Hooked on painful therapy: body suspension festival takes place in Croatia

Record ID: 1741152

  • Title: Hooked on painful therapy: body suspension festival takes place in Croatia
  • Date: 4th September 2023
  • Summary: HELIA (SURNAME NOT GIVEN) AND MEREDITH IN WATER BEFORE BODY SUSPENSION MAN PULLING ROPE FOR BODY SUSPENSION HELIA AND MEREDITH HANGING ABOVE SEA ON HOOKS INSERTED IN THEIR BODIES (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVENT PARTICIPANT MEREDITH (SURNAME NOT GIVEN) (IN BLACK, FROM BOSTON, USA) AND EVENT PARTICIPANT HELIA (SURNAME NOT GIVEN) (FROM USA) SAYING: MEREDITH: "For me, I think from
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2023 09:55
  • Keywords: Body suspension hooks piercing
  • Location: PULA, CROATIA
  • City: PULA, CROATIA
  • Country: Croatia
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA003909804092023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: With hooks under her skin, Meredith hangs over the Mediterranean sea, enjoying "the intensity" of what looks to be excruciatingly painful.
    Originally from Boston, Meredith came to Pula in Croatia, to take part in the body suspension festival "Suspension above the Sea".
    The suspension experience involves piercing the skin with needles and inserting metal hooks - a process Meredith described as "a little rough". These hooks are then attached to a thin rope to lift the suspended person off the ground.
    The suspension experience is always painful, but also introspective, as another festival participant, Maja, pointed out. For her, body suspension is an opportunity to be more in tune with her body and to feel some discomfort, as she believes that nowadays "we remove discomfort a lot" from our lives and wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone.
    Dino Helvida, a body suspension expert from Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the organisers of the festival, was the one who took care of Meredith and Maja's piercings. He's been doing body suspension for 12 years and believes it can help release some deeply held emotions. He says it just focuses you on the present moment.
    "Even if you don't want it, it just brings you to the present moment - just like "Boof!"."
    (Production: Antonio Bronic, Daria Shamonova)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register