki treatments to the founder of the home Edison, the main volunteer Bharathi, our drivers Tirupathi and Sabeer and our friend Purni. Bharathi was so impressed with the healing power of Reiki that he decided on the spot that he wanted to learn it. Accordingly, later in the day, Mamta and Kamal attuned him to Reiki level 1.

The LHSG Sevaks that did this seva were Kamini (India), Mala, Indu, Lekha, Bijan, Neha, Anita, Bharti, Vilas and Bharti (all from UK), and Rashmeen, Sheela, Baiju, Lata, Nalina, Mamta, Bubbles, Yatinder, Anuradha and Kamal (all from Kenya)

Mamta had this to say … ‘ Healing the old people at the Compassionate Hands Centre was an overwhelming experience. They felt great after the session and even came back asking for more hands on healing ……’

Do watch the pictures below which say it all and the video at the end …..

Kamal Tolia

Photos

Vedio