Shamanism: We tried a session with Irish practioners of the ancient practice

As shamanism grows in popularity, Rita de Brún tries a session with Irish practioners of the ancient practice

Gwyneth Paltrow is never short of media coverage. Yet, manicured eyebrows were raised when it emerged that at her website’s first wellness summit in June, her Goop brand’s resident shaman played a central healing role.

Given that interest in shamanic healing is now officially fashionable among the celebrity set, we shouldn’t have been surprised when British singer-songwriter and Strictly Come Dancing drop-out, Will Young, recently announced that he had sought the help of a shaman for porn addiction. But we were, and when he announced that he wouldn’t talk about the process because it was “beyond words”, we were intrigued.