ABU DHABI // There is no getting away from it. Life in the UAE, where construction pounds away night and day, cars beep their horns ceaselessly and people crowd into malls and supermarkets, can get a little stressful.
It might seem odd, then, that some people seeking a sanctuary from the demands of modern living are turning to a somewhat unlikely alternative treatment: sound therapies.
Devotees insist the therapy, which make use of singing bowls, gongs and drums, may seem slightly barmy, but really works.
Manjula Srikumar, who works for a bank, and her husband, Nagarajan, an employee of an oil company, were turned on to the idea after hearing an American gong master named Don Conreaux perform a "gong bath" for some 200 people in Dubai's Zabeel Park in February.
The event made them feel relaxed and refreshed at the same time, says Mrs Srikumar, 44. "There was a part, definitely," she says, "where both of us felt we were in a zone."
Mr Conreaux says many people who come to his events are already seeking alternative ways of relaxing. Others who come out of curiosity, such as the Srikumars, are often surprised to feel their stress melting away.
"For them, it usually has a powerful effect," he says. "We have to try things ... once they come, they're sold." Those who work in "sound healing" believe our bodies react differently to all kinds of noises. The vibrations emitted by traffic and construction, for instance, are disharmonic.
Even the sound of air conditioning can be disruptive, they say, noting that people often drop their tensed shoulders once the machines are switched off.
Zita Teimel, founder of the Academy of Sound Resonance Dubai, recently travelled to the capital to conduct a workshop on Tibetan singing bowls at Yoga Tree and Soma Pilates Studio.
She says modern life is "actually putting the nervous system into such an alert state", and adds that "it's no question that people are losing balance in such a way they are losing their health".
Ms Teimel uses singing bowls as part of massages or alone to provide an auditory experience.
She rubs a mallet around the sides and rims of the bowls to make a continuous series of overtones. Each bowl produces a different sound depending on their weight and creates a sympathetic resonance in the body.
The vibrations, she explains, travel into places that cannot be manipulated any other way. "It's very simple," she says. "Once you hear the harmonic sound, it's very soothing and calm. You immediately feel it takes out the stress and pressure."
A slightly more conventional form of sound therapy is drum circles, which are popular around the world.
Julie-Ann Odell founded Dubai Drums seven years ago and now holds regular sessions in the city. She says drumming with both hands is beneficial because it involves the left and right sides of the brain.
And when people drum together for an extended period of time, their brainwaves become entrained, falling in sync with the dominant rhythm, putting them in a kind of meditative trance.
"There are no two drum circles that are ever the same," says Mrs Odell. "Sometimes when I do a community drum circle, someone will come up to me at the end, crying, tears of happiness. They will say, 'That was so amazing'."
Jonathan Goldman, a writer, musician and teacher in Boulder, Colorado, and director of the international Sound Healers Association, says people are using sound therapy to treat a variety of ailments.
"We live in a very noisy world, and loud sounds trigger what is called 'fight or flight response'," he says. "Certain types of opposite sounds can have an opposite effect."
People automatically adjust their movements to the sounds around them, he explains.
Fast food chains play up-tempo music because it tends to make people chew to the beat and leave faster.
Sound therapy has even been shown to reverse stress right down to the genomes.
Barry Bittman, a neurologist who operates the Mind-Body Wellness Centre in Meadville, Pennsylvania, has shown through blood testing that playing a keyboard is more effective at reducing stress than reading newspapers or magazines, for instance.
He also studied drum circles in long-term care facilities, finding that residents reported the sessions had a positive impact on their overall outlooks and helped them feel more connected to each other.
People turn to yoga for relaxation, but many classes also start and end with a teacher encouraging students to join together in making the "om" sound.
A sacred symbol in Indian religions, om has been increasingly adopted for a more secular, albeit holistic, purpose in yoga.
"I'm not really a yoga person," says Nayla Naufal, 33, an urban planner. Nonetheless she appreciates the occasional "om" experience when she does attend a class. "You definitely feel that you are bonding with the class," she says. "You feel the vibration. It's soothing."
Elina Nykanen Rozycki, the owner of the Yoga Tree studio, says the "om" chants at the beginning of the class can also give a teacher valuable clues about the mood of her students. When people are stressed, "you can hear the disharmony", she says. "Even from that 'om', the teacher can hear, 'OK, this is what's going on today.' You can tell, 'these people need nurturing'."
amcqueen@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
