Open for Business: Lily's Loft brings reiki healing to Downtown Frederick
May 18—Marybeth Nicholas used the pandemic as an opportunity to take a break from teaching yoga and learn the practice of reiki, a therapy form that dates back to the late 1800s.
Nicholas has now launched a women-centered studio to offer low-cost reiki sessions in downtown Frederick. Lily's Loft, which Nicholas named after her mother, Lillian, set up shop on Market Street.
In the past year, Nicholas has been certified as a Level 3 practitioner. Reiki is a holistic practice that originated in Japan and can promote emotional and physical healing. Practitioners use different hand placements to help guide energy through the client's body, similar to acupuncture. The client can choose for the practitioner to place their hands on them or use a hands-above method.
"It's just an alternate holistic method to help facilitate the client's own natural ability to heal their body," Nicholas said. "The theory is that the hands on or hands above method helps move energy that sort of gets constricted."
Nicholas brings a unique approach to reiki by combining it a bit with her yoga practice. She offers both traditional reiki and "reiki with a twist," a session that starts with 10-15 minutes of stretching on a yoga mat. Nicholas said she finds that stretching before lying down on the table can help clients relax and release tension.
"Even if they don't choose that as their modality for their session, it's something I still offer if you want to move a little bit before you settle into the table and kind of work out the kinks," Nicholas said.
Lily's Loft is located in one of many artist's lofts located above Curious Iguana bookstore on North Market Street. Nicholas found the space while looking for an apartment for her daughter.
She meets her clients downstairs before appointments so she can walk them upstairs. At the beginning of the appointment, Nicholas offers patrons an Epsom salt lavender foot soak while they talk and fill out forms.
"When a client comes in, I ask, 'How are you doing physically?'" Nicholas said. "I always start with the physical state, and then I delve a little bit deeper and ask, 'How are you doing emotionally?'"
After the foot soak, Nicholas gives clients the option of stretching on the yoga mat before getting on the table, which has knee supports and an optional eye mask. The session proceeds with a pendulum reading of the main chakras and then the hands-on or hands-above practice. Clients can also change their minds about which mode they prefer during the session.
Nicholas said she intentionally set her prices low, starting at $25 for an hourlong session.
"I wanted it to reach the people that perhaps didn't have that kind of money to experience it," she said.
Getting to know her clients is one of her favorite parts of practicing reiki, Nicholas said.
"I love the connection that I'm able to make with people that come in. It's a safe place, and I can try to connect on a deeper level. Because we need more of that," Nicholas said. "I want them to feel heard and understood and important."
Open for Business is an occasional feature highlighting new businesses around Frederick County. Contact Erika Riley at eriley@newspost.com.
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