An Oasis for the Soul in a Technopolis
We humans are endowed with the ability to think. It's both a great gift and a great sorrow, as we know the starting point and the destination of our journey through life. At the same time, the path itself and how we traverse it are what truly matter. Age is irrelevant: one can remain young and active for a very long time by practising yoga, getting massages, and leading an active lifestyle. Meditation helps preserve the youthfulness of the soul, which, according to the founders of the Sage spa villa, Irina Pravdina and Karina Sedneva, is the most crucial aspect.
Irina: Born in a small village in the north of the Arkhangelsk region, I left to study in St Petersburg. It was one of the many stories that fate had in store for me. I could have stayed anywhere or chosen another city. At 25, I quit a well-paying job for a different life and flew to Asia, knowing nothing about it. Then I returned, lived in Europe, met people who greatly influenced my destiny. I found myself in Dubai and wanted to leave again a year and a half ago, but then Sage happened.
The turning point came when I went to Karina and said, "Let's do it." That moment didn't change my life drastically, but it did change my attitude towards it.
Over the past year and a half, we've often heard comments about starting a business as friends. We refute these words because we were mere acquaintances — our paths crossed at common events. It all began with Karina trying to convince me of the existence of interesting coffee solutions. I only drink black coffee but patiently tried different options. In the end, I was once again convinced that there is no other coffee but black. That's how we started communicating more and finding common interests. My passion was yoga, so Karina had to practise it too. We travelled a lot together. I even officiated their wedding ceremony with her husband in Georgia a couple of years ago.
We opened Sage in Dubai quite recently, in April-May of last year. We've been practising yoga for a long time, but it was always more for the soul, although we took it seriously. We adore massages — not just relaxing ones, but deep, muscle- and fascia-working massages. At some point, it dawned on us: there was no place in Dubai that combined all of this. One May evening, we had the idea to create a space that included everything we love: massages, yoga, meditation, sauna, cold plunge. A place where people could take care of themselves, find a balance of body and soul, and embrace the idea of investing in themselves today. Not waiting for the moment when something hurts or wrinkles appear, and Botox is urgently needed. With the help of massage, yoga, and other preventive measures, one can remain beautiful, young, and healthy for a long time.
We decided to choose a detached villa because initially, the project was not conceived as a commercial one. It was important for us that people felt at home, could relax, and spend a lot of time in a safe and friendly environment. To create an oasis amidst the chaos of the city, which is beautiful and technologically perfect, but sometimes one craves something natural and soulful.
The search for a space began. At first, we thought about a palace, but then we realised the need for repairs and lowered our requirements. In fact, everything happened quickly: within a month, we found a suitable villa, talked to the owner, and signed the contract. We opened a company — that's how our journey began.
Karina: We needed to come up with a name for this space. We had many naming options that we could use. But Sage turned out to be the most concise. It combines several concepts. In English, it means sage — a medicinal herb that calms and is used in meditative practices to relax the body and nervous system. Dried sage is ignited to fumigate a space. Also, sage means "a wise person," which is symbolic for us: wise people know that immersing oneself in meditation calms the mind and nerves. The harmony with the space was obvious: natural materials and green grass, yoga, and Sage combine perfectly. The short word, consisting of rounded Latin letters, reflects our graphic style. The logo resembles a tied bundle of sage used for fumigation. Everything came together like a puzzle, and we realised — this is it.
Our philosophy stems from the idea Irina mentioned: this space was created for ourselves. We wanted to have such a place in Dubai, so we created it. Everything that is here at the moment, we like and is done for us and those we are confident in and know. This space will never include anything we don't believe in, or things done just because they are trendy. Everything has been tested on us and, therefore, is worthy of attention.
Irina: Our journey has been remarkably smooth, and we are afraid to scare away this luck. We look at difficulties from a philosophical point of view. If something has been overcome, it means it was a challenge we coped with. Unsolved tasks require time, attention, and help from other people. Of course, there were problems: how to open a company, a bank account, what permits were needed, who to cooperate with. But everything fell into place: we opened a company, a bank account, found wonderful people who fit perfectly into the project and helped us solve current tasks together. Everything we planned came to fruition. And what didn't work out — we'll leave it for later and try differently.
Karina: We had several consultants and changed them as needed. But we went through all the issues ourselves, checking everything personally. This is one of the main rules of working in Dubai: check for yourself. We are both quite responsible, so we went to different meetings with a person who speaks Arabic and has experience. This proved to be effective for quickly resolving issues.
Paradoxically, there was no such space as we envisioned here. The importance of an integrated approach to creating oneself and investing in one's health is obvious. In Dubai, there are quite a few white spots not occupied by projects, so many people come and launch interesting ideas, as we did.
We don't have a pool. Initially, we had this idea, but we abandoned it. A pool in Dubai is not a novelty; almost every house has one. Instead, we have a cold plunge. Cold water in Dubai is a scarcity, and the plunge has many advantages. It works great in combination with yoga and massage, activating the body's internal resources. In addition to the plunge, we have a sauna and a hammam for a complete feeling of contrast between high and low temperatures. This wonderfully helps eliminate toxins and optimise the body's processes.
Irina: In fact, we have a fairly large villa. When people look at photos or videos and come to us, they are surprised: "Wow! We didn't think it was that big." We tried to make the space functional. All rooms can be interchangeable.
If we talk about a favourite place, it's the massage room. After all, after a great massage, you feel incredibly good and comfortable. Our specialists work for a long-lasting result. It's not just a wow effect right after the procedure when you see a fresh look in the mirror. The next day, two days later, three days later, the result is still there. You feel uplifted, and joy does not leave you.
Every corner of this villa is dear to us because we chose the tiniest details ourselves. We devised the design together with the team, but our hand touched everything. We changed the floor texture and wall colour several times and spent two months choosing the very pattern that would suit us. Furniture, tactile sensations from touching it — we thought out all these details. At some point, we even stopped and noticed: "Listen, I think we're overdoing it. It's as if we're going to live here."
When you enter the villa, you feel at home. Everyone is welcome here; you can be yourself and communicate without fear of judgement. Even if you come to yoga for the first time, no one will look at you askance. We will help and support you. It's beautiful and cosy here.
Our space, our villa, is more than just a place. It has a soul, and that soul is ours. In every room, in every corner where light and sun penetrate, there is a part of us. These walls are imbued with our energy and love. We are here every day, and the people who work with us become part of this atmosphere. We personally talked to each of them, discussing plans for growth and development.
We strive to create a space where everyone will be interested and comfortable. It's impossible to single out one room in the villa as special — everything here reflects us. One of the reviews that particularly stuck in my mind was that people see our reflection in the walls of the villa. We really managed to convey through this project what we have inside. At the Pre-Opening, we received many such reviews, and for us, this is the most important confirmation that we are on the right path. We have created a space into which we have breathed our values, and guests feel it.
Wonderful teachers are another important part of our community. Those who work with us — teachers and staff — represent an amazing mix of cultures and languages. We have yoga teachers of both genders. They speak different languages — Russian and English speakers from more than ten countries. Our masseurs are diverse: some specialise in facial massage, others in body massage. Among them is an osteopath from Egypt and Russian-speaking specialists. Today we talked to a girl who couldn't answer exactly where she was from. This is typical for Dubai, where people are born in one place, live in another, and then move somewhere else. We are glad that we have gathered a multinational team that speaks dozens of languages and offers different styles of yoga.
Karina: It should be added that the people who come to us are all truly beautiful — both inside and out. They are kind, and this is one of the main qualities that one wants to encounter more often. We ourselves convey this approach. Only good things can be created from kindness. Our audience is open and sincere people who simply live and enjoy what they do. They find common interests and friends. Age does not matter here — whether it's 20+, 100, 55, or 60 years old. A person who practises yoga can remain physically and socially active for a long time. Yoga masters aged 80+ are in amazing shape. Every time you see someone at that age doing incredible things, you think, "Yes, this is the kind of old age I want for myself."
Irina: Older people inspire us with their social and sporting activity. If we talk about examples from life, I can tell you about my mother. She is now 72 years old; she has never lost her optimism, always smiling and laughing. She has been an entrepreneur all her life. For me, she is an example of how one can maintain inner kindness and optimism despite difficulties. Born in a small village in the north of the Arkhangelsk region, she raised the whole family and never complained about failures. Mom always laughed at problems and never said that something was done in vain. She inspires by her example.
Karina: I can't single out anyone as an example, but I completely agree that people who continue to enjoy life with age are inspiring. This is one of the key ideas of our space. We show that the body's internal resources are practically limitless if you know how to use them correctly. We demonstrate how to apply your hidden forces to remain active, beautiful, and energetic over time. Old age is not scary; you don't need to be afraid of it. You don't have to resort to radical procedures to preserve youth. With the help of massage and an active lifestyle, you can continue to look great. People who achieve this at a mature age inspire us.
We are not sure that there is an endpoint to any path because thinking about the finiteness of everything is wrong. A point is the end of development. We are still at the very beginning of the journey; we have a lot of room to grow. When people return to us, when we see familiar faces again — this is already a great success. It means that a person is comfortable with us and wants to come again. And we have a long way to go.
Irina: Let me tell you a story that helps me be optimistic and not afraid to move forward. I have never been late for planes and always calculate the time accurately. Being late is critical for me. But that day, I missed my connecting flight through no fault of my own and was very upset. The problem was solved in half an hour: they put me in a car instead of a plane. I was driving from Riga to Vilnius at night with three strange men — everything inside me was screaming, "You can't do this!" I arrived safely and on time and realised: even if something goes wrong, it doesn't mean you won't reach your goal. The Universe has its own plans; there's no need to panic.
We once thought about how to express the idea of well-being through well-ageing, adding the phrase "no filters." After all, if you take care of yourself, you don't need filters on Instagram. All the masks we wear hide our insecurities. Karina talked about how our human essence is hidden under them, and it's up to us to choose whether to hide it or be open to the world. I'm close to the phrase "everything is possible until a choice is made." Possibilities are endless, and the choice depends only on us. Today you can make one choice, and tomorrow — another. Everything is possible — today, tomorrow, and always.
