Meet Erika Chaker | Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master & Sacred Healing Circle Facilitator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erika Chaker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erika, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
My foundation rests on the five Reiki Principles by Mikao Usui: “Just for today I will not anger. Just for today I will not worry. Just for today I will be honest and work hard. Just for today I will count my many blessings. Just for today I will be kind to all.” I embrace these principles knowing each day offers a fresh start. I don’t seek perfection—my imperfections are where growth happens. At the heart of this growth is learning to love myself—my spiritual journey has shown me that self-love nurtures radical compassion, which then infuses everything I do and is deeply felt throughout my community.

Meditation forms the cornerstone of my practice. Before every class, session, or healing circle, I center myself and pray to become an empty vessel for universal healing energy. I ask that unconditional love, light, and peace flow through me to those I serve. Through meditation, I access the divine wisdom that guides all my work. I [almost never] miss a day of meditation!

The transformations I witness continually affirm the power of these practices. One client, John, came to me feeling like “an old man getting older very quickly”—struggling with high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, pre-diabetes, chronic pain, and insomnia. Through his consistent yoga practice with me, he discovered the life-changing power of deep breathing and meditation. He’s since lost 50 pounds, eliminated all medications, normalized his blood pressure and cholesterol, sleeps soundly, and experiences no joint pain. Most profoundly, he describes feeling “20 years younger” and reconnecting with the ability to “give and accept love unconditionally.” His journey epitomizes what’s possible when these healing modalities become integrated into daily life.

Another client, Andi, speaks of experiencing profound physical healing and deep emotional release during our spiritual Yoga and Reiki sessions, noting that “Erika doesn’t just do healing work—she embodies it. She is the embodiment of compassion, intuition, and divine connection.” She describes me as “a radiant force of light, a deeply beautiful healing guide who moves with grace, wisdom, and an undeniable presence of love,” and my energy as “both grounding and expansive, a balance of strength and softness that invites healing in the most natural, effortless way.” What touches me the most is Andi’s understanding of my heartfelt intention to be a vessel of healing, creating spaces where people feel safe to let go, to trust, to surrender, and to fully embrace their unique journey of becoming.

One of my most meaningful practices is weaving my healing work into motherhood. By sharing mindfulness, yoga, and energy healing with my children (both my boys are Reiki practitioners!), I’m witnessing them develop remarkable emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills from an early age. These practices empower them to recognize and honor their feelings while fostering a deep inner connection that serves as their foundation for navigating life’s challenges.

This integration of my personal and professional lives creates a beautiful reciprocity—my healing practice enriches my parenting, while motherhood deepens my capacity as a healer. The balance requires presence and flexibility, but this dance between roles has taught me that authentic healing work isn’t confined to a studio or session—it’s a lived philosophy that permeates every relationship and interaction. My children have become my greatest teachers in unconditional love and staying present, qualities that profoundly enhance the healing spaces I cultivate for others.

I’ve also found that holding intentional community spaces has multiplied the healing potential of my work. When clients feel they belong to something larger than themselves, their individual transformations ripple outward. My ability to hold these spaces stems directly from my own inner work—I’ve learned that my capacity to love and hold others is only as expansive as my capacity to love and hold myself. This ongoing personal practice allows me to create truly supportive networks that often become their own source of healing, with members supporting each other’s journeys long after our sessions end.

Equally important are practicing gratitude (I’m profoundly thankful this is my daily “work”!) and choosing trust over worry. I surrender to Divine guidance in every aspect of my life, especially when sharing my offerings with others. And while they might seem small, my open heart, ready hugs and genuine smiles help create success by ensuring everyone who enters my space feels truly welcomed, valued, and a deep sense of belonging.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a passionate Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, and Sacred Healing Circle facilitator based in Encinitas, California, I’ve poured my whole heart into creating a unique healing practice that weaves together multiple modalities into a cohesive, transformative experience. What truly distinguishes my work is the intentional integration of everything that has personally healed me—heart-opening, gentle Yoga, Reiki, aromatherapy, sound healing, sacred rituals and healing circles—into custom offerings that awaken healing from deep within, address root causes, and spark genuine soul-level transformation. My experiences and the healing spaces I hold are truly one-of-a-kind, born from my personal journey and refined through more than 16 years of dedicated practice.

My work is about cultivating nurturing and compassionate environments where people feel safe enough to remove their protective veils and experience authentic emotional openness. In my spaces, there’s no pressure to perform or be someone you’re not—only an invitation to discover who you truly are. I honor the courage it takes to be vulnerable and create sanctuaries where that vulnerability becomes a pathway to profound healing and authentic self-discovery.

What fills me with the deepest gratitude is discovering my life’s calling—creating containers of healing that provide unconditional support and love. I’m especially proud of the intimate, meditative quality that infuses all my offerings as well as my commitment to depth, presence, and authentic connection. When participants tell me they’ve experienced a level of peace or self-acceptance they hadn’t thought possible, I know I’m fulfilling my purpose. My work has become a continuous circle of giving and receiving; every time I facilitate a healing experience, I receive in abundance.

Each modality I now share came into my life precisely when I needed it most. Yoga taught me to reunite my body, heart, and mind while guiding me into a deep connection with my own divinity as well as the divine qualities within everyone. Reiki revealed the transformative power of energy work and subtle healing. Aromatherapy became a pathway to deep emotional grounding and increased inner awareness. Sacred circles showed me the profound healing that happens in supportive community. Rather than keeping these as separate disciplines, I was naturally drawn to integrate them, witnessing how they beautifully complemented and enhanced each other to create a holistic approach to wellness that addresses all dimensions of being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

I want the world to know that the principles I teach aren’t just theoretical—I strive to embody them daily. When I speak about self-love or inner peace, it comes from lived experience and ongoing practice in all aspects of my life. My path isn’t one of perfection—I still navigate waves of self-doubt and sometimes feel overwhelmed by the dance of balancing family life with my healing work. These very struggles have become my greatest teachers. They remind me to practice deeper self-compassion and to honor the messy, beautiful reality of being human while pursuing spiritual growth. The journey is never complete; it’s a continuous unfolding that I am blessed to be committed to.

Most importantly, I want people to understand that the power to heal already exists within them and that transformation happens when we create the space for it. My role is simply to cultivate the nurturing and compassionate conditions where that innate healing capacity can activate—through yoga postures that release stored emotions, Reiki that balances energy and awakens inner wisdom, aromatic essences that offer grounding and support, or the sacred container of community that holds space for transformation. My work offers a powerful invitation to come home to yourself—to shed what no longer serves you, to breathe deeply into the present moment, and to remember who you truly are.

Through these transformative experiences, we don’t just heal ourselves—we become living vessels of the very qualities our world most deeply needs: peace, love, compassion, and hope. This is the sacred ripple effect of inner transformation. As we courageously embrace our own healing journey, we naturally illuminate the path for others and help heal the world around us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We are so lucky to live in a city that offers so much!

I would definitely invite them to my yoga in the park class! A beautiful hike at Torrey Pines, take in coastal views along the Cardiff Rail Trail, lots of beach time, some boogie boarding at Cardiff State Beach and kayaking at La Jolla Shores, shopping on the 101 in Downtown Encinitas & Cedros Ave in Solana Beach (plus a coffee break at Grange Garden to pet the bunnies!), and daily trips to the Self Realization meditation gardens for a peaceful retreat.

I wouldn’t miss a Padres game at Petco Park and a trip to the Wild Animal Safari Park. Some dancing to Atomic Groove at the Belly Up is always a fun time! A day visiting my favorite museums in Balboa Park ~ Japanese Friendship Garden, Mingei International Museum, San Diego Museum of Art followed by delicious vegetarian appetizers from Panama 66 and a stroll through the sculpture garden. Afterwards we could head to the Old Globe Theater for a performance. I also enjoy catching the ferry to Coronado Island, exploring on bikes, grabbing some lunch at Parakeet Cafe, shopping along Orange Ave, and taking in the beach views from the Hotel Del Coronado and boardwalk.

My other favorite restaurants include Plumeria Vegan Thai Food, Himalayan Kitchen, Best Pizza, Gelato 101 (amazing vegan options!), RakiRaki Ramen, The Yasai on Convoy, Chai tea from The French Delights, and Naked Cafe.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am tremendously grateful to God and my Guru Paramahansa Yogananda for being an infinite source of unconditional love, wisdom and Divine guidance, My journey has been profoundly shaped by my Yoga teacher Ana Costa and Reiki teacher Marcela Alva, who have guided me toward deeper healing practices. My mother has always been my biggest cheerleader, believing in me even when I couldn’t see my own potential. My children teach me beautiful lessons every day through their innocent wisdom and loving nature. My husband’s unwavering support has given me the freedom to pursue my calling. And finally, I’m forever thankful to my beloved community who continue to show up with courage and dedication to individual and collective healing.

Website: https://www.erikachaker.com

Instagram: @thesacredmoonroom

Other: Google Business page w/ Reviews: https://g.co/kgs/aS1sVJo