A DAY IN THE LIFE - June Deane

THEY say life begins at 40, and in the case of Warwick woman June Deane, they may be right.

It was a year overseas that set Mrs Deane on a new path, on her journey.

"My husband was a project manager and got a year-long posting to East Timor," she said.

"So I went with him.

"It was the late 1990s and during the transition to the country becoming independent from Indonesia."

It was while in East Timor that Mrs Deane said she found a American woman who taught reiki and spiritual healing.

"I said to her, 'I'm going to be here for a year, can you teach me?'," she said.

"So she taught me the basic hand positions and how to become a conduit for the universal energy of life.

"I studied what she taught me and then began to put it into practise."

Mrs Deane said he volunteered at a clinic run by American doctor Dan Murphy.

"I helped out and cleaned and cooked and taught the locals about medical hygiene and other things," she said.

"And I practised reiki on patients that I felt drawn to and they would encourage others to let me work on their healing.

"This is where I found my spiritual side, my reconnection and a path to the creator, this spirit energy that flows within everyone."

Mrs Deane was born in Brisbane and grew up on the southern outer reaches in Woodridge and Sunnybank.

"I didn't have a great childhood," she said.

"It was pretty tumultuous and not a lot of fun.

"It essentially left me feeling disconnected and isolated.

"I had a classically dysfunctional family."

After school Mrs Deane said she worked in hospitality for years.

"I waitressed and cooked, you name it," she said.

"It was mostly in Brisbane until I took off to Bourketown and worked on a station, and also at the the famous purple pub in Normanton.

"It was all part of my journey.

"I had a couple of kids along the way too, Melanie and Wayne."

Fast forward to today and Mrs Deane is the proud owner of House of Light Therapies in Fitzroy St.

"I love Warwick," she said.

"It has such real depth and a vibrant community, life is a constant opportunity."

"I try to share my knowledge with people and in turn I learn more about them and myself."