DALLAS, TX – Pickleball pros have some of the most diverse and unique side hustles of any professional sport.

From Genie Bouchard's new broadcasting duties with Tennis Channel to Connor Garnett's tenure as an investment banker, there are plenty of good stories to tell.

As for Christine Maddox, she's actually a former sports medicine student turned Reiki master. 

So, what is Reiki? 

“Reiki is basically a hands-off energy healing method that basically works with the electromagnetic field or bio-field around your body. Sometimes, we can get blockages and it can result in a physical ailment or you’re just not feeling your best,” explained Maddox. “A Reiki master helps facilitate your flow. It’s a reminder to the body to heal itself. It's similar to acupuncture, just without the needles.”

Over the course of a year, Maddox went through three levels of study to earn her Reiki Master title. 

“I also added Crystal Reiki learning as well, which is a another subsection of Reiki where I use rocks for healing vibration,” she added.

Maddox was raised in a holistic household where her family was very open to Eastern medicine practices like energy work and herbalism, which ultimately influenced her decision to pursue a sports medicine degree at Pepperdine. 

“The studying I did at Pepperdine was the integration of injury prevention and taking care of yourself on the court. Adding that with the holistic approach, I realized that you need energetic care at the same time. With my own injuries from college like chronic pain, I realized that a healthy combination of both was what I needed,” she shared. “Naturally, it’s progressed as a nice integration of the two disciplines. I think healthy balance is no extreme in either direction, but instead incorporating Western medicine modalities. Some days, you do need to take an Advil, and other days Advil isn’t needed and some meditation is best.”

From a pickleball standpoint, Reiki has benefited Maddox in a number of ways.

“It has helped me to stay calm. Instead of going down that negative rabbit hole with self-criticism, Reiki has opened up my self-talk vocabulary and allowed more room for positivity,” she noted. “Reiki keeps me grounded.”

The fascinating thing is, Maddox doesn’t just perform Reiki on people, she also has animal clients. 

“I’ve done Reiki on a horse, and parrots are very receptive as well. I have guinea pigs and they love it, too, but the majority of my animal clients are dogs or cats,” she confirmed.

The former collegiate tennis player also owns Pau Amma Apothecary, which sells topical pain relief magnesium cream that’s organic, all-natural, and made by Maddox herself. 

“I have a degree in herbalism, and it started out as something I needed for myself. Then I made it for my family and other pros on tour, tested it a bunch, and got it down to a formula. I bring it on the road with me for tournaments,” shared Maddox. “Some pain relief creams are very overwhelming, but this is very gentle. The biggest feedback I get is that they didn’t notice it worked until they suddenly realized ‘Wait, what normally is hurting isn't hurting anymore.’ It’s a gentle ease that takes about 20 minutes and then you’re walking and playing pain-free.”

Maddox clearly has a lot of different side gigs that not only help her pickleball play, but also make her life just a little bit more magical.

Interested in Reiki? Click here to receive a session from Maddox and find your peace on the court.