Mystic.
Misfit.
Maverick.

Hello, fellow rebel heart. I’m Alys McLeod (they/she) aka the Rest Witch, and here’s a page to learn a little bit more about me.

Who I am

A femme/them AuDHD’er millennial living in the Treaty 6 Territory of Canada, I currently live in Edmonton with my queer, nerdy husband, one bonus teenager, two spicy mini-weenie dogs, and two cuddle monster cats.

My go-to magical practice is stitchery witchery, and you can most often find me crocheting/knitting/sewing watching TV in the background with a dog in my lap.

Scorpio sun/Virgo Moon/Scorpio Rising.

What I Do

  • Trauma-informed bodyworker & educator
  • Certified Usui Reiki Teacher
  • Somatic Embodiment Coach
  • Registered Massage Therapist
  • Creator of Rest Alchemy & Foundations of Rest

Slow down & be held.

The story of how I became the Rest Witch.

For most of my life, I never understood why it felt like I was always trying so hard and seemingly moving backwards. One step forward, two steps back was the endless dance of my life.Β 

So when I say I understand the impact of internalized hustle culture, perfectionism, and burnout, I mean it.Β 

I have a depth of theoretical knowledge and personal inner-standing around the general hellish noise of existing in a capitalist, colonialist, white supremacist, patriarchal machine. Especially when you’ve got a giant, bleeding rebel heart and a tender, soft animal body.

I spent 30+ years getting lost in the woods of trying harder, chasing perfect, and never feeling good enough.

All of my teenage years and twenties were reliable passengers of the struggle bus. I gorged at the buffet of mental health issues and the cascading maladaptive strategies that my insanely clever body implemented to keep me alive.

From the outside, it looked like chronic anxiety, clinical depression, addiction, self-harm, and disordered eating. My relationship with myself and the world was tenuous, held only by the smallest thread of hope that things might change. If I could only fix myself. Fix the world. Fix everything.

Ahhh, that sweet, poisonous stench of perfection.

Starting at 18, I was gaslit by the medical industry, crushed by the shame of my perceived failings, and stretched taught between a state of existential dread and daring to dream of a better life.

At 21, I collapsed into apathy, succumbing to the despair of desperately longing to be alive while my aliveness stayed hidden in the dark. Even in that grim moment, when I was so damn close to not being here anymore, a voice whispered for me to reach out. I wanted to live, but being here was so hard and I was so tired. Why was I always so fucking tired?

I was lost in the deep, dark woods.

And yet.

Somehow, no matter how long I wandered through those woods, I managed to protect a very small, very strong, very bright spark in me that longed for somethingβ€”anythingβ€”to change.

And then I found tarot (or maybe tarot found me).

Witchcraft is what saved me first. It taught me how to connect to something outside of myself that loved me unconditionally when I could not love myself.

Reiki is what came second. It was a magical doorway into the field of possibility that my life could genuinely change. The more I practiced, the more it created the container that allowed me to come home to my body.

This is when I learned that I was not something to be fixed; I needed to remember that I was already whole.

The deep, dark woods is not so scary when you have the ability to befriend the shadows.

Somatics is what came last. It gave me new language of the body and the skill to discern what is true.

Somatics and Reiki taught me how to embody what I know and live in alignment with my true self. When I learned how to access the potent combination of ease, comfort & home in my body, my embodied sense of not-enoughness started to heal.

Reiki is what gave me the first glimmer of hope that I could heal when I was still lost in the woods. As I continued my practice, and embraced Somatics along the way, I learned how to truly slow down and rest.

And so the Rest Witch was born!

Because of my own recovery journey, I am professionally and personally dedicated to exploring the power of rest, the magic of our bodies, and the alchemy that can happen when we slow down enough to listen.

If you’re feeling the call to learn Reiki yourself, I’d love to teach you and guide you on your own journey. How I teach and hold space for you is deeply influenced by my lived experience and somatic/witchy background. If you can relate to any of my story, I bet I’d make a great teacher for you. β™‘

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Relevant trainings & continuing education.

  • 10+ years practicing eclectic & Celtic witch
  • 6+ years bodyworker with focus on rest & nervous system support
  • 6+ years energy worker with Reiki
  • 5+ years movement facilitator & body educator
  • 2+ years somatic coach & nervous system educator
  • 2+ years trauma-informed bodyworker & educator

If you have any questions about my credentials or qualifications, please email me at [email protected].

Some other stuff I'm into.

Breaking out into song. Hawaiian pizza. My typerwriter. Stardew Valley. The smell of books. Howl’s Moving Castle. Sewing, upcycling, & thrifting my clothes. Collecting buttons. Moss. Pottery mugs. Stationary. Plants. Eggs. Library book hauls. Japan. Tattoos. Fuzzy blankets. That One Pen. Gothic & vintage decor. Sushi. Photography. Chamomile tea with oat milk & honey. Fresh flowers on the table. Writing in a new notebook. Tarot & oracle decks. Wool sweaters. Vinyl records. Noodles. DACHSHUNDS.

FREE PALESTINE.

What My Clients Say

I am convinced Alys’ hands are magic! I have left every Reiki session with them feeling more grounded, replenished, and in-tune with my body. They have provided an amazing introduction into the world of Reiki.
SH
Massage & Reiki
Alys has been absolutely amazing to have as my massage therapist. They are very understanding and work with you. Extremely experienced at their job and I would highly recommend them to anyone.
BS
Massage & Reiki
I have tried multiple massage therapists over the past decade. Alys has been my massage therapist now for over a year now and I can not say enough about what a brilliant therapist they are. Alys listens to my concerns when giving both massage and Reiki. They offer after care options and explains the why and what thoroughly. There are times I don't really know what is going on inside my body, where the need for therapy is. They are knowledgeable and intuitive and a brilliant healer. I highly recommend Alys to anyone that is in need of massage for a specific ailment or simply to relax. From the calm environment of their space, aromatherapy, choice of relaxing music, to their competent and strong healing hands. I can not speak high enough.
CS
Massage & Reiki