Healing – Holly Holistic

One would have to be completely oblivious to not know of Holly Holistic; the one-stop shop for all things alternative medicine in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As a purveyor of ‘energy-based ‘products Holly’s shop has often been referenced and cited in many social circles ranging from high profile CEOs to novice dabblers in the field, as the place to go for those looking to obtain quality items for their spiritual journey. My first experience with Holly was several years ago and as someone that is wary of snake-oil merchants I didn’t really expect anything out of the ordinary, but that’s the thing about authentically powerful energies, they have a tendency of sweeping you away…

From the moment you step into the garden surrounding this quaint store it’s as if you’re transported to a space in time where all you’ve ever known is the best version of yourself and the same energy permeates from Holly; the owner. A cheery sprite whose countenance reminds you of someone that knows far more than they appear to know. In Holly’s presence and the subsequent event’s I’ve personally attended in this space, you realise that there is so much more to the human experience than is visible to the naked eye. Which, is why today, as we christen the new Avastavé digital space, I am honoured to feature Holly; a diamond amongst gems, a friend and a force to be reckoned with.

Hi Holly! Good to connect with you after so long. Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Thanks for having me, it’s a pleasure to be apart of your exciting relaunch! I am the founder of Holly Holistic, UAE’s first homegrown holistic shop for beautiful, magical souls that was established in 2016. We pride ourselves on being a local, family run business that truly cares about our customers well-being and have a genuine interest to get to know our community.

How did you begin your journey into holistic healing? Elaborate on that for us.

I was actually training to be a hypnotherapist so that I could move into a new career that was emotionally rewarding and realized that through this learning, my own self-healing journey started. I experienced first hand how healing from the core and using holistic ways genuinely made a difference and changed my whole life. It was at that moment that I decided to move forward with opening Holly Holistic so that I could provide all the spiritual tools that weren’t readily available in the market to offer and help others heal themselves as well.

At Avastavé we believe in defining moments; as in events that compile to create the soundtrack of our lives, so to speak. If you could pick one such moment in your own life, what would it be and why?

This is a hard question, as I feel I’ve had so many defining moments throughout my life. I’m the type of person that always follows my heart, no matter what the risk, always believes that something happens for a reason and that there are no coincidences. I’m grateful and content and still look forward to many more defining moments in the future.

Your store is known in the region to be a go-to for anyone seeking mindful gifts. Share your process for how you pick your items. What is holly-approved and what isn’t?

We do have a one-stop-shop for all things spiritual and I definitely take pride in sourcing fair and ethically traded products whenever possible. We carry some of the best high-grade semi-precious stones in the region. We have customers that fly in from different countries just to visit our shop, it is so humbling! All of the crystal pieces you see in our shop are personally, hand-picked with care and intention by me. I spend hours and hours going through and choosing specific high energy crystals with my suppliers. As I’m an avid crystal collector and certified crystal healer, I am so happy to be able to bring my customers some of the best crystals from all around the world, this is my holly-approved process!

As believers of energy transferal, we are grounded in the belief that specific objects derived from the earth hold energy. As an expert in the holistic properties of crystal, could you tell us what your favourite ones are and why?

I do get asked that quite often and it’s interesting because we will always be drawn to different crystals depending on what we are going through on that particular day or during a certain time of our life. Now I will reveal that I am completely enthralled and working with Phoenix Stone, also known as Ajoite, which is a very rare combination of Chrysocolla, Malachite and Turquoise. It is an extraordinary crystal known as the compassion stone that emits the loving energy of Mother Gaia and connects with the divine feminine.  I am also closely working with Kundalini Citrine and Moldavite and never leave home without wearing at least one protective crystal. These days I’m wearing Shungite and Tourmalinated Quartz healing bracelets.

Can certain crystals or stones have a negative effect on a person?

I’ve never personally experienced it myself and can’t be sure but I feel the most important thing to do is to cleanse all your crystals before wearing or working with them. As crystals do hold other’s energy, you want to make sure you are not transferring any negative energy to yourself through the crystals whether intentionally or not.

How does one cleanse their crystals?

There are many ways to cleanse crystals but I always advise the safest way as not to damage your babies is through the smoke of white sage. Simply light up one of our sustainably harvested California White Sage Smudges and once it starts emitting smoke, just hold the crystals or jewelry and let the smoke penetrate all sides to cleanse and release any negative energy the crystals may be holding. Just a quick tip, two crystals that don’t hold negative energy and don’t require cleansing are Selenite and Citrine!

A product you recommend for those looking to begin their journey into healing.

Definitely recommend starting with some White Sage to cleanse your space and Selenite crystal to cleanse your aura. We also always advise our customers to physically visit our shop so they can walk around in our tranquil space and see and touch all the crystals to understand which ones are resonating with them the most and learn the benefits of those crystals. Our space is a whole vibe from the moment you walk through the Zen Garden and straight into our magical, spiritual shop. Spending time with all the healing energy of the crystals in this safe space, you will feel completely relaxed and be able to intentionally choose the right crystals to benefit you the most in your life right now.

And, finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask you for a quote that you live by.

Since moving to the beautiful country of UAE 23 years ago – that I now officially call home, I’ve always lived by a simple yet meaningful quote which is “Bloom where you are planted” To me it means, always try your best, even when times are difficult, never give up, be positive, be grateful, always believe something great is about to happen and make something beautiful where you are right now in life.