Spa Therapies Of Indonesia
Indonesian Wrap:
Most women in Asia have heard of this Indonesian beauty remedy. Indonesian women are famed for regaining their slender figure shortly after childbirth, and this is widely attributed to the bengkung treatment (herbal wrap). The bengkung is a long abdominal sash that is bound tightly round the abdomen and hip areas, and is believed to help rid the body of excess wind, restore muscle tone, flush toxins and strengthen the new mother. It is also said to stimulate the body’s lymphatic system, thus quickening the process by which the new mother sheds the extra weight put on during her pregnancy.
The traditional treatment takes about a month and is usually carried out by an (female masseur). A hot bath and herbal oil massage is given each morning to restore muscle tone. A herbal paste is then applied to the stomach before a corset of 8 to 15 metres of cotton fabric is tightly wound around the body from hips to rib cage. Ingredients for the paste vary, and typically include sirih (betel leaves) for its antiseptic properties and ability to combat odour, lime juice to flush toxins, eucalyptus to aid the digestive process, and crushed coral for its high mineral content and ability to keep the body warm. This paste is also believed to ‘cleanse’ the womb while firming and shrinking the stomach.
The bengkung is tightly wound to increase its effectiveness in contouring the figure and reducing the excess flab. It is left overnight and only removed when the ibu pijat visits the next morning for the day’s massage and herbal wrap. In comparison, a body wrap in an Indonesian spa is less complex. As with the bengkung treatment, the paste applied is also herbal and may include ingredients such as aloe and lavender. At the Jamu Traditional Spa at AlamKulKul Resort, a Papaya, Kemiri, Mint Body Wrap is offered after a traditional massage. This treatment is usually followed by a floral bath.
Papaya, Kemiri, Mint Body Wrap:
Ingredients: 1 medium papaya, mashed; 20 pcs kemiri nuts grated; 10 peppermint leaves; water as required; banana leaves as required.
Blend all the ingredients until you get a fine paste. Apply the paste generously over your body, especially over the drier areas. Wrap the body with banana leaves and secure with a sarong. Allow sufficient time for the body to soak in the paste, then remove the leaves and rinse off the ingredients with warm water.
