OMH exists to make you feel better, says the strapline. Â And OMH Therapies (Oils – Massage – Healing) is certainly an oasis of calm and warmth in the bustling West End of Edinburgh city centre.
Follow tiny jewelled footprints down the steps of a corner basement on Randolph Terrace, and find yourself in a little corner of the Orient. Or India. I couldn’t really decide and it doesn’t really matter; the colours, the faint tang of incense and the trickle of a miniature water feature have a calming, warming influence that will instantly transport you Eastwards.
OMH, nurturing the mind, body and soul, is the vision of founder, Sadna Kanani, and it’s all about that in-vogue state of mindfulness as well as physical health. Sadna’s aim is the fusion of well-being with therapeutic treatments inspired by different cultures. The selection of treatments – from reiki to reflexology, hypnotherapy to Swedish massage – bears that out, and the warm, exotic ambience of the Amber treatment room is a special alternative to the minimalist pale wood and clinical white of comparative spa experiences.
I’m a bit like the fabled child in a sweet shop when offered a menu of massages and the like; I wouldn’t mind trying most of it. However, having just arrived back to a cold and grey Scotland from the heat and clamour of Bangladesh, I was certainly hoping for a few minutes of calm and relaxation – and a bit of muscle pummelling.
The OMH Ritual – billed as a signature treatment, capturing the essence of the OMH philosophy – promised this and more. A hybrid of Indian and Japanese tradition, this experience promised to bring my body into balance via reiki, chakra- balancing, acupressure and massage and to leave me relaxed and revived.
Now, I’m still not exactly sure what reiki is or what my chakras are… but once in the careful, confident hands of therapist, Roberta, it was clear she did, and that was good enough for me.
Roberta began with a foot massage, moved on seamlessly to my hands, and from there to my head, neck and shoulders. The fluidity of her movements and the perfect pressure of the massage meant an hour of bliss. For me, the test was in the Indian Head Massage. I’ve had a few of these, ranging from the sublime Ayurvedic (in India) to the pull-your-hair-and-poke-your-scalp horror (somewhere closer to home) and I’m delighted to say that the OMH version was up there with the best. Realising that, I relaxed again and waited for the exquisite agony (I use that term in a positive sense!) of having the tension massaged out of my neck and shoulders.
There really was no downside. Of course, I wanted it to go on longer – about a week of this would have been nice – and I could vaguely hear the sounds of the city outside, but I quite enjoyed that as an ‘aren’t I lucky to be in here’ reminder. At £50 for an hours treatment (£75 for ninety minutes), it wasn’t cheap – but totally in line with the going rate. And it’s worth noting that whilst the luxuries like the Ritual require appointments, walk-in treatments are available from the equivalent of £1 per minute, and drop-in mediation sessions occur daily.
The OMH Ritual was perfectly performed by the lovely Roberta, and Sadna’s vision is clearly in capable hands.
Find OMH Therapies at 1a Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh, EH3 7TH
More information at OMH Therapies
Tel: 0131 220 1301