Kayan Wellness Festival kicks off in Abu Dhabi

The Kayan Wellness Festival, an event that aims to promote holistic health and balance between mind, body, and spirit, kicked off on Saturday on the shores of A Fahid Island, Abu Dhabi.

The festival is organised by Burjeel Holdings, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, and LinkViva, and will continue until Feb.2.

The festival enhances Abu Dhabi's position as a leading destination for wellness and health tourism, by organising distinguished events that contribute to providing an ideal environment for relaxation and rejuvenation, and improving mental and physical health in line with the UAE's vision to raise the quality of life and well-being of society and visitors.

The festival hosts a select of international experts in the fields of wellness and self-development, including Indian guru Sadhguru who presents sessions on achieving inner balance and peace, and Mo Gawdat, a former Chief Business Officer at Google X.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Sadguru praised the UAE's role in supporting human well-being and promoting yoga practices in the region, emphasising the country's remarkable transformation from a barren desert to a global commercial and cultural centre has made it a magnet for people from all over the world.

Regarding yoga, Sadhguru affirmed that yoga is not limited to physical exercises as many people think, but rather is a comprehensive concept that refers to the union between a person and everything around him. "If you breathe, then you are in yoga because this is the union," he said, explaining that yoga includes an awareness of the deep connection between a person and the surrounding environment.

WAM