Colby Gaudet is no stranger to the busyness of life. The Usui Reiki Master/Teacher is currently studying an MA in Indigenous and Inter-Religious Studies, running a successful holistic health practice and teaching Reiki classes.
Colby says the two subject areas are not as separate as one might assume. “Indigenous Studies is similar to Reiki in the way that traditional wisdom isn’t grounded in systems of writing and concretely preserved in texts. It’s lineage based. Passed down from teacher to student through oral traditions.”
Colby also has undergraduate degrees in English and Creative Writing and graduated with honours from the full-time Spa Therapy Program in 2014. Colby then founded Ain Soph Wellness, an integrative holistic health practice, which is a culmination of a life long interest in alternate spirituality and holistic wellness.
“After graduating I realised I didn’t want go into the spa industry. I wanted to work more independently. I had this amazing skill set from the Spa Therapy Program so I decided to build on that and started Ain Soph.”
Colby was drawn to the holistic nature of the curriculum, which successfully balances Eastern and Western healing philosophies. While studying full-time at , Colby was also studying at Canada’s only Reiki centre.
“People often view alternative medicine as ‘New Age’ and wishy-washy. When you start talking about auras and chakras some people switch off, which is why having a solid foundation of human anatomy was great. It helps to speak about the human body in a way that is credible.”
Colby became a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher through the Westcoast Reiki Centre and will be teaching a two-day Reiki Level I + II program at VSOHA on January 28 and 29 which is open to the public.
“I love teaching Reiki because it gives people a tool that they can use for self-cultivation. It helps those who have a stressful work or family life to carve out some sacred time in their lives.”
Reiki is an intention based or energetic Eastern philosophy that came out of Japan in the 1920s. Training is typically divided into a three-tier system. In Level I you learn how to incorporate Reiki as self-care in your day-to-day life. Level II focuses on how to apply Reiki to others and follows the model of a 60-minute treatment for a client.
“Reiki can be applied to every aspect of your life. You can incorporate it into cooking, use it on your partner, family, even pets! Reiki is also a wonderful skill set to add to an existing wellness practice.”
Whilst no prior experience is required, the course will benefit people who have an interest or background in the healing arts or wellness industry, whether in yoga, massage or meditation.
