Holistic healing, to me, means healing the whole. It isn't just about alleviating the symptoms of the physical body; it’s about tending to my mental health, balancing my emotions, and reconnecting with my spirit.

A significant part of my journey involves acknowledging where I come from—honoring the lineage that made sacrifices so I could be here today. It means honoring the lands that nourished my ancestors, just as I honor the land where I reside now and the people who cared for it long before me. When I hold deep reverence for the past and acknowledge where I am in the present, I can better navigate the future with intention. My hope is that, with this awareness, I can leave behind a positive impact, no matter how small.

I’m writing this as a way to connect with you. I am a naturally private, reserved person; I like to be discerning about who gets to receive my energy. But with all the noise lately about AI and the fears of "robots taking over," I feel it is more important than ever to share some raw, human realness through your screen.

I am a Filipina-American, born in the 80s in Southern California. I’m a second-generation immigrant. My parents pursued the "American Dream" by buying their first home in the late 70s, and in my primary schooling, I was often one of the only Asian students in a predominantly white neighborhood. English is my second language, so I learned very early on what it felt like to look and speak differently from my peers. I was raised to excel in school—my intelligence and academic ranking became my way of proving I deserved to be there.

Looking back, that experience planted the seeds for so much of the work I do today. I had to learn how to heal from being "othered," from constant discrimination, from perfectionism, and from the exhausting weight of being a people-pleaser. I had to redefine my own identity, outside of the roles I was told I had to play as a daughter and as a woman.

Fast forward to 2009: I hit a breaking point. I had to go back to my childhood and look at the history that led me there. Society puts so much pressure on us to "do well." As children, we didn’t know any better than to listen to our caretakers and guides—they did what they thought was best for us at the time, given their own conditioning. Eventually, however, we have to break down in order to rebuild what is our authentic Truth, as opposed to the survival mechanisms we adopted to fit in.

When I discovered Reiki, that gentle energy became the catalyst for my journey. It was a spiritual support—a soothing energy that guided me to look deeper at those unintentional childhood wounds. It allowed me to witness my past self with compassion. As an adult, I could finally hold my inner child’s hand and tell her, “You’re OK just the way you are, and you did your best.” That simple act of holding space for my past changed everything, and that sense of being held has reverberated through my life ever since.

Listen, healing is not something someone can give to you. It is a step you have to take on your own. It isn’t easy—it is often hard, uncomfortable, and messy. But I promise you, it is better to go through it than to numb yourself with external things, substances, or overstimulation.

I hope my story resonates with you and that you can feel my humanness through this screen. Wishing you well on the journey back to your true Self.