About Nayeli

Since grade school, I’ve had a natural affinity towards and curiosity about the ethereal and mystical aspects of the human condition. In eighth grade, I became fascinated by lucid dreams and astral projection. Soon after, I began meditating every morning before school. My spiritual awakening was just beginning. In 2020, I realized that I have the psychic gift of claircognizance. Claircognizance is an intuitive knowing or understanding of information without the use of the normal five senses. It is often described as receiving sudden insights, ideas, or knowledge that seem to come out of nowhere. This is the way Reiki came to me– as I was listening to music, I received an insight to move my hands across my aura. At the time, I did not truly know what Reiki was but I knew it could be used as a form of energy clearing. Only scratching the surface, I began to practice energy clearing on friends. I learned more about Reiki and embarked on my certifications at the NYC Reiki Center. After taking Reiki Levels I & II my life transformed— my limiting beliefs about what was possible in terms of healing disintegrated. With major existential realizations about my purpose, I knew I had to share these gifts with others.

Simultaneously, I paved my own path at New York University in the school of Gallatin: Individualized Study. Here, I got to combine my interests of spirituality, alternative and complementary medicine, and Psychology. Through my Bachelor’s degree program, I attained an interdisciplinary understanding of healing modalities across various cultures and religions. I learned about different philosophies that highlighted ways to cope with the inevitable suffering that comes along with the human experience. I also attained a foundation in Psychology which helps me better understand individuals on a multifaceted and interpersonal level. Fast forward to present day, my mission is to help individuals like me— those who are drawn to the healing arts. I believe everyone should have the ability to heal themselves. I also believe medicine should encompass work on the subtle body in addition to the ‘traditional’ methods that are out there. With my interdisciplinary understanding of holistic healing, my goal is to help others create lifestyles full of peace and abundance.

Read more about my studies below. 


Meet Our Lineage

  • Mikao Usui

    FOUNDER OF REIKI, Usui Reiki Ryoho (the Usui System of Natural Healing). In the late 1800s, Mikao Usui taught in Kyoto, Japan. Usui embarked on a quest to discover the methods used by Jesus, the Buddha, and other enlightened individuals to heal people by touch. After spending several years studying abroad and picking up multiple languages, he started a 21-day fast atop Mount Kurama, which is situated in a rural area northwest of Kyoto City. On the twenty-first day of this fast, while meditating, Usui was hit in the head by a ball of light that revealed to him the symbols of Reiki and how to use them. He went on to practice Reiki, traveling and demonstrating Reiki extensively throughout Japan, and training many students in his method.

  • Chujiro Hayashi

    Trained by Usui, Chujiro Hayashi was a retired Japanese naval officer and physician who founded a Reiki clinic in Tokyo in the mid-1920s. As Reiki became increasingly popular, Hayashi expanded his clinics and trained a growing number of pupils. He is credited for codifying the system of hand positions that is now widely employed in Reiki practice, and it is said that he made a number of changes to Usui's approach to make it less mystical, more simply described to physicians and patients, and easier to teach to the average student.

  • Hawayo Takata

    Hawayo Takata was a Japanese-American woman from Hawaii who suffered from a variety of medical conditions, including a tumor, gallstones, and appendicitis. Takata traveled to Japan for medical treatment and became a patient at one of Hayashi's clinics. Takata's problems were healed after six weeks of daily Reiki treatments, and shortly afterwards she became a Reiki Master, taking the practice back to the United States and eventually teaching 22 Reiki Masters.

  • John Harvey Gray

    In 1976 John became the first Reiki Master initiated by Hawayo Takata in California. Throughout his life, he taught more than 900 Reiki workshops to over 15,000 students and performed over 10,000 individual Reiki treatments. He was the Western Hemisphere's longest-practicing Reiki Master.

  • Brian Brunius

    Brian Brunius attended the first and second degree Reiki classes with John. He later completed his Reiki Master Instructor training and 2,000 hour apprenticeship with a Reiki Master Teacher who was trained directly by John Harvey Gray. He also founded the NYC Reiki Center and serves as the Treasurer of The Reiki Alliance.

  • Nayeli Cruz

    Completed Reiki Levels I, II, & Certified Reiki Practitioner Program at NYC Reiki Center.