My name is Lisa Ross — my friends call me “Star.” I have worked in the Holistic Healing Arts for the last 38 years. In 1988, I began my career as a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) and discovered that I could channel healing energy through my hands. My clients called me “Magic Hands.” I quickly learned that I was working with much more than just my clients’ physical anatomy — their muscles, bones, tendons, joints, skin, etc. Clients generally scheduled treatments for physical complaints, yet I watched and learned as their problems unfolded mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This fascinated me. My Healing Quest had begun.

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I wanted to understand these other levels of healing. I especially wanted to learn how I could assist as a healing facilitator to offer a more holistic treatment. I wanted to address more than just physical pain, and somehow I knew I could if I could find the right tools — a healing modality that treated the whole person, including the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of their challenges.

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My thirst for knowledge could hardly be quenched. I signed up for countless classes and weekend workshops. I studied nutrition and herbology. I became certified in Holistic Iridology, which gave me a strong understanding of the four levels of healing — Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical. I learned Craniosacral Therapy and Acupuncture, studied energy pathways such as Meridians and Nadis, and memorized acupressure points. I loved these modalities and felt their effectiveness firsthand. However, the schooling required to advance further became overwhelming. I had a husband and five children to care for. I needed something powerful, yet simple and accessible — something that truly worked without requiring years of additional schooling. I wouldn’t settle for less.

I continued working full-time with my massage clientele while integrating my newly acquired healing tools. I began teaching massage therapy, stress management, and meditation classes. I studied Reflexology, Auras, and Chakra Anatomy in great depth, gaining incredible insight into subtle energy systems. Energy became my passion. I saw everything as energy. I felt everything as energy. I read every book I could find that mentioned “energy” or “aura.”

Then in 1996, a client came into my wellness clinic for a massage. As usual, our conversation turned to energy. She told me about an energy healing modality called Reiki, which was helping her release emotional blocks and heal physically. Over time, I watched her grow lighter and healthier on all four levels. Eventually, she offered to teach Reiki to my massage apprentices and me. We eagerly agreed.

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I remember my first Reiki weekend with deep gratitude. My heart chakra still expands with love when I think about my client who became my first Reiki Master Teacher. I continued through Level II and eventually learned to teach Reiki after co-teaching several classes with her.

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By 1998, ten years into my career, Reiki had become another powerful tool in my practice. I began incorporating it into massage therapy and offering Chakra-balancing treatments. My wellness clinic flourished. Life felt aligned.

Then, on March 9, 2001, everything changed. A police officer pulled into my parking lot while I was at work. My heart dropped. My 19-year-old son, Shayne, had passed away that morning from an accidental drug overdose. My life took a drastic turn.

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After his funeral, I took a month off to grieve with my four remaining children. Though many offered books and advice, I found myself once again on a Healing Quest — this time for myself and my family. My heart felt torn. My energy leaked. My aura felt ripped. My second chakra experienced physical pain and symptoms of dis-ease.

I sought support on every level, but I knew I needed energy healing. Two months later, I found another Reiki practitioner about an hour away. I felt immediately drawn to her. I began weekly sessions — sometimes twice a week. After each treatment, I felt my heart slowly filling with love again. I felt my auric field mending.

We often focused on my second chakra, which governs creativity, movement, sexuality, sweetness in life, and is connected to motherhood. When my son died, I felt this chakra literally rip. The day of his funeral, I experienced labor-like cramping. These emotions lodged deeply into that energy center. Reiki, a high-frequency healing energy, breaks up dense emotional blocks. My higher self guided the energy precisely where it was needed most.

As my Healing Quest continued, Reiki became both teacher and friend. It healed my grief and opened my heart chakra. I released old pain and unforgiveness I didn’t realize I carried. Though I intellectually understood self-love, Reiki allowed me to finally feel it.

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When a parent loses a child, self-blame can be overwhelming. Reiki helped me move beyond that darkness. After three months of treatments, I re-enrolled in Reiki training and completed Levels I, II, and Master with my new teacher. The power of Reiki never ceases to amaze me. I returned to work full-time and gradually transitioned from massage therapy to Reiki practice. It was a leap of faith — financially and emotionally — but Spirit guided me. I began each day with a Reiki prayer of intention, blessing my clinic and asking to attract those ready for healing.

I maintained weekly treatments for myself and developed a daily self-Reiki routine, beginning at my Root Chakra and working upward through all seven chakras each morning. This practice became foundational to my strength and clarity.

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Eventually, my clientele consisted largely of grieving parents. Reiki sessions became sacred spaces of shared healing. I witnessed depression lift within just a few treatments. Reiki, being spiritually guided life-force energy, raised my vibration and deepened my connection with Spirit, Angels, and loved ones beyond the veil.

In October 2002, Shayne’s father, Derek, passed away at age 41. Though we were no longer married, his death was deeply painful. During this time, I began working extensively with the Usui Distant Healing Symbol, which bridges past, present, and future. It became one of my most powerful tools, helping me heal unresolved issues and maintain a spiritual connection.

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Reiki transforms fear, anger, and guilt into love and light. When emotions become stuck, energy pathways clog. Reiki clears those blocks, restoring flow and strengthening spiritual connection.

Reiki is not a religion. It is accessible to anyone on their own Healing Quest.

My children embraced Reiki as well. My oldest daughter became a Reiki Master at 20. My second daughter began training at 13. My youngest, Rosie, has been immersed in Reiki since childhood. Even my husband, Troy, eventually joined and now actively uses Reiki crystal grids.

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One of my most powerful experiences involved Rosie. At age 10, she broke her back in three places during a skiing accident. Our family gave her continuous Reiki. Two weeks later, follow-up X-rays showed no visible breaks. Her doctor was stunned. Reiki and medical care worked together beautifully, and she made a full recovery.

In 2004, I sold my wellness clinic to focus entirely on teaching Reiki. I now teach Reiki full-time, along with Chakra Healing Workshops, and have produced a 3-CD set titled Heal Your Life One Chakra at a Time, distributed internationally.

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Today, I don’t just “do” Reiki — I become Reiki. I live moment to moment as a channel for love and light.

My Healing Quest continues. I am honored to walk beside others as they heal themselves and move forward on their own journeys. I trust there is always light within darkness.

And so it is.

Namaste,
Lisa Ross – Star StarAhna