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.