Self-care isn’t always just about having a bubble bath or getting a manicure, it’s everything from looking after our bodies and minds to prioritising the things that make us feel good and setting boundaries on the things that don’t. This round up of rejuvenating wellness experiences in the UAE is your go-to-guide to make 2024 the year you live better
1 Try an ice bath
There has been a lot of hype around cold water therapy in the last few years with the idea that it can reduce inflammation in the body, improve your mood, relieve aches and pains, and boost your immune system. With many different gyms and wellness centres in Dubai now offering the experience, it’s worth checking out Tribe Superhuman by Ferdinand Thor, who ran a series of beginner classes at Aura Skypool last year and is now putting on more advanced workshops at Nasab Dubai
2 Tune in to tune out
If you’ve never tried sound healing before, this is your sign. A class involves participants lying down comfortably while a practitioner creates soothing sounds with crystal singing bowls, gongs and chimes. It’s a meditative experience using the vibrations of the instruments to calm the nervous system and promote a state of deep relaxation. Benefits of a sound healing journey include increased clarity and focus, improved sleep and enhanced feelings of well-being. Check out Paus, a wellness community and café located on Al Wasl Road, which offers several sessions a week.
3 Look after your mental well-being
The path towards better mental health starts with a single step and sometimes that first step is to just be aware of your needs and recognise where you might need some extra support. The Free Spirit Collective in City Walk is an integrative psychology and well-being centre, which offers various groups and workshops on topics such as men’s mental health, emotional exploration for kids, parenting teenagers, postnatal depression and more. There are also dozens of other centres throughout the UAE, which are dedicated to helping people work through trauma or just offer a listening ear, so have a look at which one is closest to you and best suits your needs.
4 Heal your energy
Home of Wellness is just one of the centres in the UAE offering a variety of healing practices from Reiki, Pranic healing, Chakra healing and Access Consciousness. It also offers daily guided meditation practices, which can help you to achieve an intense state of relaxation. For something a bit more light-hearted, give laughter yoga a try. It’s a technique used to diffuse fear and anger and has many other benefits apart from the obvious one of laughing your way to feeling good.
5 Discover red light therapy
Red light therapy is a treatment that exposes skin to low levels of red or near-infrared light and has been found to reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve muscle function along with many other benefits. Try a session at Heal Hub and see for yourself. While you’re there you can also find out more about cranial sacral therapy and maybe even have a workout in their rooftop gym.
