I think I accidentally became an energy healer (and other strange tales)

My life starts looking like a D&D adventure!

The Road to Energy

Something deeply weird is happening to me.

Actual, real-life, stethoscope-wearing doctors have started coming to me for… healing.

Yes, me.

Let’s all take a collective moment to process that!

To make sense of this, we need a little background. As you might know, last year I wrote the book called The Celtic Shaman.

It chronicled my slightly desperate personal journey of trying absolutely everything to find the meaning of life: a journey that spanned everything from QiGong to eating oranges in the shower (don't ask). Until I finally stumbled upon a meditation method that had been hidden for thousands of years.

Writing that book dragged me headfirst into the world of energy research.

The irony of a former banker and risk manager pivoting to study "energy" is not lost on me. I used to calculate financial doom (and play Doom - IDDQD); now I was assessing vibes.

This rabbit hole eventually led me to Reiki.

If you are unfamiliar, Reiki is an energetic healing practice popularized in 1920s Japan by a master named Mikao Usui. The core idea is that you heal people using the ambient energies of the world rather than your own. (Basically, outsourcing the heavy lifting - very venture capital of me!).

Similar concepts exist in almost every culture, even here in the Alps where I’m currently writing this – since this happened I started to ask around, and until 50 years ago it was quite common to find energy healers in every community (hence the image in this post)

Before you roll your eyes and call me names (unless you want to call me a wizard or druid, which would be very much accepted), I should mention that Reiki is actually a recognized alternative medicine practice by places like the Mayo Clinic. It’s not entirely fluff. But still, I was highly intrigued and equally skeptical.

So, I did what any modern seeker of ancient wisdom does 😜: I Googled "Reiki course HK" and started to browse through all the new age websites decorated with skys and clouds. I stumbled across Anita’s clinic, whose website did not have clouds or skys - so I HAD to book an appointment.

Armed with a healthy dose of apprehension, I traveled to an industrial building in Kowloon during a sweltering summer day, fully prepared to be scammed by someone who bats pots and pans claiming they can make you feel better (which later I learned is called bowl singing. Such poetry!)

Instead, I found Anita. She was a fantastic teacher, a fact made infinitely more compelling by the fact that she looked exactly like a Lord of the Rings Elf straight out of Lothlórien. The little hobbit in me was intrigued.

So, I learnt Reiki officially:

• Level I: Done & dusted with certificate

• Level II: Completed, now I could apply it to other people

• Level III: Who is stopping me now??

  
  

And then? I promptly shoved it on the backburner. I knew the theory, I practiced on myself, and I treated the whole thing as a neat little exercise in self-discovery. Nothing more. I continued my work programming and coaching.

Energy healer transformation

About six months later, my mum was complaining about shoulder pain. I figured, why not? I have a certificate from an elf.

I did the hand thing. The result? Her shoulder pain vanished.

Naturally, I dismissed this entirely as the placebo effect. What kind of mother wants to tell her weird, man-bun wearing son that his magical healing hands didn't actually work?

Then my dad had a knee problem. I did it again. Also fixed. Okay, I thought, I’m glad I can help my parents, but they are clearly just humoring me.

Then, last month, a minor emergency struck. I was in Italy when a relative of mine (who is a doctor, a real one) fell ill. As a last resort before dragging them to the hospital, my mum asked if I could "The ReiKi."

What is there to lose?

Like in medicine (and coaching), the golden rule is 'do no harm.' Worst case scenario, I look like an idiot holding my hands around.

So, I went over. I started working with my hands, gathering energy in a remarkably less cinematic, non-DragonBall Z kind of way.

And to my absolute shock... they got better. Not just a little better. They practically woke up reborn.

Okay. Now we have a situation.

What happened next was not on my 2026 bingo card - even though is has been a wild year so far. My doctor relative told other people. Those people told other people. Fast forward to today, and I suddenly have "patients" knocking on my door.

We are talking about doctors, dentists, professionals: the exact demographic of people you would expect to laugh this kind of thing out of the room. Yet, here they are, asking the executive coach to fix their ailments with invisible energy.

And now I find myself staring at the ceiling, wondering: Should I actually be doing this more? Is this a gift I’m supposed to use?

Let me know what you think. Because frankly, I'm still waiting for someone to jump out and tell me I am on a D&D adventure.

Horoscope: which alternative medicine method should you study?

Here's the horoscope with each sign's emoji in front:

♈ Aries — Your fire runs hot, so channel it. Try acupuncture to release all that pent-up energy, or a vigorous deep-tissue massage to work out the tension you pretend you don't have. Movement-based practices like QiGong will stop you from combusting.

♉ Taurus — You love comfort, so lean into it therapeutically. Aromatherapy, herbal teas, and a good sound bath are your lane. Indulgent but restorative — exactly how you like it.

♊ Gemini — Your busy mind needs quieting. Meditation and breathwork are your medicine, even if sitting still feels like punishment. Reiki could surprise you, since it asks nothing of you but to receive.

♋ Cancer — Emotional and intuitive, you'll respond well to energy healing and crystal work. Reflexology will let you be nurtured without having to explain your feelings to anyone.

♌ Leo — You like a bit of drama, so go for something sensory and warming: hot stone massage, fire cupping, or a sun-soaked yoga retreat where you're (quietly) the star.

♍ Virgo — You want evidence and method. Start with the alternative practices that have actual clinical backing — acupuncture, mindfulness meditation, structured herbalism. You'll enjoy researching it more than doing it.

♎ Libra — Balance is your whole thing, so chase harmony: Ayurveda, chakra balancing, or partner yoga. Anything that restores equilibrium speaks to you.

♏ Scorpio — You go deep or not at all. Try transformative practices — shamanic journeying, intensive breathwork, or emotional-release bodywork. Surface-level wellness bores you.

♐ Sagittarius — The wanderer. Seek out healing traditions from far-flung places: Tibetan singing bowls, Amazonian plant ceremonies (responsibly), or a meditation retreat abroad. The journey is the medicine.

♑ Capricorn — Pragmatic and slightly skeptical (you'd get along with the banker who wrote this newsletter). Start with disciplined practices: tai chi, structured meditation, acupuncture. You'll commit once you see results.

♒ Aquarius — The experimenter. You'll happily try the fringe stuff everyone else avoids — biofield tuning, float tanks, frequency therapy. The weirder, the more intrigued you are.

♓ Pisces — The mystic of the zodiac. Reiki, dreamwork, and water-based healing are practically made for you. You probably already feel energies most people can't.