Giving time-out for the body, mind and soul<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
A soothing scent from an aromatherapy oil, coupled with
\nrelaxing massage and soft music almost made Dea, 29, fall asleep
\nduring her two-hour spa treatment at Griya Natura, one of the
\nmushrooming spa centers in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
For Dea, spa treatments have become a part of her routine and
\na necessary ritual to perform on the weekend to maintain her
\nphysical and mental health and to relieve her of stress.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, I also give a boost to my appearance since I feel
\nfresh and relaxed after a treatment,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, savvy spa guests can choose from a vast array of
\nmenu items with various prices. Many spa centers offer a
\ncombination of eastern and western therapeutic techniques with
\nprices ranging from Rp 100,000 (about US$11.75) to Rp 1.5 million
\nfor treatments lasting at least two hours or a full day.<\/p>\n
The treatments include various features, such as body scrubs,
\nbody masks, traditional massage, aromatherapy massage, aromatic
\nsea salts, hydrotherapy, head-and-shoulder therapy, facial
\ntreatments, eye treatments and hand-and-foot treatments.<\/p>\n
\"A treatment should be conducted based on the client's
\ncharacteristics and medical history. The aim is to remove toxic
\nmaterials that have accumulated in the body, especially for
\nindividuals who rarely do workouts, by empowering the functions
\nof the lymph glands and improving blood circulation,\" said Dr.
\nRachmi Primadiati, a medical aromatherapist.<\/p>\n
She added that apart from alleviating stress from the mind,
\naromatic essential oils could also have a therapeutic effect by
\nrestoring the function of vital organs, such as the kidneys,
\nintestinal system, liver and reducing accumulated fat caused by
\nhormonal disorders.<\/p>\n
Most spa centers use natural products for their treatments.
\nTake for example, the Martha Tilaar Spa Eastern Rejuvenating
\nCenters (ERC) whose spa concept and treatment philosophy is
\nuniquely based on the three great civilization of Asia such as
\nMalaysian\/Indonesian, Chinese and Indian and include Acupressure
\n(Chinese), Rupasampat Wahya Bhyantara (Indonesia) and Ayuverda
\n(Indian).<\/p>\n
The treatments are specially developed and include the unique
\nBali Garden Bliss, Traditional Golden Lulur, Java Island Legacy,
\nChinese Empress Ritual, Eastern Princess Retreat, Exotic Facial
\nTherapy, Eclectic Spa Therapies, and many others.<\/p>\n
\"The customers are unique individual. The spa manager will
\nrecommend the kind of treatment and customers can experience the
\nunique rituals using the products they choose,\" Michael Suryadi,
\nthe Spa Operational Manager of Martha Tilaar.<\/p>\n
The company also has a series of products such as ERC Sensual,
\nRelief, Reviving, Body Contour and Whitening. Those products are
\nnaturally made and come in the form of aromatic soaps, body
\nwashes, body scrubs, massage oils, body masks, body lotions,
\nherbal baths and bath salts, which are only available in the
\nRelief and Reviving lines.<\/p>\n
These unique treatment philosophies help ERC grow
\ntremendously. There are currently seven ERCs in Indonesia,
\nincluding in Semarang, Surabaya and Bali, and four operating
\ncenters overseas and five more under construction this year in
\nKorea, the United States, the Philippines and Malaysia, with
\nagreements for 19 more in the U.S., Korea and China in the near
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
Michael said that ERC is a world-class destination spa that
\nmaintains clients' historical treatment in its database to
\nprovide clients with the best service when they visit any ERCs.<\/p>\n
\"We also serve a group of women for a special private function
\nin our spa so that they can get together while receiving our
\ntreatment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
While some spa centers call themselves destination spas, many
\nothers are only day spas, in which the customers can choose from
\na single menu and the treatments end within hours. Destination
\nspas are mostly located in tranquil locations, while day spas are
\nfound in the downtown core or even in hotels.<\/p>\n
Take for example, Le Spa, which is located in Le Meridien
\nHotel. Its therapists and beauticians always help clients to
\nchoose day spa services such as therapeutic and relaxing facials
\nand body scrubs, aromatic and hydro baths and western and eastern
\nmassages. It also provides an array of facilities, such as a
\nsauna, steam room and a Jacuzzi.<\/p>\n
Clients can choose to have a seaweed body wrap, in which they
\nare enveloped in a thick layer of seaweed to eliminate toxins
\nfrom the body and reduce cellulite, or a mineral earth clay wrap,
\nwhich uses volcanic soil and clay from Central Java to clean the
\nskin's pores by drawing out impurities. These treatments are
\naccompanied by the use of a heated blanket.<\/p>\n
\"Sixty percent of our clients are men ranging in age from 20
\nyears to 60 years. Most of them choose a stress release massage
\nduring their lunch hour,\" said Listya Suhita, Le Meridien's
\nAssistant Club Manager. Le Spa offers special spa treatments for
\nmale clients.<\/p>\n
Unlike Le Meridien, Bale-Bale Spa, also in Jakarta, offers its
\nservices only for women. Besides offering the traditional body
\nand hair treatments, the spa center also offers a hair spa,
\ncomprising hair treatments for women with complicated hair
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
\"The clients are given special creams and serums to restore
\nthe hair's natural balance while they listen to soft music and
\nenjoy a traditional atmosphere,\" said Vivi Dahlan, who owns the
\nBale-Bale Spa.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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