Meet Carla Harshman

The chic, Paris-based Reiki master redefining modern energy medicine

It’s rather a rarity these days that I discover someone via Instagram who makes me instantly want to connect in real life - but that’s exactly what happened when Carla first appeared on my feed. You know that feeling when you sense an inexplicable magnetic pull toward someone? When I realised she was based in Paris, my heart jumped and I immediately knew I wanted to meet her.

She turned out to be the coolest and most interesting person I met during last season’s Paris fashion week and she left a lasting impression on me. We met at a charming Parisian café and within moments of being near her my nervous system felt completely at ease. She has an incredible presence and light, and one of those rare kinds of beauty that radiates from within.

As you probably know, I’m deeply drawn to spirituality and I’ve noticed a growing cultural interest in and longing for practices like tarot and energy healing which I deep dove on over here. Reiki is one of the practices that has had the most positively profound effect on me personally and it continues to fascinate me.

But I had never met anyone who made energy medicine feel so effortlessly chic and accessible. So when I met Carla, I just knew I had to interview her, to understand her work, her vision and the story behind the stunning universe that she’s building.

Carla: I’m a Reiki practitioner and the founder of Maison Rituels du Jour, an energy medicine atelier based in Paris, by way of New York. My work is rooted in Reiki and shaped by a background in fashion, beauty, and the arts. I present energy medicine in the way I wish it existed, designed to excite and attract more people to its wonderful and very necessary healing work for mind, body, and spirit.

What brings you joy? Being outside. I love nature. It’s one of the most beautiful gifts we have, and it’s always there in some way. Whether it’s the sea (Pisces sun, so water is a must for me), the forest, going for a hike, or just being barefoot in the grass here in a Paris park.

There are so many little outdoor sanctuaries here, so there are no excuses when it comes to grounding with Mama Earth, and it makes me feel like a kid again. I truly feel free, joyful, and a little giddy in these moments.

I also love seeing all the sweet puppies around Paris. I go to the dog park in my neighborhood, and it brings me so much joy, especially on more stressful days, it’s the best outlet.

And, of course, music. It’s my medicine. It 100% brings joy into my life on a daily basis.

Can you please tell me about your practice and how you discovered your gift for healing?Ever since I was a little girl, I felt things very deeply and was highly attuned to my environment and the energy of others. It was always there, but it was not something I understood as powerful or meaningful until much later in my life.

While working in New York in the fashion and media space, I was deeply disconnected from myself, though I did not realize it at the time. Looking back, I did not yet know who I was. I was simply showing up in a way that felt expected for that environment and that period of my life. Over time, that disconnection caught up with me. I became anxious, unhappy, and confused, and went through very dark periods that forced me to turn inward.

That period led me into a deeper process of self-discovery, trying to understand what it meant to care for myself, to speak kindly to myself, and to come back into balance. It opened the door to studying mindfulness, meditation, and eventually Reiki. This exploration within the healing arts completely transformed my life, and from that point on, I had a strong sense of knowing that this was my path.

At the same time, I began to notice a quiet dissonance. The work itself was powerful, but the way it was often held and presented did not reflect that depth. There is often a lack of refinement, of atmosphere, of aesthetic intelligence, where the surrounding world does not always match the integrity of the work itself.

Maison Rituels du Jour emerged from that realization. It brings together everything that has shaped me, from fashion and beauty to the arts, into a practice that feels both restorative and sensorially alive. At its core, it reframes self-care as something far more essential than indulgence, a way of returning to yourself, restoring your baseline, and strengthening how you move through the world with greater clarity, presence, and magnetism, while also simply feeling good in your body again and, in many ways, falling back in love with yourself, and for some, for the very first time.

I feel like it’s often hard to comprehend/articulate what reiki and energy healing is and how it can benefit us, could you guide me through it? It’s true, Reiki and energy healing are difficult to articulate. There is a framework for understanding it; we are, at our core, energetic beings. Everything carries a frequency, a vibration, and we are constantly moving, responding, and exchanging on a subtle level. Over time, that energy can become stagnant or out of balance, which is when we begin to feel it physically, mentally, or emotionally. Reiki works to help bring that back into flow, back into harmony. Still, it can feel abstract, which is why it often lands more clearly through experience than explanation.

At its core, Reiki is a Japanese system of energetic alignment that works with the body’s biofield and natural ability to restore balance. We are constantly taking in and responding to our environments, to stress, to other people, and over time, that can create tension, fatigue, imbalance, and a deep sense of disconnection from ourselves.

Reiki works by gently supporting the nervous system and helping the body return to a more regulated, grounded state. It’s not something that is forced or imposed. It’s quiet, but it’s deeply felt.

What people often notice is a deeper sense of relaxation, a softening in the body, and greater clarity that wasn’t there before. For some, it feels emotional; for others, very physical. There isn’t one way it shows up, which is part of what makes it so personal, but also why it can be difficult to describe. No two sessions are the same, and even for the same person, the experience can shift each time.

Ultimately, the work touches how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, and absolutely energetically. When those layers are more in sync, it naturally changes how you move through the world. There is a greater sense of steadiness in your day-to-day, clearer thinking, and a stronger presence, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. You feel more like yourself again, or for some, are discovering yourself for the first time, and from that place, there is a beautiful magnetism that develops and begins to draw you even closer to what naturally feels most aligned and meaningful in your life.

It creates a space to fully let go, even if just for a moment, and to return to yourself in a way that supports the body and mind coming back into alignment, so it can do what it does best, heal, and ultimately allow you to feel better and truly thrive.

What’s a piece/object in your wardrobe or home that tells a story about you? I think everything that we intentionally choose is ultimately telling a story about ourselves, about what speaks to us, about what we find inspiring and beautiful.

One of the most special pieces in my home is a crystal Tiffany box that I keep my Salvador Dalí designed tarot deck in. It feels exquisite. Those cards hold deep meaning for me, and tarot is something I’m exploring more and more in my own time. Placing them in something so beautiful reflects their value to me.

Although my home is currently rented and furnished, I was deliberate in wanting to bring small things with me to Paris that are extremely special to me. In practically every space, nook, and cranny of my home, I have a collection of crystals, rocks, and shells from all over the world, it’s something I look for when I travel. The shells, especially, hold so much meaning. I absolutely love being by the water, my parents lived on the coast for many years, which was the most magical respite for me, especially during my time in New York. For me, it’s the ultimate source of peace and grounding.

Being in the city but surrounded by things from nature makes me feel more calm. It makes me happy. These objects, although small and maybe meaningless to some, hold such deep meaning for me. I think they do tell a story about me because of how much I appreciate the little things in life and small details.

Even the rings that I wear, many of them were handed down from my mother, feel incredibly special. Wearing something that was once deeply personal to her, especially a ring I remember seeing on her hand every day as a little girl, and now being able to wear it myself, feels like a soft strength. It’s the feeling of having her with me, even with an ocean between us.

There’s a lot of thoughtfulness in everything I choose, and that, in itself, tends to tell the story.

Tell me more about your vision for RDJ? My vision for RDJ is expansive, with many different avenues unfolding both now and over time. At the moment, the biggest challenge is patience, as I am building a business in a country outside of my own. The administrative and legal side of things is time-consuming and, at times, energetically draining, especially coming from an artistic background, but it is all part of bringing this to life here in Paris.

Maison Rituels du Jour is now recognized as a legal company in France, which feels like a big win. Now it is a matter of finalizing the remaining legalities. It is slow, but it is moving, and I feel myself getting closer each day to being able to fully operate here this year.

Reiki remains the bread and butter of the Maison. Alongside that, I am developing a movement ritual with a friend, also American, who is a professional dancer previously based in New York and Los Angeles and has recently moved to Paris. It brings together meditation, movement, and Reiki into something sensual and grounding, a way of releasing the body and coming back into yourself.

I will also be offering meditative Reiki classes here in Paris, which I am really looking forward to. There are plans to collaborate across disciplines as well, from wellness studios to clinical practitioners, and to be part of events and retreats.

Looking ahead, I see the Maison expanding into its own atelier space, as well as into product, with in-house oils and a mist I have developed and already use within my treatments. I would love to bring these into the hands of my clients more broadly and eventually place them within select boutiques that feel aligned.

Alongside this, I’ve been thinking about refining the voice of the Maison on social platforms more intentionally. It’s something I plan to develop further once I have the space to give it the attention it deserves. I want to share Reiki in a more direct, thoughtful way, while maintaining a strong sense of aesthetic and editorial identity.

The Nourished Eye, my Substack, the editorial arm of the Maison, is where this already unfolds more expansively. It allows me to explore personal power, ritual, and energy work in a way that feels intimate and immersive, and to further deepen the connection with those drawn to this world.

Ultimately, my vision is to bring energy medicine to the forefront in a way that feels refined, sensorial, and aesthetically considered, and relevant to modern life, especially in cities where people are constantly in motion. To create spaces and experiences that allow people to return to themselves and feel at home in their bodies again.

Discover more from Carla on her website, substack and instagram -`♡´-

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