How I Went From Chronically Ill to Healing Myself and Others
My path to wellness and my healing practice began when I became ill with Lymes disease in 2019. It went undiagnosed for nearly a year because it had been latent in my system well before I got sick. This ended up being a blessing in disguise because it forced me to look into alternate forms of healing early on, connecting with an energy healer whose work has been life-changing.
11 months after getting sick and eventually diagnosed, I was put on a 6-month course of high-dose antibiotic, antifungal, and antimalarial medications. After another 6 months of detoxing from the medications, I was better, but only partly. I still struggled with chronic pain and fatigue and knew there had to be another way to wellness. I was already exercising regularly in Taekwondo classes several times a week, seeing an energy healer monthly, and practicing Reiki on myself. I was frustrated that I wasn’t in better health.
In 2021 I resolved to take complete control of, and responsibility for my healing. It was clear that doctors had gotten me as far as they could. I began to explore other healing methods including EFT, Kundalini yoga, and Ayurveda. My studies eventually led me to a 30-hour teacher training course called Yoga for Mental Health, at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Wellness.
During my downtime at Kripalu, I had several unexpected experiences with spontaneous shamanic journeying and came to realize that I was being asked to step onto a shamanic path. By the time I departed, I had determined that I needed to fully develop my Reiki practice, and slowly integrate shamanic healing practices into it as I developed those skills. Those skills are a work in progress, and If you’d like to learn more about the shamanic path I’m following and how it began, you can find that story in my blog under the category of My Shamanic Path.
That class at Kripalu propelled me onto a deeper and stronger healing path teaching me many new techniques to add to my wellness work. Among other practices, I learned the power of affirmation work and was introduced to energy medicine. Energy medicine intrigued me enough to follow up with a certification course through Eden Energy Medicine a few months later.
My health and energy levels slowly improved after several months of dedicated energy medicine practice. I started realizing how powerful some of the most simple energy medicine techniques were and resolved to add teaching these to my healing clients.
Once I set my sights on starting a healing practice, things began to fall into place. I already had a vehicle for the practice – I began professionally reading tarot as a side project in 2020 under the name Inkwood Tarot, offering introspective, healing readings. In 2021 I added Reiki to Inkwood’s offerings.
When I was laid off from a half-time job towards the end of 2022, I knew the time had come to expand my little business and focus my energy on building my healing practice.
Inkwood Tarot was rebranded as Inkwood Healing and now focuses on energy healing sessions and wellness programs. I still offer introspective and healing tarot reading. I have an office I sublease from a massage therapist and now see in-person clients in Westford, MA, and distance clients by Zoom.
Training/Education
Reiki II and Reiki III Master/Teacher Training, Garden Gate Herbals, 2021, 2024
Energy Reading and Tracking, 20 hr class with healer Aileen Dashurova, 2024
Energy Reading and Tracking Level 2, 20 hr class with Aileen Dashurova, 2024
Reflexology Certificate Program, The Centre for Excellence, 2023
Prana Yoga for Mental Health, 25 hr course at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Wellness, 2022
Essentials of Energy Medicine Program, Eden Energy Medicine, 2022
Crystal healing workshops, Love & Light School of Crystal Therapy, 2021
Hospice Volunteer Training, Beacon Hospice, 2018
Mental Health First Aid, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 2018
Animal tracking classes, Walnut Hill Tracking School, 2001 – 2003
Master of Science degree in Conservation Biology, Antioch University New England, 2002
Associations
I am an active member of the International Association of Reiki Professionals and the Society for Shamanic Practice.
I am an ordained Pagan Minister for the Society of Elder Faiths, and an ordained Interfaith Minister with the Esoteric Interfaith Church and Theological Seminary. See my Interfaith and Pagan Ministry page for more information on my pastoral and ministerial services.
Header Photo by Frames For Your Heart on Unsplash