Laura Peppard is the founder and director of the Reno Psychic Institute, 20 Hillcrest Drive—an organization she founded a quarter century ago. RPI is hosting the Reno Spiritual Wellness Expo from Oct. 18-20 at Reno Town Mall—4001 S. Virginia St. The expo will include spiritual organizations, entertainers and workshops, as well as vendors selling jewelry, art, minerals, stones and holistic wellness products. Learn more details by visitingrenospiritualwellnessexpo.com.
How many times have you done this event?
Twenty years, twice a year—but I finally took off this spring. … But then the opportunity came along for this new location, which I’m excited about. We were at the convention center for years and years, and then we went to the Best Western [by the] airport.
So it’s three days. What are people going to find there?
Friday, we want to do a book signing and wine tasting. And then kind of kick it off with a healing clinic, energy healings—and, also, we’re in the process of creating a world dance event. A friend of mine has the Sufi thing going—so we’ll just have a fun opening with Friday.
Are they specifically spiritual dances then?
As much as we can. We’re still creating it.
I suppose dancing could be considered spiritual in its own right, too.
Yeah. Yeah.
What about the other two days?
Well, that’s all of the vendors and the readings and healings and seminars. We always have a theme with the expo, which is really fun. And this time it’s “connection.” So we’re going to have a series of seminars on connection with yourself, with other and with the divine.
World dance—can I assume then that it’s geared toward people of different faiths?
Yeah. We’d love to have as many different ones as we can, and we’re starting off with the Sufi one—because that’s what PJ [Chatterton] knows.
What’s the reason for the expo?
Just to give a space for a spiritual “hello” in the community.
A spiritual “hello,” like to meet and greet other spiritual people? Help me understand.
Well, we’re spiritual beings as well as physical bodies, so it’s a recognition of your spiritual nature. And usually that’s in religion, but religion is kind of—you know, creates barriers between groups. So this is like we all just get to recognize our spirituality and kind of forget about the differences.