InnerRetreat
80 AsiaSpa November/December 2017SACRED SPACE
The Water Healing Journey is a must, and
Fivelements Hong Kong is the only place
offering it the city. Reading its description
as a combination of shiatsu, stretching and
dance in water was challenging to imagine,
but it’s exactly those things, yet much more
at the same time. The warmth of the pool
induces serenity and fluid movement,
awakening the joints and easing tension.
It’s like being in a dream where you lose
sense of time and special awareness, being
swirled around in womb-like surroundings
like a piece of seaweed. If that’s hard to
imagine, it’s because you have to experience
it to understand. There’s an element of
vulnerability and trust involved, particularly
if you’re open to being submerged, which
feels like being tumbled in a washing
machine, yet with the grace of a ballerina,
emerging both energised and serene.
Another uniquely Fivelements offeringis a session with one of their Sacred Artists.
I was fortunate enough to spend time with
Anne, who specialises in somatic bodywork,
and teaches me tension reduction exercises
to unwind knots in the muscles and fascia,
the body’s connective tissue. These trigger
neurogenic tremors, a relaxation reflex
achieved through wall sits, butterflied legs
and hip raises on a mat, which are believed
to activate the body’s natural process of
restoring balance.
The subtle vibrations allow unused
adrenaline to be drained away, encouraging
the production of new feel-good hormones.
Surprisingly taxing, as soon as Anne asks
me to lie down on the mat afterwards, I
doze for what seems like an age, as she
performs shiatsu. It was only really 10
minutes but I feel incredibly restored.
Apparently practising the techniques for
just a few minutes a day can provide an
effective reset.ART ON A PLATE
If you think vegan, gluten-free cuisine
sounds humdrum, think again. Chef Arnaud
Hauchon makes every meal something
to look forward to with his whimsical
take on flavours, textures and technique.
Breakfast is a rainbow of fruit, Earl Grey
chia seed pudding, almond plum granola
with coconut yoghurt or cashew milk and
mint and Thai basil green smoothies – a
wholesome change from stodgy buffets, so
you’re actually treating yourself and not just
your taste buds.
Despite being three-course affairs, lunch
leaves you light and energised starting
with the most delicate of salads, lychee
‘in greens’ with fennel, capsicums, ginger
and scallions and cashews. The main only
gets artier with steamed chickpea cakes
embellished with paper-thin zucchini
‘scales’ complemented by roasted aubergine
cream, cherry tomatoes and grapes, pine
nuts and curry leaf oil. The dessert of
burnt pine meringue, steamed plums
and a tarragon verbena sorbet atop five-
spice granola will have you in disbeliefIf you think vegan, gluten-free cuisine
sounds humdrum, think again