chami jotisalikorn, author of thailand’s luxury spas and thai spa book, reveals what’s hot in the world of wellness
SPA REVIEW
Chinese spa therapies are the speciality at Bangkok’s CHA Chinese Heritage Spa (tel +66 (0)2 381-7000, www.cha.co.th). Located in Soi Thonglor, the atmosphere is urban-chic Chinoiserie, with treatments inspired by the owner’s passion for traditional Chinese holistic care.
The spa regularly hosts Tui Na Chinese massage experts from China to offer authentic traditional therapy. While the insistent thumb pressure on the acupressure points can be far from relaxing, the treatment realigns muscle and joint imbalances in such a way that your muscle-eased body will thank you for afterwards.
To smoothen and soften the complexion, try the CHA Freshener green tea facial, a vitamin C-enriched mask. End your session sipping from a range of teas and herbal drinks at the Chinese tea house overlooking the pool.
WHAT’S NEW
Why share with others when you can stay somewhere with your own private spa, as at Villa Beige in Samui (tel +66 (0)77 234417, www.villabeige.com)? This luxurious beachfront estate sits amidst tropical jungles and overlooks the Taling Ngam coast. Its therapeutic spa offers personalised treatments exclusive to its guests.
At the Away Spa at W Retreat and Spa Maldives (tel +960 (0) 666-2222, www.whotels.com/maldives), the concept is total escape – with indoor and outdoor treatment rooms in chic spa villas above the turquoise-blue water.
While Bangkok’s Chao Phraya might not be so crystal-clear, the exclusive spa ceremonies, treatments and products at the sparkling new The Peninsula Spa by ESPA at The Peninsula Bangkok hotel (tel +66 (0)2 861-2888, www.peninsula.com) certainly make up for it.
Doing business in China can be tough, so treat yourself right at the luxurious VIP suite at Marco Polo Shenzhen’s Mandara Spa (tel +86 (755) 8298-9888, www.marcopolohotels.com); or combine a game of golf with world-class treatments at the Spring Valley Resort Spa adjacent to Mission Hills Country Club, Shenzhen (tel +86 (755) 2802-0888 ext 36800, www.missionhillsgroup.com/en).
EVENTS
Start your new year by finding a new you. Anup Karlson (tel +66 (0)81 721-7326, www.anup.biz), author, transformation coach, healer and seminar leader offers the following healing workshops in Thailand. Retreat spaces are limited to 10 persons, so email anup@anup.biz to book your space. 2-16 January – Anup at Chiva Som offers personal consultations, healings, rebirth sessions as well as two workshops,
“The Four Keys” and “Eliminate Stress and Sleep Like a Baby”. 20-26 January – The Gathering Retreat in Chiang Mai is for anyone who needs to find clarity and direction, plus experience the magic of opening the heart centre. 16-23 February – The Deep Surrender Retreat in Chiang Mai is for those who would like to explore their own nature. This intimate, penetrating work will reveal major aspects of the authentic you.
HOT PRODUCT: GIVE A GIFT, SAVE AN ELEPHANT
Did you know the Thai national symbol – the elephant – is in danger of extinction? Destruction of their natural habitat, poaching, illness and malnutrition have led to dwindling numbers, with many of them dying before their time.
But not if we lend a hand!
Harnn products have teamed up with Friends of the Asian Elephant to raise one million baht to help fund conservation projects, including the world’s first Elephant Hospital, and help ban the export of wild elephants.
Give a little to our big friends when you buy the Harnn for Thai Elephant Soap in any Harnn (www.harnn.com) or Thann (www.thann.info) shop.
And, don’t worry, the soap is scented with aromatic flowers, not elephants.
WELLNESS BUZZ: CHINESE THERAPY
What better to celebrate Chinese New Year this February than with the nation’s best spa treatments? Here are a few to try:
Put up your feet and assuage tired soles with Chinese foot reflexology and an incredible tingling ginger leg wrap at Yin Yang Spa at the new Shanghai Inn Bangkok (tel +66 (0)2 221-2902, www.shanghai-inn.com).
CHI Spa at the Shangri-La Bangkok (tel +66 (0)2 236-7777, www.shangri-la.com/bangkok) provides a Chinese five-elements personal analysis, alongside a range of Tibetan tsampa body scrubs; while Bangkok’s bustling Silom Road is home to Spa of Qin Era (tel +66 (0)2 6368-3006, www.qineraspa.com), which offers Chinese elements body scrubs using bamboo, ginseng, lingzhi, pomegranate and tea.
For luxurious pampering, try The Oriental Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Landmark (tel +852 2132-0188, www.mandarinoriental.com), one of Hong Kong’s most prestigious addresses, which features a menu of Chinese, Ayurvedic, European and Thai therapies.
SPA SPEAK
Avoid getting your chi in a twist with this glossary of common Chinese therapy terms.
Chi – the life force energy inside our bodies. It is believed that illnesses stem from blocked chi.
Chi Ni Tsang – ancient Taoist abdominal massage that massages and detoxifies the internal organs, aids digestion and improves circulation.
Tui Na – a bodywork massage therapy using push-and-pull techniques to rebalance the musculoskeletal system and energise the body’s energy flow.
Chi Gong – an ancient health technique that coordinates breathing patterns with various physical postures to improve the body’s energy flow and physical stamina.
Tai Chi – a gentle martial arts form and holistic exercise consisting of slow, deliberate body movements and postures, which enhances mental and physical awareness, and promotes deep relaxation in the mind and body.
Q&A
The new Absolute Yoga and The Love Kitchen Samui in Bophut (tel +66 (0)77 430290, www.absoluteyogasamui.com) is heating up Koh Samui’s yoga scene. Founder and certified instructor Khun Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul tells us how.
What led you to establish Absolute Yoga?
I’ve always been interested in the science of yoga, even though my background is in finance. I only seriously committed to it five years ago when I first discovered “hot yoga” during a posting in Hong Kong. I fell in love with the practice and wanted to bring it back to Thailand. So I decided to quit my job and applied for a teacher-training programme in Los Angeles, California, with a plan to open a studio in Bangkok.
The first Absolute Yoga studio opened in September 2002 in Langsuan Road. Four years later, we have six studios around Bangkok, plus our new beachside studio on Koh Samui.
How did Absolute Yoga and The Love Kitchen Samui come about?
This started as a joint effort between me, my Singapore-based yoga business partner Jean and our yoga teachers, Lucas and Claudia. We fell in love with Samui and thought it was an excellent idea to open a studio there for locals and tourists, as well as to serve as a retreat and training centre for our group and other yoga studios in the region.
The Love Kitchen idea capitalises on Lucas’s skills as a professional health food and organic chef. It offers an extensive 100 per cent organic health food menu that isn’t available at any other local café.
What types of yoga do you offer?
Mainly hot yoga – Hatha yoga practised in a room heated to 37 degree Celsius – with some Vinyasa and kids yoga.
We are open seven days a week and offer two classes a day, with packages ranging from an easy drop-in class of 500 baht to an economical two-month unlimited yoga membership.
Any other holistic offerings?
We also have a three- to five-day cleansing/detox programme, which involves juice-fasting to clean up the digestive system, yoga practice to clear the mind, and a nutrition consultation, with cooking tips to take home as well. In March, we’re launching Samui’s first Absolute Yoga hot yoga teacher-training.
What are the benefits of hot yoga over other types?
The benefits are generally not that different from other kinds of yoga. However, the high temperatures make you sweat more, which rids your body of more toxins. The heat also helps muscles loosen up more quickly to allow you to get deeper into posture and prevent injury from certain yoga postures.
