The popularity of apps like Headspace and Calm has helped make meditation increasingly mainstream and part of many people’s daily routines. Now London has its first physical mediation space, Re:Mind a wellness studio open to drop-in clients.
Following in the footsteps of cities like New York and LA, London is now home to Re:Mind, a studio fully dedicated to workouts for the mind.
Re:Mind in Victoria is the city’s first meditation studio and offers eight different drop-in classes. It has the look and feel of a boutique fitness studio with soft, calming interiors and Scandi-esque minimalist décor. There is also a lovely onsite shop selling a range of ethical and sustainable products including herbal-blend teas, organic skincare and aromatherapy candles, perfect for gifts or for infusing some zen into your home. Re:Mind’s eco-friendly ethos permeates from the materials used in building the studio to their zero-waste policy; you won’t find any plastic or disposable items here.
There is just one meditation space where the classes are held and it’s a bijoux box of zen: cosy, soft and tranquil. The classes cover different types of meditative techniques including breath work, restorative yoga and sound meditation, so you can try a range of different approaches to quieten the mind. Some of the classes take a more group-focused dynamic such as Re:Heal, a session using ancient healing traditions, and Re:Connect, which helps you feel more connected to others. All classes are suitable for complete beginners to advanced meditators. The studio also hosts sound baths, workshops, screenings and lectures so do keep an eye out for their upcoming events.
I booked into the Crystal Alchemy Sound Bath led by Sound Sebastien who run pop-up workshops in London and have a resident spot at Re:Mind until early May. A sound bath cocoons you in the relaxing noise and vibrations of sound waves from crystal bowls, gongs or other instruments, and helps induce a meditative state. The enclosing darkness of the studio and soothing incense aromas quickly got us in a soporific mood, enhanced by the lavender-infused eye-masks and soft fleece blankets. We weren’t told too much about the sound bath beforehand and it is recommended to go in without any expectations or pre-conceptions. It felt incredibly indulgent spending one hour doing nothing, just wrapped in blankets and listening to sounds created purely for our relaxation purposes.
Whilst it was a deeply relaxing experience, I personally found it a little too intense and actually had a headache from the session. Because the room is so small, the sound and vibrations from the singing bowls is incredibly immersive and made me feel quite dizzy. That said, I was completely dazed and spaced-out in a good way afterwards, and definitely felt like I had succumbed to special state of self-indulgence and self-care. We were instructed to drink lots of water afterwards and avoid looking at any computer or TV screens. I would strongly advise not planning anything other than bed afterwards – just give into the dreamy state!
Clearly any personal ritual that creates time and space to unwind, breathe slowly and generally practice self-care is hugely valuable for our overall wellbeing. Re:Mind studio may just help encourage more of us to carve out those moments for ourselves and discover a form of meditation we can harness to help us when the pressures of daily life get a little too much.
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