Unconvinced about the power of holistic therapies and spiritual healing, self-confessed sceptic Louise Lewis was invited to give an Indian head massage a try – and was pleasantly surprised at the results.

The Wellington Weekly News journalist was invited to try the massage for free, ahead of a spiritual and holistic fair designed to dispel some of the myths regarding the treatments.

And by the end of the treatment, which she relived in a feature for the paper, she was considering which other therapies to try.

Louise said: “As a long-term sceptic about holistic therapies I had very little experience or knowledge of the different treatments available.

“So when I was offered a free session of my choice, I opted for the therapy I believed to be closest to the norm – an Indian head massage, courtesy of Jody Akroyd.

“And as my muscles relaxed, so did my cynicism.”

Indian head massage is based on the ancient Ayurvedic healing system which treats the mind, body and spirit as one, and the upper back, shoulders, neck, head, scalp and face are all massaged during a 20 minute session to alleviate muscular tension and stress.

The therapy is most commonly used to treat stress, headaches, sinusitis and insomnia, and has also been said to help hair growth, blood circulation and build the immune system.

Louise said: “I opted for a massage to combat stress and left feeling like I had my head in the clouds.

“I suffer with tension in my shoulders, but a few minutes of massage did more good than hours of pilates exercises ever have.

“A headache eased and for the rest of the day I felt slightly light-headed and my scalp tingled. I felt incredibly relaxed.

“I would not go so far as to say I am now convinced of the benefits of all holistic therapies, but I’m willing to give them a go and am considering reiki healing.”

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