The YWCA’s tag line is, “Eliminating Racism. Empowering Women.” We were thrilled to support them in these efforts with some reiki demos.

The 11th District has suffered the most officer suicides in recent years, and had a triple homicide to deal with the day we were there. They’re shouldering a lot of stress.

We are living in stressful times. The Reiki Brigade would love to offer demos to your school, precinct, wellness fair, etc. to introduce the benefits of this wonderful energy healing modality in a tangible way.

Like the sign says, “YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is the largest provider of comprehensive sexual assault support services in the state of Illinois.” We’re honored to collaborate with these folks to help address trauma with reiki.

One could almost forget the reason we’re there. But then we see the defensive marks on women’s arms and the high number of women with their front teeth missing, and the gravity of their situation is clear. We are so grateful to have been a part of this day, created to remind these women of their value and what it feels like to be nurtured.

Englewood is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago. In the wake of a weekend with more than 75 shootings in our city, we were so happy to be here offering reiki to the officers and staff. 

Patrice and I had a great day in Pilsen offering reiki to the primarily hispanic community there.

We loved offering reiki to officers and members of the community coming in from the rain at the 10th District!

Monique Costello was the newbie volunteer of the day, but she hit the ground running with a big smile, enthusiastic descriptions of reiki, and wonderful feedback from the vets she worked with.

It was a pleasure to offer reiki to the volunteers who work the Y’s 24-hour Rape Crisis Line, helping women through their darkest hours. Click to read about their good works.

My first customer was a student wearing a green t-shirt that said, "I don't want to." But when it came to reiki, he did want to. And his response afterwards was, "I've never felt this good in my life!" His friends immediately lost their shyness and lined up for their sessions. I love working with younger folks, as they are so receptive to reiki and aren't afraid to express themselves, as seen here in the photo.  

Bell School hosts an annual Family Fine Arts Night, and this year's theme was Artivism:  Find Your Voice. Shana, event organizer and new reiki channel, wanted us to help demonstrate that self care is an important part of activism. It was an honor to participate in this fantastic event. 

We’ve been participating in service fairs for homeless veterans 2x/year since 2012, and this was my favorite ever. Click to see a photo recap and find out what made it so special.

Reminiscing on turning 50, and accomplishments and setbacks to date.

The Reiki Brigade focuses on communities in distress, so working with the residents of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center has been a longtime goal. It was well worth the wait.