Meet Sharayah Renee | Certified Reiki Master, Shamanic Practitioner, Student of the Runes

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sharayah Renee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sharayah, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
In the industry of alternative energy medicine, very little attention is placed on a variety of issues but I would say empathic burnout is amongst the top challenges. In recent years, we’ve been hearing more about this term amongst healthcare professionals. Empathic burnout affects people of all personality spectrum’s but I would venture to say that it has the greatest effect on those of us who are naturally, highly sensitive individuals. Speaking from my own experience this can be a bit of a double edged sword because sensitive people are drawn to helping others. In myself it feels like a deep drive to bring hope, healing, compassion, and support to everyone around me. However, sometimes I have forgotten my own well-being in the pursuit of helping others. There’s this nearly insatiable human desire within me to matter and I will admit to how validating it is to know that what I’m doing is received and valued. The shadow of this though, is when I ignore my own personal needs and sensitivities, then I cannot show up fully for everything else in my life. As such, I found a real need to structure time into my schedule for rest, rejuvenation, and the nurturing of creative pursuits outside of my practice. While this may not be the most profitable decision in the short term, I’m able to continue to have passion for what I do in the long term.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was certified as a Reiki Master, it seemed rather strange to call myself an energy healer. I feel uncomfortable using the term and yet it’s incredibly difficult to describe what I do. Their is an expression from the jungles of Peru to describe a Shaman and it is the phrase “being a hollow bone”. I believe this unique idea comes the closest to articulating my work. The personification of this is the intention of setting aside my own ego and interests to be fully present for my clients. It’s building a container of safety for each person to relax into their own unique experience. It’s listening with heart centered awareness to what they need, in the moment. On a practical level, this looks like one-on-one sessions, distance healing or setting up sacred space to facilitate a specific kind of ritual. All of these methods are different avenues which allow a person to let go of old patterns, shift challenging beliefs and ideas, cleanse and clear their auras, work tenderly through traumas, rediscover who they are and so much more. I feel tremendously lucky to do what I do and I am so very passionate about understanding more the phenomenon that is transformational energy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love nature and I am fortunate to call Colorado my home. While I’m not very familiar with the local social scene, I’m a huge advocate of reconnecting with nature and do so on a frequent basis. Living in the foothills area affords so many wonderful adventures. My personal favorite thing to do is to spend time by the Poudre River. Poudre Canyon has many places to hike, go on nature walks, swim, day camp and picnic. There’s an incredible energy of this special place that is found no where else. Another favorite activity for me to do is to go up to Strawberry Springs near Steamboat. Its so lovely to disconnect for a few days to soak, eat, rest and explore the area. My favorite restaurant in Steamboat is called Laundry. I also enjoy elevation hiking to an alpine lake. There are many in Colorado and my most recent excursion was up to Michigan Lakes by the Nokhu Crags and Mount Richthofen. Another lovely hike is the lake trail at Rocky Mountain National Park that connects Nymph, Dream. and Emerald lakes together. White water rafting down the Poudre River in early Summer is also an absolute blast.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My journey to where I am now could not have happened without Susan Chiocchi CRMT of Reiki Colorado. When I’m finished with my advanced studies next summer I will have spent two and a half years learning a foundational model for practicing energy medicine with integrity and accountability. Her guidance and patience has led me to a thorough understanding of what energy healing is and the various nuances that come with working in this field. Her model of training, in my opinion, is the best in-person program in the State of Colorado. She spends a year teaching the certification level of Reiki and has an advanced course beyond the CMRT program. The other lovely role model and dear friend I’d like to shout-out is Katherine Skaggs, an indigenous-trained Shaman in the Fort Collins area. I took both her beginner and advanced Shamanic practitioners courses. She taught me the value of reconnecting to nature, honoring my own intuitive gifts and the necessity of honoring my creativity.

Website: solintegrativehealing.com

Instagram: @solintegrativehealing11