Please describe your first personal experience with Reiki :

The first moment I truly understood the potential of Reiki came at a time when I was experiencing a Post Traumatic Stress response. The PTSD arose as a new medication was introduced to an immunotherapy regimen I was undergoing to keep myself cancer free, following diagnosis/treatment many years ago. I was carrying the memory of an allergic reaction to a medication I endured for three months of weekly cancer treatments in those early years. Even though the new medication was not eliciting an allergic reaction, PTSD kicked in, causing my chest to tighten. I began experiencing breathing challenges that couldn't be overridden with an intellectual understanding of what was happening.

Even though I was very newly trained in Reiki Level 1 - which is exclusively focused on using Reiki on oneself - it was immediately evident that I had a remarkable tool to help manage the PTSD response that was occurring. This was only the beginning of a powerful revelation that Reiki could quickly and effectively impact one’s physical and emotional state. Naturally it was my desire to offer Reiki to others as a practitioner and a teacher.

What is your history with somatic experiences?

I have had a life woven together by experiences of deep listening. My yoga practice was both personal and pedagogical - teaching classes for several years. My years in relationship with meditation furthered my internal connection to presence. And lastly my life as a performing musician (violist) has placed me directly in my sensory systems - perceiving and responding to vibrations, as well as responding to the energy of my colleagues. Each of these practices has expanded my awareness, softened my body, and opened channels of receptivity.

Reflecting back, what experience might encapsulate your relationship to energy?

I went through natural child birth with each of my first three children. It was essentially an exercise in enduring pain. With the labor of my fourth child I was suddenly inspired to imagine what the experience might be if I went inward and put my full focus on softening myself in order to welcome the arrival of this being. With that intention and committed focus, I went through the entire labor, free of pain. This act of deep receptivity was life changing. I realized the immense power and possibility of setting an intention while allowing any internal resistance to dissolve. I physically experienced the language of Jashanjot Kaur Bhatia : “(i)n stillness, we can hear the subtle whispers of the universe.”

How does your Reiki practice show up in your life?

Reiki is an ongoing invitation to soften, expand, and reconnect to something beyond the constricted states of stress, anxiety, and fear. Each time I choose the path of Reiki, a potential for healing within myself, within my relationships, and beyond is cultivated and nurtured.