The Next Chapter

It’s been a long while — over a decade — since I last sat down to write a blog post. Back then, I loved sharing mindfulness tips, personal reflections, movement awareness, and exercises to help you feel more at home in your body.
Since then, so much has changed — in the world, in my work, and in me.

This year, 2025, marks a milestone for me: I’ll be turning 50 in just a few months. (Woohoo!) It feels like the perfect moment to return to writing, to reflect on this journey, and to share where I’ve been — and where I’m going.

Before the pandemic, I was doing what I loved — performing, teaching, traveling, and learning. In 2016, I took my first Reiki Level 1 training. It was a beautiful experience to discover how much Reiki could help others, and most importantly, myself. But with a busy schedule, my practice slipped away.

Then came the pandemic. Like many, I worked remotely, teaching Somatic Pilates, ballet for children, and offering private mind-body movement sessions. I also served on the Board of ISMET where I learned how a nonprofit membership organization operates and supports the worldwide somatic movement community. Thanks to 21st-century technology - especially the internet - I was able to keep some sense of normalcy and connection.

After the pandemic, life shifted again. I said goodbye to the dance stage and to the studio where I had worked for 19 years. My focus turned from “dancing feet” to “listening hands” — from performing movement to channeling healing energy.

In 2023, I returned to Reiki with new clarity and commitment, retaking Level 1, then Level 2, and finally completing my Reiki Master training in 2024. During that time, I sent my father weekly distance Reiki as he moved between senior care, hospital, and rehab in Hong Kong. It was an incredible gift to support his transition with healing energy, and it brought me great comfort knowing he was at peace in the end. I’ll be sharing more stories about my Reiki journey in the months ahead.

So why start blogging again now?
Because I’ve missed this way of connecting. I want to offer you practical tips, gentle practices, and real-life stories you can use in your daily life — from releasing tension and restoring energy to exploring deeper themes like listening to your body and moving through life with ease and grace.

My hope is that these posts will feel like a warm conversation over tea — thoughtful, encouraging, and full of small sparks you can carry with you.

Here’s to reconnecting — and to the next chapter of our shared journey.

With gratitude,
Mandy

Reiki • Somatic Movement • Pilates • Yoga