Stepping into the Light // Passion Project Announcement

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I first discovered Reiki when I was going through a bit of an existential crisis. I was in a relationship with someone I loved deeply, yet I still felt anxious and couldn’t fully let myself enjoy our time together. I had worked hard to propel myself to what should have been my ideal job, yet I wasn’t feeling fulfilled. In fact, I was feeling quite the opposite: emotional, drained, and like something was missing. As anyone who knows me could probably guess, I felt like if I could just find whatever this missing piece was, then that would “fix” everything.

When I sought out Reiki practitioners in my neighborhood, hoping I could rebalance my chakras, call in some wisdom, or better yet, have someone more connected to the universe just tell me how to find that missing piece, Cole Hooley’s smiling face clicked with me immediately. Her energy seemed peaceful, warm, and grounded, and she seemed like someone I might have struck up a conversation with at a coffee shop if we were to ever meet by chance. When I arrived to meet with her, I knew I had made the right choice. Although we were only supposed to have a short consult before our session, we ended up talking for over 30 minutes before I even got on her table. When I left the session with her, oddly, I suddenly had a food craving (very unlike me) - not for comfort food, but for the dinner, I used to have as a competitive swimmer after a big meet. Because I was trying to let myself be guided by Reiki, I let myself go to the same restaurant I used to go to as a high school swimmer and ordered that dinner. I was still too in my head to acknowledge anything beyond the physical then, but later I realized Reiki was guiding me to something more important - telling me to acknowledge and be proud of myself - the same way I used to be after a swim meet. I tend to be someone who never feels like I did good enough, and as soon as I accomplish anything, I look for the next hurdle to get over, rather than simply being present and savoring the moment. This was the first lesson Reiki taught me, but it would not be the last.

Other knowledge Cole dropped in my first session included how to ground my own energy, how to connect more deeply and intuitively with my body, and how to separate my energy from that of those I was surrounded by - which was huge for me in my high-stress work environment and when working with chronic pain patients. She also mentioned that while receiving Reiki would be wonderful for me, I might be better suited as a Reiki practitioner than a client. I dismissed it at the time, thinking that energy work was too “out there” for me to blend it with my other skill sets. However,, about a year later, I found myself being drawn to the idea of working more deeply with Reiki - even if it was separate from the rest of my work, or just for myself. Conveniently, when I started looking into it, I saw that Cole was actually teaching an upcoming Level 1 Reiki class about a mile from my house. I signed up, and the rest is history. It has been almost 2 years since that Level 1 class, and I am now in the final stages of becoming a Reiki Master.

My Reiki turning point, if I had to pick one, would be in meditation after my first attunement in my Level 1 class in the winter of 2018. I saw a scene from my future in that meditation so vividly - I was finishing teaching what seemed like a class on the beach. I gathered my things, walked up the beach to a dock, picked up keys, and headed out on the dock to my boat. As Reiki works across time and space, I immediately knew that this was my future - and also knew that the path I was on at the time would not lead to that future. I came home excited - what had always been just a dream seemed like it now could be real - and also frustrated - how was I supposed to get from here to there?! If the path I was on wasn’t it, how could I reorient? Was it too late to start on a completely new path? Now that I had seen this new future, there was no denying that it could exist, but I knew I would have to make some brave and uncomfortable choices to get there.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that the reason I felt like Reiki, Breathwork & Meditation put me in one box and Strength and Conditioning & Athletic Training put me in another is because of the work environments I have been in. The more I trained in elements of light work, the less clients coworkers referred to me for athletic training. At the time it was upsetting, but also eye-opening. I started becoming aware of how our environment puts us in these boxes all the time. Anyone who has entered the lightworker community later in life has probably struggled with this too. Is it okay for me to give a Reiki session in the morning and dance on tables with my girlfriends at night? Should I change the way I dress when I’m working with Reiki clients? The questions I asked myself are laughable now because I came to the simple realization that all these things are a part of ME. Just as in college people were surprised that I was an athlete, who had a science-heavy course load, who ALSO took a creative writing course every semester. Why does one negate the other? Only because other people say so.

It became more and more clear that just as the personal, multi-passionate ME didn’t have to suppress one of these elements to be successful at the other, neither does the professional me. Yes, the blend sets me apart, but it was up to me whether I defined that as a weird thing or a special thing. And so Reiki led me to create my own business, serving the mind, body, and soul of my clients with a blend of ancient traditions and the most current, evidence-based practices in sports medicine - and above all, help them tap into the intuitive wisdom of their bodies. Cole, being her usual intuitive self, pointed out that while I was stressing over trying to come up with a “passion project” to fulfill my Reiki Mastership requirements (I had one in mind that because of COVID, was put on indefinite hold), I had actually already begun one - bringing The Notorious ATC to life as a full-fledged business. Does that mean all of my clients do Reiki sessions with me? No, but I tap into Reiki in other ways. I connect with Reiki to start each day, asking this universal life force energy to guide me through all my sessions, asking them to serve my clients’ highest good and to empower them in all ways. 

So how is it going? First of all, I’ve been calling in the most amazing clients - people I look forward to seeing each week. Due to COVID-19, I’ve been training many of my clients outdoors at local parks. For some reason, I’ve been attracting couples who want to work with me - not only do I love all of them, but they are a constant reminder of how two polarities coming together create a beautiful spark. For me, they reflect the polarities I’ve blended in my work, and show me that I’m on the right track. I’m able to bring my love of writing into my work at last, through my blog. I finally feel fulfilled in my work, because I know I am giving what I was brought here to give to the world. I end my days with a gratitude meditation, for the clients, colleagues, and energy I am bringing into my life now that I am living in my purpose.

Oh and that vision of my future I had? Well, this week, I spent Friday morning on the beach. I went for a swim, and dried off in the sun while reading a book. I got a fresh juice from a boardwalk shop, then walked down the boardwalk to do a training session with another amazing new client, on his deck one block from the beach. Do I have the keys to my boat yet? No. But, as I strolled down the boardwalk with a juice in hand, salt in my hair, and the ocean breeze blowing, instead of rushing to work on a crowded subway, it seemed infinitely closer than it did two years ago.

Erica Marcano, Reiki Master

Erica's mission in bringing Reiki to her clients is to empower them in their ability to restore their true self, health, and vitality.'

More about Erica…


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Emotional Alchemy // Passion Project Announcement