Essential Oils

The following essential oils are traditional to southeast Asia. Best quality oils are extracted front plants (Usually the leaves, flowers, roots or berries) through a process of steam distillation. As French aromatherapist Danielle Ryman points out: "extraction is a painstaking process as the amount of oil present in plants is minute."
Before the process of distillation, which has remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years, people used medicinal plants in their lives by eating them, rubbing them onto wounds or making them into teas, poultices, tinctures and ointments.

Plants, flowers and their essences have played an integral role in healing disciplines in
Asia and the rest of the world for thousands of years. “Aromatherapy', as we know it today — the art and science of treating illness and emotions with essential oils — was formalized by a French chemist, Dr R M Gattefosse is the early 20th century.

The powerful properties of essential oils are best absorbed through the skin or through inhalation. Their aroma can eliminate blocks and restore body balance. They are great companions for the emotions they can ignite and help they can bring in promoting
health and harmony in our modern lifestyles.
Clove
*This small evergreen tree originates from the coasts of the Moluccas in Indonesia but is now grown in most tropical climes. Its flowering buds turn into the familiar brown cloves when dried and these, along with the leaves, are distilled into the oil.
*A strong, woody base note with a sweet, spicy vanilla scent.
*Clove oil is an antiseptic and anaesthetic: a drop on a sore tooth will numb the ache. It is a general tonic for physical and intellectual weakness and is known to help overcome frigidity, claiming similar properties to opium. It is valued for its diges¬tive properties, so when massaged into the abdomen, it relieves pain and diarrhea. Suck a clove if you are feeling stressed or wish to give up smoking. Infused into the atmosphere, clove will brighten the spirits.

Ginger
*The oil is distilled from the tuberous, pungent root of the tropical plant which originated in India but is now grown in many countries.
*A warm and spicy fragrance with a stimulating, almost lemon top note.
*Ginger is well known for its aphrodisiac qualities best administered by mixing with a base oil for massage in the lower spine. It eases muscular aches and pains and is therefore good for menstrual cramps. It relieves flu symptoms and its warming qualities help sweat out fevers and colds and treat digestive disorders.

Thai Massage

It's the absence of oil and the addition of pyjamas that distinguishes Thai massage from all other massage therapies. Thai people claim that their skin is never dry enough, due to their country's hot climate, to need lubrication. They do, however, cover their bodies out of a sense of decorum in the face of some rather contorted positions! It is one of the ancient healing arts of traditional Thai medicine, the others being herbal medicine and spiritual meditation. It’s style developed during the period of King Rama II out of the stretching techniques of Indian Ayurveda and the traditional Chinese focus on the body's pressure points. As a result, experts claim that Thai massage works more deeply than the more surface-oriented Swedish technique. It has an ability to heal, relax and realign the body.

By pressing on the body's energy meridians as well as its veins and muscle tips, Thai massage releases the sluggish flow of blood and build-up of toxin that gather in tired or overworked muscles. In a sense, it invigorates and heals them with a physical workout. This is combined with a spectacular technique, which mindfully stretches the limbs into positions that the uninitiated could never believe possible. Close body contact allows the masseur to hold, for example, the ankle in two hands, easing it away from the hips while pressing deep with his foot into muscles in the inner thigh. Such postures stretch the tendons and ligaments while making the body more supple, realigning it and releasing tension.

If this sounds more acrobatic, than agreeable, be assured that good Thai masseurs, immersed in the `middle way' of Buddhism, take a calm, meditative (not just physical) approach to their work, sensing the energy patterns in a person's body. Skilled therapists always start by softly squeezing the limbs with the palm of their hands in order to warm up the body and listed to its needs.

Important Body Parts in Thai Massage

Feet

Masseurs always start with the feet as this is where the whole body weight rests. Awakening the reflex points prepares the rest of the body for the massage.

Scalp

While nothing penetrates beneath the skull, massage along the scalp lines increases blood flow to the head where much of the body's tension is stored.

Ears

Masseurs spend a lot of time stretching and pulling these reflexology sensors, releasing headaches and helping with balance.

Face

A gentle fingertip pressure, Thai style, will release tension to increase blood flow and prevent wrinkles, while excessive pummeling will create them.

Carrier Oils

Essential oils are too strong to be applied neat to the skin so when used in massage they should be mixed with a carrier or base oil, usually a cold pressed vegetable oil which has its own beneficial properties.

To obtain the correct proportion for a massage blend add a number of drops of essential oil equivalent to half the number of milliliters of carried oil. For example, for an average body size, pour 10 mls of carrier oil (or combination) into a bowl that is not plastic and add five drops of essential oil (or a combination of up to three oils)

Store massage blends in blue or amber glass away from sunlight to keep essential oils fresh. Vegetable oils should be used within 6-8 months before they turn rancid. Otherwise blend them with wheatgerm. Here are some of the oils most commonly used in an Asian tropical spa:

Almond
This vaguely aromatic oil is gentle and rich in proteins and vitamins. It is nourishing, light and softening for dry hands, eczema and irritated skin. It is a good lubricant, so blends well with other oils as an excellent massage base.

Avocado
This is a rich, heavy oil with high vitamin content. It is often blended fo a velvet-like consistency. It is also contains a mild sunscreen.

Coconut
Traditionally, this was the main carrier oil in tropical Asia because of its abundance. It is a thick saturated oil with its own distinct smell. It is remains stable for a long period and is particularly nourishing in hair treatment.

Grapeseed
This is an extremely fine and pure oil, so light it absorbs immediately into the skin. It is good for helping the essential oils penetrate quickly. It leaves a satiny, not sticky, coating.

Jojoba
This is a natural fluid wax rather than an oil. It has a fine consistency (similar to collagen) which effectively penetrates the skin. It reputedly nourishes hair and prevents hair loss.

Macadamia
The acids in this oil are natural components of skin sebum. It has a rich nutty aroma and consistency. Its emollient qualities make it a good all round moisturizer, particularly for dry and mature skin.

Olive
Rich in proteins and vitamins, this oil is rapidly absorbed by the skin although it has a strong aroma and is often blended with other oils. It is a naturally warming oil, so it is good for massage in cold weather or in treatments for muscular pains.

Wheatgerm
This is arich, dark oil, high in vitamin E but sometimes thought too heavy and aromatic to use alone. It is an antioxidant. It stabilizes essential oils and other carrier oils, making them last longer. It is also benefits scarring.

Traditional Indonesian Massage

We are creatures designed for touch. It is certainly the most personally experienced of all sensations. And the Indonesian people understand this better than most. Low-touch Western society keeps tactile expression behind closed doors, while Indonesians touch all the time: walking hand in hand and arm in arm, and stroking each other as a way of life.

They carry compassion in their hands. This they pass on naturally through massage to all the family from birth to death. Without a working knowledge of anatomy, many Indonesian people have an in-built sensibility to congested, tight or hot areas in the body, which they carefully relieve with the power of their hands and the application of aromatic oils. It's interesting that Western culture, that has put so much faith in science for cures, and in medical practitioners for answers, is now turning, disillusioned, to touch therapies: kineisiology, cranial osteopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, all variations on a cure practised for centuries by Asian peoples.

Indonesian massage puts touch back into your system. As well as an unconditional desire to please and an intuitive reaction to the body, here is what to expect:

*medium pressure.

*scented massage oil: coconut oil prepared with local flowers such as champak (tropical magnolia), akar wangi (vetiver) and pandanus leaf is the traditional preparation; however, coconut is a heavy oil not suited to everyone, and is not always used in spas. (Balinese people chew on the white flesh, ingest the juices, spit out the fibres and rub them onto their skins for nourishment).

*long sensual strokes, working the length of the muscle to relieve tension. All sequences finish with upward strokes toward the heart.

*rolling skin between thumb and forefinger to spark up the nerve endings and increase blood flow.

*circular thumb movements for the same.

*pressure on the points in the foot and hand reflex zones.

Rites of massage

The power of touch is part of being human; it is part of our earliest awareness of being alive as babies in our mothers' arms. However, most people live in cultures that leave them isolated from one another. They give themselves no time to enjoy the simple pleasures of physical contact- unless confined to the intimacy of the bedroom.

This is not the case in tropical Asia where massage is a part of everyday life from birth. Asian people understand that massage is all about sensual healing for the emotions as well as for the body, a simple and effective route to general wellbeing via our largest sensory organ our skin. Skin is equipped with thousands of touch receptors; reacting to external stimuli, they transmit messages and sensations through our nervous system.

Massage is probably the oldest and simplest form of health care. It is depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings and mentioned in ancient Chinese, Japanese and Indian texts. It is thought to have originated in the East as a method for unblocking the chi, the vital energy flowing through our bodies that tends to get. trapped due to emotional and physical upset, In Asia, massage has always been the backbone of health and wellbeing.

There is no mystery to the power of massage. The uncomplicated process of knead¬ing, stroking and pressing the body is proven to unleash countless therapeutic benefits from the general: helping heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and digestion, to the more specific: aiding diabetic children, pre¬mature babies and cancer and HIV.

Java Wrap

The Java Wrap is a global beauty phenomenon waiting to happen: an age-old process for a new-age answer to slimming. It started out as a 40-day ritual to rid the midriff from post birth bagginess and, even today, the Indonesian woman lovingly restores her body this way.

It is believed that the java Wrap helps flush out the bacteria which gather in the body after childbirth. It gets the lymphatic system going, reawakens the body's organs, and cleanses and heals.

New mothers can also benefit from the mineral and citrus paste that is smeared around the middle, then bound tight in a cotton corset. As the old saying goes: "you have to suffer for beauty". This figure-saving treatment is time-consuming rather than really uncomfortable, unless you visit the St Gregory Javana Spa in Singapore where all the work is done for you. The special paste recipe is fairly standard throughout Indonesia where it has been handed down from one generation to another, and administered woman to woman in the household. This treatment is best done by one friend to another.

Ingredients

Eucalyptus: strong antiseptic, benefits digestion

crushed sea stone/coral: calcium and other mineral content which warms and firms

fresh lime juice: an astringent which flushes toxins from the body

betel leaf : a leaf with antiseptic properties to cleanse womanly odour

massage oil: containing mint and eucalyptus essential oils for anti-viral and

decongestant properties, also cooling.

cotton cummerbund: 8-10 m long, 10-20 cm wide (8-10 yds long, 1 ft wide)

Steps

1. Mix enough ingredients to half-fill a cereal bowl with sufficient massage oil to give the paste a tacky texture that sticks to the body.

2. Rub the paste gently from above the tummy button to below the bottom.

3. Let it dry for 10 minutes, so that its healing properties start to soak into the skin.

4. Wrap the cummerbund neatly and tightly around the body starting under the bottom and weaving upward to the waist. The wrap physically constricts the body and helps to squeeze it back into shape!

5. Leave for 20 minutes, shower and moisturize with a gentle oil or lotion.

6. Post partum women in Indonesia also drink copious amounts of nourishing tonics such as turmeric, lime or betel leaf water.

Aloe and Lavender Wrap

Aloe is grown and used in abundance in Indonesia, its long, spiny leaves cut and squeezed to release a sticky juice, ideal to pacify upset skin, stimulate the scalp and add fullness and lustre to hair.

While aloe is a major ingredient in all kinds of sensitive skin products, there is nothing more seductive than a coating of aloe, lavender and banana leaves, offered in this wrap at the Spa at Jimbaran, Four Seasons Resort Bali.

Ingredients
1 tsp fresh aloe.To cover body aloe vera gel (store bought)
A few spritzeslavender essential oil mixed with distilled water
12 piecesbanana leaves (approximately 20 cm x 10 cm)
4 lemons or limes, cut in half
Few drops lavender essential oil
Generous amount lavender body lotion (or your favourite)

Steps
1. Stir the fresh aloe into the bought aloe gel and smear the mixture over the body, but first rub it between your palms to take off the chill. With a good gel, this feels wonderfully soft and slippery, rather than sticky on the skin.
2. Spritz the lavender essential oil in distilled water over your body for a heady fragrance.
3. Place the banana leaf patches over the top of your body and round your arms, so that all limbs are loosely covered. According to Balinese tradition you should not lie on top of banana leaves as this denotes part of the ritual that prepares a body for cremation . While banana leaves are not beneficial to the skin in themselves, they do help to take the heat from the body. They feel gentle arid soothing on the skin without feeling cold. A cotton sarong can be placed on top to keep the leaves in position. Lie still for 20 minutes.
4. As the wrap is conditioning arid relaxing the skin, this is the ideal moment for a head massage from a friend or loved one!
5. Remove leaves and shower; then douse your body with warm water infused with the juice of the lemons or limes and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Together these rinse and soothe the skin.
6. Finish with lavender body lotion.