AFTER 15 years of managing his own book store, Bermudian Kelvin Richardson still beams with light at the prospect of his venture.

The Metaphysical Book Shop on Reid Street in Hamilton is like no other store in Bermuda. Upon entry, you are engulfed in scents derived from burning incense which immediately evoke a sense of relaxation.

Books on almost every spiritual matter neatly line the shelves. Candles and incense are also available for sale as are greeting cards, relaxation CDs, wind chimes and other self-realisation inducing goods.

The shop, which is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5.30 pm, originally consisted of two units including a small book shop and a massage therapy section, according to Mr. Richardson.

"When we started, a friend of mine did massage so she had a section for massage therapy and I had an area to sell books," he said. "But my friend and I eventually decided to go our separate ways."

And while Mr. Richardson did hire another therapist to offer massage up until about three years ago, it did not fit into his long-term plan.

So he focused on expanding the book store, which has developed to include a wider variety of titles from health and self-improvement to reiki and hypnotherapy. Said Mr. Richardson: "The store has grown tremendously over the years. The books for sale are those that empower one's spirit. They are books that touch your essence."

But the Metaphysical Book Shop experience does not stop there.

Mr. Richardson also offers training and treatments in several modalities from seven rays and meditation to deep relaxation and reiki.

A practitioner of deep relaxation and meditation for 25 years, Mr. Richardson took up reiki, a universal energy modality, five years ago. And after studying levels one and two, he came across a master teacher, whom he then employed to offer the complete reiki course to himself and others through the Metaphysical Book Shop.

"I met this master teacher and decided to take up the opportunity to have him teach the first, second and third degrees of reiki to people on the island. Other reiki teachers didn't want me to (offer the course) because they felt it would create too much competition here and they wouldn't be able to make as much money - we had six reiki masters that came out of the class. But I did it purposely to break that barrier."

Mr. Richardson learned about seven rays, which is a healing modality based on the seven masters of the rainbow, through a course provided by his shop after meeting with a master teacher through his reiki instructor. Again, he went through the course with several other students.

"With seven rays, you are working with several different masters of the rainbow. And you are tuning yourself to a certain vibration or frequency. Each master (of the rainbow) has a different frequency. And you are basically asking that master to assist you and bring about change in an individual's life," said Mr. Richardson, adding that he had seen people stop smoking, reduce stress and cleanse their systems through the seven rays.

"It is similar to reiki in that it brings about balance in the system, helps release toxins and aligns the body."

Mr. Richardson offers the treatments to his customers free of charge from a room in the back of his book store.

He said: "If someone comes in and feels that they need a treatment, I will offer my service and then we make an arrangement as to the time so that I can ensure the shop is covered."

All treatments start with a form of deep relaxation followed by a technique called rainbow bridge meditation and the person's treatment of choice. Asked for examples on how his treatments have transformed people's lives, Mr. Richardson said he had seen remarkable changes.

"There are people whom I treat and I can just see the expressions in their faces change. Sometimes to prove how effective it is, I ask the person to look in the mirror. You can see the change and you can feel it because you actually touch your own essence, and you allow yourself to be intimate with yourself.

"The spirit wants you to know who you are. We all get out of balance. And this brings you back to your essence and when that takes place, the healing process can occur."

He added: "We are not the healer, we're just the instrument - the pipe for the water to flow through. And we just have to move away from our own ego and allow the flow to take place."

THE healing guru arrived at his present lifestyle as a result of feeling far outside of the norm. He felt that no matter what he did, he could not fit in with his peers and needed to follow a different path. And while he wanted to be like everyone else he describes as normal, he felt something different.

"I knew where I was (in life) was not where I wanted to be. I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb, but I didn't want to go along with what had been programmed for me so I began to follow my own path. And that has gotten me to where I am now."

Mr. Richardson said he felt there was something more to life than what we as human beings could touch, which led him to do some research on our purpose in life and that which was hidden.

Fittingly, his book shop incorporates the word metaphysics in the title, which refers to the studies of what cannot be reached or seen through objective studies of material reality and that which is beyond the physical world and our immediate senses.

Seeing that Mr. Richardson gives away treatments and likes to think of his book shop as somewhat of a library of spirituality references, one wonders about the business' bottom line. When asked about the book shop's profit potential, he said: "I survive. But it's not about the money. It's about service. One of the greatest things that we can do as humans is to realise that we are actually servants. We are here to serve one another."

Mr. Richardson admitted the first seven years in business were a constant struggle. And at times, he wanted to give it all up. In fact, in its pioneering stages, several churches considered the shop to be satanic and condemned it, according to Mr. Richardson. That coupled with financial problems made it difficult to continue. But his spiritual blessings always kept him going and inspired.

"I see people respond and become more alive and they begin to feel purpose. To see people touch their own essence and allow themselves to blossom. That is my greatest reward. It's like getting paid twice," he said. The Metaphysical Book Shop is not just a book store to Mr. Richardson. It is a light centre of energy with the presence of God allowing it to survive. "It wouldn't exist or have survived if there was not some spiritual guidance," he said.

Asked about his plans for the future, he added: "Spiritually, if I'm told to carry on, I will. If not, I will embark on something else. As we continue to evolve, this may not be appropriate for me any more."