I tried reiki today. As many of you may already know, I lost my mother several weeks ago. I’m also the kind of person who just stays super busy. In moments of struggle, I use this as a way to cope. If I stay constantly on the go, I have no time to be sad. While there is something to be said for getting out there, today taught me that it is okay to sit with the pain of loss.

Back in the cold and chilly beginning of December, I met Tisa from Love Light & Laughter at the Covington Baazar. That night I had planned a girls night with several close friends. When I saw things on Facebook about the baazar, I figured why not add that to our night? I’m so glad we made it a part of our evening because I may have not otherwise met Tisa. She and I struck up a conversation about her business and my blog. I gave her my contact info and we soon set up a time for me to write about her new venture.

My mom’s passing threw my blog schedule out of whack a bit, which is okay! I knew that it was 100% okay to just take some me time. I reached out to Tisa explaining that her post would appear later, which she was so very understanding of. She also offered to perform reiki on me as a gift. I’m always open to trying new things, so I was down.

Before this session, I knew just a smidgen about reiki. I knew that it fell in the holistic healing category. According to reiki.org, reiki is a Japanese treatment for stress reduction and relaxation that also can be used for healing. The whole idea is that the healing happens through the laying of hands. That link can probably explain it better than I can.

I knew that reiki had it’s skeptics since it’s not conventional medicine. Naturally people would be weary about something that is just a person touching or laying their hands on you. That part actually intrigued me a lot. I love giving life to things people are unsure of. And I’ll admit that I too simply wondered how it all would work.

The thing I love about Tisa is that she takes all these things that seem out of this world and makes them relatable. When talking about energies and chakras, it can sound a little bit like some fairy tale or fantasy world. But she does a great job at making them relatable and tangible. She, just like the rest of us, is a normal person trying to figure out how to live in the most healthy and holistic way. That comes across 120% in her work. There’s a lot of laughter involved. And if you have a stupid question or concern, you feel comfortable to ask it. I love that.

After about 10 minutes of conversation and filling out a short intake form, I took my shoes off and laid on my back on her table. I was given a face mask like the ones you get on long international flights to block out the light. I was told to start by focusing my breathing as she walked around the table. The session lasted about an hour and included some light touching, beating of a drum and sprinkling of some oils, all while soothing music was played in the background.

At first, it was a tad strange. While I was told to relax, I had trouble doing so. Furthermore, when she initially laid hands on me, I startled a bit. However I’m sure that’s normal for people who have never tried reiki before. Furthermore, I’ve been in a closed off space over the last few weeks. So it was tough to get in there at first, she said.

As the treatment went on, I began to feel more relaxed and comfortable. It was simply nice to be in a space where there were no expectations of me. I was to just be and breathe. She told me to envision love and light. This lead me to think about my mom. My mom was one of my biggest sources of love and support. She loved me for me and then affirmed me in that. Her encouragement always had such a strong impact on my life. Affirmation came so naturally to her. Comments such as “you look so pretty today” or “I just love reading everything you write. You’re such a great writer” came so easily to her. I started this blog after she went to the hospital, so she’s never really had the chance to read it. However if she was still alive and well, I know she’d be reading every post, commenting and sharing them on Facebook.

I began to think about her love and affirmations as I was on Tisa’s table. On one hand, her death creates an absence in my life. No one will ever take her place. I’m so thankful that I had such a loving and supportive mother. I’m going to miss her every single day. On the other hand, she set such an amazing example. I can take that love she’s given me and give it to other people. I can be the one to affirm my friends and family in their gifts. And I can do it in the spirit of my mother. Even though she is gone, her spirit is alive in all who she touched.

After the session was over, Tisa chatted with me about it all. She said she could feel the pain and loss I’m experiencing. She also saw nature as a part of my healing. I needed to get outside amongst tress and just be with my memories of my mother. She also gave me two crystals: Amethyst and Green Aventurine. I have the option to use them for healing if I would like.

After I left my session, my next appointment that day got cancelled. That time in nature was just meant to be. I found a park, and got out with just my camera and keys. My phone stayed in the glove compartment.

The walk was just what I needed. I also snapped a few amazing photos.

Today was just what I needed. I plan to return for another session of reiki next week. I also plan to find more time to be in nature. If you’re on the fence about trying reiki, you most definitely should. You simply feel more grounded and energized afterwards. For me, spending time with memories of my mother had to happen. Reiki simply brought that to the surface and made me conscious that I needed that.

You should most definitely check out http://lovelightlaughterhealing.com/. Tisa offers many things. She also makes her own products that can be found in four different locally-owned shops in the Cincinnati area: Under the Stars, The Colorful Cupboard, Hope Springs Institute and Funky Sunshine.