Wigan reiki practitioner hopes to provide a helping hand to the local community with her services

A Wigan reiki practitioner believes her services can help people in the local community to look after themselves and should be seen as a necessity rather than a luxury.
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A Wigan reiki practitioner believes her services can help people in the local community to look after themselves and should be seen as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Reiki Wellness Centre and Aloha Massage and Spa Treatments, which are based in Highfield Community Centre, will welcome people for a holistic taster on Saturday, January 29, where visitors can try mini treatments for £10.

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Ann Confrey, from Bryn, moved back to Wigan a few years ago to look after her father, after previously living in Edinburgh, where she had started to practise reiki - a form of energy healing involving the palms of the hands - in her spare time.

Ann ConfreyAnn Confrey
Ann Confrey

She said: “When I came back down here, I thought I would jump in feet first and open a wellness centre and focus on my holistic practices, to bring them to Wigan.

“Due to being based in a community centre with lower overheads, we can offer treatments at an affordable price.

“In Wigan there are a lot of people who want to help others.

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“We do realise £25 is out of a lot of people’s budgets, so we are looking at a way we can bring it to them for something like £10, if possible.

“I think once people feel the benefit of having holistic treatments, they will see the way it makes a difference in their daily life, in the way they feel and the way they interact with others.

“It’s not something we should look at as a luxury, it’s something we should see as a necessity.

“The way the world is going, there is so much happening, when we do have time to stop our body reacts and we feel fatigued.

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“Since becoming a reiki practitioner I’ve realised the benefits. I used it on my dad when he was in hospital, and he responded very well to the treatment he was given by the doctors and recovered much quicker than expected.

“You can use it anywhere and everywhere. It’s especially good for people who care for others, because they’re the ones who neglect their own needs.

“They are the people who can feel guilty for doing things for themselves. We provide treatments, as well as workshops and training for people who are interested. Anyone who wants to come along and book is very welcome.

“I’ve set up a group called Wigan Wellness Web, which includes people who want to bring holistic treatments to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them. We want to work with charities and employers to get funding to subsidise the treatments or make them available for free.”

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Ann believes the energy healing module can benefit different people in a range of different ways.

“Even if people don’t think spiritually, the whole world is surrounded by energy, and it’s about helping it flow through our bodies. Reiki helps us to relax and stop the energy becoming trapped. It works well alongside traditional medical intervention.

“Your mind, body and spirit are connected. So if you are stressed, particularly coming through Covid, then things like reiki can help.”

While Ann concentrates on the mind and the spirit, Bhav Pandya, who oversees Aloha at the Reiki Wellness Centre, focuses on the body, with massages and spa treatments.

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She said: “I wanted to join forces with Ann and bring something to the community that would bring wellbeing. We don’t want it to be too expensive so then everyone can come to the centre and get a treatment.

“We’re trying to present where it is easily accessible and affordable, so then people see it as just part of their life and not a luxury, like getting your hair done. There’s not really anything in people’s workplaces that looks after mental wellbeing.

“When I found out that Wigan has one of the highest suicide rates amongst men, it really triggered me off.

“My heart goes out to those who are looking after people every day, because they are probably the most giving people but are not looking after themselves. It’s about balancing their energies.

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“I try to do fun stuff like raffles to cheer everyone up because Covid can be a down time, so it’s about doing some nice things for people in the community.”

As well as the taster day on Saturday, which takes place between 10am and 4pm, they will also host a Wellbeing Day on March 5 at Hope School, with stalls set up for people to look around.

Ann said: “The most important thing about these days is that people can get information about what is going on. We are looking at bringing in a lot more, such as mindfulness classes and yoga.

“Hopefully we will access funding to make these things subsidised or hopefully free.”

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