Monthly Archives: April 2012

Anti age your spirit…

4 April 2012

Stepping into Fivelements, with its lush greenery and secluded location, has an immediate calming effect and I gulped down the fresh air with relish. Made up of only seven exclusive suites, this is just what city dwellers like me – who are sick of crowds, maddening traffic and endless skyscrapers, need. Here, you get the soothing sound of water from the Ayung river which surrounds the entire resort and monitor lizards for company. Even the rooms are designed to ensure that you leave all your modern living habits behind with no television and worktable for you to set up your laptop. But with a view of a beautiful waterfall in front of my room, who needs Facebook?

I was invited to partake in a water blessing ceremony by a Balinese priest to “cleanse my spirit” and prep myself for the array of treatments that have been customised for me based on a questionnaire sent before my arrival. First up, a Balinese Boreh which consists of a full body massage with virgin coconut oil followed by a cinnamon coffee scrub. This treatment is meant to relax and cleanse my body so that I am “pure” and ready for healing. I count myself to be a spa veteran but I was completely blown away by the skills of Ayu, my therapist. She turned me into putty with her strong yet soothing strokes and I had to fight to keep awake just so that I could experience the full massage!

Fivelements embraces holistic Balinese-inspired therapies administered by traditional healers using ancient wisdom passed down from their forefathers. I was booked for a muscle release massage with Pak Pangat, one of their resident healers, the next day. He managed to seek out knots hiding deep within my back and gave me a vigorous massage that made me feel like I had just done yoga. Besides these healers, guests can choose from an array of spiritual treatments that incorporate meditation, breathwork, aura protection, metaphysical healing, TCM and chakra balancing. Also in my healing programme, a Macha Tea and Clay Detox Cocoon, an anti-aging treatment to tone and detoxify as well as their signature Fivelements Super Food Facial which uses delicious homemade products such as Bali-grown neem, pineapple serum, aloe vera, spirulina and seaweed. These products looked and smelt heavenly and I was lulled into a state of oblivion by my therapist’s expert touch.

I am a foodie so even if my mind and spirit are appeased, I will turn into a monster if my tummy is not. Thankfully, that was not the case here with Fivelelement’s award-winning raw and organic restaurant. Here, they have turned food into art with tasty concoctions designed to nourish the body. Whether it is a healthful breakfast of Tofu Florentine, Super Food Smoothie made of organic cacao, maca, goji berries and bananas or scrumptious dinner of Live Lasagna encompassing layers of zucchini with almond cheese and fresh vegetables, every meal was a delight for all my senses.

It is the little touches that have wowed and created an indelible impression for me here – from starting each treatment with a floral foot-bath and reflexology, hot ginger tea with lime served post-treatment, energy balancing with my therapist before starting my massage, spirulina shot after my facial, cool cucumber water served at the restaurant and piped in spiritual music in my room, just to name a few. Fivelements is just what the doctor ordered and more, and I left the resort feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world!

Room rates start from SGD 712++ (approximately USD 475++) per night while treatments cost from SGD 127++ (approximately USD 85++) for a 90-minute Balinese massage.

Fivelements at Puri Ahimsa

Banjar Baturning Mambal Bali Indonesia 80352

For more information, check out their website: http://www.fivelements.org