Rising Stars: Meet Nicole Shrestha of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Shrestha.

Hi Nicole, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story really begins with a deep, lifelong pull toward energy work and animals, long before I had the language or certifications to explain it. I started where a lot of practitioners start: curious, self-taught, and drawn to helping the people and animals around me feel a little more at peace.
Over time, that curiosity turned into commitment. I pursued formal training in animal behavior and became certified in nine different healing modalities, because I never wanted this work to be intuition alone. I wanted it to be intuition backed by real knowledge. Somewhere along the way, that combination became The Lotus Method™, a trauma-informed, intuitive-led Reiki approach built specifically for animals, and it became the framework for everything I do today.
From there, my practice grew into something much bigger than I originally imagined. What started as one-on-one sessions turned into partnerships with sanctuaries, rescues, and farms across Ohio, and into serving veterans, first responders, and survivors who needed a safe, trauma-informed space to heal. Being voted #1 Reiki in Columbus for 2026 was an incredible honor, but the real milestone for me has always been the relationships: the animals who finally settled, the clients who left a session feeling lighter, the community that trusts Little Lotus enough to walk through our door exactly as they are.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t. Like every other being who walks this earth, I’ve faced my own struggles. In 2023, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive intranasal cancer, one that returned shortly after being removed the first time. That journey brought about eight surgeries, some of them reconstructive, along with 30 rounds of proton radiation. I’m here today, and I’m here with an eye for the world unlike anything I had before.
Facing something like that changes you. It strips away the fluff and shows you exactly what matters. I’ve also faced great loss along the way, loss that has really brought me to a halt. It’s forced me to dig deep into myself once again, and I’m still in the process of figuring out how to take everything I’ve learned through that pain and channel it back into the work I do, into how I show up for my clients, my community, and the animals I serve.
I share this not for sympathy, but because I think it’s important for people to know that healers aren’t exempt from needing healing themselves. There’s this idea that if you do this work, you must have it all figured out, that you’re somehow above the fear, the grief, the uncertainty. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I have laid on operating tables. I have sat in radiation rooms counting ceiling tiles. I have grieved. I have had to receive care just as much as I give it, and there is no shame in that. If anything, it’s made me a better practitioner.
Walking through my own diagnosis, surgeries, and grief taught me that healing is not linear, and it’s not something you achieve once and check off a list. It’s ongoing. It’s humbling. And it’s exactly why I hold so much compassion for the people and animals who come to me carrying their own pain. I’m not standing outside of their struggle looking in. I’ve lived inside my own, and I’m still learning how to carry it forward, into the trauma-informed care I offer, into the presence I bring to every session, and into the honesty I try to lead with every single day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Little Lotus, I specialize in trauma-informed Reiki for both humans and animals, and that dual focus is really what sets me apart. I don’t just work with people, and I don’t just work with animals. I move fluidly between both, because I believe healing shouldn’t stop at species.

On the human side, I’m known for creating a safe, judgment-free space for veterans, first responders, trauma and abuse survivors, and everyday people who are simply trying to become the best versions of themselves. Every person who walks through my studio door carries their own story, and I approach every in-studio session through a trauma-informed lens, meeting people exactly where they are, at their own pace, without pressure. Whether someone is working through the weight of what they’ve witnessed in service, healing from abuse, or just trying to quiet a mind that never stops, my job is to hold a space where their nervous system can finally exhale. Getting to serve my community this way is one of the greatest joys of this work, and holding that space for people’s healing, whatever form it takes, is something I never take for granted.

That same trauma-informed philosophy is what carried me into my work with animals, and it’s what I’m proudest of: founding The Lotus Method™, a trauma-informed, intuitive-led Reiki approach built specifically for animals. It blends formal training in animal behavior with hands-on energy work, so my approach isn’t just intuitive, it’s grounded in a real understanding of how animals process stress, fear, and trauma. Healing doesn’t stop being layered and complex just because the being in front of you can’t speak in words, and that belief has become the foundation for how I approach every animal I work with, whether that’s a family pet or a rescue with a harder history.
This summer, that mission grew even further through my Animal Medicine Series, offered in sacred partnership with three incredible places. At Taco Bella, we offer Equine Assisted Therapy, working with horses to help people access healing through connection and presence. At Compassionate Acres Farm & Sanctuary, we hold Herd Medicine in the form of Sacred Pasture Sessions, immersive experiences with the sanctuary’s herd. And at The Ohio Canid Center, we’ve created something truly groundbreaking: the first-ever co-facilitated Wolf Reiki Immersion, a healing experience unlike anything else being offered anywhere.
If I had to name what sets me apart, it’s this: I refuse to separate human healing from animal healing, and I refuse to separate intuition from education. Everything I do is trauma-informed, compassionate, evidence-backed, and built on the belief that every being, human or animal, deserves to be met exactly where they are.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are so many ways to connect with Little Lotus, whatever feels right for you.
If you’re looking for healing for yourself, I offer in-studio and distant Reiki sessions, Reiki for Youth & Adolescents, Empath mentorship and Space Clearing, all rooted in trauma-informed care. If your focus is your animal companion, I offer Animal Reiki, My Pet & Me Reiki, and Animal Communication, both in person and from a distance.
For organizations, I also offer Corporate Wellness sessions, bringing this same trauma-informed approach to teams and workplaces looking to support their people’s wellbeing.
If you’re a sanctuary, rescue, farm, or organization interested in collaborating on something like my Animal Medicine Series, or in exploring a co-facilitated healing experience of your own, I’d love to hear from you. Some of my most meaningful work has come from these kinds of sacred partnerships, and I’m always open to growing that circle.
And if you simply want to support this mission, whether that’s the human side of my work or the animals I serve through rescues and sanctuaries, donations are always deeply appreciated and go directly toward making this care accessible to more people and animals in need.
You can reach me directly through my website at littlelotus-reiki.com, by phone at (614) 581-0072, or find me on Instagram and Facebook at @littlelotuscolumbus. I’d love to connect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.littlelotus-reiki.com
• Instagram: @littlelotuscolumbus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleLotusColumbus