I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my Reiki healing touch business in Boston! This endeavor has been over five years in the making in terms of logistics, and a life-long dream in terms of my passions.
Is it random for an English teacher and writer to launch a new energy work business? Nope. Let me, for the first time, share the full back-story here, and you’ll see that it all fits together perfectly. I will warn you that this story verges on the supernatural, so buckle up.
The Moment that Started it All
Five years ago, in October of 2016, I was at a Halloween gathering in a house in seaside Massachusetts which had been built in 1750. The energy was palpable: vibrations of 270 years of history and inhabitants. Ornate decor, a crackling fireplace, and low lights.
I walked into the kitchen to get some water, and a woman approached me. Because it was Halloween, she was wearing an old-fashioned dress with a wide skirt, and had on thick makeup. The candles in the room flickered. She walked straight up to me and said: “What is it that you want to do? I mean, REALLY want to do?”
In any other context, I might have laughed, confused and walked away — but in this candlelit kitchen… I instantly started crying with delight. I had been somehow waiting for someone to ask me just this question, but didn’t know it could even be asked — much less by a stranger in a hoop skirt in a 1700s home. Without hesitation, I replied, “I want to touch people.” She nodded. I added quickly, “I mean, not in a creepy way. I just –“
She replied: “Show me.” I reached out and touched her cheek. She nodded again and replied, “Yes.”
What is Reiki?
It turned out that this woman was the massage therapist of the friend whose house we were in. She and I ended up sitting on the couch by the fire and talking for an hour after that mystical meeting. I explained how I can see colors during meditation and when I do any kind of energy work (massage, acupuncture, meditation) — colors that move in very specific patterns to mirror the energy flow. I also explained how when I touch different people, I can see their unique colors and energies. I’d always wanted to explore this more, but had no idea how. Clearly it was calling to me.
The woman explained that Reiki healing touch energy flow work could be a perfect match for this. She explained that Reiki is a simple but deeply restorative treatment in which the practitioner gently lays her hands along the recipient’s body, following a pattern. It’s been shown to be so effective in helping people feel better, that many prestigious hospitals now employ Reiki practitioners.
“Hmm,” I replied. “But how do I even learn how to do this Reiki thing?” I had never really heard of it before — beyond a vague memory of a masseuse in Cleveland doing a burst of Reiki during a massage… which had truly made me feel better.
“The way becoming a Reiki Master works is beautiful,” the woman replied, “When you’re ready for a teacher, one will just… appear.”
Really now?! I returned home to Boston full of wonderment — and skepticism. Then, I kid you not: the very next week, an advertisement appeared in my local neighborhood listserv that one time only, a Reiki Master (one who was trained directly by the descendants of Mikao Usui, and who was employed as an energy worker in one of the nation’s top hospitals) would be offering a Level I and Level II Usui Rekei training and certification course… just down the street from my house. WHAT?! You better bet I signed up right then.
Reiki Trainings in Boston
The Usui Reiki training was awesome. I felt perfectly at home — exactly where I needed to be. Though I was the only one in the group who saw colors, I found that being in the training and practicing healing touch on the other group members helped me access a number of other colors I hadn’t been able to see before, including green and blue, which I later learned correlate with chakra healing energy flow.
I got my certification in Usui Reiki I and II… but didn’t feel ready to practice just yet. Shortly thereafter, another training materialized in a nearby town for Kundalini Reiki. I did every level of the training, emerging with Reiki Master certification, along with a whole new way of using touch and energy for gentle healing. Despite all the training and certifications, however, I still didn’t feel ready to open a practice — plus, I was juggling full-time teaching, running multiple websites, and being mother to two young kids!
Then the events of 2020 hit. In a desperate attempt to cling to health and wellbeing, I begin to meditate every day. That, paired with my daily exercise regimen, stopping drinking, and quitting coffee, put me in touch with my body and soul in a way that I’d never been before — and cemented my ardor for helping others find health and happiness in their own bodies. To move towards that, I put in my paperwork in late 2020 to change to half-time teaching from full-time for the subsequent school year.
During a meditation in April of 2020, I realized that I was finally ready to open my own business and see clients in person. The only problem was… it was (ahem) April of 2020 and there was no in-person business happening anywhere. Realizing that the foundation for my dream still needed to be laid, and that the future would hopefully open our world again, I began reaching out to local businesses to see who might have space to rent. Over the course of the next 15 months (has it been that long?!), I found a perfect spot, and finalized the rental agreement in mid-2021.
Opening My Own Reiki Practice
With the rental space set, I spent much of August 2021 creating every aspect of my business: the Healing Touch “L” website (yes, my fifth site), the booking system and payment portals, the business insurance, the logo design, and even the sheets for the table!
Along the way, such strong supporters and mentors have emerged, and I thank each and every person who has made this endeavor possible. In another amazing coincidence, the woman who did Reiki on me in Cleveland all those years ago emerged randomly this year as she launched a hypnotherapy business, and has become an immense source of guidance as I launch my first venture of this sort.
Everything came together this week when my first paying clients walked through the door. WHAT JOY to finally fulfill a lifelong dream — and have it make others happy, too! I have so much more to write about what it’s like to actually be in a Reiki session… but let’s save that for subsequent articles.
The Future of This Boston Reiki Business
Now that you know the wild back-story behind my new Reiki practice, here are some of the practicalities. First, I’m committed to keeping prices affordable, meaning I have a sliding scale for clients to pick the pricing that works for them.
Second, it’s not just the healing touch aspect that I love about doing Reiki: it’s getting to connect with other wonderful people. The conversations I’ve had so far with clients have been beautiful, and I was even able to link one with a local business contact who can further her career!
Third, my #1 love, work-wise, will always remain writing, so I will be skillfully dividing my weeks between Reiki, blogging, and teaching — meaning that my healing practice will be open approximately two days a week. Interested in making an appointment? Pop over to my easy Reiki booking calendar! You can also subscribe here to Healing Touch “L” updates.
Now, while I’d love you to book a session, my aim in telling this story is not advertising my specific business — rather, it is sending a message of hope to everyone who has a passion which seems too odd or impossible to make reality.
When I was re-reading my Reiki notebooks to prep for the first day of my in-person practice, I came upon the following quote by Rumi that my Usui Reiki Master had placed in the handbook:
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you truly love.”
Looking back, the pull towards this moment of opening my own Reiki practice was there all along, and I’m eternally thankful that I allowed it to move me. When the stranger in the 1750s kitchen approached me and asked, “What is it that you want to do? I mean, REALLY want to do?” I could have just laughed and walked away — and this path might have been thereafter blocked. I’m sure glad it’s not!
These are scary times, but that just means the moment is more urgent than ever to listen to our souls. Each of us has unique ways in which we can help the world. Reiki is not my only contribution to humanity, but it is a real one that I don’t want to squash down anymore. NOW is the time to take the risks that will help us live with as few regrets as possible — and hopefully help others in the process.
Thank you for taking the time to read this story. I’m curious to hear your reactions, connections, and questions. Do share in the comment section below!
2023 update: Check out my new Reiki blog, Reiki Colors!
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!