A Traveler’s Healing Journey // Passion Project Announcement
It was August 2017 and I had just returned from a month-long trip around Perú. Everything about that trip was life-changing for me in very profound ways. My first two weeks in Perú, I sat in ceremony with 19 others inside a maloca (a communal long-house used by the indigenous people of the Amazon) in the lush Amazonian jungle. We cried, we laughed, we poured our hearts open inside that sacred structure. A portal of possibility opened up for me during this retreat; the possibility to heal myself and guide others into their own healing. The desire to host international retreats with a spiritual therapeutic focus was already present in me for quite some time before I arrived in Perú, but at this retreat, it finally dawned on me, “you don’t have to wait; you can do this now.” This shift in perspective was exciting and refreshing.
As soon as I returned to New York, I had a lengthy conversation with my cousin about my plans. He was working in the tourism industry in Mexico at the time, so I was interested in his feedback and his expertise. I told him, “I’m not interested in planning a luxury spa vacation for people. There are plenty of companies already offering that.” I explained, “I want to curate an intimately healing and transformative experience for people where they feel safe to be seen, heard, and held; an experience that doesn’t shun shadow work, but also cultivates joy, and fun, and playfulness.” He thought it was a great idea and emailed me a few venues I could consider in Tulum. None of them felt right, so I continued to look for the right retreat space. Time went on and in the midst of work, life and school, my plans to host my own retreat were back-burnered.
It was during this pause that I met Cole and became a part of the Glowing Heart Reiki family. Feeling guided by Spirit and my experience in Perú, I found myself researching Reiki trainings in the wee hours of the night and stumbled upon Root Mamma, who was hosting a Reiki level 1 training being led by Cole the following morning. Without hesitation and running on 2 hours of sleep, I showed up for my first Reiki training, tired, but knowing that I was in the right place that day. Throughout the course of 2018, I completed Reiki levels 1, 2, 3A and Reiki Restorative Yoga trainings with Glowing Heart Reiki. My intention was to dive into Reiki Mastership right away, but something didn’t feel aligned, so I told Cole I would hold off on Mastership for perhaps one more year.
At the end of 2018 was when I met Nivea, who is a Brennan energy healer and an absolute earth angel. Nivea became my healer, and as time went on, she also became my spiritual teacher, mentor and friend. Our sessions and classes together have been very cathartic and transformational. I have expanded my energy healing technique with Nivea’s guidance. Over the last 3+ years, Nivea has helped me unpack and heal a lot of my karma. With the pealing of each layer, I have learned so much about myself and the nature of the Universe.
It’s no coincidence I met Nivea and Cole, two amazing teachers, in 2018. The right people and circumstances show up when we’re ready. They have helped empower me as a light-worker, and have taught me that being a light-worker comes with the responsibility to dive deep into my own healing in order to serve the world from a more authentic and centered place. I am excited for the ever evolving journey ahead.
This year I decided to complete my Reiki Mastership training with Glowing Heart Reiki after a two year pause. For my mastership passion project, I have organized the retreat I have dreamed of hosting for the past few years. The retreat is taking place April 16, 2022 - April 22, 2022 in beautiful Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Lake Atitlán is nestled in the southwestern highlands of Guatemala in a massive volcanic crater surrounded by 4 majestic volcanoes. The energy of this place is palpable; the surrounding nature encourages healing and deep transformation. There are several lakeside villages sitting on the edge of Lake Atitlán where the Mayan way of life can still be observed and appreciated. I had the opportunity to visit Lake Atitlán in August 2021 and intuitively knew this was going to be the location for my first international retreat. I have invited Nivea and Cole to co-facilitate this retreat with me. It will surely be a restorative and inspiring experience for all who choose to join us. I invite you to come along for the journey.
You can find me at:
www.wildandsacredwellness.com/retreats
wildandsacredwellness@gmail.com
Instagram: @wildandsacredwellness
Betsabé Luna, Reiki Master
Betsabé is an intuitive, Latina healer bringing together different modalities in her private sessions with clients and workshops. After a profound retreat in Perú, Betsabé was guided to pursue the practice of Reiki as a form of healing.