My Why: Discovering Reiki

I received my first Reiki session on November 3, 2018. I remember the date clearly. Four weeks earlier, I had checked into an inpatient treatment center. A few days in, everyone was buzzing: “Pasha is here!” I thought, Who is this Pasha chick, and what’s the big deal?

Then I saw her—a tall woman with long blond hair, walking with a calm, grounded presence toward the meeting room at the far end of campus. I knew instantly that was her. I went to one of her sessions just to see what the all the fuss was about. Then I made a point to go to all of her sessions including her yoga classes. I got it. I started asking my therapists to book me a Reiki session with her.

That day happened to be the Day of the Dead celebration on campus—which meant: candy. (A banned substance.) I finally landed a 3 p.m. Reiki session with Pasha. I don’t remember much of what happened during the session—but I’ll never forget how I felt afterward.

I was anxious because I was scheduled to leave in a couple of days. Insurance had stopped covering my stay. But in that moment, I finally felt calm. Everything around me seemed brighter as I walked back to my cabin. I thought, I’ll just lie down for a bit before the Day of the Dead thing.

Fourteen hours later, I woke up to birds chirping outside my window. I had truly slept. I felt restored. Then… I was upset. I missed the celebration. I missed the chocolate!

But something had shifted. I knew I wanted to learn how to hold space for others the way Pasha had held it for me that day. At the end of June 2024, I began learning Reiki. The rest is unfolding—and I can’t wait to see where it leads.

And you know what else is cool? A little over a year ago, I was surfing the internet and I ran across Pasha’s website. She was accepting new clients. I immediately filled out her contact form. Now, Pasha holds space for me weekly and is coaching me to do the same for others.

Check out her website: https://www.pashahogan.com and on socials: @pashahogan