From Aussie mining ‘bomb crew’ to holistic therapist in Mayo

By Tom Gillespie

A FORMER ‘bomb crew’ worker in the Australian bauxite mines has returned to her native Co. Mayo where she has opened her holistic therapy clinic.

Naomi Cuffe, from Castlebar, suffered a whiplash injury while swerving to avoid a kangaroo while driving to the mine near Perth.

A workmate recommended she should try Bowen therapy as a means of pain relief.

"He was raving about it," she said, "so I said I would give it a go. Literally after the treatment it was nearly instantly better. I was fascinated with how quickly my symptoms improved and I wanted to learn more."

So impressed was Naomi with the treatment that she qualified as a Bowen therapist and she has now opened her clinic in Castlebar.

Naomi explained that Bowen is a soft tissue treatment which uses a series of ‘moves’ on different points of the body to work with the connective tide and relax the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

"This, in turn," she said, "allows them to find their correct length, and enables the body to find and regain its natural balance and function.

"The treatment influences the physical body, but also calms the nervous system and helps with hormonal imbalance.

"Being non-invasive and with no strong manipulation, Bowen is suitable for everyone, from babies to the elderly and, of course, pregnant women.

"It seems to be able to help lots of physical issues, such as chronic pain, neck issues, sports related injuries, back and pelvic pain, Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) issues, and migraines. It can also be beneficial for menopause symptoms, fertility, digestive problems, including colic in babies."

Naomi went travelling in 2010 and ended up in Perth, where she got a job in a bauxite mine.

She said: "I was driving a massive big truck. I was in a digger and I was in the ‘bomb crew’ doing explosives. It was hard work.

"However, it was great to get home and it gave me the kick I needed to do what I wanted to do.

"I was in the mining industry in Australia. You get sucked into that. If I stayed any longer than I did I don’t think I would have come home.

"Using explosives we blew an area where they wanted to dig. We were mining bauxite and iron ore and we were setting the explosives where they wanted them. I would put the explosives in, I worked on the truck that made the explosives, and I worked in the yard moving shipping containers of ammonium nitrate."

Naomi, daughter of Kathleen and the late Tommy Joe Cuffe, continued: "I also did exploration drilling with the drillers to find out where they wanted to mine next. I was taking soil samples with the drillers while I had training on the drill rig as well."

Naomi worked in a mine in Boddigton, a couple of hours inland from Perth. It was drive-in, drive-out.

She said: "Every day I would do a twelve-and-a-half hour day. I drove an hour each way. I was doing two hours driving and a twelve-and-a-half hour shift, after which I was wrecked.

"The last year before I moved home I did a fly-in, fly-out. We did a week of days and a week of nights."

Naomi has Australian citizenship and hopes to go back as she has many friends there.

After her initial Bowen treatment, Naomi read up on the therapy and found it helps with anxiety and other issues that weren’t physical stuff. It is recommended, she said, to have the treatment at least three times.

She added: "I literally did feel the difference and a difference in my life generally. I said I wanted to learn more. The lady that was treating me was teaching it so I did the course with her and she became my mentor. As I was working I did the course over a year. Really, it was dragged out as I was working full time."

After 10 years in Australia, Naomi came home in September 2020.

She took up the story: "I qualified as a Bowen therapist and Psych-K facilitator in Western Australia and I now offer these incredible therapies in Castlebar."

She has named her practise ‘Omi’ from the fact her nephews could not pronounce "Naomi’.

She continued: "I am currently studying a diploma in applied kinesiology, which I will add to my tool-kit once qualified.

"One of the key principles of Bowen therapy is that it’s the individual’s body that is doing the work, not the therapist.

"We are all but humble facilitators enabling the body's own ability to heal self. I am passionate about helping people achieve optimum wellness holistically.

"Bowen is a holistic therapy, head to toe. You could come in with a pain in your neck and I would be working on your whole body, your legs, arms, head, neck, back and lower back.

"The first few moves in Bowen takes your body out of fight or flight response. It relaxes the body. Once the body is in a relaxed state it is more susceptible to taking in healing. With Bowen we say we are facilitators, facilitating the body to heal itself.

"It can be worked on the elderly or little babies because it involves such gentle moves, there is no manipulation. It is not forceful but very gentle but powerful. It is complementary therapy."

The Bowen treatment takes 40 to 60 minutes and the fee is €50.

* Naomi Cuffe can be contacted on (089) 2225763 or email omitherapies@gmail.com, or see www.omi-mindbodytherapies.com.