Vickie Biggs’ The Dream Of is a new London studio that offers Reiki, reflexology, cacao ceremonies, lymphatic drainage massage and more in a warm, design-conscious space that is a welcome alternative to the more typically New Age trappings that often accompany such treatments. It was a conscious choice for Biggs, whose central aim with the studio is to normalise intuitive healing care, eliminating the doubt she herself once felt around such therapies.
Indeed, Biggs, who was previously running the space out of her east London flat, already has a cohort of devoted clients that includes Isamaya Ffrench, Yasmin Sewell, Alex Brownsell and many other successful creatives in the beauty industry and beyond – essentially, the type of people whose work demands a constant, contradicting and sometimes draining balance between creativity and business strategy. It’s the type of balance Biggs understands well, having worked across fashion and art for brands such as Acne Studios, Ditto Publishing and Vyrao, before a near-death experience forced her to reevaluate her life and explore new methods of healing she never previously considered.
Vickie Briggs, founder of The Dream Of
These included Reiki, of which Biggs is now a licensed practitioner; she describes her first experience getting it as, ‘essentially a huge, energetic clearing that was the most physically intense, overwhelming physical experience of my life’.
Developed in early 20th-century Japan, Reiki involves a practitioner lightly placing their hands above or on the body to guide energy through the body, in order to promote relaxation and improve overall wellbeing. If that description is raising your eyebrows, I’ll admit I was a bit of the same. But then Biggs offered to give me a session and what transpired, after years of receiving all types of out-there treatments, was one of the strangest experiences I’ve had yet. As I lay down in the studio’s treatment room, Biggs hovered her hands over my body and, even though she wasn’t touching me, I was fully conscious of exactly where her hands were. That was because I could feel a whirlpooling and whooshing of movement around whatever point she was focusing on – almost as if my body had become a thin membrane and tides of water were moving through it. Afterwards, I felt so zoned out that holding a conversation was a challenge.
I can’t say exactly how Reiki works, but now I’m a believer, and that is only one of The Dream Of’s various offerings. The space also hosts female practitioners who specialise in breathwork, facial sculpting and lymphatic drainage treatments, astrology, tarot, and reflexology. Biggs stocks a small edit of brands that includes Maria Caco, an artisanal Mexican producer of the superfood known for its mood-boosting, cognition-improving qualities, as well as Alexis Smart homepath drops, Vyrao fragrances, Anima Mundi apothecary products and Monastery skincare; for all of these (aside from Vyrao), she is the only UK supplier, or one of a very few.
For those who are well-versed in such treatments, The Dream Of is bound to be a welcome addition to the city, and for those less familiar, the space offers a wealth of entry points to try something new. Either way, it presents a new philosophy of care that, no matter what you believe, might just be worth exploring.
The Dream Of, 25 Sunbury Workshops, 30 Swanfield St, London, E2 7LF