Ready Set Reiki
Welcome to ReadySetReiki®
A podcast about Reiki and Energy work. From the curious beginning to the seasoned Master Teacher. Welcoming all those who work with energy.
Join Reiki Master Tracy Searight as she guides you on a journey through this landscape of energy work. Each guest offers an in-depth unique perspective sharing their journey, which had 'a profound effect on their healing and development as a person. Come along on this journey and explore all the possibilities of working with energy.
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Tracy Searight is an Educator, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, Grandmaster, Sound Practitioner, Author, and Podcaster.
Find her on Feather Sister with Wellness living
offering training in 10 different systems of Reiki
Training in Chair Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Restorative
Ready Set Reiki
Episode #113 Reiki Fairy Erica Tokach's Healing Journey: From Anxiety and Recovery to Reiki Mastery – Embracing Meditation, Intuition, and Energy Exchange Transformation
After navigating a whirlwind of anxiety and recovery, Erica Tokach, a certified Reiki master teacher and life coach from Arizona, shares her inspiring journey of healing through meditation and Reiki. Erica opens up about her struggles and triumphs, offering a firsthand look into how these practices have transformed her life. We unravel common misconceptions about Reiki and Erica's personal story of overcoming substance abuse while shedding light on the importance of intuition and energy exchange in her healing process. This conversation is a testament to Erica's unwavering dedication to helping others find inner peace and rebuild their lives through her work in Reiki.
Finding the right Reiki instructor is not just about skills—it's about energy resonance and connection. We dive into the nuances of learning Reiki, addressing challenges like imposter syndrome and self-doubt, and exploring pivotal readings that bridge Reiki with the medical field. I share how technology and social media have expanded my reach and practice, making Reiki accessible to a broader audience. With a special spotlight on Feather Sister's contributions to Reiki and yoga, this episode celebrates patience, perseverance, and the enriching journey these practices offer. Don't forget to submit your questions for our upcoming segments to continue this enlightening dialogue.
Erica Tokach is a certified Reiki Master Teacher and life coach based in Arizona. As the owner of Reiki Fairy Meditation Studio, she offers meditation classes, Reiki training, and personalized energy healing sessions. Certified since 2015 and teaching since 2018, Erica has studied under William Lee Rand and holds certifications in Usui Reiki, Traditional Reiki, and Holy Fire. Erica is dedicated to helping others heal, grow, and find inner peace through her studio and online platforms.
Find Erica Tokach The Reiki Fairy on Tik Tok
Ready Set Reiki is a journey
From the curious beginner to the Season Master Teacher
All Energy workers of all systems and all levels.
This is Ready Set Reiki a podcast about Reiki, the universal energy life force, from the curious beginner to the seasoned master teacher, welcoming all systems, all energies and all levels. Reiki is a journey and not a destination, and on this Ready Set Reiki journey, I refer to myself as a guide rather than a host, as I, too, am traveling, supporting others and learning on this Reiki journey as well, and, with that said, I am your guide, tracy C Wright. Now joining me today is Erica Tokach. She is a certified Reiki master teacher and a life coach, based in Arizona. As the owner of Reiki Fairy Meditation Studio, she offers meditation classes, reiki trainings and personalized energy healing sessions, certified since 2015 and teaching since 2018. Now Erica has studied under William Lee Rand and holds certifications in Azui Reiki, traditional Reiki and Holy Fire. Through both her studio and online platforms, she is dedicated to helping others heal, grow and find their inner peace. Erica, also known as the Reiki Fairy, welcome to Ready Set Reiki.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, Tracy, for having me today. I appreciate this opportunity.
Speaker 1:Wonderful. Well, let's begin our journey together. So tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I live in Arizona. I've been here since 1997. I grew up on the East Coast and then I came out my high school year and my senior year and absolutely loved it and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It's kind of interesting how intuition can bring us to a place. I remember in like third and fourth grade drawing pictures of cactuses and palm trees and sunsets and you know and never knew where these images were coming from until I ended up here in Arizona. So it's kind of a neat story. And then now I live here, I'm married, I have three beautiful daughters and I have two grandsons and I'm just living the dream here in Arizona.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, beautiful. I love that for you, thank you. So when did Reiki come into your life? Did you find Reiki or did Reiki find you?
Speaker 2:that's a very interesting story. Um, I think that when I found Reiki, I I was teaching meditation. So my story kind of ends up like uh, it begins with a meditation journey. I had crippling anxiety and I knew that I needed tools to help through that, and meditation seemed to be a tool that worked for me to get out of that. And so I live in a very rural town so there wasn't a lot offered here for me to get meditation, lot offered here for me to get meditation, and so I said, hey, you know what, I'm going to go to the biggest city near me and get trained and certified myself so I can bring it back to our community because it works so well.
Speaker 2:After that, I was going to a meditation workshop and I heard about Reiki. And I knew that I needed to hear about it because I knew that I was already experiencing it, that universal life force which we all do have 20% before we even get attuned Reiki, which is interesting, that I was already feeling it. And then after that, then that's when I just knew I have to get trained, I have to get certified, and so I did, and after that it's just, you know, it's been a blessing.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, and that's amazing, that, something that you were struggling with yourself, that you were thinking of. Also, how could you help others? Yeah, what a blessing that is to take something to try to work on yourself, but at the same time, you want to go out and help others, you know, through those challenges, beautiful. Thank you for that. So you have been certified since 2015. You've been teaching since 2018. You've been out and you are also on TikTok. That is how I connected with you. So, as you are out, as you are navigating this wonderful, beautiful landscape of Reiki, what is a common misconception about your work?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think that there's a lot of conjecture on Reiki being part of a religion, being part of, you know, witchcraft. People have all kinds of assumptions on it and, although there's many people that practice Reiki that have all different walks of life, where it comes with religious beliefs, I like to say we wouldn't ask our physical therapist or doctor what their religion is. It's just not. You know, it's a healing modality and that's what we're doing. So I think that that would probably be one of the biggest misconceptions with Reiki it doesn't really belong to any religion.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and that's an interesting point that you make, because you know, like I went to go get a massage on Sunday and I didn't even ask her hey, what's your religion? Right? Like modalities where you lay hands on someone, like if you go to the podiatrist, you're not going to ask him what religion are you right? Or reflexology. So interesting point.
Speaker 2:And another thing too. I think that another misconception is people. They worry. Well, what if my Reiki practitioner is feeling sick that day? Or what if they're having some of their own mental issues? Well, Reiki, with our attunement, we are conduit with it, but that's all that we are. We're not giving an energy exchange. So actually, when your Reiki practitioner is giving Reiki, you're receiving Reiki from the universal life force, but also your Reiki practitioners as well. So it's very individualized, even though there's still we're doing it together. So, yeah, very good.
Speaker 1:So you're out helping others through meditation, through Reiki. You've been helping individuals through their biggest challenges and struggles as a life coach. But what has been the biggest challenge, or rather struggle, you've had to face in your own healing journey?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's a great question. So, besides having the crippling anxiety, I also struggled with substance abuse and I'm in recovery 11 years, clean and sober, and Reiki and meditation were definitely a big part of my journey. I, yeah, it's, and that's something that I didn't realize that something could be so profound and help somebody that was. I was at rock bottom, you know, and then again, later on, in 2017, 2018, I started getting really sick. My body started failing on me and the doctors didn't know, really, they didn't have answers and then eventually they had found out that I had autoimmune.
Speaker 2:And this was very frustrating for me at that point in my life because I had quit drinking. I had quit. I don't like I don't do anything bad. So I was like, why, if I'm doing everything to benefit my body, why is it giving up on me? And so I really had to dive in deep and get into the Reiki principles and get some rigorous honesty. Am I doing everything that I can? And I wasn't.
Speaker 2:You know, there were some things that I was just getting kind of complacent with. So I started my 21 day Reiki self treatments and sure enough that. And then, you know, having such a beautiful support system too, and and and also I think something that we tend to do, I know for me back then, I was taking every day for granted and I was laying in bed and being poor me, you know and this and that and angry, and really not taking um and to count, I'm here and I'm still alive, and there's still a lot for me to do, there's still a lot of life to live, and so I think that those Reiki principles, they help us live just for today and that, I think, is just, yeah, beautiful beautiful.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing that. Congratulations on your sobriety of 11 years. Very, very well done there. But isn't this interesting in your journey? You know this happened in 2018 when you began teaching, so perhaps these shifts were happening in your world to get you to the point where you could teach and help others to elevate as well.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, and it was just wonderful theme in your life that, as you're shifting and changing, as you're elevating, you're still dedicated to helping others heal and grow and find their inner peace. That's what I love. It's truly a Reiki fairy, right, thanks. So what do you wish your younger self knew about Reiki?
Speaker 2:so what do you wish your younger self knew about Reiki? Um, I think that, when I look at it, I wouldn't want my younger self to know about it because every I was such a mess. I was such a mess that I needed to be a mess and I needed life to happen to me to be open to it. To the extent that I was, that I like understand how powerful Reiki energy is and how healing it can be, and I think that if my younger self had it, I think I would have taken it for granted. I would have appreciated it, but not like how I appreciate it Now. I know it's the key to everything. It really is.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, wonderful. So when it is time for you to get an energetic tune up, what are some qualities that you look for in a Reiki practitioner?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, um, I like, I, I like it all. I really do. I like it all. I like because everybody has their own style of Reiki and it's just even though we all, you know, we, we all have holy fire, sui, traditional, or wherever our certification came from, but we all develop our energy in such unique ways. And so I think that what I would probably look for, maybe is I guess I would look for somebody that's personable, that's going to make me happy and smile, because I already know that the Reiki, it doesn't matter how long you've been trained you could have a week of training and be just as good as you know somebody that has years and years of it, and so because it isn't, it isn't really the practitioner at that point, it's really the life force, energy and what it's willing to do for your body. So I guess it would just be somebody that's personable and kind and loving because of that physical aspect of you know, I want to just know somebody else, so, yeah, Right, right.
Speaker 1:And people tend to forget that Azui Sensei, four years, four years, yeah, and look at the work and how this has continued from those four years. So don't look at it in the matter of time, where we, you know. Look at it just how it feels, how that person is, what resonates with you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:So what advice would you give someone who's just entering this profession?
Speaker 2:Entering the profession. Well, one thing that I would say I like to go back to, even just an instructor, like who you're going to get to certify you, look for somebody that their energy resonates with you, that their message resonates with you. I could sit here and try to sell courses all day to people, but if the energy doesn't resonate with my student, I want them to find somebody that they feel like, that's home, like. I've known this person, I feel their energy and that's who. I love their message and I align with that message. It should always start with that. You know, that's my belief. And then I think that somebody that is starting then, after certification, do not let the symbols get in the way. A lot of times people get very intimidated by that. I don't. And then also, the biggest thing is imposter syndrome.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of Reiki practitioners that are beautiful healers, but if you ask them, hey, you got certified nine months ago. What are you doing with it? You'll hear the some of them say I haven't done it. I have, I've done my self-treatment, but I haven't really worked on anybody. And you ask them why? And they're like well, I don't know if my energy is really working or not. And and there's all these barriers, and it's really just self-doubt, because the energy is there and, again, life force is going to come down when life force needs to come down, and it's as easy as that. So, yeah, Very good.
Speaker 1:So what books do you recommend? And these can be Reiki meditation, whatever book has helped you on your journey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I well. I like the four agreements I'm really big on that.
Speaker 2:I think that the philosophy there is beautiful, but for Reiki books, I of course like anything Holy Fire by William Lee Rand. And then I love Anne Baldwin. She is a professor from the U of A and she has done so much research on making Reiki more relevant in the medical fields too, and so and that, and she really had to do a lot to do this, and she has a book. It's a Reiki evidence, scientific evidence based approach, and what I like about that is because there are a lot of skeptics out there in the science world, the medical world, you know, and so I think that she does a nice job with bridging the two together. So then you know, you do see more Reiki practitioners in the medical field or going to the hospitals or being there for hospice. So she's done a lot of work and I feel like without without enough credit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, always the way they don't get enough credit, but one day, one day, she will. So what other services do you offer? Do you offer classes, events, trainings?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do so. I do at my meditation studio. I do meditation classes and Reiki sessions, but then also I do go at least twice a year to different parts of the country to teach Reiki. I was in the Poconos like over the summer that was really nice and then in California for Reiki level one and level two. And then I host Reiki level one and two workshops at my studio here in Arizona. But I also do a lot online. I really am grateful for Zoom, the fact that you know we can do so much these days. It used to be, if I attuned somebody for distance attunements, they had to do a lot of research and learning on their own and then there was a lot of phone calls and this and that, Now that we have Zoom, I just think that it's such a nice way to really interact with the students before giving them their attunements.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, that's probably the silver lining there, with COVID for sure, yes, right. Well, that's probably the silver lining there, with COVID for sure. Yes, yeah. So where can we find you online in person if someone's interested in booking a session or taking a training from you?
Speaker 2:Okay, so reikiferrycom is definitely a good start. There's a lot of information there. Now, if you're just wanting Reiki, I do a lot of free Reiki online too, with TikTok and Instagram and YouTube. So, yeah, I really believe that if you just type in Reiki fairy, it will lead you to a lot.
Speaker 1:Very good, Very good. Well, this ends the first part of our journey and I'm going to continue to be your guide through the next. Well, this ends the first part of our journey and I'm going to continue to be your guide through the next session, which is the social media questions from listeners and from Reiki students. So here we go. Number one have you seen an increase in clients by doing TikTok lives?
Speaker 2:Yes, I have, definitely, Definitely. It's been really nice. The TikTok community has been absolutely a blessing. That I did recently. Two years ago I was able to retire from my uh. I was a substance abuse counselor the past eight years and so I was able to retire because of the TikTok community, you know, and all their support.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Right and I know through TikTok definitely, like my children know, what Reiki is because, they're able to see that, so they're not. That generation's not going to have the stigma that we've endured with it. So it's going to be interesting to see how this goes in 10 years. So yeah, really made it out there. So that was a silver lining with that. Number two, can you tell me about your Reiki Fairy Glow Team?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah. So Reiki Fairy Glow Team I love that one of our, one of our subscribers came up with that name and I I just think it's uh beautiful. So we do have the Reiki Fairy Glow team and that is on reikifairycom and what they get is, uh, it's a community. But also we do uh mini. I put a free mini course on once a month, just a recording, where we I talk about a main chakra, and then also they get like a guided meditation, one that's just for them, for the subscribers, and then I try to put together some specialized content too for them also. So, and on TikTok, it's a little, it can get a little wild, because they're part of that too, and that one I'll do. I do like a hum along game and I hum a song and then they have to guess it, and then after that then usually we'll do like a tarot reading or I'll do a giveaway for that. So that's what the glow team is, okay and how do you sign up for that?
Speaker 2:So you can sign up on the website ReikiFairycom, or else you can also sign up through TikTok subscriptions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great, all right. Well, in addition to your Reiki Fairy Glow team and your classes now I've seen you do this on your lives you also sell Reiki bracelets.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, I do. Yeah, thank you. That's kind of a big deal for me, yeah, yeah, so I some of my Reiki bracelets are bracelets that I just place Re one when I was working as a substance abuse counselor in between my clients, when I would need to decompress myself, I had a thing of beads in there and I would make bracelets and people. We have like a small community market page and so I would meet people on my lunch breaks and sell bracelets and so it's kind of become like a really neat thing that now it's, you know, there's just a lot more people getting them.
Speaker 1:Right, wonderful, and you can purchase those on your webpage, right? Yeah, yeah, perfect, perfect, all right. Number three what are the benefits of working with an RMT meditation life coach?
Speaker 2:What are the benefits of working with an RMT, meditation, life coach? Yeah, so I think, with a Reiki master just working with one, usually they'll help you with finding ways to work with your energy, because we're all made up of energy and sometimes, when we have stored energy, if we're feeling fatigued and tired or drained and we don't know where that's coming from, usually a Reiki master can help you figure out what's going on. And also life coaching can build you a nice little almost like a treatment plan. You know, what is it that you're going to do, what are your goals, that you want to see and outcomes and and just kind of give you guidance. I and and bring you through this Reiki journey.
Speaker 2:And it's a different way of living. It's not really counseling, it's not really, you know, like I don't feel like when I work with somebody. It's life coaching, because I feel like we're working as a team. I never feel like I'm talking to somebody. I feel like I'm talking with them through their journey. You know, and they and we have that beautiful dialogue back and forth and say there's not really that. Well, I have to wait until next week, you know, for my appointment. There's a. Hey, I'm just going to send her a text and see if this is normal, you know, and then I'll send a message back, and so I really like that part of it. Right, right.
Speaker 1:So just a beautiful collaboration together.
Speaker 2:It really is. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:Very good. Well, that was our last question and, as we were talking, is there anything you might have forgotten or something that you would like to share with the listeners? The floor is yours.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like you've done such a great job asking me questions and really, you know, at the beginning of this I shared that I was like kind of scared because I don't really do podcasts and made it completely easy. I feel like I've been hanging out with you know a longtime friend, so thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, yes, and when I saw you on TikTok, I was so excited and I watch your live. So everyone check her out on TikTok. Check out her website. Lots of wonderful offerings. Well, erica, thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I know you've been so, so busy. We've had this set for months. That's how busy she is, but I was patient and I waited, so, all right. Well, thank you so much. All right, my wonderful listeners, if you would like your question featured on Ready Set Reiki, reach out at wwwreadysetreikicom or check me out on social media. Also, check out Feather Sister, which offers yoga and a variety of yoga trainings and Reiki trainings in online and in the El Paso area. I'm Tracy Seawright and this has been Ready Set Reiki. © transcript Emily Beynon.
