'Disappear for an hour': Carlow holistic business offering one free spot to woman in need

A woman who owns a holistic business in Carlow has announced she keeps one space free every week for a woman in need.

Tamara Seerkissoon, who is based in a cabin in Bagenalstown, has been offering the service for three years but many people did not know it existed.

“Every week, I keep one appointment completely free for a woman who genuinely can’t afford an hour of rest. You can choose massage or Reiki. The cabin will be warm, the bed will be heated, the twinkling lights will be on and for one whole hour, nobody will need anything from you,” she wrote in a post on Facebook.

Tamara asks for no explanation regarding the woman’s circumstances, just that those who don’t need it leave it for the women who do.

“If hair, nails, brows or other treats have been affordable for you recently, please leave this hour for her. There’s no judgement; I’m simply trusting people to understand who genuinely needs it,” she wrote.

All you have to do is message her privately and ask about the free weekly place.

“If someone popped into your head while reading this, please send it to her privately rather than tagging her publicly,” Tamara said.

After making the post, Tamara uploaded a video outlining how she has been “absolutely blown away” by the number of women in need across the county.

She said she had received hundreds of messages from people in “genuine, genuine crisis,” with the stories she’s read “really affecting” her.

Tamara added that she feels incredibly guilty that she cannot offer everyone a free spot, but that they are fully booked until the end of November.

She added that the biggest takeaway from the post has been the realisation that you don’t know what anyone is going through when you meet them.

“Be kind. Genuinely, we don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives, and some of the stories I’ve heard would literally give you shivers up your spine. Heartbreaking,” she said.

When it comes to the free spaces, Tamara said it is not a lottery or nomination system.

“Just contact me. If I have it, I’ll give it to you. I don’t need to know the backstories. I don’t need to know whether you’re deserving or not. That’s not my call to make,” she said.

“I’m going to ask people to be honest with themselves. If you don’t need the space, please don’t take it. This is not meant to be a ‘nice to have freebie’ for somebody. It’s genuinely meant for somebody who really, really can’t afford it,” she continued.

If you would like to get in touch with Tamara regarding a free space for you or a friend, or to pay forward a treatment for someone, you can do so via her Facebook page, Holistic Harmony - Thrive with Tamara or Instagram @tamaraseerkissoon