Firstly, a big hello and welcome to my first blog. So for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Louise…or Lou to my friends and family.  I’m happily married to my husband Alex and we have two beautiful daughters, Emily (11) and Esme (8). I’ve been on quite the journey these past 12 years and I’m going to share my story with you now. May it inspire you and give you the strength and courage to pursue your dreams too.

I’ve always been a very spiritual person and would say that from a young age it’s somethings that’s felt very much part of me. As a teenager, I used to love going to the little spiritual shop in Croydon (the name escapes me at this moment).  Buying mood rings and looking at all the witchy stuff with my friends. I absolutely loved it! As a young adult, I’d dipped in and out of spiritual groups and yoga but that was pretty much it. Then life, as it so often does, got busy and my spiritual journey was put on hold.

The past 12 years of my life have been quite the roller coaster. My dad was diagnosed with cancer the year before I married Alex. During the time of his very short illness, I also became pregnant with our first daughter. We all lived in hope that he’d make it to meet his grandchild and be present at our wedding. However, he sadly lost his fight just a few weeks before Emily was born and several months before our wedding. We had some ‘signs’ on the night after Emily’s arrival that he was very much present and that gave me comfort. Emily will never know, just how much her arrival got me through an incredibly difficult time. She was my rock!

The summer after my dad passed and with Emily just a few months old, Alex and I were married. We could have postponed it, but I knew that my dad wouldn’t have wanted that. We had the most beautiful day surrounded by our friends and family and the sun was shining gloriously. We raised a toast to loved ones who’d departed, but I KNEW my dad was with me that day. I felt his warmth in the sun and his closeness with the gentle breeze. It was those little things that brought me comfort and reassurance.

Life changes when you lose a loved one, but it does have to go on and so did I. I went back to work full-time as a primary school teacher and worked hard to provide for my little family. We found out we were expecting Esme when Emily was just 2.5 years old. We had such wonderful plans for our future together. Sadly, just half way into pregnancy Alex’s father passed away very suddenly and without warning. The months that followed were another of mixed emotions. Grief, sadness, joy and happiness at the arrival of our second daughter. Then two weeks later my nan sadly passed away.  I literally was riding the roller coaster of emotions. It was also during this time that we also started to notice my mum’s mental health wasn’t as it should be. Little did we know then, that two years later she’d be diagnosed with a very rare type of dementia, known as Posterior Cortical Atrophy.

It was in the summer of 2016 that we received the news of her diagnosis. In the three years that followed, I was juggling the roles of mother, wife, part-time teacher and main carer. I cannot put into words the toll it took on my mental and physical health. I was in physical pain and seeing a counsellor privately for my mental health. When my mum sadly passed away in October 2019, my world that I’d tried so hard to keep together just seemed to fall apart. I felt lost. I felt empty. I’d lost all sense of who I was and what I was here for.  This phase is sometimes referred to as dark night of the soul. I was signed off work for a few months and in that time I went back to spirituality. I began searching for reiki courses, as it was something I’d considered years ago, but just did nothing about. That’s when I found the wonderful Carolina – The Soul Coach and my life started to change. 

I remember booking to do my level 1 in March 2020. It just so happened it was the weekend before the first lockdown happened here in the UK. I remember being a little apprehensive because of what was happening in the world, but with the encouragement of my husband and sister, I did it. Words cannot express just what an incredible experience this was for me.  I can hand on heart say my energy completely shifted on my first attunement. I will never forget that moment. I knew after day 1 that reiki was something I wanted to pursue further.

Looking back I can honestly say the timing of my reiki 1 was just perfect – 6 months after losing my mum and just a matter of days after completing reiki 1, we go into lockdown. Grieving, whilst home-schooling two children, working as a teacher online and having a husband who had to go out to work every day would have previously tipped me over the edge, but no! I spent the time healing myself. Healing my grieving children and supporting them in the best way I could. Reiki became part of me. It became part of my life. It gave me joy and purpose again. I continued with my reiki journey and did my level 2 training in September 2020.

2020 for most was hell, but for me it was transformational! It gave me time to heal and grow. I made the decision to return to teaching full-time in September 2020. I’ve always loved working with children and felt that being full-time would bring purpose to my life. Yet, several months in and another national lockdown and I knew this wasn’t me anymore. The job wasn’t the same job I signed up to almost 15 years before. The relentless jumping through hoops was taking its toll on me, my family and my health. I knew I wanted to pursue my reiki professionally, so I made the decision to leave teaching. My colleagues thought I was mad. I had no other job lined up. I hadn’t finished the reiki 2 requirements to allow me to practise professionally but I knew what I wanted to do and I wasn’t prepared to let anyone stop me.

So in the summer of 2021, I left my career, had no job and still hadn’t finished my reiki 2. I knew with every ounce of me, that’d I’d figure something out. I took a HUGE leap of faith and trusted the universe. Let me tell you…the universe did not disappoint! I had three job offers in 1 week. One of which was a job at Quest (which was of course the one I took). I’ve now been at Quest for 7 months but it feels like so much longer, in the best way possible. Carolina and the team there are simply the best. I’ve never worked with such strong and empowering people before. As cheesy as it sounds, we are like family.

What about the reiki? Well I achieved my professional practitioner status in November ’21 and went on to do my masters that very same month. This year I’ve started working towards Master Teacher qualification under the guidance of Carolina and Alison. I’m so excited for what the future has in store. There is so much more in the pipe line. My life has honestly changed for the better. I can feel the magic that spirituality brings every day of my life and I’m so incredibly grateful for finding Carolina. She’s helped me transform my life!

Remember that when you go through trauma in life you have two options, you can sit and let it consume you OR you can rise from those ashes and make your life beautiful. Don’t feel like you have to live a life in the way that society tells you. You do you. Listen to your intuition.  Let your soul guide you and you won’t ever be disappointed.

Love and Light,

Lou xx