A little bit about me...

My interest in health and wellness began in the early 1980s in high school.  As a college freshman, I sat in a classroom at the University of New Hampshire, excited to learn about my chosen major, occupational therapy (OT.)  I could never have imagined then the incredible journey that awaited me.  The inspiring people I would meet from all walks of life.  The life lessons they would impart upon me (and I thought I was going to be the one teaching them!) For certain, on that Fall day of 1983, I had not heard of the practices of Reiki or Mindfulness Meditation.  Nor would I hear about them as part of my OT curriculum over the next four years.  It was only several years later these practices and others entered my life. 

I initially learned about self-care practices as extra tools for my “OT Toolbox,” hoping they might help me better serve my patients and their family members. They did offer support in many ways, including helping to decrease pain, anxiety, and overwhelm.  However, I could never have predicted what a profound impact these practices would have on my own life and how they have helped to shape my understanding of the true meaning of health, healing, and wholeness.

The longer I  partake in the self-care practices of Reiki, mindfulness meditation, journaling, and spending time in nature, the better I appreciate the wise teachers they are. I am grateful to have them accompany me on my life journey. I have been inspired to share these practices with others because of the profound impact they have had on my life and the many people I have worked with through the years. I believe that “connecting with self”  is an essential foundation for wellness or,  as I prefer to call it, wholeness.  Within each of us is a storehouse of wisdom. Yet, in our modern-day busy and, at times, overwhelming and anxiety-provoking world, it can be challenging to access our innate wisdom.  

Reiki, Mindfulness Meditation, Time in Nature, and Journaling are all self-care practices that can help us to access inner balance, calm, and clarity and connect to our unique wisdom.  Over the past several years, I have been dedicating more time to these practices, and am grateful to the teachers and mentors who have graciously guided and shared their wisdom with me.  However, the longer I practice, the more I appreciate that the true teacher is the practice itself.  Because of this, I always recommend people allow plenty of time between classes.  I took my first Reiki class in 2006 and didn’t take my Reiki teacher class until 2017.  Regarding mindfulness meditation, I did much the same practicing and then taking courses with a variety of meditation teachers.  Just recently, I reread a Reiki book that I had read for the first time about ten years ago. Lo and behold, I felt as if I was reading it for the first time because the depth of my connection to my Reiki practice had evolved.  I find this exciting because I am sure it will always be this way.  The more we practice, we resonate with different aspects of classes, courses, and books. I think this is true of any practice, whether playing an instrument or swimming, you can read 100 books or take multiple classes, but you will never truly connect until you pick up the instrument and consistently practice or get into the water and practice swimming.   

In 2019, I followed my heart’s urging to open a Reiki studio in my home, and that same year began teaching and offering Reiki, mindfulness meditation, and other classes focused on caring for self, mind, body, and spirit within my community.  Today I consider myself a passionate self-care advocate. When I say self-care, it isn’t about having a pedicure, taking a hot bath, or a weekend away (albeit they are all wonderful things). Instead, I am talking about weaving simple, daily self-care practices into our lives which help us connect back to our own true selves - mind, body, and spirit.  Sometimes life gets so busy and overwhelming we forget this deep inner knowing is always there, patiently awaiting us.  Self-care, I wholeheartedly believe, is not optional but vital to creating balance in our lives.  Self-care practices support us in staying healthy as well as accessing healing when the inevitable challenging moments of life cross our thresholds.

I am incredibly grateful to my family, who has supported me on this journey!  

My husband, Mike, and I have lived in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire since 1997.  We have raised our two daughters, Alana and Kate, here and thoroughly enjoy being part of this vibrant, caring community. 

Some of my favorite activities include exploring and photographing the stunning local landscape throughout the four seasons, walking, hiking, gardening, writing, and curling up with a good book.  I cherish time spent around the table with family and friends and love traveling and exploring other parts of this beautiful planet that we all share.