In 1922, a Japanese man named Mikao Usui walked to the top of a mountain near Kyoto in search of enlightenment. After experiencing an awakening, he came down from the mountain with a new technique for channeling energy with his hands. His technique, Reiki, has been passed down through generations of teachers as both a spiritual practice and a mode of healing.
Roughly 90 years later, Erika Spring, a Brooklyn-based musician who grew up around “alternative wellness modalities,” witnessed Reiki firsthand when one of her friends performed it on another friend who was suffering from back spasms. The practice caught her interest and she started exploring and learning more for herself. Eventually, she embarked on her mastership and today she works with clients at Maha Rose, a hub of holistic healing and teaching in Greenpoint.
Spring continues to make music—as a member of the bands Au Revoir Simone and Summer Moon, and as a solo artist—but her Reiki practice runs in parallel. As we spend the next few months exploring physical, emotional, and spiritual cures in New York, LA, and Miami, we spoke with Erika about her experience with Reiki and how it connects to her music.