FOR HEALING: 10 TREATMENTS AND EXPERIENCES IN LONDON.

For those seeking respite.

Over the past 15 years living in London, I’ve had many ups and downs. Most of which have been documented online, which is a conversation for another day. I’ve always been interested in holistic healing as a complimentary tool alongside traditional medicine because of my interest in self-discovery and mission to reduce my stress and encourage relaxation. I’ve had the privilege of indulging in an array of luxurious treatments within the realm of beauty and wellness because of my career and by now I know the things in London that really take the edge off.

London is a lot different to cities like Los Angeles and New York, where these sorts of treatments are more commonplace. In London, it requires a bit more seeking if you need some respite, but luckily I’ve done the work for you.

Let’s begin.

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1. INTUITIVE HEALING

Reiki is an ancient healing technique that uses energy force to reduce stress and anxiety. You’ve probably heard of chakras and Reiki is a tool to help balance them; removing anything blocking energy and helps to restore balance. It involves a practitioner placing their hands on or near your body. Every session is different, but sometimes I can actually feel heat on my body despite not being physically touched. Sometimes I cry in sessions, sometimes I feel a complete sense of calm - it’s really dependent on what’s going on in my life.

I first explored reiki around 10 years ago at a time when I felt confused and at a crossroads. It’s a difficult thing to explain, mostly because it’s a bit woo woo and it’s hard to wrap your brain around it, but after my first session, I felt an unexplainable change in myself.

Food for thought: Perhaps sometimes you don’t need to know exactly how something works to benefit from it.

The Dream Of

Since my first reiki session, I’ve had many opportunities to try Reiki - I never turn it down. I do think it’s important to find someone that you connect with and a person I love to get treated by is Vicki Biggs, a Reiki Master Practitioner and Aromatherapist based in Hackney. I suggest the 90 minute reiki massage, which incorporates physical massage as well as energetic work. I find myself in a state of stress more often than I should, and Vicki’s magic hands transport me to a feeling of deep relaxation and grounding. I leave in clarity, with a weight lifted from my shoulders and more in tune with my intuition.

2. ONLINE ASTROLOGY READINGS

Natal chart readings, tarot, psychics, astrology - you’re either into it or you’re not. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in spirituality and understanding the deeper meaning of life and purpose. I’ve always felt like there was something more. I like to use astrology to help me understand myself and the people around me.

I’m a proud Leo woman, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m interested in learning more about my Rising Sign (Aquarius), my Moon Sign (Cancer) and many other details, all formed at the time of my birth.

I love comparing my charts with the people in my life that I care about so I can understand them in a bit of a different way. I was dating someone once and asked him for his time of birth so I could get his chart read, he asked his Mom for the info and she said “who’s the girl?” - Mom’s just know. By the way, he was a Gemini - it was never gonna work.

Ora Mer

I’ve had a lot of readings in my time and recently I found Rachel, founder of Ora Mer. We did some readings online and I had the opportunity to meet her on a recent trip to New York - she’s an angel and I can comfortably recommend her to anyone interested. She creates a non-judgemental space to talk through any issues/feelings you might have and helps give context for why you might be feeling a particular way.

Book a session with Rachel here and listen to her podcast here.

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3. MASSAGES

MASAJ

With locations across the city - in Soho, Marylebone and Shoreditch - MASAJ is a contemporary massage brand designed to combat the negative effects of city living. Getting a massage is intimate and everyone is different. The best thing about MASAJ is that before your treatment starts, you get to fill out a form that allows you to customise every element of the experience. For instance, you get to choose what sort of music you like (I usually choose something ambient), what oil you prefer (I bring my own SMOOTH Body Oil of course) and even whether or not you want your therapist to speak to you during the treatment. There’s nothing worse than small talk when you’re trying to relax.

A sense of calm will wash over you the moment you step inside one of their studios. The therapists at MASAJ (Ayanna and Kath are my personal faves) are meticulous in their craft and are experts in tailoring treatments to fit your needs. Watch more here.

I’m always surprised about how much tension I store in my neck, shoulders and hips. Getting my body stretched and ironed out is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Some of my most deep relaxations happen during a massage and that’s probably because I’m being forced to stay away from my phone and relax into the treatment.

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4. FACIALS

Facials are a constant in my life, not only for my skin, but for my mental health. There’s something really special about being so intimate with a facialist - they are literally touching and massaging your face. I remember my first facial like it was yesterday - I was like woah. Now, Iit’s one of my favourite things to do because there are so many different types of facials out there. You can go for something super tech heavy, something more tactile with lots of facial massage or something in between.

I truly believe that facialists are healers. Oftentimes they incorporate things like mantras, crystals, meditation as well as the more widely used LED light treatments and radiofrequency devices.

If you’re someone that wants a bit more of a bespoke experience, look no further than Justine Masters also known as The Alternative Facialist on Instagram. I first met Justine when she was a facialist at Haeckels and I’ve since gone back to see her in her own treatment room which incorporated all sorts of things including facial. If done correctly, a facial is not just skin deep. Put it this way, 2 days after this facial I broke up with my boyfriend.

Justine Masters

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5. ACUPUNCTURE

Probably my favourite and most impactful part of my wellness routine is Five Element Acupuncture. Five-element acupuncture is different to your standard acupuncture treatment to relieve muscle pain.

I have been seeing Johnny Childs at Kite Clinic on Wimpole Street for about 6/7 years on nand off and he’s truly one of the best. It’s all about understanding life and our inner ability to self-heal. I really recommend the book Everything You Need You Have by Gerard Kite. Really fascinating stuff - I like to read it in the bath.

Kite Clinic, Wimpole Street

Johnny teaches me that my physical symptoms are simply signs of distress trapped in my body, and rather than ‘healing’ the pain on the surface - we look inwards and what the root cause is. Each appointment begins with a conversation, a bit like therapy. I’m always surprised by what comes up. To anyone interested, I’ve been diagnosed as Metal. Johnny has helped me with grief, depression, anxiety, intuition and energy. I’ve recommended at least 45 people to him - most of whom continue to see him regularly. You have to try it to understand it.

When Johnny holds my hand during the treatment, I know that everything is going to be okay. 20/10.

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6. NAILS

Something about having a manicure makes me feel like I’ve got my life together, I’m sure you can relate. My friend, Julia Diogo is one of the most talented manicurists in the city often working with the likes of Vogue and regular celebrity clients such as Rosie Huntington Whitely. The beauty is - she can come to you, so you can enjoy your manicure in the comfort of your own space.

Julia’s specialty is Bio Sculpture and while I’m currently in a BIAB phase, my hot take is that a short, perfectly clean manicure is what you need when you’re in your healing era. Julia’s cuticle work is next level.

DRYBY, Mortimer Street

I can also wholeheartedly recommend DRYBY for all of your manicure/pedicure needs. They also have a blowdry bar upstairs.

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7. NATURE
   Nature is the greatest healer of all and one day I’m going to expand on my favourite greenery in London, but for now I’m going to highlight Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington. I love visiting on a Sunday with my dog because it’s so peaceful and quiet. If you’re not a Londoner, the thought of spending a morning in a cemetery might seem a bit morbid, but I can assure you it’s not what you think. Some of the headstones are incredibly old; I love reading the names and words on them. London’s cemeteries are filled with dogs running around and I think it’s beautiful to breathe new life into these spaces. Speaking of life, I have seen the odd rat running around (London’s wildlife), but generally it’s a 20/10 experience.

   

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8. SOUNDBATHS + WORKSHOPS

Re: Mind Studio

Surprisingly, there aren’t loads of sound baths and breathwork classes in London that tick the box for me. I often find places a bit too paisley printed for my liking, but that’s where Re:Mind Studio steps up to the plate. Situated conveniently near Victoria, Re:Mind is a safe space for all things peaceful. They offer private session as well as group classes which you can see here.

I recommend starting with a sound bath hosted by Farzana.

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9. HAIR
   

Larry King, South Kensington

We’ve spoken about other worldly treatments, energetic healing and the power of nature, but let’s not skim over the fact that a fresh cut and colour can literally change everything. A question I often ask myself is, am I miserable? Or do I just need a trim and some fresh bleach?

Some of you might not know this, but I didn’t always have short hair. Over ten years ago my agent at the time introduced me to Larry King who is responsible for giving me my signature bob. I can’t imagine myself without a short blonde bob to be honest with you, however it comes with a lot of maintenance. Every 6-8 weeks I make the trek to South Kensington for my bleach session with Harriet Muldoon (the only person in the world I would trust with my hair colour). At this point, it’s more like a therapy session than a full head of highlights. We’ve been through a lot together and it’s always great to catch up.

Tommy :)

Larry’s mission was to bring East London to West London. The atmosphere is super casual and approachable. His team is truly the best and it’s a super tight knit crew of some of the best people in the industry. I’m also a big fan of Larry’s hair care products, specifically My Nana’s Mousse.

Watch a typical appointment here.

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10. HUMAN DESIGN
    
    Human Design is something I’m very new to, but it’s my latest obsession. I’ve heard my friend Emma Hoareau talk about it a lot and always had an interest in what she was saying, but it wasn’t until 2 weeks ago that I thought “let me delve deeper into this”. Emma suggested that I enter my details for free here and once I got a look at the chart I was determined to learn literally everything there is to know about Human Design.

Once I determined that I was a Projector, I did some research about the characteristics of one, but I really felt like I needed a 1:1 session with someone who could teach me the basics about Human Design and my specific results. Once again, Emma came through and recommended Mads Williams. I sent her a DM, scheduled in a session and had the best hour and 30 minutes of my life chatting with her all about how to utilise Human Design in my life and how to feel aligned within myself. Did you know that projectors are built to work just 3 hours a day? Finally, it’s all making sense.

If you’re interested in learning more, Emma also recommended Day Luna Podcast which has the basics on each type (scroll back to early episodes), Human Design Blueprint and My Human Design.

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In summary, there are a lot of resources to help us get more in touch with ourselves and these are just a few off the top of my head. I find myself leaning on these sorts of tools a lot when I’m going through a particular difficult or stressful time. I hope something speaks to you and I’d love to know your favourite treatments to heal.

Let me now if you’d like a part two.