Rana Muhammad Taha
One year ago, Nada Iskander and Hana Holdijk opened the doors to Nūn, a centre that is based on a holistic view to health. Located in a grand villa in Zamalek, Nūn offers a large variety of treatments, classes and services that are all designed to help clients find a healthy and balanced approach to life.
“We started the centre because we felt that people are ready for a different approach to health,” Iskander said, who is a nutritionist and homeopath. “The treatments we offer are based on a holistic view; we treat the person rather than what is ailing them.” Holdijk, who is a homeopath and qualified in visceral massage, said, “most of our patients struggle with chronic conditions and have tried many other treatments that did not solve their problems before they come to us.”
“We are not against allopathic medicine, but we believe there is room for alternative medicine as well and in many cases a holistic approach can be more beneficial to the patient,” Iskander said. “It is easier for us to reach people now that we work from the centre,” Holdijk said. “There is a lot of misinformation about alternative medicine out there and this has stopped people from trying it in the past.” By establishing Nūn, the threshold for people to seek out a different approach to health has been lowered, Holdijk went on to say.
Nūn works with many different practitioners who offer acupuncture, reiki, traditional Chinese medicine, and Feldenkrais to name a few. A common misconception is that alternative medicine is not based on facts, but “we are very grounded in our work and our treatments are based on giving people useful and practical tools,” Iskander said. “And for the sceptics we can produce the statistics and research that our treatments are based on.”
Nūn offers more than alternative therapies; yoga classes, contemporary dance classes to Tai Chi, and Chi Quong. In the first year of operation Nūn has established itself as a community centre, something that the founders had hoped for but that has exceeded their expectations.
“What has surprised me most is the impact what we offer at the centre has had on people’s lives,” Holdijk said. “It is really great to see how the long lasting effects on people’s wellbeing are.” Iskander said, “we have grown in many ways that have surprised me; like clients who come with ideas for classes, workshops or events that we implement together.”
The founders of Nūn have been busy and both have a waiting list for new clients. “We take a lot of time with our clients to give them the attention they deserve,” Iskander said. “This means we can see fewer clients per day.”
Besides the obvious passion for their work and the beautiful old villa they are located in, Nūn impresses most by the variety of what is available and the practical way the alternative therapies are offered. The atmosphere is friendly, peaceful and professional and makes everyone who steps through the door feel welcome.
