- How did you hear about Reiki?
I was introduced to energy healing through my brother at a young age. He was into the show Dragon Ball Z and other animations, which is where his own interest in chi energy (life force energy) began. He would show me videos on meditation and how this energy flows through the body (chakras). At the time, I didn’t think it was something anyone ordinary could do; it was more like magic that was just cool to fantasize about. However, I witnessed it firsthand when I got my first energy healing session. When I was in high school running track, I remember having chronic hip pain. My dad took me to an energy healer who practiced Chinese medicine, and I remember being in awe because I never knew these gifts were real! However, it wasn’t until college when I started taking my spiritual journey seriously. I meditated every day and started to notice a shift in myself, eventually coming to this “knowing” of myself and my connection with source energy. As I did more research about this awakening, I wanted to learn more about how to heal and better myself in all areas of life. I read a lot of self-help/spiritual books and did research online over the years. That’s when I found out about Reiki and the courses that were offered, and I’ve been drawn to it ever since.
- How have Reiki classes benefited your life?
The first thing I noticed when I started practicing Reiki on myself was an increased sense of awareness. Things that I didn’t notice before would become very apparent. I’m already an empath, so you can imagine how much more sensitive I became to the subtleties of energy. At first, it was disorienting, but as I continued practicing and taking higher levels of Reiki attunements, my sensitivities to energy became a strength. I started trusting my intuition more, I had more clarity and confidence about what I wanted and where I was going, and I started feeling a lot lighter.
When I began practicing Reiki on others, I started noticing how energy affects EVERYTHING! Our habits, thought patterns, and behaviours are not representative of who we are on the deepest level, yet they have so much to do with the quality of our life experiences. Reiki really helped me go beyond the surface to connect with people on an authentic level.
The biggest thing Reiki helped me do was RELAX! I was always so wound up and anxious, especially because as an athlete, your nervous system is stressed daily. It has helped me shed so many layers of who I thought I was and opened up so many opportunities for growth. It accelerated my physical health as well as my mental, emotional, and spiritual growth on all levels, and also improved my relationship with myself and my loved ones. Most importantly, it has helped me see the bigger picture, which is presence. Everything can be accessed and experienced right here and now–a huge lesson I’m still learning today.
As a Reiki Master, what type of routine do you use while you train or compete? Do you use Reiki on yourself?
I always use the Master symbols every morning before practice for overall protection and to set my intentions for the day. Depending on the type of training I have, I use different symbols to either boost my energy and confidence or to ground and calm my anxiety. I have a history of performance anxiety, and I’ve also struggled with low self-esteem and fear of failure. Along with the work I do with my sports psychologist, I use Reiki to help with these situations. When I’m nervous about a hard workout or a competition, I’ll use Reiki to calm my nerves and help improve my confidence in myself.
It takes me out of my mind and into the present moment, where anything is possible. It helps me feel more grounded in my body so that it becomes a clear channel for energy to be used efficiently, thereby lessening the risk of injury. I also use distance healing for my competitions; I send energy to the time and place I will be competing to align myself to my best performance. My favourite Reiki practice is for my recovery, where I sit for 20-30 minutes at the end of each day to do a full self-healing practice. It helps me both release the high demand of energy from practice or competition and improve my sleep and recovery.
- How can Reiki benefit athletes?
The biggest thing for any athlete is self-care and recovery! Reiki is perfect for those who put a lot of strain on their bodies and minds and exert a lot of energy every day. Overuse injuries are the most common type of injury in athletics, which is why consistent preventative care is necessary. Injuries and physical health maintenance are usually only treated through the use of physiotherapy, chiropractic treatments, and massage. What most athletes don’t know is that imbalances in the body can be directly related to the functioning of your energy centers (chakras); in other words, the physical body works in concert with your energetic, emotional, and mental bodies. Adding Reiki as an additional treatment can help accelerate the process of recovery by opening and flowing your life force energy through your energy centers. It can help an athlete’s overall health on levels that they may not even be aware of. The best part about this type of treatment is that you don’t have to believe in Reiki or even be spiritually-minded at all for it to be beneficial. Reiki healing allows the body to heal itself naturally through deep relaxation and the channeling of universal light energy. In this state, all your systems get a chance to refresh and repair themselves on a physical, mental, and energetic level. For athletes who struggle with mental blocks and tend to overthink or have performance anxiety, Reiki also works to get you out of your head and into your body. The main goal for any athlete is to get in their “zone”, which is the same thing as perfect alignment and harmony. When athletes can embody this state effortlessly, anything is possible!
- What is your recommendation for athletes?
It really depends on the athlete and what their intentions are for healing. If an athlete is looking for a non-invasive, alternative method to recover from an injury, I would recommend Reiki once a week along with other regular treatments like massage, chiro, physio, and rehab exercises. If they’re looking for mental and emotional renewal or just routine preventative care, I would recommend a bi-weekly Reiki session. In any case, Reiki is a beneficial supplement to realign and balance energy on a regular basis as the body and mind go through their cycles of breaking down and rebuilding. I also like reminding myself and others that I’m not just an athlete; I’m human. Taking a holistic approach to your health, whether you’re performing and setting goals or going through life-changing events outside of sport, is very important. We are more than what we are capable of achieving, and we have the power to influence others! So it’s important to treat ourselves like the divine beings we are and take care of ourselves on every level.
- What type of changes have your clients noticed in their well-being? Do you work on Team Canada with Reiki?
The most common change I’ve seen among those I’ve had sessions with is that they feel lighter and freer to do the things they love. Most clients come to me with mental or emotional blocks like anxiety or “not feeling like themselves”. After a few sessions with me, they say they feel more relaxed, grounded, and relieved. I’ve worked on a few of my teammates as well, and they’ve noticed immediate differences in their energy and overall well-being. I believe Reiki is still unknown to most athletes as a means of healing, so it would be an amazing option that can be introduced to high-performance athletes.
- What do you hope to see this year at the Olympics?
Honestly, aside from exciting performances and good competition, I hope to see unity play out in any way… in every way. There has been a lot of division and hardship over the past couple of years. COVID and all the politics surrounding it have caused so much stress, loss, pain, and suffering. I really hope the Olympics becomes a way for people to reunite, open their hearts, and really just enjoy doing what they love. We need to go back to the basics and find ways to help each other out in such tough times. I hope to see personal and collective breakthroughs and the power of unity overcome fear. Whatever that looks like or whatever form that manifests as, I’d love to experience it!
- What does spirituality mean to you as an athlete?
Everything! I’m a spiritual being on a human mission, and that mission is to “let go to ascend”. I’ve been an athlete since I was 6 years old, and the one thing that’s been consistent throughout the years is my love of self-actualization. I love finding ways to embody new versions of myself. I change, I adapt, and I learn and improve very quickly, and that is my superpower. Anything I set my mind and heart to, I find a way to achieve or grow and improve from. I am a multi-dimensional being who is learning to master my own energy while loving myself at every stage of it. From balance, presence, embodiment, surrender, and everything in between, I’m learning it all because these are tools for enjoying life. I’d like to show others ways in which they can enjoy theirs too!
