Natural Healing - Plymouth Herald Article

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Plymouth's healing centre has opened its doors to hundreds during 35 years
By Plymouth Herald | Posted: October 06, 2015
By Emily Smith
Lucy Blake
People take part in a healing session at Plymouth's Natural Health and Healing Centre

Gone are the days where people think of healing and imagine long haired men standing in a field surrounded by crystals. Today hundreds of people are using natural healing to prevent even the deadliest of diseases. Emily Smith leaves the office in search of her inner energy
Whether it's acupuncture, life coaching, meditation, massage or Reiki you're after - Plymouth's Health and Healing Centre is certainly the place to visit.
This year celebrates 35 years of the centre being open and the many therapists have worked with hundreds of people over the years - helping them deal with illness, stress or just allowing them the space to find themselves.
In a world where most people struggle to find the time for a cuppa - the volunteers working at the healing centre are promoting a positive message - to find the energy in the body.

Chairman of the centre, Robert Parkins, has been at the centre for more than ten years and specialises in Emotional Freedom Technique and Magnetic Field Therapy.
Robert, 68, says: "We all work on the same thing and that's the energy in the body.
"In my twenties I was told I had healing hands but when you are told that at that age you don't think much of it. It wasn't until ten years later that I decided it was the time to do something about it. I asked someone why I hadn't done it before and they said because 'it wasn't the right time.'"
Founder of the centre Gillian Fordham, 76, admits that people's openness to healing has changed massively over the years.
"I started all of this in Lipson Road in the 80s. People were very closed to the idea of healing then. I had a vision about 35 years ago and I knew I had to set up a healing centre. When I was five years old I knew my mission was to help people," Gillian says.
Lucy Blake
(L to R) Founder Gillian Fordham, Chairman Robert Parkins and head of healing Margaret Jenkins
Gillian worked closely with Dr Alec Forbes on a cancer support group. Alec later went on to open a healing centre for cancer patients in Bristol. Over the years, the centre has helped many people deal with illness.
The founder says: "We work alongside medical professionals. It's never been one or the other."
Robert adds: "The medical profession has changed lots over the years. When you used to go to the doctor, you would get your pills and then they would send you home. Now many of the surgeries in the UK have alternative therapies - we complement each other.
"We are slowly bringing healing into the general practise which is good.
"If you go and sit in a doctor's waiting room with a cough then you will instantly feel better and think why are you there because you feel cured. It's the same when people come here - it's just that way of thinking."
For many of the healers working at the centre they believe it is their calling to go and help other people. This was the case for 78-year-old Margaret Jenkins. She says: "I have been working with energy for a number of years so I can see it in everything and everyone. Most of us here had a vision telling us we needed to do this.
"If you receive healing then it can last for days. Some other people may just come here and want to talk things through rather than receive any treatments."
Lucy Blake
A member of the group receives healing from Margaret Jenkins

The demand for alternative therapies is forever growing and many festivals now dedicate whole fields to healing. Although Robert admits it's great people are more open-minded, he is worried about the amount of young people needing therapy.
He says: "Until this year I only saw people aged over the age of 18 - since January I have seen four people under the age of 18 and one of them was only 11 years old. They have all come to me for Emotional Freedom Technique therapy. That's quite scary that children as young as that are needing therapy.
"People suffering with depression can tell their doctor and be waiting six months before they see someone. A lot of people prefer to come here and see us because we have more than 14 different people working here."
For more information people can contact the Natural Health and Healing Centre on 01752 770048
Reporter Emily Smith takes part in a healing session
Every Monday at 2pm the healing centre open their doors to allow members of the public to take half an hour from their busy day.
The healing session is a visual meditation and music is played before a speaker starts a reading. Lynne St Claire, retired journalist now healer, lead the session.
She says: "I had a career as a journalist and used to work on the Nottingham Post, then after moving to Bere Alston I heard about the centre and was attracted to it.
"I just thought I would go along and see what it was about. They were about to start a healing course and I decided to give it a go. It's becoming a really important part of my life and has done for a while.
"I meditate a lot myself and I think that's really important. Life is one big whoosh and we all need to spend time just sitting sometimes."
Lucy Blake
Reporter Emily Smith receives healing at the Plymouth Natural Healing and Health Centre
Individuals sit in a room, relaxing their whole body and feeling the energy. Although I have never taken part in a healing session before - I am by no means against alternative therapies.
As I sat among like-minded people I felt relaxed, at peace and could take the time out of my busy day to think about my current situation. After Lynne's reading the healers come forward to place their hands on your head, arms and knees.
As my healer stood behind me I could feel the warmth from their body. What I liked about the session is the fact you have your eyes closed and don't know who it is that's searching for your aura.
The session can either be hands on or the healer will use their hands to feel your aura. After 10 minutes the session returns to listening to some music and coming back to reality.
Lynne says: "There are so many things like meditation out there and it's very valuable. It's good for dealing with the body but also the mind and the spirit. It's amazing to bring the wellness and healthiness to the whole body. People forget we are not just bodies - we have many powers of wellbeing too.
"A whole number of different people come to receive healing - there aren't any boundaries. Some of them are nurses and some of them might just be people keen to know more. A lot of people have said it changes their lives. We are just there to offer as much as we can to as many people as we can."
As I come out of a meditative state and return to the room I feel a sudden coldness and don't know if this is anything to do with the session, or the weather outside. But I have come away feeling more positive and remembering every-day to take ten minutes to be at peace with myself.
Lynne ends: "The thing with healing is it can sometimes work physically and then others emotionally - it will always work but just in different forms. Sometimes it is used to help people with what they are going through."