It’s one of those startling beautiful bright blue days. From Cara Wade’s fifth-floor, wraparound glass balcony, it feels as if you’re surrounded by Indian Ocean. Blue is clearly her favourite colour. She wears it. It covers her bed and brightens her bathroom.
A far cry from the predominately grey outlook from her London flat over the River Thames. “I sometimes have to pinch myself to realise I actually am home and that I won’t have to endure another long, dark winter,” she laughs.
Cara Wade contact info: 078 004 0151.
She also counts her blessings every day when instead of donning a corporate uniform, she can toss on her sundress and sandals. “I had a great job in IT recruitment, but it lacked soul. Working as I am now with alternative healing is so much more rewarding.”
It all began when the leggy born-and-bred Umdloti student graduated from UKZN with a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in 1989 and decided to “see the world”.
“And I did it in style, working my way around the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom for four years before finally settling in London. Why? Because I could earn pounds which meant I could carry on travelling, including at least one holiday a year back in Durban with family and friends.”
But the turning point in her life came when she started having reflexology therapy to treat her endometriosis. “It worked and I was fascinated with exactly how it worked,” she says. “It opened up new possibilities. My job was demanding and stressful and I knew it was time for a change.”
So she took a nine-month part-time reflexology course, cramming her studying in at weekends, and when she graduated in May 2008 she resigned from the corporate world to pursue her new love.
She worked from home and a spiritual healing centre doing massage, reiki and reflexology, but she still longed for the “sun, sand and sea”. It was on holiday here in February 2009 that her partner at the time decided he’d also had enough of London and wanted to come home to Durban.
Cara jumped at the opportunity and having found her “dream” flat in Umdloti, threw herself into her therapy practice adding quantum touch to her repertoire. “One day a friend whose horse had arthritis in its front legs asked me if I could help. I’ve always loved animals so I decided to give it a try. The horse responded so well to the energy healing – a combination of reiki and quantum touch – that it went on to compete in the KZN showjumping trials.”
The word spread and Cara found herself treating other horses, cats and dogs. “I treated a dog that had been so badly mauled it couldn’t even walk. After just two treatments it was up and within weeks was fully recovered.”
Animals respond really well to energy healing, probably because they don’t have the baggage we humans do, she adds. “One horse I treated actually fell asleep in my arms and I had to be careful it didn’t fall over and squash me!”
And when she’s not healing animals and people and helping her mother out with publishing the Lesotho and Swaziland Reviews, you’ll probably find Cara behind a mixing desk spinning her favourite deep-house tunes.
It’s a talent she discovered just more than a year ago when she was messing around at her sister’s house. “My sister Tira is a deejay so I just started fooling around with her set-up and it all gelled. I practised for a few months and I got my first DJ slot at Origin in January last year.”
DJ Crabfire
DJ Crabfire (derived from her nickname Crab because she’s a Cancerian) is now a regular at the Durban night club and also plays at Joe Cool’s on a Sunday.
I ask the woman of many talents what she’s lined up next.
“I’m happy with exactly what I’m doing now. I believe in living in the moment and letting life take its course.”
About Cara
Dislikes: Bad drivers, cruelty to animals, people who hurt other people, bad service in a restaurant and bugs
Loves: Swimming in the sea, running on the promenade, carrot cake, snow skiing holidays, good coffee, dancing on speakers.