Anne first discovered Reiki in 2003. She says that she had no energy and felt the world was grey and dreary. She has postpartum depression. Her sister gifted her a Reiki session. Anne reluctantly went, stating that she didn’t believe in energy healing. During the session, she could feel the energy moving around in her; it was like nothing she had experienced before. After the session, she walked outside and the sun shone on her face. It was as if she was seeing it for the first time. The fog had lifted. She had a deep desire to learn more about Reiki, but the timing wasn’t right. She was a young mother who was already going to school full time and working. However, this experience stayed with her.

The next decade was not easy for Anne. Looking back she says, “Leaving behind all of my worldly possessions when I fled domestic abuse taught me how little belongings matter. Being in crisis and having my children in crisis taught me compassion and empathy. This has helped me be a better educator and ultimately laid the groundwork for me to become a Reiki practitioner. I now listen without judgment and without pity. I am able to help others from a place of empathy and strength. I know people can work through their struggles. I am so grateful that people trust me to be a part of that journey for them and that I have the skills to lessen their pain.”

After taking Reiki 1 & 2, Anne began practicing for free (or barter) with her friends and family. Even she was astounded at how powerful the sessions were. Anne gave herself daily Reiki sessions and noticed how much lighter she felt. She started to take additional classes to learn about other modalities. The more she learned, the more she wanted to know, so Anne began reading books about energy healing, spirituality, and coaching. She also started trying out as many different modalities as she could to see what worked for her. In almost every session, the practitioners shared that they were given the message that Anne was a healer.

Anne signed up for the next level of Reiki training, the Usui Holy Fire III Master Class. This course prepared Anne as a Reiki Master and enable her to also teach others and pass Reiki on to them. As a career educator, this prospect was thrilling; a combination of two of her passions. Before attending the Reiki master course, Anne scheduled a Reiki session with her Reiki teacher. At the end of the session, her teacher looked at Anne and said, “Anne, this almost never happens to me, but you have to know that during this session I heard the message over and over again that you are a healer. They were quite insistent. This is your life’s work.”