Be Well, Go Well—Spas Across Asia

Every spa on Bali worth its sea salt scrub offers some form of Balinese massage. But one based on the ancient teachings of Usada, the name given to Bali’s unique holistic healing practice, and performed by a therapist who was trained by traditional healers—that’s something special. And that’s exactly what guests at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan will find. “Similar to Ayurveda, Bali Usada combines herbal remedies, bodywork and more energy-based therapies to cure emotional and physical imbalances, which oftentimes manifest themselves in sickness and disease. We’ve brought the practice into our luxurious spa setting,” says Spa Director Helen Norman. Taking place in expansive spa villas, treatments at the Resort are grounded in Bali Usada: They range from the pragmatic (results-oriented facials using indigenous herbs) to the spiritual (chakra rituals that combine prayers, chanting and meditation, and therapeutic massage).

In addition to Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, many other Four Seasons hotels and resorts across Asia are taking extra steps to expose guests to the continent’s healing cultures. Traditional Chinese medicine is rooted in the belief that for a body to be well, qi—pronounced “chee” and loosely translated as “energy”—must flow smoothly through it. TCM doctors help restore the flow of qi through herbs, diet, exercise and therapies. At Qin The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, guests can meet with TCM doctors and have a treatment plan prescribed. After a diagnostic evaluation that will include a pulse assessment, breath examination and life-style assessment, the doctor will customise a treatment plan that might involve an acupuncture appointment, herbal steam session, massage, foot reflexology, a private tai chi lesson and even a prescription for herbs to take when you get home. “The goal is to create an awareness of wellness even when you are on the go, and to maintain the health and well-being of our guests,” says Spa Director Kim Burton-Clay. And since this all takes place in a space outfitted with black granite floors, lacquer cabinets and Chinese objets d’art, the experience puts the standard doctor’s visit to shame. Now, just lean back and say ahhh.

Four by Four Seasons

See the doctor: At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, two on-site Ayurvedic doctors work with a yogi, nature’s pharmacy and the Resort’s Ayurvedic chefs to guide each guest along his or her own path to ultimate wellness.

Indulge in the local: The tension-releasing Ruak Ritual at Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand, makes use of Kaffir lime from the Camp’s lime trees in the treatment’s foot bath, and bamboo tools hand-carved from stalks that grow wild on the Resort grounds.

Make time for tea: Traditional Chinese medicine takes full advantage of tea’s health benefits at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake. The Dragonwell Tea and Jade Spring Ritual includes a tea bath, a tea-based wrap and exfoliation, and a massage using a Dragonwell-tea-infused oil.

Banish jet lag: Therapists perform traditional Javanese massage, which mixes acupressure with long palm strokes, kneading and knuckling, in treatment rooms decked out with deep soaking tubs at Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta. The massage is the perfect way to recover after a long-haul flight.