NLP: Neuro-linguistic programming might sound like some kind of terrifying brand of computer science. In fact, it is a surprisingly logical branch of linguistics, the understanding of which can be crucial to helping people communicate. Indeed, it can be a great way to rejuvenate the relationships in your life and rid yourself of the frustration caused by miscommunication and misunderstanding. Leila and Phil Edwards of The Makeover Experience are two of the country’s best NLP practitioners and periodically run workshops over several days both for beginners and those looking to advance their understanding of NLP.
For more information, call 17 592 019.

OSIM: Some people can’t wait to hit the spa, feeling inspired to relaxation and good health by the smell of essential oils, the low-level lighting and the presence of a trained pummeller. Others, however, are terrified by the thought of getting undressed somewhere strange and having people they have never met touch them in places they didn’t know existed. Those people should head to the OSIM store in Seef Mall, which stocks all the latest home spa gadgets, from massage chairs, to home foot spas, slimming belts, sound therapy and a range of supporting pillows.
For more information, call 17 581 331.

Personal coaching: An integral part of detoxing is getting rid of emotional baggage, something that can make a huge number of people feel stuck in a rut and unable to progress. Kecia Braggs is one of Bahrain’s foremost life coaches (she describes herself as a ‘success coach’), and is experienced in helping people overcome a range of problems, such as those who have low self- esteem, are undergoing relationship problems, are looking for a career change or are hoping to lose weight. She suggests each client commits for a 90-day period, with a meeting roughly once a week, in order to really get to the bottom of the problem.
For more information, contact Kecia on 39 301 946.

Quit smoking: Unless you are addicted to hard drugs, quitting smoking (and that includes smoking shisha) will be the healthiest thing you have ever done. Smoking causes a whole range of cancers, dramatically increases the chances of heart failure, ages you prematurely, gives you terrible skin, upsets your sleep patterns, and gives you the lungs of a seventy-year-old after ten years of sucking the evil weed. Not only that, you actually pay good money to kill yourself slowly. Giving up can be surprisingly easy, so long as you have the right frame of mind. To help you, one of the more interesting methods is Reflection Instrument Scanning Electro-pulse or RISE, a micro-massage that targets Chinese reflexology points to help to quell the addiction to nicotine.
For more information, visit them in Dana Mall, call 17 544 244 or visit www.iquitsmoking.bh.

Reiki: At Time Out Towers, we’re obsessed with Reiki, the Japanese-inspired treatment that helps to balance your chakras and align your spirit. Sure, there might not be bags of scientific proof showing that it does anything at all. But to anyone who has experienced the high-intensity meditation that comes from Reiki, the treatment is a guaranteed de-stress and a great way to detoxify your soul. Anubhaa Sharma is one of the Gulf’s most respected Reiki practitioners and, luckily for us, she’s based in Bahrain. With a number of books on the subject, along with a relaxing studio, Sharma is a God-send to anyone who wants to feel a bit of a lift in their life.
Contact her on 39 260 488.

Sunbathe: Dermatologists are not going to like us suggesting this one, and it is true that the sun has a particularly bad ageing effect, especially if you are not using adequate sun protection. Conversely, the sun has long been proven to encourage positive mental health (Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is the lack of sunlight syndrome that millions of people living in the north suffer from). In addition, sunlight enables the body to convert nutrients into Vitamin D. Sure, we don’t suggest sizzling yourself. But since we all live in a land where the sun never fails to shine, surely a little bit of sun couldn’t hurt? As an incentive, a tan makes you look slimmer.

Thai massages: Of all the massages in the world, the Thai massage is the most famous, and for good reason. Passive yoga, serene stretching, controlled cracking: however you want to look at it, the Thai massage has become the cornerstone of spa treatments across the world. With a system of compression and extension, Thai massages literally squeeze and pull the toxins embedded in deep tissue, and for this reason it is paramount that you hydrate yourself after the massage to help wash away that which has been released. Thanks to its popularity, there are numerous options in Bahrain, with some of the best being at The Spa at Coral Beach Club.
For more information, call 17 312 700.

Ultrasonolipolysis: We can’t even pronounce this word, and had never come across it prior to recently stumbling on the machine in the decadent surroundings of La Fontaine’s Spa. Much like the LPG machine, Ultrasonolipolysis is designed to remove fat and tighten skin without surgery. The machine’s pads are strapped on the body and these send low frequency ultrasounds through your skin, which apparently have the capacity to break down fat that is then excreted from your body via the kidneys. It sounds like wishful thinking to most people, but if you are willing to try anything to slim down, then this is the place to head. La Fontaine charge BD20 for a 20-minutes session, but provide a package of 10 sessions for BD150.
For more information, call 17 230 123.

Volcanic hot stone massage: Volcanic hot stone massages were the spa fad of the ’90s – for almost a decade everyone was convinced that placing a series of hot and cold stones all over your body could really help draw out impurities and make you feel younger, healthier and more energised. The treatment is having something of a revival among those looking to get away from the new range of laser machines that have recently hit the market, and is a perfectly natural way to attempt to detox. The Sheraton Spa offers one of the most blissful volcanic stone therapies in town.
Call 17 524 570 for more information.

Water therapy – get out on the ocean: Although not a spa treatment, water therapy (by which we mean getting out on the water) can be a great way to rid your life of stress and get some perspective. While group cruises can do the trick, the best treatment is to hire a boat and a captain for you and your loved ones and sail out onto the deep blue. And with an array of stunning islands studding the waters around Bahrain, there is no better way to see the country. The best place to hire a boat is the Bahrain Yacht Club.
Call 17 700 677 for more information.

Exhibition Road: Exhibition Road might not at first glance seem like the centre of Bahrain’s detox world: fast food rules in this part of town, and if you are not a chain smoker then you don’t fit in. But if you look a little closer, you’ll also find some of the best budget spas in Bahrain open along this road. Sure, they can’t compare to the salubrious spas at the country’s five star hotels, but for BD8 for an hour’s massage, you really can’t complain.

Yoga: Yoga has been practised for millennia in India, but it is only in the last few decades that yoga has made a huge impact around the world. Staggeringly, the Yoga Journal estimates that Americans spend a whopping $5.7 billion on yoga classes and equipment annually, giving some idea of how popular the practise has become. Bahrain is still waking up to the amazing effects of yoga (better concentration, more energy, better posture, fewer injuries), and yet the country does have some of the best teachers in the Gulf. Our particular favourite is the Bayoga Centre in Juffair, which holds great classes in an admittedly rather run-down building.
For more information, call 17 725 027.

Zero cellulite massage: Ask any woman what their arch- enemy is, and most will tell you cellulite. However many diets, exercise classes and hot soaks a woman has, lumpy fat always seems to coagulate at the top of the thighs and make most women ditch a bikini in favour of the burkha during the summer months. The Diplomat Spa uses French Phytomer products and offers a Zero Cellulite massage, which concentrates the efforts of the masseuse on those regions of the body most affected. Sure, it might be a long shot, but long shots are always worth a try.
For more information, contact the Diplomat Spa on 17 525 237.