I am so excited to introduce you all to Brook Albrigo, a very dear friend of mine. You have heard me speak previously about the very important roles that reiki and the subtle body have played in my healing journey, I have also shared very specific details of healing sessions with Brook. I am very honored to announce that Brook will be joining us here monthly to share more about reiki and the strong influence in which energetics can play in healing, including simple tips to restore balance and promote vitality and wellness.

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If someone had told me 6 years ago that I would become a Shamanic Reiki Master I would’ve laughed in their face and told them to get their head checked. Those words just didn’t exist in my vocabulary until the day, immobile and injured, I sought physical pain relief and found healing on an extraordinary level.
The path that followed was one I never for one moment felt that I chose, but rather that it chose me. I had to surrender to it or be dragged kicking and screaming. Either way, THIS was happening!

Before I discovered healing through energy work, I was completely comfortable in my routine of self destructive and toxic co-dependent ways. I was living in New York City, working in the beauty industry, sometimes working weeks without a day off. I was convinced all the sacrifice would pay off – it’s all part of the ‘city hustle’ and you can sleep when you’re dead, right?  The stress and disregard for self care was so out of control that I had developed insomnia, digestive issues, a constant eye twitch and I couldn’t calm my nerves enough to take the subway home without at least two drinks in my system.

Looking back and knowing what I know now, this was all just a major distraction. A diversion I had unknowingly created to avoid the real issues underneath the surface.  I was more willing to sacrifice my health, happiness and overall well-being than face the hard truth – I simply did not love myself. Even worse, I hated myself. I had been on antidepressants for years trying to numb this feeling of never being enough or worthy. I was adept at smiling and pretending that I had it all together, but deep down was this great deal of self loathing and suffering. While initially antidepressants did help me get through a tough time, I had come to rely on them for too long and wanted to eventually come off, but did not think I was capable. All of these circumstances combined with my Saturn Return (an event that happens to all of us about every 28—30 years which brings about major change), the perfect storm was created.

The catalyst came about one evening when I stepped in a crack on the sidewalk while wearing high heels. With the right amount of pressure and the perfect angle of the fall, I had badly fractured my foot in two places.  I was in complete denial when I was told I had to stay off it for at least a few weeks. I did NOT have time for this! I had a laundry list of reasons why this was not an option. I was supposed to travel for work, I lived in a city where you walk everywhere and I literally couldn’t leave my apartment without help since I was up 3 flights of stairs. So I pushed myself, soldiering on to work, trying to keep up with my lifestyle when my doctor told me if I didn’t slow down I would need surgery, which would inevitably keep me off of my feet even longer. I had to put myself first for a change.

I was experiencing the sobering reality that I was not invincible and that my body could indeed just break. My job that I had dedicated myself to, was less than understanding of my situation, lacking the loyalty and respect I was sure it had regarded for me. I couldn’t leave my apartment to go out with my friends. I was in pain, but could not take the pain medication because it made me sick. I did not recognize my life anymore. Who was I without the job? friends? drinking? all of the distractions?

When we are injured or sick, we seek a medical doctor for healing. When we are feeling overwhelmed or depressed, we seek a therapist or mental health care professional for support. But where do we go when we are feeling disconnected from ourselves on a energetic and spiritual level? Who do we seek? During my time as a healer, I have come to realize that these are all connected and influence one another. We can not just take care of one area and expect to feel whole. If you put off one aspect of your wellness, it will resurface in other ways until you address it; there is no separation. Grasping out for something, anything, that would bring a sense of recognition back to me and help me heal my injury, I googled “natural healing for pain” and came across the word “Reiki” for the very first time.

Serendipitously there was a place close by that offered it and in my desperation I would have tried just about anything. Unaccustomed to having time on my hands, I decided to book a Reiki session to heal my foot .What I received was nothing short of an awakening. I left with a much deeper sense of healing and connection I hadn’t felt in a very long time – to myself. The fog started to lift and I was able to see things with clarity, focus and an entirely different perspective. I continued receiving weekly sessions and observed all the ways I wasn’t honoring myself. I could see all the things in my life that were hindering me.  My self-sabotaging patterns, low self esteem, feeling unworthy of happiness or love – it all was being peeled back layer by layer for me to confront. I began to see my injury as a gift – the universe calling me back to myself.

I recall in one of my early sessions feeling a warm sensation around my heart, as if someone had placed warm honey on my chest, it slowly started to spread throughout my entire body bringing a sense of relaxation I had never felt before. Visions of various animals and memories of my childhood and loved ones flooded in as if I was dreaming but I knew I was awake. The messages were so clear. As a child I had vivid dreams and a wild imagination, I also was often told I was “too sensitive” because I could be very emotional over seemingly minor situations. I grew up thinking these things were weaknesses – too much daydreaming, having my head in the clouds, letting my emotions get the best of me. Through these healing sessions I was being shown that these were in fact my strengths, if I could learn how to work with them. I wasn’t overly emotional, I was feeling the deep connection I have to all living things around me and at times picking up their pain. I wasn’t daydreaming or not paying attention, I was being communicated with and receiving information. All of these pieces were falling into place like a puzzle, and I not only felt relieved that there wasn’t something wrong with me, but I felt empowered – I could finally embrace who I truly was.

This change was so profound that I knew in my heart, this was my path. I started my Reiki training and apprenticeship with a new sense of purpose. It felt like any element not aligned with this new path was fading away. I was acutely aware of my purpose and the things that no longer belonged in my life and left my unhealthy job, took better care of myself, began meditating, started to slowly come off of my antidepressants (under the supervision of my doctor) and began to travel the world, exploring what was out there.

I dove head first into witnessing how other cultures healed themselves, soaking up as much knowledge that was offered to me and being open to every teacher I crossed paths with; from connecting to the powerful earth energy (called Pachamama in Peru) and Incan history, to healing my energetic wounds with a shaman who spent decades in the amazon communicating to plants through songs and words. Opening myself to the ancient wisdom of the Huichol natives from the Sierra Madre who convey their visions of spirit animals through elaborate bead and woven designs, deeply resonated with me as a practitioner who interprets spirit animals of others.

Immersing myself in the teachings of the Maya in Guatemala through learning about their Astrology, Geometry, Prophecies and Dieties. Mexican Curenderas who had been practicing healing for generations showed me the ancient art of Limpia (energetic cleansings) and using medicinal herbs. I met a mystic who would have you light a candle and could read your life story accurately by the way the flame danced and the wax dripped. I learned that just as these incredible healers were my teachers, so was the land I set foot on. There were ancient secrets and stories stored in the rocks, trees and mountains. I just had to listen.
Over the years since, I have built a thriving healing practice where I can share and teach others what I have learned through tending to my own wounds. I offer sacred practices such as moon ceremonies to the community for those that are looking for a deeper connection to the rhythm and cycles of nature.

This is a journey still unfolding in the most beautiful and challenging ways. At times it is two steps forward, one step back and that is still tremendous growth, and all part of my plan to always be learning. I am here to celebrate the failures and the victories – I could not have arrived here without them both. I am humbled by the lessons and teachings I receive from my clients and students and am grateful for that duality. I see every opportunity, big and small, as a way to keep discovering who I am in and in return share this knowledge in hopes that it may find someone, who like me at one time, lost themselves.

If you are in the Southern California, contact Brook to schedule a Shamanic Reiki Session, Sound Healing Sessions and more. If you are not local, Brook also offers Distance Healing Sessions, as Reiki energy transcends time and space.

{above artwork via Djene Toure Lerma}