Episode #67 Karen Caig: From Academic Rigor to Reiki Splendor - Navigating the Transformative Healing Path and Cultivating Inner Balance

Have you ever felt a pull towards a path that seemed completely at odds with where you were in life? Karen Caig, a Reiki master teacher, joins us to recount her extraordinary shift from academia to a Reiki and coaching career, a transition marked by personal healing and the embrace of a practice that knows no bounds. Her story is one of courage and the transformative power of Reiki, a journey from confronting trauma to empowering others through this ancient healing art, all from the tranquility of her home in Ecuador.

When it comes to grappling with the intangible, Karen sheds light on the nuances of acceptance and the hurdles she overcame to establish Reiki not just as a practice but as a thriving business, particularly in the traditionally skeptical regions of the Bible Belt. The conversation meanders through the vital role of social media in de-stigmatizing energy work, the need for patience as one's life's work unfolds, and the nurturing wisdom imparted to a generation eager to find their purpose. Karen's reflections are a celebration of life's unexpected turns and the joys found in following one's true calling.

Wrapping up our soul-nourishing chat, we zero in on what sets a Reiki healer apart: the emphasis is on empowerment, self-care, and alignment with Reiki's guiding principles. Karen's insights into the personal balance that comes from self-Reiki, the community and support akin to prestigious alumni networks, and the immersive experiences of her Reiki retreats offer a roadmap for both novices and experienced practitioners. Whether you're looking to heal, grow, or simply find a moment of connection, this episode is an open invitation to the world of Reiki, with Karen Caig as your guiding light.

Karen Caig, M.A.
Karen Caig, a Licensed Reiki Master Teacher (LRMT) with the International Center for Reiki Training
(ICRT), has been teaching Reiki since 2013. She retired from teaching college English for thirty years in
order to pursue her Reiki and coaching career full-time.
As a survivor of domestic violence and sexual molestation, Karen battled depression and low self-esteem
for years. Reiki helped her heal, and she loves sharing this Japanese relaxation technique to help others
heal, empowering them to achieve their divine purpose on Earth. Bringing her expertise in Reiki,
teaching, writing, comparative literature, and language together, she teaches students from all over the
world. She trains students in all levels of Usui/Holy Fire® Reiki as well as ICRT Animal Reiki, and she
coaches clients through major life transitions in her transformational wellness retreats.
Karen has written for Reiki News Magazine and Reiki Rays, and she is currently working on a couple of
books. Although her Reiki business is based in the Ozarks of Arkansas, she lives in the Andes Mountains
of northern Ecuador with her two cats. You can learn more on her website and follow her on social
media.
Email: karen@arkansasreiki.com
Phone: (501) 215-7356
Website: www.Reiki-Institute.com
Blog: www.KarinaAndina.blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArkansasReikiInstitute
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkansas.reiki/

more information www.readysetreiki.com
This was brought to you by Feather Sister
www.thefeathersister.com

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:18

This is Ready Set Reiki, a podcast about Reiki, the universal energy life force, from the curious beginner to the seasoned master teacher, welcoming all systems, all lineages and all levels. Reiki is a journey and not a destination, and on this Ready Set Reiki journey, we refer to ourselves as guides rather than hosts, as we too are traveling, supporting each other and learning on this Reiki journey as well. And with that said, I'm your first guide, tracy Seawright.

Speaker 3: 0:46

And I'm your second guide, Kim Cardiel-Early.

Speaker 2: 0:51

And welcome to Ready Set Reiki. So today, a wonderful guest, karen Kag. Now she is a licensed Reiki master teacher, LRMT, with the International Center of Reiki Training, icrt. She has been teaching Reiki since 2013. She retired from teaching college English after 30 years in order to pursue Reiki and coaching as a full-time career. She is a survivor of domestic violence and sexual molestation.

Speaker 2: 1:21

Karen battled depression, low self-esteem for years and Reiki helped her heal, and she loves sharing the Japanese relaxation technique to help others heal, empower them to achieve their divine purpose on earth. Bringing her expertise in Reiki teaching, writing, comparative literature and language together. She teaches students from all over the world literature and language together. She teaches students from all over the world. She trains students in all levels of Azui, holy Fire Reiki, as well as ICRT Animal Reiki, and she coaches clients through major life transformations in her Transformational Wellness Retreat. Karen has written for Reiki News Magazine and Reiki Rays, and she is currently working on a couple of books. Although her Reiki business is based in the Ozarks of Arkansas, she lives in the Andes Mountains of northern Ecuador with her two cats. So welcome to Ready Set Reiki, karen. Thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 4: 2:19

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2: 2:21

Wonderful, so we're going to dive right in. I gave our listeners just a little taste of who you are, so tell us about yourself.

Speaker 4: 2:29

Well, I have been living in Ecuador for almost a year now. Yay, and I grew up mostly in Texas, based my business in Arkansas, lived there, raised my son I only have one child and when he was in a good relationship and finished college and got his job, I was guided pretty strongly to move to Ecuador. So it's kind of a long story in itself, but here I am. I'm teaching Reiki worldwide. I thought I would hate teaching online. When we had, when COVID hit and we had to start doing nothing but distance sessions and teach online, I thought, oh, how is this going to work? Because touch is my first love language, you know. And I thought, how how will I teach if I'm not in person? But it turns out.

Speaker 4: 3:24

I think that actually people have better experiences in online classes. I never thought I would say that. I think it's because they get to be in their own home. And you know, especially Reiki master class Well, I guess all master, I mean all Reiki classes there's an element of healing for the practitioner that takes place, and so maybe it's that that people get to relax in their own home and have deeper healing experiences, and for Reiki too, at least they get to practice distance Reiki, for sure. That was kind of difficult to teach in person, but that has catapulted me into a completely different life and I was able to move abroad, because there really is no such thing as distance. I'm so sorry. This is my cat. He usually assists and I gosh I don't even know what else to say. I love Reiki and I love yeah, I love, I love. I love traveling and learning. I love that you say you're a guide. We're, we really are, we're not. As William Rand says, like a Reiki master is someone who has been mastered by Reiki, not someone who has mastered it.

Speaker 2: 4:39

So it's kind of a surrendering to it. Yeah, it's a journey, but I mean it's wonderful to hear a little bit of that silver lining with COVID that you probably would have never tried it if you weren't kind of in a way forced to do it Right and the distance session yeah, and the distance sessions are absolutely amazing, but I had to be forced into doing nothing but distance sessions before.

Speaker 2: 5:04

amazing, but I had to be forced into doing nothing but distance sessions before. Yeah, so, and it's a real game changer, like even when I do sessions online for trainings, you know, showing them like a zoo cam right, and then putting up a picture of our you know earth and working that and seeing it. So it's skill in action.

Speaker 4: 5:21

So to speak yeah, skill in action like that, skill in action, skill in action.

Speaker 2: 5:25

So our next in action like that Skill in action, skill in action. So our next question is when did Reiki come into your life, Did you?

Speaker 4: 5:33

find Reiki, or did Reiki find you? I think, like many people, reiki found me. Maybe it was just the time was right. I was 49 years old and my dad I had taken care of my dad and he died a year before and I was just a hot mess, really, and struggling through life. And I came across an article and this was in central Arkansas, for heaven's sakes, I mean, where there was just really no Reiki. Um, well, you live in the south too, you know, it's just not not as widespread.

Speaker 4: 6:06

And I came across this article and it it talked about healing energy distributed by the hands. And I thought, huh, because I had always had hot hands and, looking back, I think what I was doing was I was sending my own energy, you know, because Reiki practitioners aren't using their own energy, they're using universal life force, energy that we're just channeling. We're just channels and um. But I read that and I thought, huh, well, maybe this thing I do is, maybe it's a thing. So I didn't even have a session or anything. I just signed up for the class um, and that I look, that was in 2012. It was January of 2012. And I can look back at that point and it's like everything started to change after that. It helped clear me. I was carrying so much junk, you know, besides grief and just trauma and blah, you know all this stuff, and it helped clear that. And so, and I think that's how Reiki works, whether you become a practitioner or just have a session, but I think becoming a practitioner is probably the best because that not that you open a practice or anything, but once you get attuned to the energy, it continually helps you release.

Speaker 4: 7:27

And, if you like, I was 49. So I mean, I had 49, almost 50 years of left to clear. So, yeah, it's, it was amazing. Then, a year later, I started practicing clearing in 2013. It just so happened all these Reiki coincidences just so happened that I had planned two years before to take a group of students to England with another teacher and three days after our trip ended in London, that's when William Rand had his masterclass in Glastonbury with the attunement in Stonehenge. This was a Sui Tibetan lineage, and so I did that and it was amazing. And I came back and I've always been a teacher, so I thought I'm going to teach, I started teaching Reiki on the side and then, wow, 10 years later, I'm moving to Ecuador. That's amazing. It's kind of crazy.

Speaker 2: 8:32

I mean, could you ever imagine years ago that this is where you would be? No, no, I mean no, not not doing this work, no for sure, for sure, a magical journey because your background's a professor, correct In English?

Speaker 4: 8:49

Yes, that was uh, you know, one of the the biggest challenges was, I think, my, my, my friends. They thought have you lost your mind? Yeah, you just noticing? No, well, I mean, but seriously too. Yeah, you just noticing? No, well, I mean, but seriously too. My son went to college and that's when I quit teaching full time and I moved about 30 minutes away from him at the University of Arkansas and started my business. I didn't know anything about business at all. I knew I wanted to help people, I knew I wanted to teach, I wanted to give sessions, and I just jumped and my friends were like you're not even old enough to retire. I'm like I know, what are you going to do? I don't know, I'm just going to take that leap.

Speaker 2: 9:37

You trust the process. Right, I trust the process.

Speaker 4: 9:40

And for someone I didn't trust anything, I mean most of my life. Right. But yeah, I just stepped out on faith and it all worked out. Of course, when COVID hit, then that shifted it again. It's always. But I guess life is that right. I mean, it's always a shift from what you think, oh, I've got it, and then no, you don't. It's going to be over here, you know right, you always have to pivot right. Right Pivot but but I can do that. You can do that now.

Speaker 2: 10:12

Yeah, absolutely so. Our next question is what is the common misperception about your work?

Speaker 4: 10:21

Well, believe it or not, I actually get less resistance here in Ecuador than where I lived before. The biggest misconception, I think, is that, um, it's well, I mean, I lived in the Bible belt that it's, it's. It's like it's so weird, it is weird. You know it's so weird, it is weird, you know. But they think like, either one, it's just your imagination, it's not doing anything, or two, it's of the devil, or something you know it's. The biggest misconception is that you know it's something that heals so deeply. It should be more complicated, but it's not. You know, it's not. You know it's not. Um, and the other thing is that, because I've had this with students, sometimes they're like oh, but I'm not. You like, look, it's not me, I'm not, I am merely the channel for this energy and the that's. Yeah, people think that there's something special about Reiki practitioners. It's not. No, it's just that we've opened, we've been attuned to the energy. We open to the energy, we get ourselves out of the way and let the energy flow.

Speaker 2: 11:34

Right right. And also depends on you know. Do you practice enough right? How are you using the energy? So there's a lot of factors that come into play.

Speaker 4: 11:43

Yeah for sure For sure so what has been the biggest challenge you have faced in your profession? I think, especially when I had an office and uh and did in-person sessions, the biggest challenge was educating people. Where I lived, nobody knew what it was. Um, they looked at me suspiciously. I mean I had to, but then that was part of being the business learning. The business of Reiki was I had to join the chamber of commerce and go to mixers and I had to. I didn't even know what an elevator speech was. I had to learn a 30 second elevator speech and I think that's the biggest challenge is trying to bring it more mainstream. This is a business. I mean, it's something, um, it's for me, it's a spiritual path, but it's something that can help people. So it's been challenging to educate people on that point, like, yes, this is. I used to include in my my little that Reiki is used in over 800 hospitals in the United States, which surprises people. It's becoming more mainstream.

Speaker 4: 12:58

Of course, I remember when yoga because I grew up mostly in Texas I remember when yoga was considered like oh, that's some kind of woo-woo, weird, right, right, right From India. It must be evil, I don't know, but here I haven't had that challenge. But yeah, that's right, because the, the yachai, the, the shamans here work with energy, so right. So, especially the indigenous people, they say, what do you do? And I say, oh, I, I send energy. And I'll call, say, oh, I send energy. And then we're like, oh, of course you do yeah, we already knew that about you right, yeah they needed just a confirmation.

Speaker 2: 13:40

Well, especially with TikTok, it really has made it mainstream now, so yeah, yeah my kids are like, oh, we see that there, and they would tell me different practitioners on TikTok. So it really has, you know, brought it out there to the world for the masses, so to speak. So yeah. So our next question is what do you wish your younger self knew about your current profession?

Speaker 4: 14:07

Ah well, gosh, I can't remember my younger self, but I think if I could tell my younger self one thing and if you're young and you're listening, you may not know what your ideal work is. You don't figure it out till you're like 40 and it's probably buried in there somewhere like teaching college English, I loved it. I hated grading all the papers, but I loved literature. I loved teaching composition, helping people find their voice. My favorite part of my day was talking with students in my office. And so I look back and I go okay, even as your younger self you were, you were trying to facilitate healing and facilitate people finding their authentic selves. I mean, that was, I think, rather than college English professor. That was what I did to discover that, okay, here's a faster, easier way to help people connect with their authentic selves, release and heal stuff. So I think I would tell my younger self just keep on the track. I guess it all happens in divine timing.

Speaker 2: 15:23

Sure, absolutely, or going back to trusting that process right.

Speaker 4: 15:27

Yeah, trust the process.

Speaker 2: 15:28

Trust the process. So, when it's time for you to get your energetic tune up, or even go to find a teacher for continuing training, what are some qualities that you look for in a Reiki practitioner or healer or energy worker?

Speaker 4: 15:46

That's a good question. I always look for someone who isn't full of ego. I've studied with William Rand a lot and he's kind of strange in a way, but he's not full of ego. I mean, he's usually wearing a ball cap and, um, you know, and and sometimes I ask him a question, you know, like william, and he'll say like, why don't you ask reiki? I'm like I'm asking you, but as my teacher he's, he keeps, he will continue, he doesn't want to be the guru. You know what I mean? I think it's good to find someone who's not trying to be a guru, someone who will empower you. So look for someone. And if you're looking for a practitioner, look for someone who's going to empower you. See them as a facilitator of your own growth. Yeah, someone who's honest, who doesn't necessarily pull punches, but they can say like or ask the right questions. Right.

Speaker 4: 17:06

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 17:07

Very good, very good. I like that answer. Ask Reiki.

Speaker 4: 17:11

Ask Reiki, like I'm asking you, william. But he's right, we have the same divine connection that he does, you know.

Speaker 2: 17:20

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4: 17:21

We all do?

Speaker 2: 17:23

I wasn't able to go in person, but I was able to watch online the retreat in Sedona and Don McManus had said you know, live life vertically, not straight ahead. So look for the answers above. Yeah, kind of go with that same thing too. So I thought that was like wow, you know, because we're so here, right, Right, to look up or seek that answer with that universal energy life force.

Speaker 4: 17:49

And that's hard, especially when you're in the day-to-day grind.

Speaker 2: 17:53

Yes.

Speaker 4: 17:53

But that's why self-reiki is so important. I'm just going to plug this. That's what I tell my students. But that's why self-reiki is so important is because that's your opportunity. You're taking time for yourself to connect, sure, and that pulls you out into the bigger picture. Enough to see better.

Speaker 2: 18:12

Right right, and that that one might fit into our next question here. What advice would you give someone who's just entering this profession?

Speaker 4: 18:19

So freaky, so freaky, don't forget. Seriously, many of us in enter into this profession because we want to help people, sometimes to the exclusion of ourselves. You know, we've been. You can really. You can work too hard. You can forget to clear. You've got to kenyoku. You've got to clear like this is not mine, this is not mine, uh, so that you can be fully present. You have to clear yourself, fill yourself up so that you can be fully present. You have to clear yourself, fill yourself up so that you can be one, a good channel, and two, so you can be there to help everybody. Because I don't know about you, but sometimes I work too hard, I just get too caught up. I still have to work on that and I've been a master for a while.

Speaker 4: 19:13

Like moving down here to Ecuador, I think I wrote a blog about yeah, acceptance, the Reiki principles, don't gloss over those. When you learn the Reiki principles, you have to do them every day. I have to remind myself. The one I'm the worst at is like, just for today, do not worry, you know I don't get angry too much, but, and just you know, sorry, but moving down here I saw so many street dogs. I wanted to help homeless Venezuelans that I wanted to help and, as most Reiki practitioners, are empaths. So if you are starting this journey as a practitioner, you've got to remember to take care of yourself first, or you're not gonna be able to take care of anybody. It's possible to just string yourself out too much, spread yourself too thin.

Speaker 2: 20:08

Absolutely, and that's you'll probably find that as a teacher too and I'm teaching especially, also in yoga I'm teaching others that I forget to do my own practice, to go to my guru, go to my teacher and take that hour of being in my own practice because I'm out serving others and that's how you get burned out, yeah you know who taught me that was Pam Ellen LeBlanc too.

Speaker 4: 20:31

She said, karen, you've got to get sessions and massages. She said, you've got to do, yeah, yeah, your own self-care. And I was like, yeah, so that which told me there's still some part of me that thought, oh, I don't, I don't know, I don't deserve it. I don't know what I thought, or I was just like I didn't have time, yeah. But then I realized, look, if you don't know, I don't deserve it. I don't know what I thought, or I was just like I didn't have time. But then I realized, look, if you don't have time for yourself, you don't have time for anybody.

Speaker 2: 20:54

Right, all right, and as busy as Pam is, she also has a podcast called Ricky on the Farm and she is a ICRT teacher and she also does get sessions as well, so she gets tune ups as well, so, yeah, she's a good friend to remind me of that.

Speaker 4: 21:15

Like you've got to take care of yourself too, I'm like oh yeah, I forgot.

Speaker 2: 21:19

Got to fill your cup up, right yeah. So what books do you recommend?

Speaker 4: 21:28

Well, speaking of Pam, I did bring this book out. I did not bring many books to Ecuador because I could only bring like 200 pounds with me, so but I brought this Reiki business book that Pamela LeBlanc. I think it's really, really helpful to new practitioners who are wanting to start a business, because she talks about all the different ways you can have a Reiki business. Like one of her students is a lawyer and incorporates Reiki into her family law practice. I'm like, doesn't everybody wish that their lawyer had Reiki, you know? And she has meditations to help you work through whatever might be holding you back, you know, to be successful in your business. There's lots and lots of good advice.

Speaker 4: 22:17

I love that book and another one. The only other book I brought with me is Reiki and Clinical Practice by Anne Baldwin, and the reason I love this book so much is because, well, I'm more of a literature professor but I'm not so great with science. But people are always asking me is there any proof, is there anything that shows that Reiki works? And I go like, yeah, but I love this book because she divides it into different chapters, like Reiki and blood circulation, okay. Reiki for relaxation and wellbeing, and in each chapter, I guess, pretty sciencey Reiki for burnout, reiki for improving range of motion but she groups the all the various studies that had been done. She groups them into chapters so that you can you could go and look like, i't know, maybe there's a, maybe there's a study, oh, like, how does reiki work? It's just, it's a really good book and it gives you some well, yeah, science-based guide gives you some science to to back up, because a lot of people want to know. You know, like, is there any science to back it?

Speaker 2: 23:29

up. Yeah, they need that.

Speaker 4: 23:31

And we still need more good studies and we'll say that you know we need more double blind good studies with a wide variety of people. But, yeah, I recommend those two books are off the top of my head.

Speaker 2: 23:47

Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Our next question is what other modalities do you offer?

Speaker 4: 23:54

Well, I was trained in reconnective healing but after and I do like it Sometimes, I do use it still I think that I took that mainly for myself. I think it shifted something in me, but I I offer coaching, which is it's mainly like teaching, or I think every Reiki practitioner, in a sense I don't know what you think about this Every Reiki practitioner becomes sort of a coach, you know, because you get in the energy field and you feel something and then you ask a question and then I mean it's kind of like that. So I've been doing with my friend for the last three years.

Speaker 4: 24:36

We've been doing transformative women's retreats in uh, wisconsin, like wellness retreats, right, and that, surprisingly, what has been like one of the favorite things that we do is writing. It's like, it's like oh well, here comes that again, but it's um, it's a type of writing where I usually I send reiki like to the whole room and then I'll just give them a prompt and it helps them get past their brain into more of like their heart brain, if that makes sense and had some real breakthroughs. It's just just amazing, wow, wonderful, wonderful. And then we also have like we have other people come in to do like sound healing and that sort of thing.

Speaker 2: 25:25

Beautiful, beautiful, and you also do ICRT, animal Reiki correct.

Speaker 4: 25:31

Yes, I do. It may be my favorite in some ways.

Speaker 2: 25:35

Wonderful, wonderful. So are you offering any classes or trainings Like?

Speaker 4: 25:40

how do we?

Speaker 2: 25:41

find you.

Speaker 4: 25:47

Okay, I offer usually regular Reiki. On one month, like this month, march we had regular Reiki, regular Reiki and then the following month I have animal Reiki, and so I just alternate, right, so you can check. Uh, check, my heaven's sakes, check my uh website. Uh, at wwwreiki-institutecom. And uh, I'm also planning a retreat I've just started working on for November, so I hope I can get it done in time but to come to the Galapagos Islands here in Ecuador and I'm going to combine it with an animal Reiki master class, so then we can give Reiki to sea lions and blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas and all those things.

Speaker 2: 26:40

Wonderful. So if someone was interested in taking the Azui Holy Fire Reiki or the ICRT Animal Reiki, they can also go to reikiorg to find your classes.

Speaker 4: 26:50

Yeah, you can find me there too. Yeah, reikiorg.

Speaker 2: 26:53

Excellent, all right, wonderful. Well, thank you, karen. This ends our part of our journey together. Thank you so much. I'm going to pass you over to my co-guide, kim, who has three social media questions for you.

Speaker 3: 27:08

Okay, hi Karen. Oh, my gosh, love listening to that. I loved reading up on you. Like that is goals, like when my kids are grown. Don't be surprised if I deuce out of the U? S as well. I'll be like, listen, mama's going to be rolling stone, so catch me if you can. You know, like all of that. Um, so I do know that you are a licensed Reiki master teacher right, it's teacher, not trainer. Teacher with the International Center of Reiki Training. So can you just tell me a little bit about what? What does that mean being an LRMT? And you know what's that like?

Speaker 4: 27:49

Well, I got. I went into the program after I had just started my business and then I decided to go into the program with some encouragement from my mentor and I'm so glad I did. But it takes another three years of it's kind of an internship. So you have more studying to do. You have to write a paper, you have to take this huge test to be licensed for Reiki 1 and 2. And then you have to retake Reiki 1 and 2 and then co-teach it with your mentor, and then you retake Reiki one and two.

Speaker 4: 28:15

And then you have to retake Reiki one and two and then co teach it with your mentor. And then you retake Reiki master and co teach it with your mentor, and then you retake Karuna and co teach it with your mentor. And you have so many sessions you have to do and once a month you have to do sort of a report, selfanalysis, like in areas such as, uh, success consciousness which is important and I really need to work on that area business, uh, technology, um, just lots of different areas, and so after three years you really feel confident in what you're doing and um, so when I teach a class, william Rand also signs my certificate, which means they, they keep a close eye on what we're doing, so um that's, you know.

Speaker 3: 29:14

Did you do that online or did you go? Was there an actual like? Oh, lord no, where did you go for that training?

Speaker 4: 29:22

I, I did it. Um well, my mentor was in california, in orange county, and so when we did our I had to go retake her class and then I had to go do the co-teach input. So this was in person.

Speaker 4: 29:36

This is right, oh yeah, so I had to travel there, and then the rest of it we would do online. You know the uh, the meetings, actually meeting with my mentor and then turning in the report to Colleen Benelli and Karen Harrison, so they're really there to kind of guide you in mainly the business aspects. You know? No, that's not true either. It's business and the spiritual, it's everything that comes up. Yeah right.

Speaker 3: 30:11

Yeah, all of it, yeah, yeah. I'm sorry I didn't mean to to cut it, but like what called you to take that next step, like in your teaching, in your career, to even apply for that and go into that intense three-year program?

Speaker 4: 30:26

uh, I just felt guided to do it. I think I have a student who's going to uh enter the program and she said I just know that this is what I'm supposed to do. I'm like, yeah, you just know, and it's not for everybody, it doesn't mean that's the only way you can have a successful Reiki practice, like my friend, andrea Kennedy, whom I love and adore. I talked to her and said why don't you apply for the program? She goes, girl, because after COVID hit, she went into really focusing on her YouTube channel and everything, and she said I don't think I need it. I don't, I'm not feeling called to go that way. So it's not like the only way to go, but for me, I think I needed that, that extra support, and it's support, oh my gosh. Yeah, it's like a family.

Speaker 3: 31:18

Yeah, I went to Penn State. So that's like you know, the alumni from Penn State are like all over. So, yeah, I get it. It's like that camaraderie, you know, that's yeah. I was like, oh, what is this? That's like you know. I was like, let me, let me find out more about this, because I like, I like that stuff. That's the only kind of school I have any interest in going back to at all. If it's like Reiki or anything like that, you want me to learn about it, I'm like, no, thank you. And I'm like, oh, Reiki, sure, I'll go back to school for that. So, um, hearing you talk a little bit about those transformational, like wellness retreats, can you just go into like a little bit more detail about your retreat and maybe give an example of how, like these retreats have been helping your clients with, like their major life transformations?

Speaker 4: 32:03

Yeah, I'm thinking of one I haven't asked for her permission but I won't mention her name One particular participant and she's come to two of our retreats now but she had such a major I would say healing of some trauma that she had endured as a child, terrible trauma, and I didn't really expect it was kind of unexpected during the session and it was unexpected for her as well, but I think it was really life changing. She just released, released and cried and cried. And the other thing about the retreat is that you, speaking of community, it's a small group, usually 15, 18 people, and everybody's there because they're trying to take some time for themselves and maybe they don't have a specific idea of what they would like to heal. But we always ask on the first night, ask them to write their intention, what they're willing to let go of, what they think they're doing there.

Speaker 4: 33:12

And I think, because it's a safe environment and I would credit Reiki for this too it's not a Reiki retreat, it's just a wellness retreat. Many of our participants do have Reiki, but it's kind of a safe space where they can heal and release and transform. And I think the thing about a retreat is just providing a space for connection, connection to other people of a like mind, connection to yourself, and this is a beautiful place. In Wisconsin, wisconsin, there's a lot of cheese on this retreat.

Speaker 4: 33:50

There's a lot of nature and we're doing forest bathing. Every year seems to come out with like a little bit different theme. But this year we're gonna, we're doing a like a half day just forest bathing. Writing, we do a lot of reflecting, so every everyone's different. But I think when people come, whether they are consciously aware of, oh, I going to go to this retreat and heal, blah, blah, blah, no, they just think like I need to go, I'm feeling drawn to this, I think I'm going to go, and then I just turn it over to Reiki, you know, like for the greatest and highest good of each participant, and just provide the space and provide the opportunity for each person to do his or her work.

Speaker 3: 34:38

I think you literally hit it so funny because you said safe space and in my head I'm like, oh my gosh, that's it, that's it. And then you literally said it's providing the space. Because that's what it is. People you know. I think safe space is such a key word that people don't realize how important it is, because so many people have these emotions and traumas and all these things that they want to let out. And there have been many times where I was in my childhood where I tried to go to an adult and tell them like all these deep feelings I had and they were like suck it up, buttercup, I never had a safe space. And we turn into these adults that hold onto this trauma, who are programmed to believe that these safe spaces don't exist. And they do. And that is what I believe is so beautiful about Reiki and bringing it more mainstream. Like Tracy talked about TikTok, I'm one of those Reiki TikTokers TikTokers you know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 35:25

Like Reiki is below my account. I was like 40,000 followers. Where are all these people? And it's all from all my Reiki videos. You know what I mean. So it was. I just love it. I love that people are open to it and receptive to it and I just love that Tracy's asked me to come and be her co-guide on some of these. You know episodes Right before you. The first one I joined her with was a science guy and he just blew my mind and talked a lot about the science. He didn't even talk about rigging. He talked about the science and the behind the energy and I loved it. I was like, oh my God, yeah, so in your story, that is goals. That is life goals for me. I would love to be living in the mountains with the indigenous people. That is definitely life goals. Is there anything else that you, that we didn't ask you, that you'd like for the listeners to know, or something that's important or that you'd like to add, or that spirit is telling you to add on to this for us?

Speaker 4: 36:20

I would just like to add that, wherever a person is on Reiki journey, whether they've, if they haven't, started you're just listening to this because you're Reiki, curious, listen to your nudges and if you're already a practitioner, just learn to trust. Just learn to trust. You know the answers, you just have to get quiet enough and and you'll find them. And then follow, follow, follow what you get, no matter how crazy it is, and if it's right, like, like moving here. My friends thought I was nuts again, like what, you couldn't be away from your son. Now you're gonna move to another continent.

Speaker 3: 37:02

I'm like I got better, I don't know, but that made me laugh, when you said your friends were like. My friends were like you're nuts and you're like oh, you're just catching on. Now I've been that, you're just catching on.

Speaker 4: 37:15

But I haven't been this much. But when I thought, am I supposed to move here, I asked for signs. I got signs everywhere and when I started moving toward moving here, and then my landlord, let me out of my lease. Everything just went thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk. And my landlord let me out of my lease. Everything just went tongue, tongue, tongue, tongue, tongue. And here in like five months I sold everything I had and I moved to another country. That's so awesome. So follow yourself, follow what your own truth is, just be quiet.

Speaker 3: 37:51

Yeah, I love it, love that. Well, thank you so much. I'm going to go ahead and pass it back to the co-guide, tracy. And thank you so much, karen. It was awesome meeting you and getting to soak up all your energy and your knowledge, so thank you.

Speaker 4: 38:06

Thank you. It was great to meet you, Kim.

Speaker 2: 38:09

Thank you, karen, for joining us on this journey on Ready Set Reiki. It was a real honor to have you on.

Speaker 4: 38:15

Thank you. Thank you for having me, it's great.

Speaker 2: 38:18

All right, my friends, our wonderful listeners, if you'd like a question, just reach out to us on social media, wwwreadysetreikicom, and maybe one of your questions will be featured on our show. Also, check out Feather Sister Wellness, my platform that has yoga, meditation and Reiki training, so I hope you will check us out there. So I'm sorry.