Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, Jun 01, 2014
Best done in the morning, Yoga is one of the best ways to balance both the body and mind. (Photo courtesy of Spa Village Resort) |
This
fast-paced modern life can easily wear us down but unfortunately, not all of us
can afford a sabbatical year to do an “Eat, Pray, Love” inspired retreat.
The Jakarta
Globe was recently invited to join the “School of Life” (SOL) program conducted
by Spa Village Resort Tembok in Buleleng, Bali, where participants learned a
number of health tips.
Here are a
few small and easy steps you can incorporate into your daily life to rejuvenate
both your body and mind.
Yoga
Best done
in the morning, yoga is one of the best ways to balance both body and mind. If
you’re unsure of where to begin, Hatha yoga is the least demanding form of this
ancient work-out.
The exercise
should begin with breathing, during which we are encouraged to be aware of
every part of our bodies, before continuing on to Asanas (yoga poses),
including the child pose, downward-facing dog and sun salutations.
“Unresolved
anger, trauma or fear may block up a system in your body and cause you to feel
pain,” said the resort’s recreation head and resident yoga teacher, Luh Manis,
adding that most of our pains and aches originate from blocked energies in our
mind and body.
For
novices, Manis advised them to learn the correct yoga poses with an experienced
tutor in a class. But once they have mastered the moves, they can easily do it
themselves at home every day.
Eat healthy
Surrounded
by fast food and delicious street snacks, Jakartans may find it challenging to
maintain a healthy diet. Now and then we may become disgusted at the greasy
foods so readily available to us and vow to abstain from them, only to return a
few days later with a vengeance.
“It’s not
so difficult to eat healthy, you know,” said the spa resort’s executive chef,
Martin Buchele. “You don’t need a six-week cucumber diet. You can eat a
balanced meal and you’re healthy and fit.”
Buchele
studied the ancient Buddhist tradition Bon in a monastery in Kathmandu in 2012.
He is also well-versed in an innovative array of diet menus, including the
macrobiotic regime and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) to name a
few. Buchele encouraged SOL participants to refrain from drinking cow’s milk
for better digestion.
“Lactose intolerance
is increasing,” he said. “That’s because the quality of cow’s feed is not very
good, so the milk the animal produces is of poor quality.”
In its stead, the chef introduced us to cashew
milk.
“Basically, you can make milk with any kinds
of nuts,” Buchele said. “The best option is cashews. They don’t have such a
high fat content and it’s so easy to make.”
However, he
warned, if you decide to add fruits, make sure to drink the milk no more than
six hours after making it. Cashew milk is perfectly safe for those who are
lactose intolerant.
A Balinese remedy called boreh will help you ease your aches and pains. (Photo courtesy of Spa Village Resort) |
When you
feel dull aches or pains on your back or knees, resist the urge to immediately
grab a bottle of painkillers. Instead, try a traditional Balinese remedy called
boreh (heat rub), made from ingredients that can easily be found in the
kitchen.
To make
your own boreh, you will need 50 grams of ginger, galangal and cloves each, as
well as 100 grams of soaked white rice. Pound the cloves by using pestle and
mortar, until they become powder. Pour the clove powder into a container and
set it aside. Then, grind the soaked rice until you get a soft paste. Cut the
ginger and galangal into small pieces before grinding them together into powder.
Mix the ginger and galangal with the (ground) rice to form a concoction before
adding some clove powder. Stir the ingredients thoroughly and your boreh is
ready to use. You can apply it on any part of the body, except the face; leave
the salve on for 15 minutes before gently wiping your skin clean with a warm
towel.
“It’s
cheap, homemade and free from chemicals,” said Suartini, the resort’s spa
therapist. “The heat will seep into your muscles and joints to relieve the
pain.”
You can
keep the homemade concoction in the refrigerator for two days.
Meditation
To enhance
your night’s sleep, keep all your gadgets and other electronics away from your
bedroom. A breathing exercise and meditation session before bed will help you
ease into a deep slumber.
“These
days, everyone is so busy,” Manis. “When people go home, parts of their minds
are still in the office, in the meeting, so we bring it altogether [with
meditation] before going to sleep.”
During
meditation, we simply attune our minds to our body and release all pent-up
emotions with the deep breathing exercises.
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