Now I'm not saying I don't believe in Western medicine or anything like that. I personally like to take a combined approach to my own well being that uses practices from both holistic and western medicine.
Recently, I got to experience a combination of Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Reiki at the newly opened Olistika Wellness Centre. My treatments were with the owner Filippo and I have to say one thing I immediately noticed/sensed about Filippo was that I could tell he was a very gentle and sensitive person. I could tell he genuinely does really care about people and their well being. Once I sat down and talked w/ Filippo a bit before my treatments I could really see how passionate he was about this new endeavor and his career overall. He also has a very relaxing and calm energy which is really a nice change from the sometimes chaotic city life I find myself surrounded in.
Before the treatments Filippo asked about any medications I might be on or injuries/conditions to be aware of. We talked about my on-going battle w/ acne and Filippo suggested I read his one blog post about his battle w/ teenage acne and let me tell you I can totally relate to how he felt back then because I too had really bad acne for a period of time in my teens as well so I know how it can really effect your mood, self esteem and outlook. Filippo suggested I use lavender oil to spot treat the acne I currently have on my back and face. Luckily, I didn't have to go out searching for lavender oil as Filippo actually made me a beautiful little aromatherapy care package that included: Olistika Mist - Lavender, Olistika Special Blend - Healer & Olistika Skin Body Blend - Winter. All the ingredients in the products are organic, vegan and crafted by Filippo himself.
Now on to the treatments!
For the aromatherapy there was a choice between relaxing and energizing...I went w/ relaxing. On top of the aroma-laced cloth that was gently placed over my face (which was relaxing not suffocating don't worry) I was also given headphones that played reiki music which really helped "zone me out" and relax me. The aromatherapy was done in combination w/ the reflexology treatment which focused on my feet. I was worried that I would be ticklish and squirmy but it's a firm sort of massage/pressure point treatment so no tickling. In fact in some places it was actually kind of sensitive...like not painful but sensitive. What's really interesting about it all is that different parts of the feet are suppose to connect w/ different parts of your body. I didn't tell Filippo which side of my body I had back and leg problems on but on my left foot there was sensitivity in areas that were related to both my back and leg!
The some of the benefits of reflexology are it can release tension and improve circulation. It can also help with things like anxiety, depression, chronic and acute pain, migraines, insomnia, high blood pressure and a multitude of other ailments.
The reiki treatment is a completely different style of treatment and in fact there is very little touching in it in general besides a little bit of touching on the forehead and shoulders. It it suppose to help gently balance you emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually by releasing blockages that you carry with you. Reiki can be used to treat things like: life changes/transitions, traumas, loss, mental/physical fatigue, over worry, colds/flu, allergies and the list goes on.
The reiki treatment itself was very interesting. One stand out moment for the treatment for me was I actually had to stop it because of my acute back pain. I can't lie flat on my back for long periods of time w/out getting a sharp and very uncomfortable pain in my back. I had to sit up and I explained the situation. Filippo then did some reiki treatment on the spot on my back which did involve him putting his hand on the spot but there wasn't any sort of massage or pressure really. After a couple of mins I was able to lie down again and my back pain was much relieved in the area and we could finish with the treatment.
One thing that Filippo does at the end of every session is sort of giving you a "reading". He doesn't claim to be psychic or anything but he does feel he's a very intuitive person who gets "feelings" or "hunches" about things or even flashes images pertaining to the person. So after the reiki session we talked about the different things he sensed or read about me during the treatment and some of it was very true or things I could definitely relate to or see about myself.
So if you're interested/curious in holistic treatments I'd definitely look into Olistika and the services they provide. Filippo is a very empathetic healer and you can tell he has a genuine passion for what he does. He also offers group sessions and is a licensed holistic practitioner as well as Reiki Master Teacher Registered Practitioner.
