Everything Under The Sun: Healing From Typhoon Haiyan

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Healing From Typhoon Haiyan

Laura Scalet with one of the women from Bantayan.

More than a year ago, the Philippines was devastated by a category 5 superstorm, Typhoon Haiyan aka Typhoon Yolanda. Reiki practitioner, Laura Scalet decided to offer her services to help in the healing. About her venture, called REIKI BANTAYAN she says, "After Typhoon Yolanda, first arrived food, then the temporary shelter, then the permanent shelter and now it's time for healing on a deeper level to be offered. My initial target audience is a group of approximately 40 women whom I have gotten to know over the past nine months."

REIKI comes from the Japanese language, meaning life force energy. Reiki involves the laying on of hands in order to boost that energy and leads to feelings of well-being and peace.

Ms. Scalet has been a Reiki practitioner since 2008 in a practice based in Belle Harbor, NY and she began offering Reiki classes to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. In December 2013 she traveled to Bantayan Island in the Philippines as an independent volunteer. She quickly teamed up with NGOs and local government officials to begin offering psycho-social relief in the form of Reiki classes. She states, "Graduates will not only hold the ability to offer and charge for if they like, Reiki to themselves and their families, but also the animals, the waters, the earth, the community, and quite honestly, the world."

Rather recently, Ms. Scalet has become involved with a new enterprise, KATAW HANDICRAFTS, with 23 women, based on utilizing shellcrafting to make jewelry. All moneys received goes back into the cooperative and benefits the women involved, along with funding marine restoration, which was destroyed by the superstorm.