CHENNAI: A dimly lit room, a striking white meditating Buddha statue, and music that can calm all your nerves — that was the scene we entered into at the Avaesa Gallery, Nungambakkam. We also saw there were different healing stones placed on each chair for the participants of the first introductory session of a guided meditation series lead by healer-cum-therapist Shradha Nanavati. We took one of the pouches that had a sunstone. “It stimulates self-healing powers and develops the metabolism,” said the card.
We decided to chat with Shradha about her entry into alternative healing, guided meditation and Tera Mai Seichem. Shradha, just like any normal teenager, was torn between pursuing a job that would be ideal for a living versus a career in something she loved — alternative healing. She chose the latter in 2009 and is one of the most sought-after healers in the city today.
“Alternative healing has gained a lot of momentum in terms of awareness and as a career option. Though there’s more of it in Mumbai and Delhi, Chennai is catching up,” she says. A learning experience and a step to self-transformation, as she calls it, Shradha explains that maturity and experience in healing comes once the healer starts meeting new people every day.
“I started out with a set of skills which was small. Later, I learnt from my experiences that gave me the idea to work in this field professionally,” she says.
A practitioner of Tai Mai Schiem and guided meditation, Shradha opines, “People know the kind of alternative healing that will work for them. Unlike a few years ago, when awareness was low, today, people are more curious about the different kinds of healing.”
For the uninitiated, Tai Mai Schiem is a healing process that includes the principles of Reiki and Pranik healing. “We call upon the four elements — water, fire, earth and air. This is not associated with any religion or culture; these are elements which compose our body. This helps in clearing and channelising the balance of the body,” she clarifies.
While most people practice meditation, how many know the right way to do it? “Meditation is not about focusing or controlling the mind or sitting in a specific position.
Sure, sitting straight opens the body for the energy to flow. But all these rules make it a rigid process. Meditation is about realising your true potential and being at ease,” she shares.
During the first session, Shradha focused on the basics of meditation such as breathing into awareness. It was a series of five guided workshops that deals with lotus meditation, connecting with the heart, forgiveness meditation and shamanic mediation with crystals. Shradha also treats cancer patients and people with autism.
“This is not a replacement for any treatment or a miracle pill. It can be done along with your daily meds. It involves work, time, energy and faith from both sides,” she adds.
For details about the next workshop, visit: https://www.facebook.com/avaesastore