The sound therapist and songwriter Simonanda is a great believer in the benefits of crystal singing bowls. She talks about the practice and her Sound Journey concert in Dubai.
What inspired you to become a sound therapist?
A strong feeling came to me while I was sitting in my garden, listening to the birds singing. I knew I needed to capture the beautiful, pure tones of nature and so, in 2008, I bought a set of seven crystal bowls. Instinctively I knew I was meant to use them as a tool for sound healing.
How did you learn to play the crystal bowls?
Well, I played my first-ever session in front of my friends and my voice intuitively spiralled around the pure tones of crystal bowls. Then, a year later, I trained for two years with a pioneer from Florida called Janice Williams. Her teachings are based on Renee Brodie’s The Healing Tones of Crystal Bowls. I also got inspiration from my dear friend Erik Berglund [the international harpist and healer] who passed away last September. He inspired me to open and heal my heart and help others to do the same.
How do the singing bowls “heal” us?
These crystal bowls are made of pure, clear quartz sand and each bowl is tuned to one specific note [such as F major]. They stretch from a halftone lower to a halftone higher and correspond to all the chakras in our body. When played together, the crystal bowls and my voice “heal” via sound waves that cleanse, unblock and harmonise our bodies.
What happens on an emotional or mental perspective?
On an emotional level, the sound can sometimes stimulate turmoil and chaos, so that you are able to let go of old, lower-vibrating energies to make space for new, positive energies. The sound-bathing delivers clarity and helps to delete self-sabotaging thought patterns, replacing them with kind and loving thoughts.
How has sound therapy helped you heal yourself?
I was diagnosed with skin cancer in January this year and have been on an amazing healing journey ever since. Besides medical treatment, I used my own voice and the singing bowls as a healing instrument. Thankfully, I am fine now.
What should someone expect to feel after your Sound Journey workshop?
Balancing and healing always take place, but everyone is unique in his or her vibrating frequency and so you always receive whatever you are missing. I recommend drinking a lot of water afterwards – and if you keep a glass of water during the session, it can be charged by the sound journey itself – so bring a bottle so you can have the concert in a liquid form again afterwards.
Aside from music, what are your passions in life?
Walking in the mountains and spending time with my family and our sweet dog Shimam, as well as our beautiful street cat Lucky.
What else is in the pipeline?
I’m releasing my second CD next month and so I hope I can open and heal more hearts. I dream of having full-house concerts and holding more Sound Journey workshops across the world.
• Simonanda's Sound Journey concert is on Saturday (September 27) at Eco Yoga Sanctuary in Dubai from 7.30pm to 8.45pm. The session costs Dh100. For more information or to book, call 04 385 6633 or email enquiry@eys.ae
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Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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A foster couple or family must:
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The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Gurm, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Al Nafece, Al Muatasm Al Balushi, Mohammed Ramadan
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adrie de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) 300,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeemat Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ganbaru, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Our legal consultant
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
SPECS
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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The specs
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Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
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