Gustavo Rojo expands his professional world, adds Reiki practitioner

Gustavo Rojo – who has worked for the past 14 years in the healthcare industry, with multiple roles at long-term care facilities – is expanding his expertise to further help others.

Last year, for instance, out of curiosity and the urge to learn something new, something different and to truly learn more about himself, Rojo took a class on Reiki from a local expert.

“I knew some about it, but not enough, so I scheduled an appointment and started to see a master Reiki every month. I have practiced meditation for many years and Reiki sounded (interesting) to me,” said Rojo, 37, who lives in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. “The sessions were helpful, and, six months later, I decided to learn (even more about) Reiki.”

He signed up for a course, read books and watched videos to complement his learning.

Rojo graduated – and is now a Reiki practitioner. 

He will run Reiki sessions at Ravenous Life Healing Center (1714 W. Lawrence Ave.) in Chicago every Wednesday from 3-8 p.m., starting in July. He will guide 45-minute sessions with Reiki and sound bath (Tibet singing bowl).

“Reiki is a Japanese alternative medicine practice that means, universal energy. It's also called universal life force and healing energy,” Rojo said. “The practitioner uses their hands to transfer this energy to encourage emotional and physical well-being, balance and healing. It's not meant to diagnose or cure illnesses, but to complement any medical treatment and to improve one's emotional state.”

Truly, he added, “you just have to experience it.”

“I think of it as an energy massage,” Rojo said. “The person lays comfortably on a massage table; I play relaxing music and I allow the energy to flow. I go around the person; I activate their energy centers, known as chakras, and the energy goes where it needs to go. However, it can also be focused on a specific part of the body, if there is any pain, or an emotional issue, anything that the person can think of.

“Everyone can benefit from Reiki; its side effects are always positive. After a session people feel lighter, relaxed and content.”

Rojo said the benefit strikes physical and emotional issues. “It helps relieve stress, depression and anxiety,” he said. “Reiki balances the chakras and promotes wellness.”

Rojo, originally from Mexico City, has lived in Chicago for the past 17 years, stressed that every session is unique and very personal. “The client experiences something that he or she is ready for, something that is needed and it's appropriate for him/her to experience,” he said.

“We live in stressful times and (consequently), we take little time to quiet the mind and be in the present. We don't realize that the most important thing is happening right now. We think of ourselves as just this physical body, but there is much more to it; our mental and emotional health is part of who we are. And imbalances, (such as) illness, aches and pains often have an emotional root.”

Reiki helps with physical, mental, and emotional issues.

“As a proud gay man and now a Reiki practitioner, I'm focusing on our LGBT community, (but not strictly) putting at service something that I have experienced, learned and that is a powerful tool, and that has had a positive impact in my personal life,” Rojo said. “We all go through many phases in our lives. As a gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, etc., person, we face so many challenges, sometimes at a very young age. Coming out is a big step in our personal development, and we know it's anything but easy; there are a lot of emotional issues that come along with that part of our lives.”

Rojo is convinced Reiki can help with the coming-out woes, too.

To contact Gustavo Rojo, he can be reached at: 773-954-4944 or by email at, Redreiki2@gmail.com.