I am only 20 minutes into a Qigong session when everything starts to snap into place. Not so much physically as mentally, as my internal chatter fades away.
It is a reminder of just how resistant the mind is to changing its ways. That is why it takes until early Saturday afternoon at Kayan Wellness Festival in Abu Dhabi for me to shake off the week and the outside world, and lean into the present moment.
It is not festival of music and not quite a mindfulness retreat, so what does a weekend event like this entail, and what can visitors take away?
The Qigong session provided my first learning: to be in the present moment – which can take more that an occasional 45-minute yoga class to achieve. After three days spent in talks, workshops and soaking up the atmosphere on Al Fahid Island, here are the lessons that left a lasting impression.
Even the wellness world has its rock stars
Sadhguru, an Indian yoga guru who rose to global fame in the early 2000s, was the headline speaker at the three-day event, making his first appearance in the UAE. Queues of his followers and curious festival-goers circled a pop-up amphitheatre as the clock crept closer to 8pm. After the support act – handpan player Anas Alhalabi and his band – Sadhguru eventually made his way to the stage – in true rock star fashion – just before 9pm.
Even as someone not overly familiar with his work (meaning some of his star presence was lost on me), his teacher status was palpable as he commanded silent attention.
Sadhguru joked that, due to the lights, he could not see whether people were awake or asleep. But the not-so-sleepy Friday night crowd soon made themselves heard, proving they had plenty of energy to see the weekend through.
Intelligence is a blessing and a curse
Intelligence was on Sadhguru's mind. For him, the human brain is “a true miracle”, humanity's greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Yet “too many people experience this miracle as a misery manufacturing machine” he said, detailing mental afflictions such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
He asked the audience: “If you had a choice, would you like your intellect to be sharp or blunt?” Most people muttered in favour of the former.
Then he asked: “Why don't we give a knife to a child's hand? Because it's dangerous if the child is not conscious enough.” He extended the metaphor to say that a knife in itself never harms.
“The same goes for your intellect – it is a sharp instrument. If you do not know how to hold it, if you do not know how to wield it, then it will cut you up to ribbons,” he said, getting to the heart of why it is essential to train our minds to work in our favour.
Retreating is the future humanity needs
The following evening, Mo Gawdat likewise declared: “The ultimate superpower is intelligence.” He quickly added, however, that it is not inherently a positive thing.
As he often does, the former Google X executive, author and podcaster spoke about artificial intelligence, the dystopia or utopia it could bring about, and humanity's role in either outcome. Like wellness gurus before him, he addressed the notion of retreat – but not in the way you might think.
“The truth of the matter is that humanity does not need to continue forward, it needs to retreat backwards,” he told the audience.
Now more than ever, “the answer is to return to things like our core essence, our spirituality, our human connection”, Gadwat said. “The problem is not a problem of progress. The challenge that humanity is facing is a problem of morality.”
When it comes to ensuring the superpower of AI is used for good, Gawdat said it is our duty, like any responsible parent, to instil good ethics into the technology, which he believes will ultimately become sentient.
Yet his message was not scaremongering, as he clarified. “I'm not the kind of guy that's predicting the end of the world at all,” Gadwat said. “As a matter of fact, I'm predicting that we will end up with a total abundance … we will first get through a bit of a tough time, followed by a total utopia.”
The next problem for mankind? “Utopia gets us to the question – what is our purpose?”
Spend the weekend expanding your health horizons
You may be new to the wellness world, or you may be a regular at sound healing sessions and chanting circles. Either way, a weekend wellness festival provides ample opportunity to try something new – which can be hard to make time for in our busy day-to-day lives.
Over the three days, wellbeing sessions included chakra clearing, sound journeys, cacao ceremonies, chanting circles, breathwork and more. As for fitness, there was yogalates (a combination of yoga and Pilates), rhythmic bodyweight HIIT and ecstatic dance, to name a few.
I have taken home a nugget of wisdom from my first Qigong session, including how to activate my kidney meridian line by tapping my feet.
Wellness festivals create a collective effervesce
What draws people to a music festival? As well as the attraction of seeing their favourite artists perform live, a collective effervescence is generated when so many people come together to revel in their passions. The same goes for wellness festivals.
Walid Aboulnaga, a breathwork practitioner running workshops and hosting sessions at the event, told The National: “You can walk, smile at everybody, and feel it easy to talk and connect.
“As opposed to different venues, concerts, places with alcohol or just different energies, this is love,” he continued “It's very beautiful. And once you're in the space, you want more of it.”
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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