The rhythms of life in Western North Carolina shifted dramatically when Hurricane Helene swept through our mountain community this September. Many of you have reached out, wondering how we're doing after seeing the national coverage of Helene's impact on Asheville. I have been quite moved by all the folks who got in touch to check on me, especially early on, in October.
Recovery After Hurricane Helene
The hurricane transformed not just our landscape but our ability to connect with the world beyond our mountains. While national news coverage showed the physical impact on Asheville, what wasn't as visible was how deeply our local businesses and practitioners were affected. Like many local businesses, my practice experienced significant disruptions – two weeks without internet or phone service meant being unable to connect with clients both locally and across the country who receive regular remote sessions.
As a reiki practitioner working with both animals and humans, connection is at the heart of everything I do. Whether it's facilitating remote healing sessions for pets across the country, offering in-person reiki treatments, or holding space in listening room sessions for those processing grief and loss, particularly after losing a loved one to suicide – these services are built on our ability to reach each other when needed most. There's been so much beautiful community care and relief and mutual aid and true Asheville spirit in action. I know you've heard about neighbors helping neighbors and seen how Western North Carolina and the surrounding areas affected by Helene have come together to gather, help one another, and share supplies and skills. After witnessing this first hand, it's enough to bring the tears as I type this.
Still, after being away for five weeks, I returned to see familiar roads still closed and many buildings mostly unchanged from the immediate aftermath. Locals are still waiting for helpful rental assistance to come through. Folks I know have lost their homes and some have actually been evicted, if you can imagine that. I believe I can see all this in the eyes I meet and we will be seeing this event in one another's eyes for a long time to come.
All this has been a stark reminder that our community's recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint. The physical landscape of our beloved Asheville continues to bear the marks of Helene's impact, and many of us are still finding our footing in this changed terrain.
I know the holiday season brings its own financial pressures, and there's so much more than that going on in all of our lives. Many in our community are carefully weighing where to direct limited resources. If you find yourself in need of the kinds of support I offer – whether that's energy healing for your animal companions, personal reiki sessions, or a compassionate ear during difficult times – I am here and ready to be of service to you in whatever way best serves your situation.
Below, you'll find a 2-treatment package for your animal companions for the pre-holiday anxiety and the new year changes. I want to offer something that is not a long-term commitment but that could provide a big impact for your home. It will save you a little cash from the regular price of the included treatments and each package purchase will make a big difference for me.
Howliday Paws: A Gift of Peace for Your Fuzzy Fam
From now through Christmas Eve, I'm offering a special package of two remote reiki treatments for your animal companions – their first treatment before Christmas and a followup to be booked in January, at a 20% discount.
This is truly a gift for the whole family, as the benefits of animal reiki often extend to the larger energy field of the home. Your animal companions will thank you for the loving care of calm as the overstimulating energy of this holiday season grows.
There are just 7 appointments available between now and Christmas, and I would love to be of service to your beloved ones during this time. You can book up to 2 sessions per household if you live with a couple fuzzies.
Additional note: If I were in a position to send a portion of the cost to local recovery orgs, I would love to do that. Most of us solo-practitioners are more in the position of keeping afloat, ourselves, but you can trust me to give from the heart to my community in all the ways I can and all the ways I already do. ♥️
Other Ways of Reciprocal Support
I offer several ways to bring healing and peace to you and your animal companions:
Remote Animal Reiki Sessions - Energy healing over distance for your pets, available for animals anywhere in the whole wide world
In-Person Reiki Treatments for People - One-on-one healing sessions for locals and visitors at my office/treatment space in the Asheville area
Remote Reiki Treatments for People - Energy healing over distance, available for people anywhere in the whole wide world
Listening Room Sessions - Compassionate space for those who need to be heard experiencing grief, especially after suicide loss
Animal Chaplaincy Consultations - Deep connection and understanding with you and your animal companions
Gift Cards - Paying forward the gift of Reiki, Animal Chaplaincy or Listening Rooms
And if my services aren't quite what you're looking for right now, that's totally okay! Asheville and our surrounding areas are blessed with an incredible network of healing professionals and small businesses who would welcome your support. Love Asheville from Afar
Click here to check out the Love Asheville from Afar database. You'll find artists, wellness practitioners, nonprofits, and many others here. Please shop and donate to people and businesses that need your support.
If you're a local and need healing support yourself, Asheville Heals is a directory that offers pro-bono support. There's also free community care being offered by a mutual aid collective called We Are Well Alliance.
At the end of the day, whether we are talking about recovery after Hurricane Helene or the many other challenges that any community across the world faces, supporting each other is how we continue building strength and trust, one connection at a time. And we will do just that, no matter what.
From my tender heart to yours and with deep care and gratitude for all the incredible creative, loving and strong-as-hell folks here in these mountains, thank you. Or rather, THANKS, YA'LL. ♥️ #AshevilleStrong #WNCRecovery #RemoteReiki #AnimalHealing #AshevilleHealing #HurricaneHelene #PetWellness #MountainCommunity
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