After a recent tour of Zenna Wellness Studio in Berlin, MD, our interests were piqued when we heard that the studio also offered Reiki. Having only heard of the healing practice in passing, and having an insatiable curiosity for new approaches to health and wellness, we were eager to give the treatment a try. One week later, we were on the healing table, trying to shut out the everyday chatter in our brains and re-tune to the here and now.
But before we get to the results, we’ll start with a crash course in Reiki. Full disclaimer: for the staunch opponent of all things spiritual, holistic, or related to Eastern medicine, this probably isn’t for you (although there is a good chance that you are exactly the type of person who would benefit from a session, so we encourage you to read on regardless). Simply stated, Reiki is a method of spiritual healing and self-improvement. Based on an ancient method of laying hands on the body, a Reiki practitioner uses life force energy to heal and balance the energies within your body. The idea is that energies will flow out of the practitioner’s body, through their hands, while they are touching the recipient’s body or letting their hands hover above the recipients body. The benefits for the recipient are ten-fold, and vary greatly from person to person depending on their energies, ailments, and physical and spiritual well-being. Reiki treatments can aide with stress, trauma or grief, sleep problems, depression and anxiety, pre and post-surgery, injuries, and emotional balance and healing. While hands are used, it is not to be mistaken for a massage; rather, the practitioner’s hands are laid on your head, stomach, back, legs and feet, transferring energy.
We arrived at Zenna with an open mind and an accepting spirit. Admittedly, as a writer, it can be difficult to not approach every situation with a critical eye and with a certain level of pessimism rooted deeply in logical discernment. On the flip side, I’ve been practicing yoga regularly for six years and have read a good deal of literature on Eastern approaches to healing and medicine, so it’s safe to say I was maintaining two parts excitement, one part skepticism.
Zenna’s Reiki practitioner, and local Tibetan Reiki Master, is Tom Perkins. Tom immediately put any unease to rest, explaining the process, his background, and what to expect from a Reiki treatment. Tom explained that the outcomes vary greatly, from feeling absolutely nothing at all after an hour session, to a complete breakdown into tears. “It offers you the opportunity to find out who you really are and what you want to be in life,” he explained.
Tom began practicing in 1998, working as a healer in Atlanta at the Unity North Church, where Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, and James Redfield spoke and ministered. Currently, Tom is a member of the International Association of Reiki Professionals, the International Center for Reiki Training and Research, and continues to study at the Braided Way Healing Arts School at the Wellness Center in Ellicott City, Md. “I bring a depth of life experiences to my work that enables me to create and hold a professional and healing space that honors my clients and peers,” said Tom.
Tom acknowledged that not everyone arrives with an open mind or leaves completely convinced. Over the years, he has encountered a variety of responses to Reiki, from the cynics to those who leave extolling the benefits of their experience. “Reiki is about energy vibration. You just have to accept it,” he said. Tom also suggests a one-hour session for your first time, explaining “it gives me a chance to really focus on your entire being – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.” We gladly obliged, and embarked on our one hour session.
By now you’re probably wondering, “Well, did you feel any significant results?” or “Did it work?” This is a tricky question to answer without over-generalizing the experience for others, primarily because each person will have a different experience and a different outcome, and as such, should try for themselves before making any concrete conclusions. That being said, in this particular instance, it worked. And would I go back again for future sessions? Absolutely!
For more on Reiki, energy healing, and chakra and aura balancing, or to schedule an appointment, contact Tom at ourtrueaura@gmail.com or at 443-373-3256.
