In pursuit of inner peace…

It’s easy to get caught up in the frenetic pace of modern living. Making sure you’re drinking enough water, exercising, folding your laundry, paying bills, worrying about getting left on seen after sending a — frankly hilarious — meme, maintaining friendships, checking in with family back home, saving money, waking up at 3am wondering if you’re missing out on the Crypto bubble, meal prep, shopping, cleaning, parenting, pet-parenting and all the other miscellaneous plate-spinning of oughts and shoulds. Even the act of writing this list has sent us spiraling into foot-tapping anxiety.

And whilst there is no universal antidote to stress, there are some excellent places, right here in Abu Dhabi, where you can start your journey to a calmer, more centred you. These are some of our favourite Abu Dhabi wellness destinations.

Bodytree

Louvre abu dhabi yoga

Operating out of a central Al Manhal location, Bodytree has been enriching the lives of Abu Dhabi residents in some form or other since 2007. It’s a studio that takes a holistic approach to wellness through “movement, mindfulness, nutrition, and healing”. In addition to traditional fitness pursuits such as yoga (it’s with  Bodytree that you can actually do yoga under the Dome at Louvre Abu Dhabi) and dance classes, those seeking journeys into and beyond the self can take part in nutrition consultation, reiki healing, massage, reflexology, sound healing, life coaching and more. There are options for in-studio activities as well as special alfresco sessions on Saadiyat Beach, and periodic wellness retreats for more extended nama-staycations. But what price for such in-stereo serenity? Individual classes start from around Dhs80, the Louvre sessions are Dhs90 and the Saadiyat Beach Club salutations are priced at Dhs95.

Tel: (02) 443 4448, bodytreestudio.com

The Bridge

Brand new health and lifestyle destination, The Bridge is located at Abu Dhabi leisure mega project, Al Qana. Their wellness manifesto is divided into distinct areas under headings like ‘Move’, ‘Pause’, ‘Expand’, ‘Taste’ and ‘Learn’. The headlines are that the facility includes a gym with 250 exercise work stations; therapy rooms with Hydro-Oxygen Airpods, Cryo treatment, Infrared saunas and its own spa; there’s a healthy eating restaurant, a cold-press juice bar and a rooftop garden lounge; they offer yoga classes, meditation, and workshops on breathwork; The Bridge will host learning experiences too with the aim to inspire, and provide a community hub for enjoying cultural activities through art, music, film and books.

thebridgehub.com

InnerSeed

Another Abu Dhabi-based wellness collective — InnerSeed offers both personal and corporate journeys deep into big zen country. Various holistic healing solutions are available here, including reiki, hypnotherapy, music therapy and more traditional forms of coaching; mindfulness and confidence training; yoga programmes; nutrition courses; and chakra unblocking sessions. The approach here, includes education and enwisening as part of the culture, to help your understanding grow in step with your nurtued soul. During the cooler months, you can find a lot of the yoga classes available at the pristine stretch of beach leading up to Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas.

 Tel: (050) 352 8640, innerseeduae.com

Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort

You can commune amongst the dunes (weather permitting) on the desert terrace of this luxurious resort, which is so dedicated to the practice of the yogic arts, it has its own inhouse internationally-certified yoga and meditation expert, Ratheesh Valiyaparambil. You don’t have to check in to bliss out, their sunrise and sunset classes are open to the public but you will have to get up early if you want to strike a pose in the sunrise yoga session, it starts at 7am each morning (and the resort is a 50-minute drive from Downtown Abu Dhabi). There’s also the hammam-equipped spa with wellness menu; meditation and massage suites; an ice room and a Thai-style sala.

Al Mirayr – Abu Dhabi. Tel: (02) 886 2088, @anantaraqasralsarab

Seven Wellness

This wellness tribe is based on Al Reem Island and now boasts its own holistic spa offering a range of signature treatments for body and soul. At Seven, you’ll find a wholesome collection of workshops and events, fitness sessions, a variety of yoga experiences, kid’s mindfulness and meditation activities, a ‘soul cafe’, sound healing therapies, and a variety of ways to help manifest that inner monk.

Tel: (056) 407 5405, book on sevenwellness.ae

Images: Provided/Instagram