ABOUT ME
My Story:
My youth was spent being raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Time was spent riding my bike, climbing trees and gaining appreciation for open spaces.
The impressionable teen years were spent in Victoria, British Columbia. My connection to nature expanded to include the Olympic mountain range in Washington State and the Pacific Ocean.
Moved back to Ontario and studied Physical Anthropology (B.Sc) at the Erindale Campus of the University of Toronto. My studies ignited a love of learning.
From Hamilton my partner and I moved to Toronto and after a couple of years we settled down in Barrie, Ontario. We chose here due to the slower pace, the water and green spaces. :)
Due to a reflexology presentation by Nancy Bradley that I subsequently learned about Western Takata style - Usui Shiki Ryoho - Reiki.
My beginner's class was in 1994 and it has changed my life 180 degrees. This introduction to Reiki also started my quest to learn more about Buddhism. Please be mindful that Reiki isn't part of Buddhism, this awareness provided cultural context to understanding Japanese concepts.
What were the thoughts and processes or even steps did Usui-sensei (teacher) take to develop this marvelous energy system.
The Intermediate class was taken after six months and by 1996 the final step was taken - Reiki Master.
Discovering the internet and it's vast web pages on Reiki lead to my second Reiki Teacher - Richard Rivard.
It was from this encounter with Rick that I was made aware of an International Reiki Conference that was going to be held in August 1999 in Vancouver, B.C. The conference was called Usui Reiki Ryoho International or URRI for short. This was another pivotal point in my learning.
URRI 2002 conference: I was fortunate to be able to take the Komyo Kai Reiki Master Class. This two day intensive workshop was given by Rev. Hyakuten Inamoto. Hyakuten learned Reiki from Mrs. Chiyoko Yamaguchi who was a student of Hayashi.
I repeated this class many times: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2015. Each time I learn something new.
The name of Komyo Reiki Kai was changed in 2016 to Komyo ReikiDo . The 'DO' was added to reflect the emphasis on spiritual growth & development through the practice of Reiki, not just hands-on healing.
My love of Reiki has lead me to become a continuous learning student leading to discovering a deep wealth of knowledge in studying various Japanese Usui Reiki Ryoho styles. Transferring a rich tapestry of knowledge to my students is important. I offer classes in the Komyo ReikiDo style.
While living in my former hometown Barrie, Ontario I had the great good fortune to be a volunteer with Hospice Simcoe.
Sharing my Reiki skills for 15 years at Hospice with the residents, their families, hospice staff and other volunteers has made my life richer.
My Hospice experience subsequently fired my desire to work with two other Reiki practitioners to bring Reiki to the Staff of our local hospital.
The last ignited passion was to write a book - Integrative Healing Merging with Modern Medicine (2013)
Thank you to everyone who has walked with me on this journey.