I have always been full of questions. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to know how and why things worked the way they did. I was curious about everything with a deep thirst for knowledge. I also had a intense need to help the world. I remember, as a little girl of 5 or 6, being overwhelmed with the problems I saw in the world and just wanting to help in some way. I received the guidance that I didn’t need to fix everything, I just needed to choose one thing, one area where I could make a real difference to the state the world was in.

Early on I chose to devote my energies to helping the environment. My questioning and curious nature was at home in the world of science, specifically biology. I attained my undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Calgary in 1996 and spent several seasons observing the behaviour and dynamics of beetles and fish. I entered the field of environmental science and risk assessment and strove for several years to balance my love of nature with the practical concerns of the world.

At the same time I was in university, I found there was a limit to the questions that science could answer for me. I was filled with wonder (and I still am) at the mysteries of the Universe and the nature of reality, consciousness, and the purpose of life. As a person who, at a young age, was driven by the need to contribute to the healing of the planet, I felt there must be something more to this yearning than just luck and some good genes. I have always been intuitive and empathetic. I could feel and sense energy in a way that science, at the time, couldn’t explain. So I began studying spirituality with the same enthusiasm as I was studying science. I read everything I could get my hands on, I explored Buddhism, Taoism, Feng Shui, nature-based religions, Hinduism, yoga, reflexology, affirmations, self-development, and Reiki. I even came full circle and explored some open-minded Christian churches that would put up with my relentless question asking.

Along with this deep study and exploration of spirituality, I began to have experiences of deep bliss during meditation. I began to open up and become aware of the energies that underlie all matter. At a spiritual retreat with some friends in Northern Canada, I had an intense awakening experience where I felt connected and at one with all of reality. I felt no difference between the concept of ‘me’ and the concept of ‘divinity’. I felt the complete unity consciousness that is spoken of in yogic and buddhist traditions, samadhi or nirvana. This deep bliss state lasted about 2 weeks once I returned back to my home in Calgary. As that mindful presence faded, I began to search for ways to get back to that ecstatic bliss. There must be some way that I could access that state and still remain able to lead a full and grounded physical life. I found that balance, of the spiritual with the physical, in Reiki.

I was attuned to Usui Shiki Ryoho System of Natural Healing in 2005 and I reached Master Level in 2007. Funnily enough, I attained my Master’s Degree in Ecology around the same time. I still feel strongly devoted to the health and healing of the planet, but I also see that the ultimate root cause of all environmental problems is the need for more people to value themselves. People who do not value and love themselves cannot be asked to value or love something like the environment. Connecting with and learning about Reiki has given me a tangible way to help the Earth, by helping her people.

The more that worked with Reiki for myself and for my clients, the more I could see its potential as not just a healing modality, but also as a spiritual practice. That feeling was bolstered by discovering the translated Original Reiki Handbook by Mikao Usui, where I learned that Master Usui would teach Level I over years. I created my courses to reflect this long-term dedication to learning Reiki, but still kept them short enough to be accessible to most people. What I witnessed in my students was profoundly humbling. I got to see first-hand how incorporating Reiki and the Reiki Ideals into daily life radically transformed their lives. The results were far beyond anything I could have predicted. Now I have the rare blessing of teaching people Reiki and meditation, what I was always meant to do.