What is Reiki?

Reiki is the universal life force energy that flows through everything in existence (people, animals, plants, rocks, you name it). I like to think of it as a current of energy or light, the purest form of love that unites all of us. Reiki energy exists within us and all around us whether we are conscious of it or not. If we choose to work with this energy, it can have profound benefits for the mind, body and spirit. It helps dissolve the separation of self and other, deepening our inner knowing and trust in the universe. The more we reawaken to the experience of oneness between our spirit and the spirit of every animal, plant, rock, human, element and being, the more we’re able to access that sense of peace and connection in all that we do. We know we’re never alone, and that tending to our own hearts helps guide us towards all the ways we can help heal the planet.

The specific energy healing technique that I practice was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan in the 19th century and has been passed down through a lineage of practitioners around the world. I’ve been serving as a channel for Reiki energy for over thirteen years. I completed my Reiki I training in 2010, Reiki II in 2012, and Reiki Master training in 2021. I continue to study energy healing in all of its forms, including the Germanic and Celtic practices of my ancestors, and practice Reiki with deep honor and respect for its Japanese roots and traditions.

Reiki is not a religion, though the practice and effects of Reiki are rooted in spiritual practice. It is available to all who wish to receive. Reiki is performed by either laying hands directly on the body or by placing the hands slightly above the body using techniques taught to Reiki practitioners. It can also be channeled across any distance. It is a very gentle technique used primarily for relaxation, stress relief, and connecting with the universal life force energy of all that is. It has also been known to help boost the immune system and help with many physical conditions in conjunction with traditional medical treatment.

Reiki is not meant to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or psychological conditions. It is not to be used as a substitute for medical and behavioral health care, but is widely used as a complement to other forms of healing.

What does Reiki feel like?

Reiki shows up differently for everyone. That’s part of what makes it so beautiful. Every experience you have with Reiki will be a little different depending on the practitioner you’re working with and your own needs and willingness to receive. Most people say they feel relaxed. Others experience warmth, tingling, cold, or other physical sensations while receiving Reiki. Even if you feel nothing during a Reiki treatment, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t fully receiving the benefits of Reiki. Sometimes it may feel very strong, and other times the effects are imperceptible. Your body and spirit know what they need, and Reiki will naturally go wherever it is needed.

Skepticism is a natural and understandable part of being human. Most of us are skeptical about one thing or another based on how we were raised, what we learned in school, or what society tells us to believe on a daily basis. However, the more open you can be to receiving the benefits of Reiki, the more you will tend to get out of it. For me, the effects of Reiki increased over time. I felt very little during my first experience, then gradually felt more and more. Now, I not only feel warmth, tingling, and other physical sensations when I receive and channel Reiki, but I also often receive visions, messages, and other intuitive insights. The more open I am, the more I feel the benefits of Reiki in all aspects of my life.

Sometimes, Reiki can bring things to the surface that need to be released or embraced, including insecurities, trauma, pain, tears, and other difficult emotions like grief, anger, or heartache. This is a very common part of the healing process. This is one reason why it’s great to have a practitioner work with you to help process the experience and create a loving, safe container for you to receive Reiki healing.

Ultimately, each individual is responsible for their own actions, choices, and healing path. Reiki can help, but additional support from therapists, doctors, and trusted family and friends is also recommended. The more we can create a community of support and love for ourselves and others, the better we tend to feel. No matter what your experience, my hope is that you’ll leave the session feeling joyful, uplifted, and with the knowledge that you are unconditionally loved exactly as you are.

What is Distance Reiki, and why do you only offer Distance Reiki?

Energy can travel across distances. This is scientifically and spiritually proven, and has been practiced in healing traditions in cultures around the word. In Reiki training, practitioners learn the technique for channeling Reiki across any distance. Much like calling someone on the telephone or watching a TV show that’s being broadcast somewhere else, the energy can reach you anywhere at any time. There is no difference in the energy you receive during Distance Reiki than when you receive it in-person. It may feel slightly different, or it may feel very similar, but regardless, the energy is sent and will be received by the client exactly as needed.

We know how important virtual services are for accessibility. If you have mobility or transportation issues, or you’re not comfortable receiving treatment in-person for any reason, Distance Reiki is a great way to experience the healing and relaxation of energy healing right in your home or wherever you are. It’s also a great option for anyone, no matter your ability to travel to an office for a visit. You can book a Distance Reiki session while the kids are napping, between other Zoom meetings, before a big test, or before diving into writing, painting, or another creative pursuit. I strongly believe in Reiki as a means to connect people all over the world through the experience of energy healing and universal love.

It’s best that you find a quiet, comfortable place where you can lie down or sit while receiving Distance Reiki. You should not be driving or operating machinery. It’s also best to avoid watching the news or looking at social media during Reiki since this can be distracting and overstimulating (although playing music during a session is recommended). Other than that, you can receive Reiki while staying in your pajamas in bed or cozied up with a furry friend at your feet. You can be as comfortable and free as you want in your own setting while receiving all the benefits of Reiki.

I also enjoy working with clients in-person and look forward to more events and spaces where I’ll be able to share Reiki in this way. I do have experience with Reiki circles and giving in-person treatments. That said, Distance Reiki is a passion of mine and will continue to be a primary focus of my healing practice. I very much enjoy channeling and receiving Distance Reiki. As a person with chronic pain and illness, it has opened up so many opportunities for me to practice, and I am so thankful for the ability to work with clients around the world.

What will a Distance Reiki session with you be like?

After booking your session, you will receive a confirmation email with a Zoom link for the date and time of our session. On that date and time, we’ll meet on Zoom to discuss your reasons for wanting to receive Reiki. You can share how you’re feeling, what you hope to release or heal, and what you would like to experience more of in your life. You can also ask questions. Depending on the length of the session you booked, we may do a brief guided meditation and optional oracle card pull. For all sessions, we’ll take a few breaths together, and then we’ll either sign off of Zoom or mute ourselves and turn off video. You’ll lie down or sit comfortably while I channel Reiki energy to you. After that time, we’ll get back on Zoom or unmute ourselves. You can share anything you’d like to share about your experience and have the opportunity to hear from me if you’d like about any intuitive messages or reflections that came up. *Note: If we don’t need as much time for intake, we can extend the time off Zoom for you to receive Reiki. This is more likely for returning clients, but we can be flexible depending on the needs of each client.

After the session, I’ll email you a written summary with my reflections and any intuitive insights within 24 hours. You are welcome to book another session with me any time, as often or as little as you need. It can also just be a one-time thing. I’d love to continue holding space for you whenever you feel you need it, but there is absolutely no pressure. It’s all about what works best for you.

What will a virtual astrology reading with you be like?

Our astrological charts tell a story based on the positions of the planets in the sky at the time of our birth. Each chart is as vast and complex as we are, like an intricate puzzle waiting to give us a clearer view of who we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going. My non-predictive, intuitive readings are meant to help you embrace your wholeness, leading to greater self-understanding and acceptance of your strengths, opportunities for growth, and the path your soul longs to take. Astrology is one more way to explore our place in the story of the universe, a story that is never set in stone, but that we continue co-creating as we learn about our unique place in the cosmos, our special gifts, and how we can be more intentional as we share them.

After booking your session, you will receive a confirmation email with a Zoom link for the date and time of our session. Before our session, I will use the information you provided on the intake form to study your unique birth chart. During the session, we’ll meet on Zoom to go over your chart. We will focus on your Sun, Moon and Rising signs, as well as the other planets, asteroids and aspects that stand out as particularly important in your chart. You can share how you’re feeling, any issues you hope to focus on or work through in your life, and we’ll look for ways that your chart can help support your journey. You can also ask plenty of questions, though some questions may be best for a follow-up session or for another astrologer.

My readings focus solely on individual birth charts, progressions, and transits unless the reading that you book specifies that it is a couples reading. For all of my readings, I use the Placidus system, as that is the system I was trained in and it has resonated deeply with me and my clients. There are many different techniques for reading charts. I will give you my best interpretation based on what I’ve learned and my intuition, but it is always beneficial to hear from other astrologers too. The more you study and get to know your chart, the more you’ll learn!

After the session, I’ll email you a written summary with my reflections and any intuitive insights within 24 hours. You are welcome to book another session any time you feel you need it. There is so much to explore in astrology, and I’d love to continue holding space for you.

What is your approach to tarot? What will a reading with you be like?

Deeply rooted in the present moment, my tarot readings offer a non-predictive, gently supportive way of connecting with your own inner wisdom, intuition, and guidance from Spirit. I am not a fortune teller or psychic, meaning that my readings will not tell you specifically what will happen in the future or what to do (nor will my astrology readings or Reiki sessions); rather, they are meant to help guide you to make your own decisions according to your own intuition and free will. Trained in Lindsay Mack’s Soul Tarot framework and using The Gentle Tarot deck by Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar (Mari in the Sky), I am honored to give readings that are fun, sensitive, inclusive, compassionate, and meant to help you find your own answers as you tap into the magic that’s always within you. I don’t believe there are any “bad” cards or readings; all cards offer us magic, support, healing and guidance in their own special way. 

I will pull the cards for you based on the questions for the reading you selected. Live Zoom readings will include time spent tuning in with the wisdom of each card with plenty of time for conversation and reflection. An email summary will also be sent to you following the reading.

Whichever reading you choose, I hope you will enjoy and feel uplifted and supported for your journey!

What do you mean when you say you're a witch?

By calling myself a witch, I mean that I’ve devoted my life to living in alignment with nature as much as possible. I come from generations of intuitive women and healers, not all of whom identified as witches, but I believe some did. I’ve chosen to call myself a witch because it fits me and my belief that we co-create our existence with Spirit and the universe. I also call myself a witch because I believe it is our spiritual calling to work for justice, joy, love, pleasure and equity for all beings.

Ask fifty witches what it means to be a witch and you’ll probably get fifty different answers! We each create our own lives, values and beliefs while honoring those who came before us. I call myself a witch with great respect and reverence for those for whom being a witch has been and continues to be dangerous. I hope that in calling myself a witch, I can help reclaim it for all people who wish to live in the fullness and fierceness of their own magic and use it for good in the world.

What do you mean by "Spirit?"

Spirit is the word I generally use to describe the higher power and consciousness of the universe. I believe that Spirit connects us and guides us while we’re here on Earth, that we each come from Spirit, and that we return to Spirit after we leave our physical form. Others may feel more comfortable calling this force God, higher power, universe, or another name. I tend to use them interchangeably, but I usually go with Spirit. I’m very flexible and open to the language used during a session. Again, Reiki is not affiliated with any particular religion or spiritual belief (though it is rooted in Japanese culture). All are welcome.

Do you offer discount discounts?

This year, I’m experimenting with a new pricing structure, so instead of offering discounts, all of my services are already priced as accessibly as I can make them with different options for different price points. Plus, I’ll be rolling out more free community offerings in the year ahead. Stay tuned!

I believe that money and distance should never be barriers to magic and healing. If additional support is needed due to income, please contact me at lauren@heronkind.com for options. My hope is that anyone who is able to pay full price for my work will do so, so that I’m better able to support myself while offering lower prices for those who cannot afford the full cost for any reason. Regardless, everyone will be treated with the same respect, dignity and love, no matter what they pay for a session.

What else are you doing to support community?

3% of all profits are donated to organizations working for climate, environmental, racial, disability, and LGBTQIA2S+ justice each year. I try my best to donate as much as possible, to uplift the voices of other healers, witches and activists leading in these communities, and to continually educate myself. I know that there is no end to this learning. I hope that together, we can create an equitable, just, and joyful existence for all. Some of the organizations I’ve donated to in the past are Intersectional Environmentalist, NDN Collective, Greenpeace, The Loveland Foundation, Together Rising, Equality Florida, Sierra Club, Earthjustice, All We Can Save Project, and RAICES, among many others.

What is your cancellation/refund policy?

Cancellations can be made with a full refund up to 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time. You can cancel your appointment or reschedule using the links provided in your confirmation email. However, if a cancellation or reschedule needs to be made less than 24 hours from the start of the appointment time, you will need to email Lauren directly. Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance will not receive a refund.

Refunds are not available once a session has started or after a session or service has been given. A no-show more than once may result in no longer being able to book services. I understand that emergencies may come up, but also need to respect my time and schedule.

Please be on time for your session so we can get the most out of our time together. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be considered a no-show and asked to reschedule your session. Thank you for understanding!

* Services from Heronkind and Lauren Trombino-Walleser are not meant to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical and/or psychological conditions. Reiki, astrology, tarot and oracle readings are not to be used as substitutes for medical and behavioral health care. If you have a medical or psychological condition, please consult your doctor and/or therapist. All clients are responsible for their own actions and choices. Information shared from Heronkind and Lauren Trombino-Walleser on this website, via email and during sessions is not meant as a directive and does not constitute medical, psychological, business, financial, or legal advice.