What actually is Reiki – and what happens when you have a Reiki treatment?

In this episode of the Farnham Health & Wellness Podcast, I’m talking to Natalie Cox, aka NataMama, about Reiki, aromatherapy, massage, sound healing and the journey that led her to make complementary therapy her full-time work.

Natalie first discovered Reiki almost by accident while studying at college. Her anatomy and physiology teacher happened to be a Reiki Master and offered her a short treatment. Natalie knew almost nothing about Reiki at the time, but the experience stayed with her. She began going for treatments herself, before eventually deciding that she wanted to understand what was actually happening and learn how to practise Reiki for herself.

We go right back to that first experience and talk about what Reiki actually is, what a Reiki practitioner does during a treatment, and what someone coming for their first session might experience.

Natalie also talks about the different reasons people come to see her. Some arrive simply because they're curious about Reiki, while others are looking for something that helps them feel calmer and more grounded. Alongside Reiki, her work now includes massage and aromatherapy, and we explore how those different practices have gradually become part of NataMama.

We get into essential oils and aromatherapy too – including the thought that goes into choosing and blending oils, and why aromatherapy involves much more than simply enjoying a nice smell.

Natalie also tells me about her collaborations with other local health and wellbeing practitioners. She works with sound practitioner Jo Carter of Soundshine, combining sound baths using gongs and Tibetan singing bowls with individual mini Reiki treatments. We talk about the experience of sound, vibration and touch, and Natalie shares some of her own experiences of sound healing.

We also talk about the point at which a personal interest becomes a completely different life. Natalie spent 13 years in the same job before deciding to leave the security of something familiar and build NataMama. She talks about how difficult that decision felt, what finally prompted her to make it and what she hopes to develop next.

Along the way, we talk about collaboration rather than competition within the local wellness community, seasonal workshops, yoga, cacao, sound healing, and some of the people Natalie has met through this work.

If you've searched for Reiki in Farnham, Alton or Hampshire, wondered whether Reiki might be for you, or found yourself asking what actually is Reiki?, this episode gives you the opportunity to hear directly from a local practitioner about what she does and how she came to do it.

Find Natalie / NataMama

Natalie is based in Alton, Hampshire and offers treatments through NataMama. She is also developing a space in Four Marks for Reiki training.

Website: www.natamama.co.uk
Instagram: @x_natamama_x
Natalie's website also links to her Facebook page and information about treatments, Reiki training, workshops and upcoming events.

About the podcast

The Farnham Health & Wellness Podcast is recorded in Farnham, Surrey. I’m Juliet Hollingsworth, and in each episode I explore the science, stories and ideas behind living well through conversations with people working in health and wellbeing locally.

Each guest is someone you can meet, learn from or work with in and around Farnham, Surrey and the surrounding areas.