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SPA SESSIONS
up to your neck your survival guide to japanese baths
IN HOT WATER
Onsen, Japan’s well-loved hot spring baths, are as much a social ritual as they are a form of relaxation. As with all Japanese activities, this one is steeped in deep-rooted custom. To newbies it might seem that one wrongly placed towel is all it takes to be a bull in a hot and steamy china shop. Thankfully it isn’t nearly as intimidating as it seems, and a gaijin (foreigner) needs merely to follow some straightforward guidelines in order to fit in.
1. Make an entrance
Sashay into the gender-segregated onsen dressed in a kimono and nothing else. Have in your hand one of the small face-towels that are provided. Remove kimono and place it in the basket or locker provided.
2. Have a shower
Still clutching the towel, bid farewell to your modesty, nod to your fellow bathers, lower yourself gingerly onto a preposterously low wooden stool and take a seated shower. Use the shampoo, soap, bucket and scrubbers provided. Be thorough – for hygiene’s sake, all those entering the bath should be squeaky clean. Do not wear a bathing suit; this implies that the areas under the suit have been left unwashed. Long hair should be tied up, so that it does not enter the onsen water.
3. Approach one of the pools
There will always be a hot pool, either indoors or out. Once in the hot pool (almost too hot at first, but you’ll quickly get used to it), grab one of the small wooden buckets and place it within arm’s reach. Some places will also have a cold pool – so you can alternate between the two.
4. Ease yourself in
Give your fellow bathers a nod or small bow.
Don’t stare – everyone tends to keep their eyes to themselves. Use the bucket to ladle water about your person. Drape your trusty towel over your head or neck, but never in the bath as it’s considered unclean. It’s acceptable to place the towel on the floor by the bath.
5. Soak it up
Keep chatter to a whisper. Onsen are for relaxation, not gossip. Remain for as long as you can handle the heat, knowing that you’ll emerge feeling rejuvenated, 5kg lighter and deliciously drowsy. Any aches will have evaporated from your limbs and you’ll be ready (after a quick power nap) for whatever else the day has in store. – Peter Myers
feel good with massage, music or marmalade
DAY BY THE BAY
Vietnam’s southern coast is home to some of Asia’s most underrated beaches. And four hours’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Ke Ga Bay is just the place to see it. Close to the popular resort towns of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne – but much more secluded – the recently opened Princess D’Annam Resort and Spa (tel +84 (0)62 368 2222, www.princessannam. com) offers gorgeous beachfront views and a spa by the sea. It’s worth making the journey for the lemongrass-scented spa alone: the all-day Princess Signature package comes particularly recommended, though shorter treatments like the good-enough-to-eat Marmalade Body Scrub are also worth trying.
MUSIC MATTERS
Feel free to be fussy about the music next time you’re at the spa. We’ve always known that well-chosen tunes make a difference – but now there’s hard evidence that music relieves stress. Research conducted by the American Music Th erapy Association found that music induces a slower breathing pattern, reduces heart rate and blood pressure, and puts your mind and body in a state of relaxed awareness. In particular, songs with a flowing, lyrical melody, soft tone, simple harmony and an easy rhythm of between 60 to 80 beats per minute produce the desired eff ect. Request for Enya, or any of the Cafe del Mar albums.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although much of the historical evidence has long disappeared, it is believed Th ai massage has its roots in India, dating back around 2,500 years, and has since been passed down from one generation to the next, along with the practises of Buddhism. Monks in temples were said to have undergone Thai massage (also called passive yoga because of the stretching it entails) to relieve their sore muscles aft er hours of sitting still in meditation.
TRY IT Ruen Nuad, a spa in a teak-floored colonial house (42 Convent Road [opposite BNH Hospital], tel +66 (0)2 632 2662) is an in-the-know favourite among Bangkokians. Ask for the double room with shower for access to an outdoor secret garden down a spiral staircase. Prices start at 350 baht.
LEARN IT On the first Monday of each month, Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School (www.. watpomassage.com) runs a 26-day practical and theoretical course on Thai massage. Tutelage is given in the grounds of Wat Po, one of Bangkok’s largest Buddhist temples.
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