Things to do in Portsmouth: I tried the UK's only ASMR live treatment ahead of its opening date in Southsea
The sounds of whispering, paper rustling and hair-brushing are all on the menu at Portsmouth’s first ASMR studio – which is thought to be the only one in the country.
ASMR Live Lounge operates from a small room in The Beauty Clinic on Marmion Road and, according to Kellie, her ‘Live Lounge’ is currently the country’s only in-person centre for ASMR experiences.ASMR – which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response - describes the tingling sensation some people experience from stimuli like whispering, brushing, close personal attention and massage.
Owner and trained hypnotherapist Kellie Ripley, who opened her business on Friday, said: ‘It’s the feeling, the tingles, the goosebumps - whatever you want to call it - from visual images, from sound and from personal attention.
‘For years, I’ll be honest, I thought I was slightly weird. I really enjoy the sounds of books, pages being turned, colouring. I get these goosebumps and I feel super relaxed.
‘I had no idea what it was and then about five years ago I found Emma Smith - Whispersreds - and Maria from gentle whispering. I found them online and thought “okay, this is what it’s about”
‘Recently I’ve been searching because I would love to have this done but there is nowhere - I couldn’t find anywhere. I thought that if I can’t find it, maybe I could offer it.’
The phenomenon has spawned a popular genre of YouTube videos where experts try to induce pleasant tingling feelings - like a ‘shiver’ down the spine - in viewers.
What ASMR is like
Before my session, I was asked to choose from a menu of treatments featuring ‘Glow’, ‘Bliss’ and ‘Awakening’ - I settled on ‘Radiance’.
I was asked to remove my shirt and take a seat. My modesty was protected by a towel and I was swaddled in a warm blanket to ease me into a state of relaxation. Kellie then told me to close my eyes.
I felt overwhelmingly pampered as Kellie brushed my hair and softly told me ‘this is your time’. There was a role play element to the experience as Kellie assessed my scalp and prepared a ‘hair mask’ which wasn’t actually applied to my head.
All senses but sight were activated during the session. At the beginning, I was given a chocolate and herbal drink on a platter. Close whispering was used throughout and is a key feature of ASMR. The hair mask - which smelled of hibiscus and rose - was held under my nose. The shivers were most intense towards the end of the treatment when Kellie gently brushed the back of my neck and used a metal scalp massager. I was brought back into the room when she clinked a small pair of symbols.
The experience was like a massage for the brain and I definitely felt the goose-bump sensation which Kelli aims to create. Each new client is offered a telephone consultation before booking where they can list particular sounds or other ASMR triggers they would like to be incorporated.
Treatments at Kellie ASMR range from a 15 minute session at £13.50 to a full 90 minutes of relaxation at £75. Kellie is currently offering 20-minute taster sessions for £5 for those looking to find out what ASMR is all about.