Hollyweird Healing
Sun Herald
Sunday August 8, 2004
Alternative therapy is the new dinner party chat among ailing celebs, writes Kate Cox.
AS celebrity glamour goes, it wasn't the best of looks when Gwyneth Paltrow waltzed into a New York movie screening sporting several ugly circular blotches on her back.In a low-cut top, the Oscar winner seemed keen to allow photographers to get a full view of the curious marks. Observers were divided. Were they large love bites? A rare skin condition? Alien abduction ritual scars? Had she been bashed? Or was this the latest in polka dot styling?Eventually, it emerged: they were caused by cupping, an ancient Chinese healing practice that Paltrow apparently uses to reduce her post-natal nausea, headaches and bad skin, as well as getting rid of toxins.While medical opinion about the merits of cupping varies, as a consumer of things New Age and alternative Paltrow is certainly one of the wackiest.A strict macrobiotic dieter, she doesn't drink caffeine or eat sugar, dairy, wheat or meat, and rarely drinks. She sometimes eats in the nude, sitting in the lotus position in front of a mirror to observe how her body looks during and after a meal. This intriguing practice is apparently part of her yoga regime and increases "self-awareness". (Well, derr.)Now, latest reports from the UK say she has also tried "rainbow dieting" that is, eating one item of food from five different colour groups each day, as coloured foods apparently affect your moods in different ways.She has a personal psychic, spiritualist, yoga master and acupuncturist: indeed, her north London home was supposedly chosen because it is close to three of her alternative health specialists. Her car has been blessed to prevent accidents. To find love and marriage with Coldplay singer Chris Martin, she told Vanity Fair magazine she used an acupuncturist. "Britain's most boring couple", as they're known in the UK press, underwent antenatal yoga classes when Paltrow was pregnant. They named their baby Apple then employed the services of a spiritualist to check for bad auras in the nursery.Welcome to Planet Hollyweird, where alternative therapy is the new psychiatry and spending $200 getting your chi balanced is deemed much more preferable to a hedonistic night of drugs, booze and podium dancing.Where to go It's not just Gwynnie. Stars seem to be falling over themselves to get the latest, greatest and, er, weirdest healing methods out there. There are plenty of alternative therapies available in Sydney.CUPPINGWhat is it? The ancient Chinese practice involves placing heated cups over the skin to encourage blood flow and ease stress, aches and pains.Feels like: A pinching sensation during treatment, with circular bruises on the cupped area for a few days.Benefits: Acupuncturists use cupping to relieve pain, stomach disorders and asthma. It supposedly lets trapped chi (energy) flow freely through the body. Session price: $65.Celeb fans: Gwyneth Paltrow, Geri Halliwell, Kate Moss, and Peter Everett and Rebecca Harris from Renovation Rescue.Try it: Most acupuncture clinics offer cupping, including Ray Ford in North Sydney. Phone 9954 3342COLONIC IRRIGATIONWhat is it? Small tubes are inserted into the colon and warm water is pumped inside slowly to cleanse the bowel.Feels like: Uncomfortable rather than painful, but it leaves your bottom sore for days afterwards.Benefits: The bowel has long been considered by the Chinese to be the emotional centre of the body. Flushing out the toxins there is supposed to give a feeling of lightness, energy and renewal, improve digestion and stop constipation.Session price: $90.Celebrity fans: Demi Moore, Kim Basinger and Goldie Hawn are supporters. Kim Wilde was irrigated on Celebrity Detox Camp on UK TV, but is said to be in no hurry to repeat the experience. Try it: Colon Care Centre has been providing colonic irrigation for more than 18 years. Phone 9314 5442 (Randwick) or 9387 4990 (Bondi).REIKIWhat is it? A Japanese word representing universal life force energy, the ancient art of hands-on healing is said to promote the body's ability to heal physical ailments and open the mind and spirit to causes of pain.Feels like: The massage is firm but not painful. A treatment involves massaging and manipulating the body, covering the organs, glands and lymph nodes, to supposedly improve energy flow.Benefits: Thought to influence the activity of enzymes, which stimulate the body's own healing processes. Apparently the massage improves the energy flow by eliminating any blockages and can help relieve pain, shock, tissue trauma, and acute and chronic illnesses.Session price: $80.Celeb fans: Jade Jagger, Naomi Campbell and Jemma Kidd, who says her healer "just has to lay her hands on me and I feel better".Try it: With Quentin or any of the many practitioners at the Glebe Healing Centre in Annandale. Phone 9566 1222.SOUND THERAPYWhat is it? Using vibrations and harmonies (generally through bells, drums or voice) as part of a massage to improve health or mood.Feels like: Strange! Your body will feel the music waves causing an altered state and a mixing of the senses.Benefits: Apparently can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, pain and anxiety, and increase energy.Session price: $70.Celeb fans: Madonna is said to be a fan.Try it: Musician and massage therapist Chris Shakallis uses bowls at the Wholistic Medical Centre in Surry Hills. Phone 9211 3811.Consultation fees may apply.
© 2004 Sun Herald