The cosmic beauty queens who have a real magic touch
Three wellbeing experts tell us why they believe a spiritual approach is key to looking and feeling great
SPELL- CASTING CANDLES
SEMRA HAKSEVER, 39, lives in east London. She gave up a career as a fashion stylist to create Mama Moon Candles, a range of scented candles “infused with magical energy” I SPENT 10 years working as a fashion stylist in London and while I enjoyed my job, as time went on I felt as if something was missing. Fashion can be a very ego- driven job and I began to feel tired and a bit drained.
I’ve always been a spiritual person. Since I was a child I’ve been fascinated by the Moon and I’ve always talked to the universe.
When I was 18 I learned how to do reiki and became interested in wicca witchcraft and spell- casting and started making scented oils.
When I gave up my job as a stylist I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do although I knew I needed a career that would fulfil my spiritual side.
Then two years ago I was on holiday in Bali when I had an epiphany. I was trekking up Mount Batur with a friend to watch the sunrise. As we hiked up the mountainside, I realised that by the time I reached the top I would know what to do with my life.
When we arrived at the summit we were above the clouds and the views as the sun rose were magical.
I knew there and then that I wanted to make candles – the idea, the name of the brand and even the design of the packaging just came to me in an instant.
I wanted to make candles using what I call scent magic – harnessing the magical power of fragrance for spells and wellbeing.
I believe my candles give off a magical energy which can activate special powers and influence mood. For example my Love Manifestation candle, which is scented with sandalwood, can be used to bring love into your life.
I advise clients to write down what they want on beautiful paper, light the candle each night and read out their intention to the universe.
When I make the candles I use sage to clear the room of any negative energy and I infuse the scented oil with crystals to make sure the end result is only filled with good vibes.
The range has really taken off in London and I’m planning a trip to New York soon as I’ve had a lot of interest from the US.
I think people are interested in spirituality at the moment because it’s a way of finding the power to heal and change yourself. As well as looking after the body and mind, it’s important to look after your spiritual side too.
I love what I do and feel so blessed. When I was a stylist I used to get a kick out of making people feel good on the outside but now I’m helping people feel good on the inside too. For more information see mamamooncandles. com
CRYSTAL AROMATHERAPY
MICHELLE ROQUES- O’NEIL, 61, lives in north- west London. She has more than 30 years experience working as a spiritual aromatherapist ALTHOUGH I have lived in the UK for more than 40 years, my fascination with all things sensory and spiritual began while I was growing up in India. There, healing goes way beyond modern medicine, it considers the soul too.
After my father’s sudden death when I was eight, we relocated to England to be near his family.
I started by dabbling first in oils and herbal concoctions before training with renowned aromatherapist Micheline Arcier.
Yet I knew there was something more and I ended up studying the healing powers of shamanism, crystals and reiki.
As a result I created a new treatment known as transformational aromatherapy.
Based on intuitive healing, aroma breath work, crystal work and polarity balancing, I restore balance to the spirit. While we may feel something physically – stressed clients, for example, often say they feel tired – the things that cause us to be out of balance are often emotional and spiritual.
A cream cannot solve this, you have to go deeper for true healing.
Spirituality is growing as a trend because of the pressures of our modern world. There are too many demands on people and we work too hard.
I heal my clients using a bespoke combination of oils, salts and crystals. Crystals are minerals made up of different compositions and each has its own unique energy system. You can use them to cleanse and purify imbalances in the body.
Amethysts are fantastic for discharging negative, toxic energy – both emotional and physical – from the body.
Rose quartz can balance the heart, cooling the system down when you are hot- headed.
I created a range of crystal- infused aromatherapy products so my clients can get the same results at home.
I make the blends myself and tailor the formulas so each product is designed to treat a particular emotional issue such as stress.
For more information visit roquesoneil. com
TOUCH HEALING
BEATA ALEKSANDROWICZ, 50, is a holistic massage therapist who lives in south London. She has written two books on the power of touch I GREW up in Poland and lived in an environment where there was very little in the way of touch. Or if there was, it tended to be aggressive or even violent. As a result my relationship with touch was not healthy and I learned to avoid it for years.
However as an adult I began to realise just how nourishing it can be. Travelling all over the world, I saw how as humans we communicate through touch when we don’t speak the same language.
I decided to dedicate my life to finding out more and began to study the body, mind and spirit and how all three are connected.
For a long time people thought the spirit was only to do with religion but that has changed. There are fewer preconceptions about spirituality these days and as a society we are much more open- minded.
Touch is the first sense that develops in the womb and it is very powerful – so powerful it can be used to heal.
For the past 18 years I have used touch to help my clients reconnect with themselves. I look at tension in the body and I ask them where they have stiffness or pain. A lack of balance in life manifests in the body, often in the neck, back or shoulders.
I believe that the sites of pain contain memories and traumas but by connecting body to spirit and using touch and breath it’s possible to remove these blockages and to get the energy flowing.
You can do it by yourself too. When you have an area of tension, place your hand on it and breathe towards it. Meditate and massage it. When you are doing this, pay attention to what you are thinking about or what you remember.
This can help you to stop bottling up your problems and release them instead.
For more information visit beata. website