I regularly volunteer to lay hands on or over people lying on a massage table to help them relieve stress, deal with cancer treatments or handle other issues in their lives. This NOVA student has made Reiki her favorite hobby. Believe it or not, there is nothing more involved in the treatment beyond focusing your attention on someone. I use symbols and mantras to focus and channel energy to them so they can heal from just about anything. Like Japanese food, learning about Reiki just doesn’t appeal to everyone or …

“One time I prayed in a stairway, and it was so ugly,” says Aymen El Tahir, who acts as the Annandale MSA’s treasurer. “People were looking at me like I was doing something suspicious. It’s not civilized to treat people like that.”