Dubai: It was refreshing just driving into Al Barari on a weekday morning. Away from Dubai’s rush hour traffic, the lush greenery lining the quiet community road lent a rare sense of calm, a preface perhaps to what lay ahead.
Booked for a choreographed harp massage at the Heart & Soul Spa, the first of its kind in the UAE, I could barely wait to meet my innovative therapists.
The Pandova sisters from Bulgaria, who were assigned to me, didn’t disappoint. Diana, 31, was a picture of poise as she readied herself with an antique harp while Nikoleta, 27, had convinced me to try the “tired soul” massage.
“It’s a 60-minute session that involves therapeutic lymphatic drainage. It will release your toxins, relieve water retention and fatigue, promote sleep and soothe your body. You will feel like a new person altogether,” she promised.
Unlike the usual indoor spa treatments, this one was out in the open. All that separated us from the verdant cover around us were bamboo poles to absorb the summer heat.
As I lay on a poolside bed, I could hear birds chirping and feel the soft rays of the morning sun streaming in through the bamboo strips on top. Nikoleta began to work on my muscles and I soaked in the sweet aroma of the “mind, body and soul” oil I had opted for. Somewhere along the line, I realised she was in sync with Diana’s harp music.
Spa director Maria Axinte had earlier told me how the idea of harp healing came about at the spa. “One of our therapists had talked about her experience with sound therapy at one of our weekly brainstorming sessions. So we studied it and decided to introduce it as a form of treatment.”
Harp-felt
Dwelling on the harp’s healing power, she said: “When healing harpists play, your body absorbs the invisible vibrations of the sound. Each tiny vibrating atom or combination of sound waves (harmony) changes matter, including the electrical activity of the brain and body. Your own vibrations (brain waves, heartbeat and breathing) eventually get in sync with the wavelengths of the music. The vibrations from a harp are especially powerful for changing our body’s energy. Each string vibrates with its whole length, and therefore the body can feel the vibrations even if the ear cannot hear the sounds.”
According to her, there are special tunes and keys that are played to relieve anxiety and stress.
“The plucked string produces an infinite number of harmonics which can vibrate our dense, physical bodies and its energetic counterpart, providing multi-level stimulation and harmonisation.
“Two-thirds of the human body is liquid, and because sound travels faster through water than through denser objects, the combination of a relaxing massage with the soothing vibrations of a live acoustic harp releases tension and relaxes the body. Harp strings produce healing frequencies that are absorbed by the body, creating balance and good energy flow, allowing you to relax deeper and receive your massage treatment more fully,” she said, adding that the spa’s two harpists – Diana and Lidia Stankulova were both classically trained harpists with master’s degrees.
The technicalities were now lost on me as I gave in to the sheer experience. As promised, it left me rejuvenated, a feedback I promptly provided as I sipped on a cup of warm ginger lemon tea.
Details:
What: Harp healing massage
Where: Heart & Soul Spa, Al Barari, Dubai
How much: Dh950
Call: 04-388 6030
