From free fun to the best experts in town, Helen Farmer has some contacts for your speed dial
Ice ice baby
Heal Hub (heal.ae) on Beach Road has one of the largest ice baths/cool pools in town, so you can chill out with up to eight friends while enjoying the sun. It also has some great classes and workshops inside, if you’re more into sound healing or yoga.
At home pampering
There’s nothing like a bit of traffic to undo the good work of a massage. Much better to let the treatment come to you. Cyan Wellness will bring everything from the table to candles, oils, music and more, with its new neuro-acoustic therapy – when combined with CBD – offering the ultimate in relaxation.
Get grounded
Ever heard of nature deficiency disorder? It’s a phrase first coined by author Richard Louv about children who are increasingly disconnected from their natural environment and spending more and more time inside... but we could all benefit from more time connected to the earth, in the fresh air. Going barefoot on the beach, reading in the park or having your coffee on the balcony instead of the sofa all adds up to boosting vitamin D, improving sleep and regulating your mood.
What’s up, doc?
We are so spoilt in the UAE with healthcare, but the choice of experts can be truly overwhelming. For many people, being in pain or discomfort is sadly part of life, and getting to the root of the problem can feel like a distant dream. Speaking to an integrative medical practitioner such as
Dr Shefali Verma (@doctorshef) can help hugely, with a detailed history taken, emphasis on nutrition and a whole body approach.
Move it
It has taken me to get to my 40s to realise that exercise isn’t punishment, and often it’s as simple as finding a class or sport that you actually enjoy. I love hiking, so heading to Hatta or Showka is amazing at this time of year. I also enjoy a class environment to motivate me, so spinning at Motion Cycling is the closest thing I get to clubbing these days – sweating in a dark room with strangers with loud music.
It might be restorative yoga, joining a running club, or working out at home with a video or app, but try to take a friend to help with the gym anxiety and build it into your calendar. Annoyingly, all that science about feel good hormones being released when you exercise is true.
Talk it out
Thankfully long gone are the days of stigmatising mental health problems, and we’re now seeing people actively seeking help to proactively better their well-being. Deciding who to speak to is a hugely personal decision and will depend on what you need – a clinical psychologist who specialises in grief probably won’t be the best marriage counsellor, for example, so ask around, and check for qualifications. Having interviewed a lot of practitioners over the years as well as seeking therapy myself, I really rate the team at Sage Clinics, Rose Logan at Free Spirit Collective and Dr Thoraiya from the Human Relations Institute & Clinic.
Don't miss
Listen out for Farmer’s Kitchen on Dubai Eye 103.8FM in collaboration with Spinneys. It airs from 2-5pm on Fridays.
