Zoë’s Healing Journey

Why is healing important to you?

My whole life is based around healing and I believe this is the same for so many humans. We all suffer traumas at different times in our life and they need to be healed. Depression is rife in Western civilisation and all the things leading to that need to be healed. The food we eat today is not always the best and our bodies need to be helped. I believe transformation is what life is all about and essentially this comes down to healing. Growth is through transformation, whether it is weight loss or spiritual growth or knowing ourselves better and being the best version of ourselves. Nature and life are all about transformation and as humans we need healing to help us grow and move past things and this can come in so many different ways. It is 100% up to each individual how we do this which is so liberating.

What was your first healing experience and how did it effect you?

My Chiropractor was most probably my first healing experience. I suffered from a lot of pain from the age of 14 and maybe even sooner but this is when it really effected my life negatively and as an athletic, strong, basketballer I was often in so much pain. Later I found out this was most probably Fibromyalgia but at the time the only thing that gave me relief was going to the Chiropractor. The sessions also brought more pain sometimes, but it was all I knew and had access to.

I later turned to massages when I could afford it, which quite often resulted in massive panic attacks when I was there laying on my stomach. I had no idea what they were, or why I would be crying or having such a reaction to someone touching my vulnerable body. Later I learned it was a lot of repressed traumas that get released through things such as massage. They can also be released through speaking to somebody and other forms of healings, such as physical exercise, meditation or whatever works for you.

What activities do you take part in to heal yourself?

I do so much and have done throughout my whole life. Dealing with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, Migraines, severe IBS and having had a lot of anxiety throughout my life, I feel like I have tried everything. After doing a LOT of work already and continuing to do this, what works for me at this juncture in my life is Colourpuncture, Osteopath, Theta energy healings, mindfulness, listening to my body, a lot of research and dealing with past traumas through inner child work. I have simplified what I do and now in my mid-40s, I have trusted practitioners I work with, but it took a long period of trial and error to get to this stage. I take a lot more time out for myself and I become almost reclusive at times, but it’s what I need. I find that when taking time out, that’s often when the magic happens, and even finding work solutions becomes much simpler, but I need space for this to happen.

At the end of the day we all heal ourselves and this is very powerful. Practitioners help guide the way like teachers, but it is up to us to learn what lights us up, what we love and what creates positivity in our life. This includes the people in our life, our lifestyle, understanding what makes us happy and really truly following our bliss. Getting out of the grind is one of the most important things I ever did and the things I do daily for my body like swim in a magnesium pool, fill my spa with magnesium, massage (I bought a massage chair at home), have weekly massages with a trusted masseuse, infrared sauna, eat the foods right for my body, take the supplements I need and taking the limited medication I need to, are all the most important forms of healing for me.

What benefits do you get from the healing sessions you do?

I am alive!

Why do you encourage healing at the sanctuary?

We only encourage guests to follow their bliss their own way. If healing, or any of our practitioner’s practises resonate with them, then they can work with our personally handpicked amazing people with exceptional gifts and an amazing amount of authenticity and love for what they do. There are a lot of charlatans in healing, and especially in places like Bali, our guests can trust that our healers are recommended based on both mine and other guests’ experiences.

For those who choose to do any types of healing, and let’s face it even yoga and meditation is healing, and simply taking this time out for yourself is healing, you will all experience things completely differently depending on who you are, your openness and what you need. At the end of the day everyone receives the right experience for them however it ends up turning out.

What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t tried any healing methods before?

Tap into your intuition. Deep down inside you know what you need. Listen to your body and how it reacts. Listen to your inner dialogue. Admit where you need help, do your research and go with your gut. It takes a lot of trust and for a lot of people it means overcoming fear. When it feels right give it a go but know your expectations will only get in the way. Openness and faith are the biggest healers when asking for somebody else’s help.