One evening in December, I was talking with my online student from Barbados after a Reiki exchange. As we finished our exchange, I said, "I'm just dreaming here, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Reiki retreat in Barbados where we, and the other online students, could meet and share Reiki in person?" She agreed and even mentioned that we were wearing the colors of the Barbadian flag, me the blue and black and her the yellow gold. Together, we sent Reiki to this dream before ending our call.

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I immediately began my search, looking at every hotel, guest house, villa—anything, really, to find the perfect spot for a possible retreat. I wanted to mainly see if the island was open to having us. That was the most important part. I spent all my waking time (and on most days sleeping time too) during the Christmas holidays and New Year's researching, contacting places, waiting, and connecting with the spirit of the land there. I nervously texted my student asking her if she could visit certain places, which she did very graciously with her mother. She took photos and shared their thoughts and impressions.  

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Having organized personal retreats for those who’ve visited me in Okinawa over the years, I knew exactly what I wanted to offer my clients and students for a memorable tropical island getaway. I began with this thought: If dreams come true, I want to offer all these wonderful things to those who will travel to practice Reiki with me. Some of the key elements on my list were: 

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- A beachfront location with direct access to the ocean
- A place with healthy, inviting energy, and supportive nature spirits
- A family-run local business to support the community
- A property that wasn’t once a plantation
- An on-site restaurant with a good chef for us to be well-fed and nourished
- Comfortable, well-appointed rooms
- A boutique hotel to rent out exclusively for our group to keep the energy pure
- A space with local flavor for a memorable experience 
- A covered sacred space by the ocean big enough to set up massage tables for Reiki practice
- A fire pit for evening gatherings 

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However, after reaching out to many places, most didn't respond or stopped responding altogether. I took it as a sign that, after putting in so much effort, it was time to throw in the towel. Honestly, I was beyond exhausted but glad I followed through and gave a Reiki-inspired dream a good try. But then, I remember it was right after midnight, something urged me to check just one more hotel I had missed. I gathered my last bit of strength to reach out once more. 

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This time, the owner responded within 20 minutes. He shared that he had recently remodeled his boutique hotel with an intention to host healing retreats. He even mentioned working on a project with the Shipibo tribe of shamans in Peru—in the same city where I met Maestra Olivia Arévalo many years ago. When I casually mentioned her first name, he knew who I meant and immediately sent me three paintings of her from his private collection by Jorge Ramirez, a renowned Peruvian artist. These rare and priceless paintings I'd never seen before were something I never expected, and it took me a couple of days to respond.

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For those of you who know me or have worked with me over the years, you know that I’ve been grieving the loss of Maestra Olivia for the past nearly-seven years. The day she passed was the day I was supposed to teach my first Reiki 2 class in the treehouse on St. Mark’s. I dedicated the class to her, and Reiki, and my students, helped me through that painful day. I felt pieces of her soul and teachings spread across the globe to her students, and as I looked down, I saw one clear piece land at my feet. I picked it up and placed it in my heart, asking her, through my grief, to help guide me forward so I could continue my work and help others in the way she helped me.

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Soon after her death, I was guided to leave NYC for Japan, a place that had been calling me my whole life. I’ve been rooted here for the past five years, feeling that deep, meaningful work was taking place which made it imperative for me to stay still. 

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A month before I spoke with my student in Barbados, for the first time a dear friend from the U.S. visited me. And right after she left, another dear friend reached out to ask me to officiate her forest wedding in the Catskills. It was like I was being asked back into the world, or another way of saying it is that I was able to move again. And honestly, it was a terrifying thought after being rooted in my ancestral land for so long. 

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And then, as I looked at the paintings of Maestra Olivia whose spirit seemed to sing to me from beyond space and time, I realized I was being gently led back into the world beautifully and invitingly. She was guiding and reassuring me that the time was right and it was okay to return home. 

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This retreat was born from the dream realm, and it's here to help us to touch that truest soul place within ourselves, to remind us of the importance of our dreams, and that they can absolutely come true. As it has been for me throughout the years, Reiki is here, supporting everyone who feels the call to join us. It's as if Reiki is always saying, "It's here if you want it." 

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For those interested in learning more about the hotel (that checks all the boxes by the way!), it’s called Surfer's Bay Resort and is located at the southern coast of the island in Christ Church Parish.