CHENNAI: Walking beneath color-coded garlands suspended from the ceiling, the pleasant fragrance of lavender welcomes me on a Saturday afternoon at The Folly, Amethyst. The temperature outside feels like 40, but the healing sanctuary inside instantly cures my heat-frayed body and mind. Perhaps it was for this purpose that holistic healers and fortune- tellers were brought under one roof by The Magical Orb founded by Priyanka Aditya Baid and Aaliiyaa H Jarriwala at their debut wellness pop-up, The Soul Sojourn. “The whole of last year, Priyanka and I have been conducting multiple sessions for our clients owing to the pandemic. There’s so much negativity in the air.
A one-of-a-kind event like this would give people exposure to holistic healing and therapies. The participants are from all parts of India. We’ve also adhered to the safety protocols and limited our stall count,” said Aaliiyaa, a Chaldean numerologist. Featuring 14 stalls, the one-day event offered a fine balance of healing sessions and retail therapy. The inauguration was presided over by Neerja Malik, motivational speaker; Vidya Singh, fitness expert; Apsara Reddy, politician; Khatija Rahman, social worker and Rinku Mecheri, founder, Chennai Volunteers. Aura scanning, palmistry, Vastu, numerology, guided channelling, candle therapy... the pop-up explored a range of healing modalities.
Among the lot was creative healer Vasusri Jhaver, who specialises in helping her clients use art for creative expression. “It’s important to learn to unravel and nurture your inner artist to heal yourself. I emphasise art journaling as it brings out the suppressed emotions in people. I also believe in chakra painting for healing. Unless all the seven chakras in the body are aligned, there can be chances of an imbalance in your mind and body,” said Vasusri, who displayed a few chakra paintings, doodled bookmarks, mandalas and handcrafted notebooks at her stall. She also hopes to raise money with her artwork for children’s education through her initiative Simply Peach.
Other healers like Divya Srinivasan, founder Sacred Spaces with Divya, offered theta healing and tarot card reading sessions. Juhhi Baradwaj, a Vastu healer and expert in gem therapy, guided patrons on the symbolic significance of healing stones and objects. Life coach and healer Meenal Anand’s dice and shell reading sessions drew quite a crowd. “It’s been only two months since we conceived The Magical Orb but we have been able to connect with many healers through social media. The healers present here are not wellestablished but have a loyal clientele. We hope to bridge the gap between them and people. This is just the beginning and the city will see more such popups,” assured Aaliiyaa.
The retail corner of the popup offered consciously curated cold-pressed oils, vegan treats, organic self-care, organic bed linen and clothing, healing gem and therapy candles. B2S1, an organic brand, offered sherbet varieties, tea varieties, coldpressed oils and hair care products. Aurv Organics showcased a range of cosmetics and body care products. Health-conscious patrons took delight in gluten-free delicacies and desserts from Vandy’s and Mysuru- based Healthylicious. Peeling off the layers of pandemic- induced stress, sojourns such as this are welcome every once in a while to restore meaning in our existence.
At the event
The Soul Sojourn offered a fine balance of healing sessions and retail therapy. Neerja Malik, motivational speaker; Vidya Singh, fitness expert; Apsara Reddy, politician; Khatija Rahman, social worker and
Rinku Mecheri, founder, Chennai Volunteers, inaugurated the event.