Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Rivera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Anna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

I’m so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to share my work with you. I’m the owner and founder of Polarity Health and Wellness in Nashville, Tennessee and as an Associate Polarity Practitioner and Certified Holy Fire® III Reiki Master, I offer clients a highly unique and impactful approach to holistic integrative health. By infusing a kind, gentle, and compassionate presence into a transformative holistic modality, I assist people who struggle with deep rooted imbalances.

I also work with clients who are in the process of their end-of-life phases, whether they are in palliative or hospice care.

My credentials are as follows:

*Associate Polarity Practitioner through the Polarity Therapy Institute/APTA (Member)
*Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki® Master through the International Center for Reiki Training
*Energy Principles Practitioner through the International Polarity Education Alliance (Member)
*End-of-Life Care Practitioner and Trainer/Hospice Volunteer*
*Medical Intuitive through the Integrative Energy Medicine Institute

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Trained in multiple alternative health modalities, my integrative process creates a wellness program to maximize energetic shifts, focusing on the parasympathetic system, treating severe fight or flight symptoms. Highly trauma informed, Polarity captures the essence of authentic energy medicine through Healing Touch, Naturopathic, and Ayurvedic practices. Treatments are tailored to enhance the overall well-being of individuals who know that there is a hidden imbalance and a need for assistance in finding the root cause. It is a magical way to reconnect and realign, ultimately creating an atmosphere for others to uncover their own innate regenerative abilities to heal.

As a holistic coach and trainer, I offer a specialized 2-to-3-day immersive class specifically tailored for Palliative and Hospice Nurses, Physicians, and Caregivers whose passion is focused on assisting in progressive Transitional Care (End-of-Life) or transitional assistance through applied principles of Energy Medicine for pain and stress management during passing.

I’m also certified in all levels of Reiki with the highest level of certification and a preferred provider of CEU’s through the NCBTMB (National Certification Board Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork).

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2018, my life unraveled in ways I could no longer ignore. I was navigating difficult life situations and had learned that my sister Sara was facing deadly health concerns after decades of unhealed trauma and self-medicating to the point of her detriment. It affected me more than I allowed myself to admit. I imploded under the weight of grief, slipping quietly into a dark inner spiral that no one around me recognized. I had mastered stoicism so completely that I was disconnected from my own heart. I quietly began grief support through my employer’s EAP program, which offered support, yet I could still feel that something essential was missing—something deeper, more spiritual, and more connected to the root of my pain. I began experiencing what some may call an awakening.

As I searched for what was missing, I found myself drawn to the science of energy frequencies and the ways energy shapes our inner and outer worlds. I began studying how we speak to ourselves and others, the tones we use to communicate, the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the food we eat, water we drink, and even the energetic influence of the people we surround ourselves with and how all of this impacts our very own existence. I began connecting the dot as to how all of this impacts our internal organs. I was fascinated with learning about Chakras and their purpose. After absorbing all of this knowledge, I felt a calling to change my life.

I began exercising again, practicing positive self-talk, and integrating “I AM” daily affirmations. Reading the bible, praying and meditation became anchors, both throughout the day and in the quiet moments before sleep. I immersed myself in the wisdom of spiritual guides and influencers such as Christina Lopes -The Heart Alchemist, Gabrielle Bernstein and authors like Brené Brown, Paulo Coelho, Leo Buscaglia, and Don Miguel Ruiz, allowing their words to guide me toward a deeper understanding of healing, courage, and self-compassion. I learned to master the art of surrender.

As I began to feel a subtle but undeniable frequency shift in my life, I followed it and dove inward. By 2019, I felt divinely guided to explore energy medicine and other alternative healing modalities. My research led me to Reiki, and I was struck by how widely it was being used in hospitals and clinics across the country and around the world to support people experiencing anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and trauma. What captivated me most was its role in hospice and end of life care. The idea that energy work could ease the transition for those preparing to leave this world touched something deep within me—a recognition, a calling, a remembering.

Just as I enrolled in my first Reiki class in August of 2019, I received a call that my sister Sara had collapsed and was now in hospice care at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. For nearly three weeks, she moved through the profound and delicate process of transitioning. During that time, my niece reached out and asked whether Reiki might help her mom, since the hospital offered it as part of their supportive care. I encouraged her to accept the treatment, trusting the gentleness and compassion of the practice. Within twenty-four hours of receiving Reiki, Sara passed peacefully, with her daughter and our mother by her side.

I knew, after losing Sara, that my life was about to shift in ways I couldn’t yet fully understand. As I continued my training and became certified in all three levels of Reiki—earning my Master Certification in October 2019—I felt a deep clarity settle in. I was ready to step forward, to help others, and to share the wisdom and healing that had transformed me. I devoted several months to consistent self-treatment, allowing the practice to integrate into my body, my spirit, and my daily life. By June of 2020, I began working with clients, and within a year, I stepped into the role of teacher, guiding others on the same path that had helped me reclaim my heart and my purpose.

Again, divinely guided to be of service to the community, in 2021 I became a volunteer with Alive Hospice in Nashville, TN. I knew that being actively in service to be present and supportive of others passing, I would in turn heal my own grief from my own personal loss. Almost a year later, I was granted one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I was invited to teach Level 1 and Level 2 Reiki to hospice staff so they could begin their own journeys in supporting patients through the transition process. Shortly after, I was present for my first assisted transition. Bearing witness to that sacred passage changed me in a way that words can barely hold. It affirmed everything I had learned, everything I had lived through, and everything I felt called to offer.

As time passed, I found the Usui modality of Reiki deeply beneficial, yet I felt called to reconnect with a more Christ Conscious expression of the energy. That inner pull led me to pursue certification as a Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki® Master through the International Center for Reiki Training. This frequency of Reiki was profoundly transformative. As I worked with it, I felt powerful shifts within myself—layers of old trauma releasing, burdens I didn’t realize I was still carrying dissolving with each attunement and session. This expansion opened the door for me to explore additional healing modalities, including sound bowl therapy, EFT (Tapping), hypnosis, regression work, and visually guided meditation. Each modality added a new dimension to my understanding of energy medicine and strengthened the foundation of the work I was being called to do.

Then, in 2022, I was introduced to Polarity Therapy, a unique holistic modality developed by Dr. Randolph Stone, a doctor of Osteopathy, Naturopathy, and Chiropractic. Dr. Stone drew from the Ayurvedic system of India as well as folk healing traditions from many cultures, including Homeopathy, Oriental Medicine and Astrology. I quickly realized how profoundly trauma informed this work was, and how much dedication it required—hours of training, hands on practicum, and a willingness to meet the body’s energetic patterns with presence and humility. My instructor, Brian Jansen, Director of the Polarity Therapy Institute based in California, became an extraordinary teacher and mentor, guiding his students with clarity, compassion, and depth. His influence has transformed the lives of many, including my own. Utilizing this form of modality for myself was the breakthrough that I needed to clear out what had been hidden for so long within my own subconscious, setting the tone for the next phases in my life and career.

Passionate about grief support and working with others struggling with a variety of energetic and emotional imbalances, I hope to be able to be of service to the community, raising awareness to this amazing modality and the incredible importance of holistic care and mindfulness practices, not only privately but in public sectors, especially within the corporate setting.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2024, I stepped back from my practice and my studies to be more present for my parents as they faced the heartbreak of another child becoming seriously ill and hospitalized. I felt called to pause, reflect and redirect my energy to be there for them as much as I could. Shortly after, I joined a major healthcare organization specializing in mental health and recovery. Here, I work alongside leaders who are also licensed therapist, social workers, physicians, nursing, and behavioral health techs. Even though I was no longer actively practicing as a holistic practitioner, with my newly defined role as Director of Facilities Operations, I knew that my team and I were still playing an essential role. By creating a clean, safe, and compassionate environment, we were supporting patients in their healing in ways that were just as meaningful—quiet, steady, and deeply humane.

As 2025 arrived and my family became more stable than they had been at the start of 2024, I felt ready to return to my studies and my calling. I re enrolled in Polarity training to move forward with my continued studies and began taking additional courses that I plan to integrate into my practice when the timing feels right. I rebranded my practice with a renewed focus, taking time in creating a special curriculum designed for Transitional Care based on my own studies, experiences, and the sacred moments I’ve witnessed during these impactful moments through my tenure as hospice volunteer, honoring a lineage that began with my grandmother as a nurse transitioning infants into the world, I assist in transitioning souls back into a place of peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.polarityhealthandwellness.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-rivera-0a516a24
• Other: Email: fivepointstar28@gmail.com

Image Credits

I Love photo taken by Erin Duncan
Hair by Penny Fox