This is my story, beginning at the top of the "Black Mountain", where my family comes from. I was born in Occitanie, a region of winds, stone, and forests in southwestern France—a land rich in history with a long-standing tradition of folk medicine. I grew up in a family lineage of traditional healers known as "fire cutters," or "faisuers de secrets". This ancient spiritual method can help relieve burns and other ailments, such as shingles. These practices were common, discreet, and deeply woven into the fabric of local life.

 

As a teenager, I developed an illness that gradually affected my vision. While natural methods could not directly address this condition, they taught me something essential: Healing is ultimately a mystery, one that reaches beyond the physical and beyond what we can comprehend. It cannot be controlled or directed; it simply unfolds in its own time and way. Illness, too, is part of life and can teach us not only how to meet difficulty, but how to grow, flourish, and fully inhabit our lives, whatever our circumstances may be. This understanding became the foundation for my life and exploration of meditation, which eventually led me to Reiki.

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By my early twenties, after several recurrences of vision loss, I noticed a pattern: each recurrence coincided with significant periods of emotional crisis in my life. It was then that I pledged to stay mindful of stress and care for myself—discovering, for the first time, the profound connection between mind and body in relation to life, and the importance of mindfulness and compassion.

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Later, I met my husband in Asia, where we lived and worked for several years, immersed in cultures that offered new perspectives, rich experiences, and opportunities to grow. During this time, my attention shifted from inward to outward, developing a deeper appreciation for the many ways people live and make sense of the world.

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Years later, while raising our children and navigating their special needs, I felt my stress rise again. This brought me back to meditation and to meeting my first Reiki teacher in 2008. 

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I resumed self-care and also began practicing with my 9-year-old, who struggled with anxieties and sleep difficulties. After completing all my Reiki trainings in 2012, my teacher invited a few of her students to offer Reiki professionally at her studio. Initially, I declined—Reiki had been a personal practice for me, not a profession. But her simple guidance, “If a client contacts us and you are available and open, you can decide,” made it feel manageable, given my family's needs. This marked the start of my journey as a Reiki Professional Practitioner and the launch of  Moonstone Sanctuary. Teaching, too, came unexpectedly when a young, terminally ill client asked to learn Reiki with her family. Though hesitant, I could not refuse and became a Reiki Teacher.

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Over the years, I have practiced Reiki in a variety of settings: volunteering with cancer patients at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in Western Chicago (IL) and the Cancer Wellness Center in Northbrook (IL); participating in the Reiki Brigade throughout Chicago communities—including the police department and organizations supporting non-violence; and offering sessions at The Mather, a senior living community. I am also grateful for the opportunities to practice and teach in various yoga studios. These experiences have deepened my understanding of Reiki and its capacity to support individuals, families, and communities through diverse life challenges. They have inspired me to create programs tailored to the needs of those I work with, while also shaping my growth as a person and parent.

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In 2016, I began studying with Frans Stiene to delve more deeply into the Japanese way of Reiki. Visits to Japan in 2018 and 2019, along with my involvement with the Japanese Culture Center in Chicago, helped me develop a stronger understanding of the cultural context of this practice. It also led me to explore practices such as Shodo, mindfulness, and Zen. These experiences continue to shape my path and nurture a deep appreciation for our interconnectedness with all life.

 

Today, Reiki is no longer something "I do”, but something "I am becoming". My practice and daily life inform one another. What began as self-care has evolved into a way of being in the world. I offer Reiki so we may remember our inherent wholeness, our belonging, our humanity, and the vast potential within us—in the quiet space between all things, waiting to flourish. Presence is the real medicine—everything arises from it. May we each find and walk our path for the benefit of all.