All the right moves of a simple shiatsu massage

All the right moves of a simple shiatsu massage

Text by Rebecca Mowbray, photos by P.J. Leo

JAKARTA (JP): Endang, a practitioner of shiatsu massage, may be a first cousin of circus acrobats.

While my nearly naked body was pressed between two towels on the massage table, the amazing Endang hung from two metal bars on the ceiling. She placed her feet on my back with the precision of a tightrope walker. She masterfully plied the vertebrae with her big toe, then shifted her weight to set the ribcage in line with her heel.

Massage can be a regular part of health and relaxation. At prices ranging from Rp 8,000 in a neighborhood massage parlor to Rp 77,000 at a five-star hotel, it can be enjoyed by almost anyone.

Since massage isn't a spa commodity in Indonesia, new converts may be surprised to find that most of the salons, health clubs or massage parlors that offer massage here in Jakarta are not scented with aromatherapy and filled with New Age music. Emphasis is on the physical aspect of the massage and not on the overall atmosphere.

"Normally a massage parlor is going to look kind of ugly. That's why a lot of expatriates prefer to have a tukang pijat (masseuse or masseur) come to their homes," said Cornelia Holmes, former newcomer services coordinator for the International Community Activities Center.

The most important consideration in getting a massage is choosing a person or a place where you feel comfortable. Friends, landlords or domestic help may have the best recommendations since many of the most skilled masseurs learned their trade from a family member and don't work formally through a salon.

Massage parlors here offer services that make patrons feel good, meaning they don't fall neatly into categories of those that offer muscle rubs and those that are part of the sex industry. There are no clear rules in choosing a massage parlor: some that have flashing lights may just be exuberant advertisers, while those whose appearance is more low-key may be deliberately discreet so patrons can slip in and out unnoticed.

Trust your judgment in going to a massage parlor. Choose a location that is clean, visited by a cross-section of the population and that does not have prices that would suggest that other services are included.

While many massage parlors provide loose shorts or robes for patrons to wear, one suggestion for men is to wear underwear to avoid a potentially uncomfortable situation.

Dr. Azrul Azwar, chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association, adds that patrons should make sure the masseur is healthy and without skin lesions since there is body contact during a massage.

Cautionary words aside, massage is an Indonesian treat to be savored -- frequently. Relaxed muscles and loose joints await seekers of sport massage, reflexology, traditional (the term for Indonesian massage which seems to refer to a blend of the two) or shiatsu.

Sport massage involves kneading the muscles to disperse lactic acid that has accumulated in the tissues and to dilate the blood vessels and stimulate blood flow, according to Azwar.

Reflexology lavishes attention on the 7,000 nerve endings located in the feet, which are believed to correspond to organs, limbs and different areas of the body.

Andi Eddy, who learned his trade from practitioners in Java and Bali, is one masseur who offers a traditional massage laced with reflexology. He travels to people's homes to share his talent for a modest fee.

Experiences

A friend invited Eddy to her house and we both tried his service. He massaged the muscles in my legs to open the blood gates to the rest of my body, which was splayed on a mattress and tikar on the cool tile floor of the house. He slithered his hands across my feet rapidly and then poked the soles with a small wooden dowel in his reflexology technique. The tap-tap of the dowel was jarring after the soothing kneading and stroking, but erased a weekend of abusing my feet.

With my podiatric nerves standing at attention, Eddy's hour- long manipulation of my back, neck, shoulders, arms, head and face left me in a trance. Lounging in my friend's home left me free to return to consciousness and shower at a pace unrushed by a hovering appointment.

Another option for a traditional massage is to visit a panti pijat tuna netra, or massage parlor staffed by the blind. Schools for the blind throughout Indonesia teach their students the massage trade, so blind masseurs are among the few who can claim a formal training. Patrons claim that blind masseurs have a more refined sense of touch because of their disability and give better massages.

Berdikari II, a blind massage parlor near Blok M, South Jakarta, had massage stations separated by white curtains and, not surprisingly, was not brightly lit. Masseurs were professional in their medical attire, and they softened the clinical atmosphere by serving tea with the massage. The massage staff will travel to private homes if transportation is provided.

Cinta, who has been blind since birth and studied at a massage school in Central Java, manipulated my muscles in a massage that lasted well over an hour. The placement of her hands was precise and firm.

As my massage was finishing, a curious slapping sound and periodic exclamations could be heard from down the hall. What was the source of these strange noises? Masseurs playing braille dominoes between appointments.

Shiatsu massage differs from the other types of massage in that it involves cracking joints, stretching the muscles, and pressing, rather than kneading them. The massage is only one part of the whole experience, which involves sitting in a sauna and soaking in hot and cold tubs.

I tried Shiatsu massage at Grand Wijaya Center, South Jakarta, where I met the amazing Endang. In addition to walking on my back, Endang cracked any joint she encountered and simultaneously pulled and twisted my body to snap my back and neck into place. Though this unforeseen and potentially murderous move terrified me, my neck and back felt as loose as they ever have when she was finished.

True to the acrobatic spirit of Endang's back walking, after working on my head, neck and face, she made me sit up on the massage table. She sat behind me, pressed her shins against my back, and locked her arms around my shoulders. Suddenly my torso was arched in a backbend staring at the bars on the ceiling.

Pampering yourself sometimes takes strange forms.