Welcome to M.Ixchel’s Healing Arts! I thought it would be appropriate to launch this website’s first blog post as an introduction to who I am, what I do, and how the name, M.Ixchel’s Healing Arts came about.

I am a Reiki Master, practitioner of AromaTouch® Technique [massage], an enthusiast of crystals, oracle cards, and essential oils, a Wellness Advocate for dōTERRA Essential Oils, a teacher, a visual artist, a mother, and a grandmother. My journey has been long and winding, and every single fumble, success, hiccup, milestone, disappointment, and detour has led me to the place where I stand today. It is a good and happy place.

I first encountered Reiki in 2001, while living and teaching in Chiapas, Mexico. It seemed remarkable to me that this mysterious “energy healing” technique, using simple hand placements, could make me feel so good. Nevertheless, more than a decade passed before I was ready to seek out my first Reiki class. Although my motivation was initially for self-healing, the universe apparently had other plans for me.

Sharing Reiki and assisting others on their healing journey has become one of the great joys of my life. Embracing an active role in one’s own wellness is not only rewarding, it is incredibly empowering. For me, this has meant whole-heartedly embracing a healthier lifestyle, becoming vegan (well, 99%), losing twenty pounds, and clearing away the mental and emotional, as well as physical clutter that was preventing me from manifesting my higher purpose. Which brings us to M.Ixchel.

Some of you may already be familiar with the legend of the Mayan goddess, Ixchel (pronounced EE-shell). Her story is complex, but one of her key roles was as a healer and bringer of water to her people. She is the embodiment of nurturing feminine energy. This is the story of how we met.

Often, after yoga or meditation, I like to pull an oracle card for guidance and contemplation, and in early January I pulled my first card of 2017. I own numerous decks, but this day the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue stood out. I shuffled while reflecting on the direction my life had taken in the past year, and the card that came up was Ixchel – Medicine Woman. Medicine Woman? I laughed and thought – well yes, of course. Even our names are similar. Incredible, right!? Ixchel was telling me that I was on the right path, and that I should honour my healing knowledge and abilities by sharing and helping others. The cards are always right!

During my time in Mexico, I visited several of the sacred sites directly associated with the goddess Ixchel, including Palenque and Isla Mujeres, without realizing at the time why I was drawn to these places. (I visited Palenque three times.) In choosing a name for my website and business, I kept coming back to the oracle card and the name Ixchel. It just resonated on so many levels.

After a little research and the realization that many options for names were already taken, I had to be creative in figuring out something unique that would reflect the spirit of my healing practice. The common thread that weaves across the tapestry of my experiences leading up to this moment are Mexico, Ixchel, and Healing. And so it is.

Michelle LaRiviere
Reiki Master
Wellness Advocate
AromaTouch® Technique Practitioner
M.Ixchel’s Healing Arts  (519) 992-4050