Recently, I was invited to experience either a Reiki treatment or Chakra Balancing at Whispering Souls, a Holistic & Wellness Centre in Lane Cove. Upon my arrival, Caterina made me feel very welcome with her calm and soothing presence. I was unsure whether I would try the Reiki treatment or Chakra Balancing, but after those first initial moments with me, Cat immediately recommended Chakra Balancing. Apparently I appeared ‘highly strung’, which at the time I put down to Saturday morning traffic along Epping Road. However, when I later asked my husband, he agreed with Cat.
The treatment room at Whispering Souls is the kind of room you can sit in for hours, and Cat is the kind of person you can talk with for hours, despite only just having met her. And talk we did. Cat explained what she was going to do and what Chakra Balancing would entail.
If you’re not quite sure what Chakra Balacing is all about, let me give a brief explanation. We have seven Major Chakras which are at the basis of every sensation, feeling and emotional experience we have. Imbalance can occur in our chakras due to stress and other factors, and this can cause physical illness. When the Chakras are balanced they ensure bodily, emotional and spiritual well-being. Chakra balancing realigns your core connection to the universe.
Caterina from Whispering Souls
Caterina from Whispering Souls
I was guided to the bed and asked to lie down and relax. Of course, I lay down and didn’t relax. Not knowing what to expect, I lay there and thought about lying there, about my children, about the music playing in the background, about my family, media, travelling, preschool, big school, packing, cleaning, etc etc etc. I was not able to relax.
Highly strung, could that actually be true? To be honest, just being asked to lie down and close my eyes is worth going to Whispering Souls. Cat held her pendulum above my Chakras and talked about the movement of the pendulum and what it means. She then told me to close my eyes while she worked on the chakras. This basically involved Cat placing her hands at the front and back of each Chakras.
Whilst this was happening, I found myself being bombarded with memories and thoughts from my childhood, from the present, from the past, from people I had not seen for years, experiences I had had, highs and lows. I was trying not to think, yet the more I a tried, the more I am thought.
I tried counting back from 200. I tried following my breath, I try to listen to the music. Still these thoughts bombarded me, engulfing me and I was unsure of where they were coming from and what was leading me to think of them.
When the ‘healing’ was complete and Cat asked me how I am, I told her that I felt exhausted. She understands as it appears working on me with all my thoughts had given her a headache. ‘You are a big thinker’ Cat tells me and I nod, as these are words that have been said to me on many occasions throughout my life.
Cat then talked me through the ‘messages’ she received during our session. I agreed for Cat to talk to me about these messages and once she does, I found that I became overwhelmed with emotion.
Cat has the ability to dissect exactly the type of person you are, and what your innermost thoughts and beliefs are, and whilst that is confronting, it is also quite amazing. Whilst it was very personal and sacred, the main things that I have kept coming back to is that she received a message from my Great Grandmother ‘who has a similar name to yours’. My Great Grandmother’s name is Jesse which I couldn’t remember at the time, but the next morning I wake at 5am with her name on my lips.
Despite not wanting any more children, Cat also said she senses another girl and then describes my youngest daughter in such detail that it sends shivers up my spine. Cat tells me I need to be careful if I don’t want any more children, and I go home and warn my husband straight away. He tells me not to be so highly strung!
After the experience, I felt calm and very self-aware. In a way, I would say I felt clearer, but on the other hand I felt exhausted from so many thoughts. Over the next few days, I spent a lot of time thinking about the session and writing all my thoughts down on paper to come back to later. As Cat suggested, ‘your subconscious sends you these thoughts like a child that doesn’t want to be ignored, they keep coming back until you give them recognition. So, acknowledge them and let them go’.
This has been a very important message for me as I am not only a big thinker, I am an ‘over-thinker’. I can dwell on things and make mountains out of mole hills. I now try to write down those recurring thoughts throughout the day, so they can leave my mind (de-cluttering my mind as such). Cat advised I try meditating 5-10 minutes every second day to help with achieving inner-peace.
Before I attended my appointment, I really didn’t know what to expect, and had lots of questions running through my mind, such as:
Will I have to get naked (should I shave my legs)? No, you lie on the treatment table fully clothed. Cat then places a blanket over you.
Does it hurt? No, Cat holds a pendulum above your Chakras and when healing she gently places her hands above and below the chakras, so it is very gentle and unintrusive.
How will I feel afterwards? I’m sure it is different for everyone but I felt clearer, lighter, more balanced and like I knew what I had to ‘work on’ in my life.
Will she be nice? Cat is just one of those people that has the ability to make you feel calm, she is lovely.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. Not only did I end up feeling ‘clearer’ when I walked out, but I also enjoyed the treatment itself. Lying down to relax is something I obviously need to work on and I have been doing meditation since the treatment and whilst my mind still races away, I am finding it is helping me focus and maintain that feeling I had of clarity when I walked out of the room.
Would I go again? Yes. I enjoyed the experience and found myself quite mesmerised and fascinated by the Chakra Balancing and healing process. Cat is empathetic and made me feel very safe. I would also like to experience Reiki, one of her meditation workshops or her upcoming ‘What are Chakras?’ workshop.