If in early 1997 you had asked me “What’s Reiki (ray-key)” I would have probably guessed it was a motorized rake, but by July of that year I was a first degree practitioner and dedicated to the modality.
I had been reading Tarot for many, many years and was fortunate enough to be encouraged and mentored by a wonderful, spiritually minded woman named Shirley. It was during one of my visits with Shirley that she told me I was going to further my spiritual path by helping people on both a physical and emotional level. I looked at her the way my dog Molly looks at me when she’s trying to understand what I’m saying to her. She ignored my expression and said information about this would come to me, I wouldn’t even have to leave my house. I had known Shirley well and she rarely said something so pronounced that didn’t eventuate. Plus, I had been on the spiritual path long enough to know that the universe works its way in spite of our doubts. Even with that in mind, I found myself thinking “huh?”
It wasn’t long after seeing Shirley that a neighbor left a booklet about Reiki classes under my door with note saying she thought of me when she saw the pamphlet. I immediately thought “hmmm”. Within a few weeks of that a friend of mine told me she went to a Reiki practitioner and was enthralled with the experience and that she’d really like to take a class and learn more about it – I was in!
At the end of every Reiki class the students practice their newfound enlightenment on each other and if lucky, on clients who readily submit themselves to this process. One such client was very complimentary to all who worked on her and said she was enjoying the session. I have to say here, that when reading Tarot cards it was a very common occurrence for me to feel the emotions of the person being read – I never thought about it, it was just the way I read. I found the same sensation was happening with this lovely woman receiving Reiki. Feeling she needed to cry, I leaned in and whispered to her that it was okay to cry if that’s what she needed to do, she was in a safe place to release her emotions. With that, her tears began to flow. At the end of the class, my teacher asked to speak to me. She told me I was meant to practice Reiki, it was my calling. This time I didn’t find myself thinking “huh?”; I knew she was right. Later that year I received my second degree in Reiki, and in 1999 I became a Reiki Master.
Being an Intuitive Empath allows me the compassion and sensitivity to actually feel in my body the flow of energy within the client, to feel areas of disharmony – areas that may become an issue, or even to experience their pain. This empathy creates a unique exchange between the client and myself whether they are seeking a session for physical issues or for pure relaxation. My hope and intent for each person receiving Reiki is for them to experience well being and a sense of peace, and also for my clients to understand on a experiential level that our bodies are capable of much more within the spectrum of healing than we may have known through traditional means.
Each Reiki session is as unique as the person receiving it. If you have any questions about experiencing Reiki, I’m happy to share information with you and invite you to call me at Live Well.