Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Relax, Rejuvenate, Renew: Need to de-stress? Reiki may be just the ticket.

Screenshot 2014-12-29 09.04.08Ask any Reiki practitioner to explain the practice, and you’ll quickly learn that it doesn’t fit neatly into one descriptive little box.

The non-invasive, benign healing technique, is, in my opinion, a bit ethereal in nature, which is why categorizing it is as difficult as clutching a cloud. What I can tell you is that I walked into Rickie Freedman’s office recently in my “wound-too-tight” default mode and sat up from the table an hour later, relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the day.

I even kept my cool when someone cut me off as I was pulling out of the parking lot after my session. For me, that’s progress.

To better understand the relaxing practice known as Reiki, it’s helpful to know that the word is actually composed of two Japanese words—Rei and Ki. Rei can be defined as a higher intelligence, while Ki is the non-physical energy that animates all living things.

According to Reiki practitioners, negative feelings have an adverse effect on our health since they block the Ki that flows through and around us. While Western medicine doesn’t necessarily embrace Reiki, doctors do concede that there is a mind/body/health connection. During sessions, Reiki practitioners use a light touch to restore balance to the body and mind of those who seek its healing properties.

A Call

Rickie Freedman was born and raised in the Philadelphia area and faced unique challenges due to her name throughout her youth.

Every year, she was enrolled in boy’s gym and choir and, as a teen, received mail from the Army and Navy. Later in life, she ended up thanking her parents for the appellation. “I believed it was a call to my purpose,” she said.

Freedman’s interest always gravitated towards the healing arts.

“One of my teachers tried to talk me into going into med school at one point,” she said.

As a person with a nurturing, caregiving personality, Rickie eventually decided upon physical therapy, practicing at a nursing home in Lewisburg. In the mid ‘90s, friends introduced Freedman to Reiki.

“They took a class, and, when they came home, they practiced on me,” she said. “I had been going through a challenging, stressful time and had a big detoxification release afterwards, so I began studying it for my own emotional healing.”

She later would pay it forward by sharing the practice with others.

“I helped employees at the nursing home cope with the stresses of that kind of work and began incorporating the technique into my physical therapy,” she said.

Several years later, Freedman received a Reiki table as a gift. She offered her services to friends and word spread, so, when one co-worker opened up a wellness center, she asked Rickie to join her.

“I felt like it was an opportunity, so I gave it a try, and what I learned is that, when you believe in something with every fiber of your being, it radiates,” she said. “People feel that and are attracted to it. In a short amount of time, more people were coming there for Reiki than anything else.”

Eventually, this led to her decision to practice Reiki full time. In 2008, Freedman moved to Harrisburg, where she worked at establishing her expertise and reputation in the area. By 2013, she was ready to create her own space.

Swears By It

Freedman’s current base of operations, located off Linglestown Road, is comprised of an office, two healing rooms, a comfortable waiting room and an event area.

The new space has enabled her to expand her practice to offer more services like Indian head massage, chakra foot massage and the popular REIKIssage—a blend of Reiki and therapeutic massage.

Classes and workshops are held throughout the year and include topics like meditation, stress management and aromatherapy, to name just a few.

Tessa Shaffer travels from Liverpool to benefit from Freedman’s services.

“I met Rickie at an event she was doing and signed up for a 15-minute mini session and, in that short time, it alleviated a headache and some of my back pain,” she said adding that she was so intrigued that she decided to study the practice herself after contracting Lyme disease.

Thanks to Freedman’s instruction, Shaffer is now a practitioner.

“There are three levels, and Rickie holds monthly classes for the different levels,” said Shaffer. “Anyone can do it, and it has aided in improving my energy and managing my pain. It’s amazing, and you don’t really need to understand how it works for it to work.”

Kris Shulenberger has been undergoing Reiki sessions for about a year and swears by it.

“I have more energy and vitality,” said the Carlisle resident. “The first thing I noticed is that I didn’t have the winter doldrums last year, and the other thing I noticed is that I have a different level of energy in dealing with issues and problems. It’s a deep form of relaxation, and you come out energized and feeling better.”

For those considering Reiki, Freedman recommends scheduling the first three sessions a week apart.

“They work together in a series to get you to a better place of balance,” she said. “By the end of the third session, clients have a better sense of the good it does.”

In choosing this line of work, Freedman said she has found the “perfect peace,” which she lives to share with others.

“Every single day is awesome because I get to witness people’s transformations as they come into the fullness of who they are and are able to let their light shine so they can go out into the world and bring that to others,” she said. “That’s awesome, with the emphasis on the awe. I love my work, every single day. I love teaching, and I love sharing this.”

Reiki by Rickie|ReikiSpace & Learning Place is at 2793 Old Post Rd., #10, Harrisburg. Call 717-599-2299 or visit www.reikibyrickie.com.

Continue Reading