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HEALTH | A WORLD OF WELLNESS<br />
Balinese Boreh<br />
Wander the markets of Bali and you<br />
may just come across a type of jamu<br />
or traditional medicine called Boreh.<br />
Heavily influenced by Ayurvedic<br />
medicine, this fragrant concoction of<br />
herbs and spices was first used by rice<br />
farmers to relieve themselves from the<br />
onset of achy joints and muscles after<br />
a hard day toiling in the fields. Turned<br />
into an aromatic powder by pounding<br />
together ingredients likes cloves,<br />
ginger, cinnamon, rice, turmeric and<br />
nutmeg, water was added to form a<br />
paste that was then slathered all over<br />
the body. The mixture had a thermal<br />
affect that would keep them warm<br />
at night. Scrubbed off in the river<br />
the following morning, the mixture<br />
would jolt awake the circulation and<br />
had the unintended effect of being an<br />
insect repellent. Today, this centuriesold<br />
healing recipe is used as part of a<br />
traditional spa treatment to improve<br />
blood flow, clear the pores, refine skin<br />
and promote enhanced energy.<br />
Thai Massage<br />
Thailand has become synonymous<br />
with the art of massage, and no visit<br />
to our neighbouring country would<br />
be complete without indulging in<br />
an hour or two of this thoroughly<br />
relaxing practice. Purported to have<br />
been founded 2,500 years ago by the<br />
Buddha’s own physician, it combines<br />
the use of acupressure, Ayurvedic<br />
practices and yoga stretches. Distinct<br />
from other kinds of massage, the<br />
Thai version forgoes the use of oils<br />
and sticky ointments. While wearing<br />
loose-fitted clothing, your entire body<br />
is worked by the therapist using his<br />
or her hands, knees, legs and feet,<br />
and your joints, limbs and muscles<br />
are kneaded, stretched, pulled and<br />
contorted using gentle and deeper<br />
techniques to help you release<br />
tension and open the flow of energy<br />
and vitality through your body. The<br />
overall effect is to leave you feeling<br />
stretched and supple. It’s a matter<br />
not to be taken lightly; regulated by<br />
Thailand’s Ministry of Health, 800<br />
hours of training is required to be a<br />
traditional Thai massage practitioner<br />
and less than 1,000 massage centres<br />
are actually certified by this<br />
government department.<br />
TM | JULY/AUGUST <strong>2018</strong> 84
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