Indulging in a spa to nourish body and soul

Indulging in a spa to nourish body and soul

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

I've read all those books and articles about how special herbs,
cocktails and therapies will zap stress and fatigue. I've
finished them all but have to admit that I've never been
completely convinced by the promises.

For me, stress has always been in the mind: One either needs
to pull your socks up and find a solution for a stressful
situation, or just book an appointment with a psychologist, lie
back on a comfortable couch and unload about all that is
troubling you.

But my belief was a bit (just a bit) swayed after a three-hour
treatment at the Mandarin Oriental Spa by Martha Tilaar in
Surabaya, the second largest city in the country.

Leaving Jakarta early in the morning was not my idea of
starting a relaxing weekend spa sojourn. And Surabaya is not
really an accommodating city for visitors, except in its old
section or if you are eager to traipse through its huge malls.

As a burgeoning industrial city, it's hot and dusty, but it's
still a welcome change from Jakarta.

Thankfully, I arrived on a Saturday morning when the streets
were not clogged with traffic.

"Surabaya grows like Jakarta these days. We have traffic jams
everywhere and every day. But, you come from Jakarta anyway, so
it's not too bad to be here," the taxi driver said, echoing my
thoughts exactly.

Arriving at the landmark Mandarin Oriental Majapahit Hotel at
around 9 a.m., the pleasant greeting of the employees put me in a
positive mood, and with similarly upbeat expectations about my
day at the spa.

My spa treatment -- the reason I had hauled myself across Java
at such an ungodly hour -- was scheduled an hour later.

The spa is open six days a week from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Weekends are peak treatment days, where many hotel guests and
some outside visitors stop by to get the works.

Nestled quietly in the right wing of the hotel, the Eastern
Rejuvenating Center (ERC) opened in March and will have its grand
opening in August.

"Just like the name, we have eastern touches for our
treatment," said spa manager Ita Utamiwati.

"For massage we have two kinds of techniques, the Chinese
acupressure massage with chi herbs and Indonesian deep tissue
massage with aromatherapy."

The difference between the two is the Chinese starts from top
to toe, while the Indonesian style begins in the reverse.

The spa offers three tempting indulgences with beckoning
names; body treatments (Bali Garden Bliss, Java Island Legacy,
Traditional Golden Lulur and Massage), facials (Exotic Facial
Therapy), exquisite salon service (Eclectic Spa Therapies and
Artistic Encore) and packages (Eastern Princess Retreat, Chinese
Empress Ritual, Pre Wedding Package, Post Natal, Rama and Shinta
Spa Package, and Rama and Shinta Massage Package).

The Eastern Princess Retreat, honorably named after Ken Dedes,
a queen known for her beauty, slenderness and skin tone, is
probably the service which takes the most time at four and a half
hours.

Ita suggested the Bali Garden Bliss which had several
treatment options, including body contouring, the intriguing
"sensual", reviving, whitening and antistress, and I, naturally,
picked the latter.

The treatment, I found out, was in fact a very personal one,
with an amiable therapist who was helpful and so eager to please.

When I entered the dimly lit, cool private room for the
treatment, I was taken by the strong aroma of mixed herbs and
flowers. My therapist, Anna, greeted me while preparing various
scrubs and oils in small ceramic pots.

The trill of birds chirping and the sound of water flowing in
a small stream created a perfectly peaceful ambience to lull me
into a prevailing sense of calm.

There was a low bathtub placed in the middle of a pool with
the sound of flowing water, a bed covered with thick towels for
massage and a stone-wall shower in one corner

Anna's hands brushed something cold on my body. "It's lavender
oil, to soften the skin and give off a relaxing aroma," she said.

After the oil, she applied a scrub and then gently wiped it
off with towels. So soothing and comfortable; the treatment was
less than 30 minutes old and already I was drifting off to sleep.

But Anna then told me to take a shower before the next part of
the treatment commenced. The natural, calming touch was
maintained even for how I was to get her attention when finished:
bang on a bamboo drum.

I then had a steam session, before the one and a half hour
massage. I did not remember how many times I drifted off into
sleep, thanks to Anna's soothing hands and the tinkling sound of
water and birds.

Anna occasionally asked if her massage was too hard or too
soft, but I had no complaints.

After the massage, she applied relieving oil onto my body and
led me to the bathtub for a relaxing soak. I stepped into a
floating potpourri fragranced with pandanus leaves. Again, I fell
into a peaceful sleep.

When I woke up, the one thing I wished for was the bliss to go
on forever. It was the most unhurried, indulgent, satisfying
three hours I had spent in a long time, but the time zipped by.

Anna applied lotion to my body, and the treatment was
completed with a cup of hot ginger tea.

I realized when I finished that it is true that much of our
problem with stress is in our minds, and the best way to get rid
of it (other than moving to a desert island) is to try diverse
things to treat it.

I walked out feeling like a lighter, healthier me, ready to
face all that the world had to throw my way.

My princess feeling lasted for the rest of the day, and until
I returned to the daily grind of work a couple of days later.
Yes, stress is a given today, but trying a little tenderness can
help soothe it away.