Northern Ireland has seen a surge in public interest when it comes to holistic therapies over the past decade, with people considering treatments outside the Western mainstream for both their mental and physical health.
Debbie Pielou
With endless funding cuts and flaws in modern medicinal practices being exposed all the time, it is no surprise that people are taking their health into their own hands and looking for answers elsewhere.
Reiki, although still considered an ‘alternative’ practice to most of us, is an ancient Japanese healing technique whereby the therapist channels energy into the patient through touch, activating natural healing processes within the body that help to restore both physical and emotional well-being.
I decided to suss out reiki, or energy work as it is sometimes known, for myself and booked a session with Debbie Pielou Therapies NI. Debbie works from Cranmore Holistic Centre – a warm, welcoming clinic situated on the popular Lisburn Road right beside Cranmore Park.
With an extensive range of qualifications under her belt including Master Level Reiki, Level 3 Reflexology and Level 3 Indian Head Massage, Debbie was the 2011 Winner of the Irish Regional Finals for Aromatherapy through South Eastern Regional College, as well as being placed within the top 5 Aromatherapy finalists in the UK through the World Skills UK 2011 Competition.
Cranmore Holistic Centre, 1 Cranmore Park, Lisburn Road, Belfast
When I arrived at Debbie’s clinic, an initial consultation took place in simple, relaxed surroundings.
Debbie quickly makes you feel effortlessly comfortable and takes a sincere interest in you as an individual, discussing whether you have experienced reiki before, whether you have any current health conditions, and what the session will entail.
I made Debbie aware of stomach issues I have had for the past six months, and she then left the room to prepare while I laid back and got comfortable.
The reiki session began with Debbie holding her hands over various energy centres – across the stomach, chest, forehead – and I immediately felt an intense heat from her hands.
I quickly became deeply relaxed, gradually feeling lighter and almost more expansive, as if I was becoming intensely aware of the energy present all through my body.
Drifting into an almost hypnotic state, I could hear my stomach making strange noises when Debbie’s hands were hovering over the area – there was definitely a lot of activity going on there! The energy is undeniably palpable, even when there is no direct physical contact.
Before I knew it the session was over and Debbie brought me a glass of water as I slowly emerged from this blissfully relaxed state.
Afterwards, Debbie and I discussed what had happened and she revealed a few things that had occurred to her during the session. These insights – including an intuitive recognition of where I was at in my own spiritual journey, how my body was responding, and the things that were holding me back – were followed by some extremely reassuring and gentle advice.
Debbie’s approach clearly stems from an innately compassionate nature and a desire to help others. I left the clinic feeling peaceful, refreshed and optimistic, in fact I could have stayed there all day!
Given that the weeks prior to this had been stressful and quite challenging overall, Debbie’s session provided a welcome release and encouraged me to move forward with more positivity. In my opinion, whether you ‘believe’ in the benfits of reiki or not, it is definitely worth trying.
Before I knew it the session was over and Debbie brought me a glass of water as I slowly emerged from this blissfully relaxed state.
