I scheduled my appointment with Filippo for a Thursday afternoon earlier this month, and in fact I took the whole afternoon off from work on that day, as I wanted to enjoy the session without being stressed or pressured by time.
Olistica Centre is located at 2 Carlton Street midtown Toronto (Yonge and College), so on the day of my appointment I took the subway to College Station for my Olistica visit. A very charming Filippo greeted me in the lobby of the building, which made me feel at ease and trust him instantly, so we proceeded to the Olistica office located on the 7th floor of the building without further ado.
We talked during the first half an hour of our appointment, and I conducted an interview with Filippo, asking him about what he does. He started working in this line of business three years ago, but became the owner of Olistica Inc. six month ago, in June 2015. The doors at Olistica from 2 Carlton Street are open twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, when Filippo's services are available to the public and when customers can make appointments with him at the centre. Filippo also makes house calls, but his services also include packages for corporate events that would take a whole day.
Olistika is devoted to offering natural restorative and preventative solutions to support your overall wellbeing. These restorative and preventative solutions are active by curating and accessing your "holistic toolkit", empowering you to take control of your wellbeing, allowing you to live wholly, as your best self – balanced mind, body and spirit.
Filippo is a licensed holistic practitioner, and he has been granted license by City of Toronto. He is also a Reiki Master Teacher registered practitioner, member of Canadian Reiki Association; a registered Reflexology practitioner, member of Reflexology Registration Council of Ontario; and a certified Aromatologist professional, member of Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists.
Olistika’s powerfully healing Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Reiki, energy therapy and pure organic vegan products are offered individually and as part of integrated and special packages, supporting one's everyday life and targeting acute and chronic conditions. These vegan, organic, aromatherapy products are hand-made by Filippo himself, and they are based on essential oils. These products are custom-made, specifically for his customers' needs, and he makes them in two ways -- he either chooses the ingredients for his hand-made remedies and advises his clients about the ingredients of these essential oil products, or he lets the customers choose the main ingredients to create customized products.
Aromatherapy is Filippo's long-life passion. As a kid he liked to discover the healing power of plants and create healing mixes. When he was 18, he worked at The Body Shop and further developed his passion for aromatherapy and deepened his knowledge about this field, studying aromatherapy. At about the same age he created his own remedy for acne and cured his acne, which also helped him with his angst and anxiety. Now he can make mixes really quickly, because he has a deep knowledge of the healing power of each plant and of each ingredient that he includes in his hand-made products. For instance, rosemary, Filippo tells me, is great for fatigue and tiredness.
After the interview we proceeded to the session itself. First, Filippo described what it was that he was going to do next -- the session was supposed to be part reflexology and part reiki.
Reflexology is a holistic treatment that accesses the whole person (body, mind and spirit) through reflex points located on the feet, hands and head. By accessing these reflexes, the therapist gains access to parts of one's body that would otherwise be unreachable, allowing reflexology to deeply relax, balance and encourage one to heal. More specifically, each part of one's feet, hands and head is directly linked to each body part (from nervous to skeletal system) and each energy point (chakra). Using a series of techniques that release and stimulate, the corresponding reflexes are awakened, tension is released, circulation is improved and healing is induced.
From migraines to insomnia, reproductive issues to anxiety, reflexology is effective on a variety of ailments including: immune system support, colds, flus, allergies, stress, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, high blood pressure, mental and physical fatigue, chronic and acute pain and related issues, headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia and menstrual pain, reproductive issues, cancer, stroke, leukemia, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, rehabilitation, mental and emotional disorders and diseases, sports related injuries. Reflexology is gentle enough for infants to seniors. It can be performed on anyone whose feet and hands are accessible, making it a beneficial addition to western and eastern medical treatment plans.
Reiki is a natural hands-on energy healing technique that deeply but gently balances one mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually by releasing blockages one carries, removing obstacles and restoring one's depleted life force energy. By restoring harmony, reiki leaves you in a state of profound relaxation and optimal vibration, where your body is empowered to better heal and balance itself. Reiki can help you face your daily stresses, an impending winter of flus/colds, injuries (including sports and work related injuries), a busy work or school season, as well as unbalanced mental and emotional states, chronic and acute conditions. Reiki can be used to treat life changes and transitions (minor, major, spiritual); trauma, bereavement, loss, crisis; everyday conditions like colds, flus, allergies, burns, injuries; stress, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, over worry, high blood pressure, mental and physical fatigue; lack of energy, focus, clarity, motivation; chronic and acute pain and related issues; headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia and menstrual pain; weight loss, reproductive issues, cancer, leukemia, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, conditions of unexplained origins, rehabilitation, mental and emotional disorders and diseases, sports and work related injuries.
Before starting the actual session, Filippo told me that once he was done with it, he would share his feedback with me, that is the deciphered energy that my body revealed during the reiki part of the session. During reiki Filippo absorbs the energy that the patient reveals, interprets it, and then shares it with the patient. I became very curious about Filippo's healing abilities, and I got even more excited about this session. I could hardly wait to see what he would tell me at the end of the session. Filippo also specified that everything that's happening in the massage room between the therapist and the customer is treated as confidential.
So I lied down on the massage table and we proceeded with the session, and for the next hour I let myself immersed in Filippo's therapy. He started with the reflexology part and massaged my feet, while reflexology therapy is done fully dressed at Olistica (that is, I only removed my shoes and my blazer, and I kept the rest of my outfit). My feet lied down on a hot blanket, which made the entire thing that much more comfortable. I almost fell asleep on that massage table, that comfortable I was. I have a problem with toe cramps, due to imperfect blood circulation, so I got a few cramps while Filippo massaged my feet and toes, and he insisted on those sensitive points to ease my pain caused by cramps. Then the reiki part followed, and while it was in progress, I tried to clear my head of any thoughts and relax my body, mind and spirit completely.
So after an hour Filippo "woke me up" (because I was almost asleep in that room), to share his feedback with me. Through the entire session I was very curious what would he get out of me / my body, mind and spirit / my energy level / this session with me? How would he interpret it? He shared about my parents, about a previous profession that I had shared with my father in the past, about my father's disappointment when I had left that profession behind me and embraced a new line of business, and some other things. Some of those interpretations made sense to me, some of them didn't, and some of them made me think how am I supposed to interpret it myself? Also, Filippo told me that I am going to remember some of his feedback, and I will forget some other of it, and he was right; at the time when I am writing this, I don't remember everything he said to me after that session anymore.
We concluded our appointment with the aromatherapy part. Filippo gifted me with three of his aromatherapy blends -- a lavender mist, a skin and body blend for winter, and a special blend healer.
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| Olistica blends made by Filippo Conte of Olistica Inc. Photo credit: Victoria West |
Olistika MIST Lavender
Spray it in your environment (home, office), on your body after a shower/bath, on your face after cleansing and before moisturizing, on your face to refresh, on your pillow and face at bedtime.
Containing organic lavender, aloe vera gel and glycerin, Olistika MIST Lavender is antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-fungal and anti inflammatory, soothing and subtly moisturizing. Lavender oil is balancing, so it is soothing while also being an energizing tonic. It is healing and soothing for sinus and lung issues (coughs, various infections, congestion), skin issues (acne, leg ulcers, boils, wounds, burns) and the nervous system - balancing it, calming nerves. Used properly, this product is suitable for infants, children and adults of all ages.
Ingredients:
Distilled water
Organic glycerin
Organic aloe vera gel
Organic lavandula augustifolia oil
And I do like to spritz this mist in my bedroom as a refresher, specifically on my bed linen. I also like to use it after shower as a skin toner and energizer. I love that it can be used in so many ways!
Olistika SPECIAL BLEND Healer
Apply one to five drops, on and around the wounded area. The goal is to apply gently, to cover the entire wound and surrounding area (0.5-1" around), to leave a light (dry) sheen of oil on the surface of the skin. In some cases, patting lightly to apply works best. Apply two or three times daily, depending on severity of wound.
Olistika SPECIAL BLEND Healer contains organic grapeseed, goiji, rosehip, seabuckthorn, argan, tamasu grapefruit, lavender, frankincense, bergamot, rosemary oils. This oil is gentle, but powerfully healing, nutritive, regenerative, soothing (slightly pain relieving) and anti inflammatory. It can be used on those over 7 years of age for cuts, wounds, burns, scratches, bruises, acne and bumps. The aroma of this blend is gentle, but deep, providing support and comfort when you need it. Olistika can customize a blend for eczema, psoriasis, sensitive and all skin types.
Ingredients:
Organic vitis vinifera oil
Organic lavandula augustifolia oil
Organic boswellia carterii oil
Organic cirtus paradisi oil
Organic rosa rubiginosa oil
Organic citrus bergami oil
Organic lycium barbarum oil
Organic hippophae rhamnoides oil
Organic argania spinosa oil
Organic callophyllum inophyllum oil
Love this blend. Two days before my appointment with Filippo at Olistica I fell down on the street when I was coming back to my office after my lunch hour. It was raining, the pavement was wet, and I slipped on the wet pavement and fell, and I got my knee bruised. I actually remember hearing women gasping around me when they saw me slipping and falling right in the middle of Adelaide Street. A couple of gentlemen came over to me to help me out. It wasn't a big deal of course, just a bruise. When I had my Olistica appointment, Filippo noticed my bruise immediately, as it still was raw and a bit painful. I used the Olistica Special Blend Healer for my bruise, and it healed nicely in a couple of days.
Olistika SKIN BODY BLEND Winter
Apply lightly on skin of the face, neck and forehand as a daily nutritive and conditioning treatment (at night or during the day) or under the nose, around the temples, upper chest and behind the ears as an inhalation treatment one to four times daily (depending on the severity of the issue).
Whether applied to the skin as a treatment or as an inhalation, Olistika SKIN BODY BLEND Winter was designed with winter weather and conditions in mind. Intensely conditioning (multiple vitamin, healthy lipids and minerals) and protective to the skin during the winter months, offering anti-bacterial, antiseptic protection directly on or around your face; it regenerates and soothes skin cells, improving the appearance of wrinkles/creases, scare tissues, conditioning dry skin and regulating oily skin; it has balancing effects onto the entire system, and it's mentally uplifting but also calming to the nervous system and to the body, mind and spirit (chakras).
Ingredients:
Organic simmondsia chinensis oil
Organic rosa rubiginosa oil
Organic boswellia carterii oil
Organic pelarggonium graveoleus
Organic citrus aurantium amara oil
Organic rosa damascena oil
Organic santalum album oil
I like to use this blend as an inhalator to keep me strong during the winter months. But what I love about all these blends created by Filippo is that they can be used in so many ways for virtually anything, and they are one hundred percent natural.
About the founder of Olistica Inc.
Filippo Conte is a powerful healer who empowers those around him to take control of their wellbeing by taking loving positive action and using natural time honored techniques to balance and heal. His gifts of empathy and compassion, as well as his innate sensitivity and intuition, perfectly complement the reiki, reflexology and aromatherapy he offers, to comfortably and efficiently target the source of his clients’ mental, physical and spiritual issues. Intuitively balancing and healing himself using natural remedies since he was a teenager, Filippo’s lifelong devotion to holistic practices has instilled in him the custom of searching out the most successful, accessible and affordable ways to live naturally, healthily and wholly. Filippo’s qualifications and practice fully comply with the requirements and standards of Canada’s leading Reflexology, Aromatherapy and Reiki organizations and the City of Toronto, and allow him to use the designations as a licensed holistic practitioner, license by City of Toronto; Reiki Master Teacher registered practitioner, member of Canadian Reiki Association; registered reflexology practitioner, member of Reflexology Registration Council of Ontario; certified aromatologist professional, member of Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists.
Very interesting article. I am very captivated by natural healing myself and I am studying a lot about it, including aromatherapy. I tried acupuncture for the first time a few years ago and I thought it was very interesting. I am a strong believer in alternative medicine and basically anything that is drug and surgery-free.
ReplyDeleteHi Roxy, I'm glad you liked the story. :)
DeleteI really enjoyed this session at Olistica. :)
Thanks
ReplyDelete