Former police officer retrains in reiki, and launches Aberdeen business

What does self care look like to you?

Meditation, yoga or a simple warm bath with your phone turned on silent?

Whatever your chill out of choice, Lisa Kidd has got you covered, and may well have you sleeping in minutes thanks to her relaxing hands.

The former police officer knows a thing or two about the importance of taking care of yourself, and has launched The Self Care Club in a bid to help people switch off from the daily pressures of life.

And her beautiful cabin, which can be found in her garden at Counteswells just outside Aberdeen, is already proving popular.

Difficulties overcome

Lisa, 33, is booked up until the end of August, despite the fact she only launched earlier this month.

And although Lisa is juggling treatments with her full time job as a project co-oridnator in the oil and gas industry, she couldn’t be happier, and believes people have started prioritising their own well being following the pandemic.

“I got involved with a skin care brand at the start of lockdown, and now I’m currently formulating my own skincare line,” said Lisa.

“I guess you could say that I had a bad hand dealt to me in the past, and I used to force myself to go for a massage or meditated.

“My self care journey started when I began to take care of myself.

“I realised how important it was to just stop and take a minute.”

Lisa trained in reiki at the start of the year, which is a form of alternative medicine, where a positive mental state can be promoted through gentle touch.

“It really changed my life, it brought some peace and comfort to myself,” said Lisa.

Making a change

“During treatment I just felt this need to make a change.”

Lisa offers numerous treatments, including reiki fusion which is a blend of reiki with massage.

She also offers a holistic facial, alongside Indian head massage and Thai hand and foot massage.

“A holistic facial is very different to your standard beauty facial,” said Lisa.

“The movements are much slow and deeper, alongside the time and care taken during the treatment.

“I also do a natural face lift massage, it’s a facelift the natural way.

“It’s very relaxing with deep massage movements, which tone, lift and massage the facial muscles.

“It’s great for drainage and removing toxins, I personally think it’s the most relaxing treatment.”

Lisa believes that people have changed their attitude towards self care following the pandemic, with many people reassessing their life during lockdown.

Taking stock

“I think I certainly changed a little bit during the pandemic,” she said.

“I really thought about what makes me happy, and what do I enjoy doing.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to has taken some kind of stock, and re-evaluated.

“What do I not want to bring with me the other side of the pandemic?

“Self care can mean so many different things, but ultimately it’s anything which makes you feel better.

“I always tell people to get out of the house, it doesn’t have to be expensive.”

Lisa has a 100% customer retention rate, and find her job incredibly rewarding.

“I like meeting new people, I think that’s part of my personality,” she said.

“Sometimes when people come in, they can be quite anxious about something.

“But 75% of my clients actually fall asleep. They always apologise, but there’s no need.

Listen to your body

“You should do what your body and head tells you to do.

“Shut your eyes and listen to what your body needs, I just work away.”

Lisa, who is organised by nature, currently runs her business alongside her job as a project manager.

But if The Self Care Club continues to be successful, she may consider making a change in the future.

“I think there was certainly a gap in the market for this kind of business in this area,” she said.

“I actually did a lot of market research with Business Gateway before taking the plunge.

“I wouldn’t say I am the stereotypical person who you might associate with reiki.

“But people clearly feel confident in my hands, which is fantastic.”

You can find out more about The Self Care Club on Instagram