“I’ve never really been a health-conscious or particularly sporty person. Quite the contrary. I always enjoyed good food, sharing drinks with friends and, like many people when they’re younger, indulging in quite a few unhealthy habits without giving them much thought.”
Towards the end of his forties, living in Miami, small things started appearing. Stiff ankles in the morning. Recurring pain in the neck and shoulders after what he describes simply as a “fun day at the pool” accident years earlier. And a more general sense that recovery simply took longer than it used to.
“One day someone mentioned Red Light Therapy to me. Out of curiosity I bought a small home panel and started using it. To my surprise it genuinely seemed to somehow help with several of those little discomforts, especially the stiffness in my neck and shoulders.”
“Being naturally sceptical, I wanted to convince myself that I wasn’t simply experiencing a placebo effect. So I lent the panel to several friends without telling them too much about my own experience. Every single one of them came back saying it had helped them in one way or another. Not necessarily with the same thing, but everyone noticed some positive effect.”
“That made me curious. If a relatively modest home device could make a noticeable difference, what would a professional full body system do?”
He found a sports medicine clinic offering full body sessions. The results were better. After that, red light therapy simply became part of his routine.
Naim at AURORA Biomodulation, El Born, Barcelona.
What didn’t exist
Years later, when Naim started spending more time in Barcelona, the search began again. Somewhere to continue his sessions.
“As far as I could tell, the only full body Red Light Therapy cabins in Spain were being used by elite sports organisations such as Real Madrid for player recovery and rehabilitation. That was the moment I realised there was something missing and an opportunity presented itself.”
He and his partner and co-founder Jesús started talking about the possibility of creating such a place themselves.
“We weren’t trying to invent a new technology. We simply wanted to make an existing, science-backed technology available to everyone instead of just elite athletes or professional sports clubs.”
The EMS part of the story started earlier, and differently. Through Groupon, of all places, Naim had discovered EMS training years before in Barcelona. Within a small number of sessions he became noticeably stronger, improved his posture, gained muscle. But the experience itself was another matter: heavy suits, cables, cramped studios, ageing equipment.
“When we started planning AURORA I asked myself a simple question: if I were designing this place entirely for myself, what would I change? That question became the blueprint for AURORA.”
The AURORA's EMS space, El Born.
On philosophy
Our philosophy has always been remarkably simple: science first and customer experience first.
With the rise of social media, instant gratification and influencers, the wellness industry has changed enormously. Every week there seems to be a new trend, a new miracle device or another fashionable “biohack”. Very often, how something looks has become more important than whether it genuinely helps people.
I’m probably a little stubborn in that respect, perhaps it’s an age thing.
I would never feel comfortable selling a treatment or a product that I don’t genuinely believe in myself after having experienced its benefits firsthand. That’s why, despite being approached almost weekly by companies wanting us to invest in the latest recovery, beauty or wellness equipment, we’ve deliberately chosen to remain focused on our two core services.
“I’d rather do two things exceptionally well than ten things because they’re fashionable.”
We wanted AURORA to feel premium without feeling intimidating. Professional without feeling clinical. Beautiful without becoming superficial.
Our team are qualified professionals, but above all they’re warm, approachable and genuinely interested in every individual who walks through our doors.
Ultimately, our goal is very straightforward. We simply want every person who leaves AURORA to walk out feeling better than when they walked in, both physically and mentally. That is the standard we try to live up to every single day.
On how recovery culture has shifted
When we opened AURORA in 2023, Red Light Therapy was still largely unknown to the general public in Spain. Since then, awareness has grown noticeably. More people arrive already knowing what photobiomodulation is, or at least they’ve heard about it through friends, podcasts or social media.
At the same time, the recovery and wellness industry has become increasingly driven by trends. Personally, I think it’s important to separate hype from science. At AURORA we try to remain focused on treatments that are supported by solid research and that we genuinely believe improve people’s wellbeing.
Ironically, one of the nicest developments since opening has been seeing other studios start offering full body Red Light Therapy as well. Some people might see that as competition. I honestly don’t.
“To me it’s a sign that photobiomodulation is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. The more responsible centres that open, the more awareness grows, and ultimately the more accessible this technology becomes.”
On what people misunderstand
I think many people still believe that treatments like Red Light Therapy are only for elite athletes, celebrities or people deeply involved in the wellness world. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I wasn’t that person myself.
I discovered Red Light Therapy because I had a few persistent aches and pains, my recovery wasn’t what it used to be and I was looking for something that genuinely helped. I wasn’t looking for the latest trend or a miracle cure.
Photobiomodulation was a revelation to me because it is based on science, not marketing. It has been researched for decades and continues to show promising results across an incredibly wide range of applications. That’s one of the reasons our slogan has always been “Science. Not Magic.”
Another thing I’d like people to understand is that consistency matters. One session may feel pleasant, but like many things related to health, the real benefits often come from making it part of your routine.
That is exactly why we introduced our AURORA PRIME membership. Through conversations with our clients we realised that cost was preventing some people from doing as many sessions as they felt benefited them. We wanted to remove that barrier. Our goal has always been to make full body Red Light Therapy as accessible as possible, not something that people only treat themselves to once in a while because it’s too expensive.
On Barcelona, and why El Born
Barcelona has influenced AURORA enormously. It’s one of Europe’s most international cities. Thousands of people from all over the world live and work here, and millions more visit every year. That made it very important for us to build a team that speaks several languages and can make people feel welcome regardless of where they’re from.
When we found our current location in El Born, I knew almost immediately that it was the right place. The space felt exactly how I imagined AURORA should feel. Bright, open, airy, visible and easily accessible.
Barcelona also has a very active lifestyle. People enjoy sports, spending time outdoors and taking care of themselves. At the same time, it’s a city where many people work long hours and live busy lives. That combination fits perfectly with what we offer. Our treatments don’t require people to dedicate hours every day to their health. They fit into real life. Whether someone is an athlete, an office worker, a busy parent or simply someone who wants to age well, we want AURORA to be a place where looking after yourself feels both achievable and enjoyable.
On daily habits
Without any doubt, regular full body Red Light Therapy.
Ironically, if you had asked me twenty years ago whether I would ever become someone with a recovery routine, I probably would have laughed.
“It’s not because I expect miracles. It’s because I’ve noticed that I generally feel better when I do it consistently.”
My neck and shoulders remain less stiff, I recover more easily and, perhaps most importantly, it has made me much more conscious that looking after your body doesn’t always have to involve huge sacrifices.
Functional EMS training has had a similar effect. It allowed me to build strength in a way that suited my personality and my lifestyle. I’ve never been someone who enjoys spending hours in a gym, so finding an efficient, evidence-based alternative was a real eye-opener.
More than anything, these experiences changed the way I think about health. Rather than waiting until something goes wrong, I now believe much more in taking small, consistent steps that help your body stay healthier in the first place.
Red light therapy session in progress.