In an insightful interview with MysticMag, Shayleen McHugh delves into her transformative journey from battling mental illness and burnout to discovering her true calling in the healing arts of Reiki, leading to the establishment of The Light Journey.
Her personal experiences with trauma and a lifelong search for deeper meaning propelled her toward the healing potential of universal energy, prompting a profound personal transformation. This pivotal change sparked a desire to share the healing powers of Reiki with others, customizing sessions to resonate with the individual paths of her clients.
Through her collaboration with MysticMag, Shayleen shares her journey, offering a beacon of hope and a pathway to inner peace and purpose for those navigating their own healing journeys.
What inspired you to pursue Reiki and establish The Light Journey?
I was inspired to pursue Reiki after struggling with mental illness and stress burnout in my early 20s. I felt that I had always been searching for more in life and when I tried to solve my problems through conventional Western medicine, I found that nothing was getting to the root of my problems. I had many questions growing up about life and my purpose for being here and I came to believe that there had to be more meaning than just endless struggles and suffering.
I grew up experiencing trauma, neglect, and abuse and this gave me a very different perspective on things. When I was in university my mental health, confidence, and well-being were at an all-time low, I felt like I was just going through the motions of life and not truly living. I worked full-time while studying psychology, philosophy, and sociology, trying to make sense of my experiences. This led me to burnout. During this time I guess you can say I started soul searching and found myself questioning the path I was on and the direction I was heading. I started looking for something more fulfilling and was considering pursuing a different education when I found the Usui Reiki course being offered at a local college.
When I read the description for the class, being about these concepts of universal energy that connect all living beings and ideologies about inner peace and healing, I felt like this was the thing I had been searching for! After taking the training with the help of my mother-in-law, I spent a year working with the practice, using it on myself to help me feel less stressed and more connected to something outside of myself. I noticed great shifts in myself and my ability to handle stressful situations.
I started exploring different spiritual ideas and felt like I realized my purpose was to help other people. I started The Light Journey a year later in 2017, as a way of creating something for myself and sharing the wonderful tools and concepts that Reiki had provided me with.
How do you personalize Reiki sessions to meet individual client needs, both in-person and via distance healing?
Every session and every person is different! The treatments are personalized based on the needs and the intention or goal of the client. Everyone seeks Reiki for different reasons that are often personal. In-person and distance healings both include the same framework but the outcome is always different. I begin a treatment by discussing with the client their reason for booking a session, and what their specific goals or areas of concern are and then I help them relax and reconnect with their mind, body, and spirit through a body scan meditation and visualization techniques.
Once we invoke the Reiki energy through the use of symbols and mantras, we visit each of the energy centers or chakras within the client. I am guided to the places where the client is most in need of energy, healing, and guidance. This is all dependent on the client’s physical, mental, and emotional state and what they need. I am only guided by my intuition as a channel for the Reiki energy to share specific insights, relaxation, and mindfulness techniques that the client will benefit from in order to restore balance and feel more at ease.
Can you describe a particularly memorable or transformative experience a client has had through your Reiki services?
Many of my sessions are memorable and transformative! In order to respect my clients and maintain confidentiality I will not share any specific details here but there are many reviews and testimonials that you can read on Google, Facebook, and my website.
I will say however, that over the past 7 years, I have been blessed to witness and be a part of many different people’s healing journeys. It is always an honor to be of service and to see the changes and shifts in awareness that clients experience both during and after treatment.
I think some of the most profound moments are when I can affirm the experience that someone else is having, by validating their own inner guidance and letting them know they aren’t alone, they aren’t crazy and that they do have the answers inside of them – they only have to create the space and stillness to listen and access that inner truth and wisdom. I am also moved when someone comes for treatment and acknowledges that they are outside of their comfort zone but willing to try something different in order to reach their goals.
How do you integrate other modalities, like sound healing, into your Reiki practice?
I am a certified mindfulness coach and I have spent several years studying herbology and plant medicines, I also work with crystals and essential oils to offer alternative methods of natural healing and relaxation for my clients.
I am also currently completing my Massage Therapy training with the goal of bringing this practice together with the Reiki energy to further help people relieve pain, and stress and to strengthen the mind-body connection.
Given your decision to close the online Self Care Shop, how do you plan to support clients’ self-care moving forward?
I provide clients with resources for creating self-care practices outside of and in-between sessions so that they are empowered to actively participate in the healing journey and to give them tools that help them live more stress-free lives, this includes things like breathwork, positive affirmations, creating rituals, journaling, etc.
I have also hosted workshops, classes, and group events that demonstrate and teach people how to work with and create self-care and wellness items on their own.
I am also a Reiki teacher and provide training about twice a year to teach others how to work with the Reiki practice to support them in whatever ways they are guided to use the energy for self-healing and self-awareness.
Find out more at: www.thelightjourney.ca
