According to research at the Mayo Clinic, meditation can provide a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. The practice has been shown to help people relax and cope with stress by helping them learn to stay centered and maintain inner peace.
With wellness and wholeness being major buzzwords these days, you may be intrigued to learn how holistic treatments may help improve your life. But with countless responsibilities and demands, you may not think you’ve got time to add something new to your already packed to-do list. That’s where Michelle Kennedy of De Novo Wellness and Jen Wykoff of Reiki Ranch® can help. They can help you identify and experience holistic approaches and teach you how to incorporate simple practices into your normal routine.
Kennedy concurs, explaining that each potential interaction begins with simple conversation. As conversations deepen, she works with the individual to determine what they want to address and what they hope to accomplish, which helps guide the pair to learn as to the best practices, such as meditation, reiki, breathwork, or sound bathing that may be beneficial.
“Many people learn that with just 10 minutes of meditation in the morning, they can feel good and bring balance to their whole day,” Wykoff explained. As a business owner and busy mom of a blended family, Wykoff has direct experience on the need for balance, though she acknowledges that everyone’s path is unique.
‘De nova’ means new beginning, a fitting name for a business that stemmed from discovery of a health condition that prompted Kennedy to depart a career in finance and embark on a journey to discover holistic healing. As she saw the benefits in her own life, she was driven to share this knowledge to benefit others.
These practices work on the mind, body and spirit and can reduce stress as well as physical and emotional pain. Many people first reach out due to curiosity about what they see as ‘new’ treatments, though these practices have been used for hundreds of years.
Reiki is the Japanese name for “Universal Life Force Energy,” something accredited reiki practitioner Jen Wykoff uses to help herself and her clients. She also uses reiki to treat animals and incorporates a menagerie of willing animals who have found sanctuary at the Reiki Ranch.
Kennedy and Wykoff’s paths crossed years ago, as each women followed her own path in holistic practices. The friends officially became partners last summer, offering services and instruction at Wykoff’s Reiki Ranch on Garrettsville. According to Wykoff, her location’s proximity to Cleveland and Akron and western Pennsylvania brings clients and students from as far away as an hour to experience the peace and tranquility at Reiki Ranch.
They see clients and students from all walks of life who come to learn this ‘new’ practice that’s actually been around for a hundred years. In learning, students learn to notice when they’re out of balance, giving them more autonomy in their healthcare.
Students range in age and background, from retired folks to twenty-something students. Once participant, a registered nurse and educator, uses reiki not only as self-care, but as an added resource for her patients. Others participate in equine-assisted therapy and use reiki in working not only with their clients, but with the animals used to heal them. Wykoff and Kennedy’s classes and workshops have been approved for inclusion by the Holistic Nurses Association to earn CEU credits.
Both Kennedy and Wykoff reiterate that holistic elements should be used to augment traditional medicine, not as a replacement. In fact, since the early 1990s, reiki therapy has been used in over 900 US hospitals and healthcare systems, including the Cleveland Clinic. In information shared by the Clinic, they note that reiki is safe to use to compliment patients’ regular medical treatment and medications, as it has been found to support the body’s natural healing abilities.
Wykoff, Kennedy, and professional Forest Therapy Guide Jason Venner will lead an excursion through Towner’s Woods Park in Kent on Saturday, March 25th from 3 to 4 pm. Kennedy and Wykoff recently participated in an in-depth experience led by Venner near his home in Medina. Wykoff noted they were both ‘busy-minded,’ and full of conversation as they carpooled there. Kennedy noted that the slow pace of the excursion, where Venner taught them how to be mindful and present in the woods was, ‘a very grounding experience’. Both agreed that the return trip home was peaceful, quiet, and contemplative.
If you’d like to experience this for yourself and get an introduction to some of the practices offered by Kennedy and Wykoff, you’ll want to attend a special program on March 25th. Attendees of this free, hour-long walk will experience a brief exercise in breath work and a guided forest bath journey complemented by a sound experience. The event will include a special focus on breath work, mindfulness, and using all the senses to connect with nature. Participants are asked to bring a yoga mat or blanket, as a portion of the experience will take place seated on the ground. At the end of the hike, participants will experience a tea ceremony with a light snack. Space in this unique experience is limited; visit www.portagecounty-oh.gov/portage-park-district/ to register and claim your spot.
For more information on Kennedy and the services provided at De Novo Wellness, visit www.denovo-wellness.com. For more information on Wykoff and the Reiki Ranch®, visit www.reikiranchohio.com.
