Doctor in the spa house
The physicians at the Divana Spa & Medical Clinic are there to prove that looking good means feeling well
IF YOU’RE ONE of those office workers who put up with back ache and neck pain until you simply can’t bear it any longer, you can do better than simply surrendering to a masseur. The Divana Spa & Medical Clinic in Bangkok’s Silom district offers both a doctor’s attention and a good rub.
Victims of “office syndrome” are among the Divana’s regular customers, and many book the comprehensive “Anti Chronic Stress” treatment to get rid of problems both physical and mental – it lasts five hours!
Five hours is quite a time commitment. You’re advised to let friends and work colleagues know you’ll be unavailable for a day.
It isn’t just five hours of massage, of course. The programme combines modern medicine and ayurveda treatment. First a doctor checks you out at the clinic. Anti-ageing specialist Dr Ornkes Panyanetinad routinely explains that alternative medicine has its benefits, which can bolster the effects of modern mainstream medicine. “Anyone can follow the physician’s textbook, but we can enhance that with other approaches,” she says.
Best to be truthful in the personal information you provide Ornkes. She’s quite friendly and explains everything in easy-to-understand language. You might wonder why you should invest in a “beauty treatment” to get rid of aches, and she’ll point out that it really benefits your health if you look good. “When your mind is in a pleasant state, your health reflects it.”
Then you’re placed in the care of three therapists, who begin by cleansing and getting rid of dead cells on your face. Next comes “Hydra Dermabrasion Vitamin Complex” and “Mesotherapy Ultra Shine”, both designed to leave the complexion healthier and more radiant.
Meanwhile you have an IV trickling vitamins and supplements into your arm. (They ask first if you’re afraid of needles.) They keep an eye on your blood pressure and heart rate to make sure you’re relaxed – and getting more so – while your arms, hands and feet are gently massaged.
Now you’re ready for at least another two hours of ayurvedic treatment. When asked about your preferred massage, it’s best to choose a “soft” one. After all that hunching over a computer keyboard, you don’t want any more agony than is absolutely necessary.
A heated sample of rose quartz is used to rub your body with warm Sweet Almond and Collagen Oil while a therapist presses down on some spots with bare palms.
The hot stone helps relax the muscles at the targeted places a great deal and, in ayurvedic terms, your “chakra” centres are being opened to let the body’s natural energy flow better. Stiffness immediately vanishes, though pain might linger in the some trouble spots for a day or two.
Take the doctor’s advice and avoid sitting in any one position for a prolonged period of time. Dr Ornkes even suggests setting the alarm on your smart phone to get you up and moving around every 15 minutes or so. The massage erases the problem, but the ache will just come right back if you don’t change your bad habits.
Now you’re ready for some shirodhara, which involves gently pouring warm oil over the “third eye” in the middle of your forehead. This is believed to lift fatigue and anxiety, help with insomnia and some mental disorders, and get rid of headache and nervousness – all common afflictions of modern life.
Meanwhile a seaweed concoction is applied to your scalp. If you tend to doze off during spa treatments, this is when you’ll catch up on your sleep at the Divana.
That sleepiness will follow you home after a “day” in the loving arms of ayurvedic medicine. The bed beckons, a sure signal that your body wants to get back in balance. Of course, getting a day off work is as good a health boost as any offered at the clinic. You’ve had your magical rub. Now it’s up to you to keep the quality time going.
SIMPLY DIVINE
>>The Divana Clinic and Divana Virtue Spa are at 10 Sriwiang Road in Bangkok.
>>An Anti-chronic Stress treatment lasts five hours and costs Bt17,500.
>>Make reservations at (02) 630 0499. Find out more at www.DivanaClinic.com, www.Divana-DVN.com and their separate pages on Facebook.
