Navigating life as a new mum while living abroad miles away from her support network was the moment when Angela Dunne first discovered the therapeutic power of yoga, meditation and self-care.
Fifteen years on and Angela, who has since moved back to Aberdeen and is now a mum-of-three, is helping other women and mums take time out to nourish their bodies, minds and souls through her restorative reiki practice.
Based at The Remedy Rooms within Breathing Space Studio in Aberdeen’s Gaelic Lane, Angela uses the ancient healing practices of reiki, Indian head massage, facial acupressure, and meditation to help people to unwind, let go and slip into a deep state of rest.
“People can feel weighed down by life and it’s not until you step out of the noise and take that time for yourself when yourealise that you’ve been holding ontoso much,” says Angela who set up her own business called Sage and Remedy.
“So it’s about taking that time out, letting everything else go and leaving it all behind the door and stepping into that safe space.”
Travel inspired Angela’s wellbeing journey
Angela’s journey into the health and wellbeing world began when she moved abroad with her husband.
“In 2007, we moved to France, just outside of Paris due to my husband’s work,” she says.
“We had our first child there and that’s when I became more aware of the importance of keeping myself grounded and looking after my mental wellbeing because you’re looking after a baby and with no support around you, you can feel isolated.
“So I looked into ways to make sure that I was ok and through that I found yoga and meditation.”
Discovering yoga while living abroad
After living in France, Angela and her family then moved to Norway where she took her yoga practice to a deeper level and became a children’s yoga teacher.
“I had my second baby in Norway and that’s where I got really into yoga as there’s a really big yoga community there,” says Angela.
“They’re very into natural and holistic practices so that’s where my yoga practice really deepened.
“I also wanted something to bring into my children’s life that would be good for their wellbeing as well so I trained to be a kid’s yoga teacher and I held classes over there.”
Holistic therapies in Houston
Angela’s love of health and wellbeing deepened further whenher family moved stateside to Houston in Texas where she had her third baby.
“When I was in Houston I did a year-long adult yoga teacher training course,” says Angela.
“A lot of yoga courses are quite short but this was a year so in that time we were able to explore all aspects of yoga, not just the physical side it was more about the benefits for the mind and the whole body.
“While I was in Houston I also got into more of the energy work and reiki which I studied.”
From Saudi Arabia to Aberdeen
Before settling back in Aberdeen, the family latterly lived in Saudi Arabia where Angela further developed her holistic practices.
“I taught yoga in Saudi in one of the first female gyms there which was really cool,” says Angela.
“It’s not until you step away that you realise how amazing that was as there wasn’t really a lot for women over there.”
Sage and Remedy
In 2020 during lockdown, the family decided it was the right time to move back to Aberdeen where Angela launched her own holistic venture called Sage and Remedy.
“When we moved back here I wanted to focus on the meditation and reiki side of things,” says Angela.
“So I started developing this reiki meditation practice and that’s when the opportunity came up at Breathing Space Studio.”
Located in the heart of Aberdeen, Angela says the studio is an amazing collective wellness space brimming withyoga teachers, pilates instructors, meditation experts, birthing gurus and creatives.
“When Laura from Breathing Space approached me to say that she was making a little room and asked me to run it, I jumped at the chance,” says Angela.
“But I didn’t want it to just be me, I wanted it to be a collective of people who offer holistic practices like massage, reflexology, reiki, crystal healing as well as things for pregnant ladies so there’s lots of holistic practices for labour and birth.”
Relaxing reiki in Aberdeen
As part of her candlelight reiki ritual, Angela guides people into a deep state of relaxation.
“I guide them through a little bit of meditation where they connect with the breath,” says Angela.
“And then I do an Indian head massage to ease the tension along the shoulders and the neck and up into the scalp and the pressure point releases around the face and the head.
“That helps them to relax and unwind so ithelps energy to flow.”
Energy healing
Angela also focuses on the main energy points in the body called chakras.
“I’ll check the chakras and then I’ll place crystals on and around their body so it’s a little bit of crystal healing and reiki before we finish with some grounding and some intention setting before they leave,” says Angela.
To see the positive impact that reiki has on people’s mental wellbeing makes Angela’s heart sing.
“It’s lovely when someone gives you positive feedback and it reminds you why you do it,” says Angela.
Thriving wellbeing community in Aberdeen
Although Angela will always love the enriching experience of travel, she has happily settled back into life in Aberdeen.
“My kids love it here, this is their favourite place out of everywhere they’ve been – they love Aberdeen,” says Angela.
“I think because it’s small it feels safe for them and they’ve got that freedom to go into town and they didn’t have that anywhere else apart from Norway.
“For me, I love that the wellbeing community is up and coming in Aberdeen.
“When I left in 2007I certainly didn’t know about a yoga community in Aberdeen so it’s great to come back and see it thriving now.”
For more information about Sage and Remedy, check out the Instagram page @sageandremedyuk or email sageandremedyuk@gmail.com
