Body conscious

Long limbs and vital statistics are minor contributors to the beautiful body. Much more important is the state of mind that sits on top. While there is barely a woman alive who is content with her natural shape, every woman can improve her body by upping, the respect that she pays to it. This is achieved by taking time for herself – a vital part of life that most of us ignore.

The Asian approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy and beautiful body is a sensible one. For a start, it has no time for fad diets and punishing stomach crunches! Traditional body treatments from the tropics outstrip those from everywhere else in the world in number and variety and all of them rely on nature's own pharmacopoeia to produce results. Certainly not skin deep, they not only cleanse and soften our skin, but also draw out impurities from within. Their ritual of application (especially at the hands of dedicated therapists in a spa context) relaxes us, empties our minds and soothes our souls in an atmosphere of peace.

All this emphasizes the oriental philosophy that regards beauty as a holistic concept embracing both the inner and outer self. For example, there are everyday words in Indonesian language that are part of the more specific lexicon of body care which have no real equivalent in English. Indonesian women talk about having a lulur or mangir or mandi susu as readily as westerners talk of taking a shower. This chapter reveals some of the more exotic body treatments, be they scrubs, baths, wraps, heat treat­ments and polishes, for glowing skin... and improved self-esteem!