Local practitioner’s reiki treatments said to ease stress, combat illness
Amy Barilla harnesses an ancient practice for new eras in life.
Barilla is the self-proclaimed Reiki Gal and a full-time practitioner of the Japanese technique of stress relief.
The Centennial Hills resident sought the alternative healing during a "helpless" time, she said, when her father was battling cancer.
"I wasn't even interested in anything in the spirit realm," she said. "But I went through the reiki training because I saw how profoundly it helped a friend."
She helped ease her father's stressors remotely and began a small practice in 2005 at Chiropractic for Life , 7455 W. Azure Drive, Suite 120.
Nowadays, she channels the good energy to and for prenatal and pediatric patients and women struggling with infertility.
She has helped families transition into their new chapters of life and cleared "barriers of resistance," she said.
For women battling infertility, she said the technique helps relieve the stigma that their challenges mean they're somehow defective.
"We are taught or conditioned through the ages that (pregnancy) is one of our primary jobs," she said. "It can be difficult for some women."
For those who clear the hurdle, Barilla says reiki helps ease the fatigue, aches and swelling associated with developing a new life.
Some practitioners treat a mother trimester-to-trimester and into the delivery room, but Barilla hasn't assisted with a birth. She has met several of her clients' newborns soon after, she said, and helped healed them.
"I always say reiki babies are extremely mellow babies," she said. "It's an easier transition from womb to real world it helps with sleeping, colic, growing pains, helps them relax and feel safe."
Amanda Trevethan said she owes Barilla gratitude for helping her family through a difficult time with their 7-year-old son. The boy had violent sleep walking episodes following two minor surgeries.
"He was waking up screaming and acting out his dreams," she said. "He was really, really bad. It was really scary for us to watch him go through that."
Her son was tired throughout the day because of it.
The events prompted Trevethan to seek alternative healing.
"I have always been interested in the concept of reiki," she said. "He had one 30-minute session with her and it was like night and day. We were sold."
Trevethan's family of six has all had sessions with Barilla after the success.
"I have four kids -- I've got a lot of everyday stresses," she said. "I always find I feel more relaxed and capable to handle my stress after a session. She tells you what you need to know."
The newest chapter of Barilla's practice is gaining popularity, too, she said.
Barilla hosts a monthly group session called the Northwest Reiki Circle, where an average of 40 people gather from 7-9 p.m. monthly on the third Friday. Barilla said clients from "all walks of life" attend to receive the technique.
"I found that doing it on a Friday is a way to get into the weekend in a more relaxed state," she said. "They let go of their stresses and tensions from the week."
The events include music, Native American drumming, guided meditation and other alternative healing, she said.
Fellow practitioners assist her with the group, and Barilla said she feeds off the energy shift, too.
"Every time we gather, I get a big charge out of it, also," Barilla said. "It leaves me feeling like I'm on a cloud."
The events are donation-based and open to the public.
For more information, visit thereikigallv.info or call 875-2967.
Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.
