Crystal healing? Yes. Breathwork? I can’t sleep without it. Manifestation? I got a six-figure salary from it. In my 20s and 30s, I spent all my weekends and all my spare money on facials, fancy manicures, pedicures, and massages.
Now I’m 52 and committed to improving myself – in fact, I spend £4,000 a year on spiritual experts.
Many will think I’m mad, jumping headfirst into the ethereal world of wellness, but recent figures suggest the global health sector, which includes what could be called spiritual self-care, is worth a staggering £3 trillion – and in the UK alone it’s over £19.5 billion a year.
So it may not be surprising that Victoria Beckham recently spoke about her love of crystals, and even undertook a crystal washing session after the full moon last month to balance her emotional energy.
Samantha Brick, 52, started doing yoga, ringing Tibetan bells and learning how to meditate when she was in her 30s and living in Los Angeles.
Experts say the ritual is emotionally equivalent to “factory resetting” a computer.
And she’s not alone: model Kate Moss is a fan of moonbathing (to soak up the lunar energy, naturally), while actress Emma Watson admitted last month that she carries a deck of tarot cards with her wherever she goes.
In fact, the number of spiritual trainers has exploded: flower healers, personal astrologers, lunar scholars, crystal advisors, breathwork teachers, card readers, and more.
But why the sudden proliferation of a treatment that has little scientific backing? Clinical psychologist Dr Marianne Trent puts it down to increased anxiety levels and more time on our hands during the pandemic.
“Women in their 50s may be able to really focus on themselves and their needs for the first time since their 20s,” she says. “This can be liberating.”
In my case, I was ahead of my time: In my 30s, living in Los Angeles and working as a TV producer, I began searching for a deeper meaning in life.
In Hollywood, crystal healers and “energy intuitives” are on every street corner, and soon I was doing yoga at dawn, ringing Tibetan bells, and learning how to meditate.
Naysayers will say it’s just a way for gullible women to spend their hard-earned money, but I can honestly say that these rituals are my secret to staying positive and confident in a difficult world.
My husband, who loves hunting and shooting, is also a convert. Yes, he laughs at me chanting during yoga, but now I can’t sleep without sprinkling lavender oil on my pillow and when I start to feel restless I know a full moon is approaching.
In my opinion, I firmly believe that as long as you do your homework (and remember, much of this industry is unregulated), all women can find a new kind of peace, too. Here are some (admittedly pricey) techniques I swear by…
Crystal Advisor £45 every 2 months
It’s easy to downplay the power of crystal, but it has been used since the 4th century BCE and is used in Chinese medicine. Because crystal vibrates at such precise frequencies, clear quartz is still used in clocks and measuring instruments.
In crystal healing, clear quartz is known as the “master healer” – that’s why I keep one in every room instead of a candle or room fragrance – it can absorb, store, enhance and amplify the energy around it.
Victoria Beckham recently spoke about her love of crystals, and even undertook a crystal washing session after the full moon last month to align her emotional energy.
I first became interested in crystals when I was in my mid-30s and going through a career crisis: I was about to give up on my TV career and was introduced to a spiritual channeler who had extensive knowledge of crystals.
After listening to my troubles, she sent me a very beautiful “Tiger’s Eye” stone, which is said to boost self-confidence and inner strength, and I still have it to this day.
Rose quartz represents pure, unconditional love and promotes harmony in relationships, so I wear it whenever I have difficult conversations with my husband.
I have a discreet black tourmaline stone placed on the threshold of my home’s entrance to keep out negative energy.
Social media is rife with crystal advisors offering classes that teach you how to use hundreds of different stones to improve, change, or repel your current life situations.
When you need advice on buying the right crystal for someone, consult the experts Crystals can range in price from £5 to over six figures.
Breathwork Teacher £45 every 2 months
Cynics may question why anyone would need to be taught breathing exercises, but anyone who has experienced a panic attack or anxiety will know that focusing on and controlling your breathing is key.
A few years ago, during a stressful period of insomnia, I was taught how to control my breathing in bed, which helped me to avoid panicking and ultimately cured my insomnia altogether.
I use the 4-7-8 breathing technique (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds).
I take lessons every other month because it’s very calming and I learn new techniques.
When I’m out walking I tend to fall into what’s known as the “monkey mind” and over-analyze things that are unlikely to happen.
Counting your breaths, taking four inhales into your stomach, lungs, back and shoulders and then exhaling again, can help you focus on the present moment and clear away unhelpful thoughts.
Astrologer GBP 60 per month
Each month I speak with an astrologer about my personal birth chart and what’s to come in the coming weeks.
It feels like an aerial view of how my life will unfold. Doesn’t that seem useful?
Recently we looked back at my past charts and since April 2012 the planets have been aligning to suggest that my career was going to take a new trajectory.
Model Kate Moss explained that she likes to moonbathe to soak up the moon’s energy.
That’s when I wrote the infamous article about women hating me because I was beautiful, which went viral and led to a bunch of high paying jobs.
The chart allows me to know when it will happen again. This discipline has given me a fundamental understanding of who I am.
In the past, I used to be annoyed by my female friends who insisted on getting their future boyfriends or work partners charted before starting a new relationship, but now I think it’s a great and wise precaution.
Manifestation Coach £45 per month
The premise of manifestation is that if you think about it, believe it with all your heart, and arrange your life as if you have already achieved it, it will come true.
It’s a technique used by celebrities like Jim Carrey and Oprah Winfrey, and I’ve been using it for decades.
I tried a suggestion from Noel Edmonds’s manifestation bible, The Cosmic Ordering Service, to write down what you want to happen, and I truly believe that manifestation is what got me to a six-figure salary as a TV executive at age 29.
I also used a vision board to bring to life my current home in France. I knew I would be living in that house even before I met the real estate agent because I had already imagined the interior of the house: seeing it, taking it in, picturing it, touching it.
I want to live by the sea, so I am working with another manifestation teacher: visit the area I want to live in, talk about it constantly with my loved ones, smell the ocean, and even visualize orange trees growing in my yard.
My coach helps me keep my sights on my goals and take practical steps to achieve them.
By focusing on everything from how to pay for your property to when to move, she can make it all work. What sets her apart from life coaches is that she also practices visualization techniques.
Oracle Cards £50 every 6 months
No more tarot cards. I prefer oracle cards. They’re less scary than tarot (few scary death cards), you ask a question and the oracle cards tell you the answer. There are many different decks, from angels to lunar science to nature.
A professional card reader will sense which card is best to use at any given time – for example, each of the Angel cards refers to one of the Archangels, including Michael or Metatron (both of whom are found in religious texts).
Angel cards appear when you need a stronger sense of purpose or are at a crossroads.
Actress Emma Watson admitted last month that she carries a deck of tarot cards with her wherever she goes.
The Flower, Nature and Moon cards are great for highlighting feelings and emotions. As one reader said, “The cards are like opening doors.”
Recently, the Gecko card came up at the beginning of a reading. The reptile shedding its skin is a poignant representation of spiritual transformation, and perhaps that is what inspired me to be so bold as to “come out” myself and write this article.
Sound Healing GBP 40/month
While some people spend their evenings scrolling social media or binge-watching TV, I listen to sound bath recordings. Just as sound can be traumatic (think of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay being tortured with nonstop heavy metal music), it can also be therapeutic.
The women offer hour-long sessions using gongs, wind chimes and singing bowls, composed with their own compositions, and what’s special about them is that participants donate what they can, making the healing accessible to everyone.
Most of the recordings are live, but I usually download them and listen to them at my convenience.
Flower fortune telling – £45 every 3 months
You may have heard of Rescue Remedy Drops, which contain extracts of flower essences used to aid sleep, but did you know there are 38 different flower remedies out there? I regularly seek expert advice on what helps me balance my emotions.
The one I use most is oak, it helps with stress, just a few drops in a glass of water and everything is fine, olive also helps with fatigue.
I have a kit with all my treatments costing over £200 – it’s not cheap but instead of drinking wine I sip on water with herbal tea in it.
I consult with my doctor because they are often more “in tune” with what I need than I am.
Ascension Teacher £50 per month
Every morning at 6am I stand outside, stretch my arms out to the sky, step barefoot into Mother Earth, and give thanks for the sunrise.
I send healing to those who need it throughout the universe and sometimes I also direct healing to myself (I am human after all).
Over the last few years, I have begun to follow “Ascension Teachers” who explain the workings of the seasons, the planets, and the universe itself.
Just as some people can read the energy of a room, they can also read the energy of a planet. I have followed many different teachers who emphasize that there is more to this world than meets the eye.
Their wisdom has helped me become kinder, more compassionate, and more in tune with my spirituality.
Menopause Coach £45 per month
Wellness queen Gwyneth Paltrow previously announced that she was planning to hire someone to guide her through menopause.
I actually found my menopause coach two years ago, and although I’m not experiencing any physical symptoms, she’s helping me with the psychological effects.
Those of us who have tried and failed to become mothers share the emotions that come with being unable to conceive.
At first, there were some visualization techniques, like looking at a picture of a uterus and imagining filling it with beautiful flowers.
My body may not be producing a warm child for me to nurture, but I am still happy and healthy.
Total spending per month: £308.33
Total annual expenditure: £3,700
