Held in Love Reiki™
Reiki Level I for Mothers Who Have Lost a Child
Honoring the love that remains. Nurturing the mother who carries it.
A compassionate Reiki Level I learning experience created especially for mothers navigating life after child loss.
Through traditional Usui Reiki education, self-Reiki, mindful reflection, and compassionate presence, Held in Love offers an opportunity to develop a personal practice of self-care while honoring the enduring love you carry for your child.
There is no expectation to move beyond your grief or become someone different.
Come as you are. Your love is welcome here.
A Gentle Space for the Love and Grief You Carry
The passing of a child changes the landscape of a mother's life in ways that simply cannot be put into words.
There is the profound physical absence of your child that you love with everything in your soul. The longing for another conversation, another embrace, another opportunity to hear their laughter. There are memories that bring both comfort and heartbreak, and ordinary moments that suddenly feel anything but ordinary.
And then there is the world around you—a world that continues moving even when your own life feels profoundly and forever altered.
Perhaps you have learned to carry your grief quietly. Perhaps you are exhausted from trying to function, care for others, or find your footing in a life you never imagined living. You may long for just a brief moment of peace while also wondering how peace could possibly coexist with so much sorrow, despair, and relentless agony.
I understand these feelings because I am living this experience, too.
In January 2026, I experienced the devastating and sudden passing of my beloved 24-year-old son, CJ. My son's physical absence is, by far, the heaviest weight I have ever had to carry. There are no words that can fully express the depth of this loss, the ache of longing for him, or the heartbreak of continuing to live in a world where I can no longer see his face, hear his laughter, or hold him close.
My grief is anything but linear. It is messy, unpredictable, and at times so unbearably painful that even breathing through another moment can feel overwhelming. Some days, I find small moments of stillness. Other days, the weight of his absence feels just as unbearable as it did in the beginning.
And yet, somewhere within this heartbreak, I am slowly learning what it means to carry both grief and love. Not to move beyond my grief, not to leave my son behind, and certainly not to find a way to stop missing him. But to make space for the sorrow of his absence alongside the extraordinary love that remains.
Because the love I have for my son did not end when his physical life ended. It lives within me, woven into every part of who I am. And perhaps this is what I am learning, one day at a time: I do not have to choose between grieving my son and continuing to love him.
My grief and my love are not separate journeys. They are both expressions of a bond that death could never erase.
I do not have all the answers to navigating life after such a profound loss. I am still learning what it means to live with grief while remaining open to moments of connection, purpose, and peace.
What I have discovered is the importance of caring for myself with the same compassion I would extend to someone I love.
Reiki has been one of the practices I return to during this most difficult season of my life. Alongside meditation and quiet reflection, it has offered me opportunities to slow down, become more present, and create moments of stillness when everything feels overwhelming.
It has not taken away my grief. Nor has it diminished the love I carry for my son.
Instead, it has become a meaningful part of how I care for myself while learning to live with both.
Held in Love grew from this deeply personal experience.
As a Reiki Master Teacher, I wanted to create space and an opportunity to share the foundational practice of Reiki with other mothers who have experienced the loss of a child.
Not as a solution to grief, but as a gentle practice of self-care that can be learned, developed, and returned to throughout life's most difficult seasons.
Held in Love combines traditional Reiki Level I training with mindful reflection, compassionate presence, and an understanding that every mother's experience of grief is uniquely her own.
There is no expectation to share your story, find meaning in your loss, or reach a particular place in your grief.
Your child's memory is welcome. Your questions and emotions are welcome. Your silence is welcome.
You do not have to choose between honoring your child and caring for yourself. There is room for both.
Learning Reiki as a Practice of Self-Care
When grief becomes part of everyday life, even caring for ourselves can feel unfamiliar. There may be days when finding the energy to meditate, rest, or simply quiet our thoughts feels extremely challenging.
One of the aspects of Reiki I have come to appreciate is that the practice does not require us to change what we are feeling. It simply asks us to just be.
We can begin exactly where we are.
Reiki Level I, traditionally known as Shoden, is the foundational level of Usui Reiki education. It introduces the history, principles, and traditional practices of Reiki, with a particular emphasis on learning to practice Reiki on yourself.
Reiki is a Japanese spiritual wellness practice traditionally understood as working with universal life force energy. It is commonly practiced through gentle touch or hands held just above the body.
Reiki Level I is more than receiving a Reiki session. It is a structured learning experience that introduces you to a practice you can continue developing independently.
No previous Reiki experience is required.
What You Will Learn
1. Foundations of Reiki
Explore the Japanese origins and history of Usui Reiki, its guiding precepts/principles, and the traditional understanding of universal life force energy.
Learn about Reiki's philosophy, ethical practice, and the role of intention and mindful awareness.
2. Mindfulness and Grounding
Experience gentle breathing, meditation, and grounding exercises that complement your Reiki practice.
Explore ways to create moments of stillness without expecting yourself to feel or respond in any particular way.
3. Reiki Level I Attunement
Receive a traditional Reiki Level I attunement from a Reiki Master Teacher, aligned with the Usui Reiki lineage and teaching tradition.
An attunement is a traditional initiation that marks the beginning of a student's personal Reiki practice.
4. Learning Self-Reiki
Learn traditional Reiki hand positions and practice offering Reiki to yourself.
Explore how to establish a personal self-Reiki routine that fits your comfort, energy, and everyday life.
5. Introduction to Reiki for Others
Learn foundational hand positions, consent, appropriate boundaries, and respectful practices for offering Reiki to another person such as a loved one or pet.
Participate in guided introductory practice.
6. Integrating Reiki Into Daily Life
Explore ways to incorporate Reiki, meditation, quiet reflection, and optional journaling into your personal self-care routine.
Consider how these practices may provide meaningful opportunities to pause, remember, and reconnect with yourself.
A Reiki Experience Created With Understanding
Held in Love Reiki™ is a complete Reiki Level I educational experience thoughtfully designed for mothers who have experienced the passing of a child.
Unlike a traditional Reiki workshop, this experience acknowledges that grief may influence how we rest, learn, connect, and care for ourselves.
You will never be required to share your child's story or the circumstances of their death.
This is not a grief counseling group. It is a Reiki educational experience grounded in compassion, respectful boundaries, and an understanding that every mother's grief is uniquely her own.
The workshop offers:
Small, intimate group instruction.
Traditional Usui Reiki Level I education and attunement.
Guided self-Reiki and introductory partner practice.
Gentle meditation and grounding exercises.
Optional journaling and personal reflection.
A thoughtfully developed participant workbook.
Opportunities to honor your child's memory in a way that feels comfortable to you.
A Reiki Level I certificate of completion upon meeting workshop requirements.
What You May Take Away
A Practice to Carry With You
My hope is not that you leave Held in Love feeling that your grief has been resolved.
Rather, I hope you leave with an understanding of Reiki and a personal practice you can return to when you need a moment to pause.
A practice that allows you to rest without expectation.
A practice that offers space for reflection and remembrance.
A practice that reminds you that your well-being matters, even as you continue to carry the love and grief of losing your child.
Through this experience, you will have the opportunity to develop foundational Reiki knowledge, practice self-Reiki, explore mindful awareness, and discover how these practices might become part of your daily life.
Your love for your child remains part of who you are. Caring for yourself can remain part of your life, too.
You Are Welcome Here
Held in Love Reiki™ is created for mothers who have experienced the death of a child, regardless of their child's age or how much time has passed.
- You do not need prior Reiki experience.
- You do not need to follow a particular religious or spiritual tradition.
- You do not need to share the circumstances of your loss.
- You do not need to be at a particular stage in your grief.
You are invited to participate exactly as you are, with respect for your individual beliefs, experiences, and personal boundaries.
Your Held in Love Experience
Program: Held in Love Reiki™ — Reiki Level I Training
Format: Small-group, instructor-led Reiki training
Experience: Beginner-friendly; no previous Reiki training required
Anticipated Group Size: Approximately 4–6 participants
Includes: Reiki Level I instruction, traditional attunement, guided practice, participant workbook, and certificate of completion upon meeting requirements.
Dates, Location/Virtual Format, Duration & Investment: To be announced.
Join the Held in Love Interest List
From One Mother's Heart to Another
I cannot promise that Reiki will make your grief lighter or that the difficult days will disappear.
What I can offer is a practice that has brought moments of quiet into my own life, shared with compassion and an understanding that some losses change us forever.
You do not have to choose between loving your child and caring for yourself.
There is room for both.
My hope is that Held in Love Reiki™ offers you an opportunity to learn, reflect, and create a personal practice of self-care while honoring the love you will always carry.
Come as you are. Your love is welcome here.
Important Information
Held in Love is a Reiki Level I educational workshop incorporating meditation, reflection, and complementary spiritual wellness practices. It is not grief counseling, psychotherapy, or medical treatment. Reiki's proposed energy mechanisms and specific health benefits have not been scientifically established. Participation does not replace professional medical, mental health, or bereavement support.