I didn’t plan to write this, I swear. But there’s something about this tiny place tucked behind a sleepy road in Chiang Mai that pulled my scattered mind to sit and pour a bit of it here.
So, first off — I walked in half angry, half tired. Traffic here can be beautiful chaos and I’m not exactly a patient soul. The smell inside, though, made me pause. It was… I don’t know, like old wood and jasmine someone forgot to sweep out. Weirdly comforting.
Anyway, they call it Reiki. If you’ve never tried, well, it’s not like a massage, not like yoga, not like prayer but also somehow all of them mushed together. The woman — I think her name was Nok? Or maybe Nook? — she didn’t talk much. Just nodded, asked me to breathe. I suck at that too, breathing properly. You’d think after 30-something years I’d be better at it.
I laid there on that stubbornly squeaky bed and felt her hands hover above my chest. For a minute, I was thinking about my emails and bills and the weird click in my knee. Then I forgot. Maybe I drooled a bit, who knows. I won’t romanticize it — I was uncomfortable, then not, then floating somewhere between, which is probaby the point of it all.
When I left, she told me to drink water. I did. Felt dumb and calm, carrying this strange lightness. Outside, a dog barked at a passing scooter and a monk glanced at me like he knew something I didn’t. Probably he did. I kinda wished I had booked a longer session. Maybe next time.
Why am I telling you this? Maybe because too many blogs sound like paid ads or AI babble that smells like a brochure. This corner of Chiang Mai feels a bit more real than that. It’s not a fancy spa. There’s no rose petals on the bed or cucumber water or forced smiles. Just some old mats, a patient practitioner and a city that wants you to slow the hell down.
By the way, if you’re new to Reiki, you might wanna peek at this simple guide. But honestly, reading won’t do half of what lying still for an hour will. Or don’t. I’m not your mom.
One tip: wear comfy clothes. And don’t expect miracles. Or do, I won’t judge. Just, maybe let the traffic be what it is, let the city breathe around you, and let your mind fail at thinking about nothing for a bit. That’s enough healing for today, if you ask me.
If you decide to come by, don’t be weird about it. Smile, say thank you, leave a tip. Or don’t. But at least, be kind to the space and the woman who’ll hover her warm palms over that part of you that you keep forgetting needs some care.
Alright, enough rambling. I need coffee. Hope you find whatever calm you’re chasing. Or let it find you, somewhere off a sleepy soi in Chiang Mai.
P.S. Don’t ask me if it really works. Some things just do, whether we believe it or not. Read more if you want.
