Free the qi

Private Capital reporter discovers excess fire in her stomach as she contemplates the benefits of an Indian or Chinese treatment.

“An Indian or a Chinese?” Ask this question to any one of my fellow Brits and they will automatically assume you are asking them about takeaway food. In my case, however, the choice was between experiencing to different healing cultures at the health spa on Malaysia’s Pangkor Laut island.

The spa was recently opened by opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti, who was making a return trip to an island, which he says almost made him cry when he saw “how beautiful god had made this paradise”.

At 174,0000 square feet, the spa is one of the largest in Asia and undoubtedly one of the most serene. It is an integral part of the Pangkor Laut resort, although ‘resort’ is probably the wrong word to describe this Malaysian island retreat, which blends the utmost luxury with a wholly natural setting.

There is no town, no village and no day-trippers. Basically, there are no distractions from the outside world to trouble you.

Guests have the choice of staying in a villa backing onto the jungle or more spectacularly those set on stilts over the shallows of the Pangkor Straits. For the more discerning, there are also a series of private estates in the jungle, most recently put to good use by movie star, Joan Collins on her latest honeymoon.

The jungle covers the entire island and sweeps right down to the sea and round Emerald Bay, the island’s peaceful beach, which has been ranked in numerous “best beach in the world” type of lists. At night, tiny lamps dot the many pathways, which offer the possibility of wandering around a little lost, but completely safe and totally alone.

And in the absence of a companion, I was looking forward to experiencing a day of Indian healing rituals followed by a day of Chinese rituals. I discovered that what the two have in common is a view of the mind and body as one life force, with illnesses created by imbalances in the Qi (Chinese) or Prana (Indian).

Each practitioner had his or her own semi-outdoor healing hut set around a tiny but beautiful courtyard and I was amazed when the disconcertingly good looking Dr Kumar was able to relate my entire medical history after just 30 seconds reading my pulse.

He explained that under Ayurvedic principles, three forces (doshas) combine to create each of our individual physical, emotional and mental characteristics, with one dosha nearly always dominant. The three are Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth).

I turned out to be high on Vata - creative, artistic and highly-strung with a strong undercurrent of Pitta - driven and ambitious, but low on Kapha - gentle and generous (oh dear). Since Vata types feel the cold easily and have a tendency to dryness, he prescribed an Abyhanga massage with warm oils that stimulate circulation and help the body to rid itself of toxins.

But first, let me tell you of the Pangkor Laut bath house experience. Spa guests are invited to arrive an hour before their scheduled appointments to experience the spa’s series of landscaped baths. This begins with a complimentary foot pounding, a treatment designed to improve circulation, which dates back to the foot binding days of Imperial China.

This is followed by a Malay bath, which invigorates the senses as bathers pass through a light curtain of water into the pool beyond. Four steam baths follow. After inhaling a minute or two’s passion, bathers are given the chance to be uplifted, then calmed and finally detoxified.

Proceeding to the Japanese bath house, bathers are presented with a bucket of water and a goshi goshi cloth to scrub down before immersing themselves in a heated stone pool - my personal favourite as there’s nothing quite like sitting on a hot rock being pummeled by warm jets.

And finally, bathers are taken to a private scrub room for the spa’s signature Shanghai scrub, which gently exfoliates and washes the body before the treatment begins.

My Abyhanga massage was like nothing I’d experienced before and at the end, I virtually slid off the wooden table feeling well and truly oiled and totally relaxed. So relaxed in fact that plans to photograph the island were quietly abandoned in favour of a deck chain on my villa’s sea deck where I managed to pass most of the afternoon gazing into the water, or the inside of my eyelids.

Day two and back to the healing huts for a consultation with the traditional Chinese doctor. After being diagnosed Vata by the Indian doctor, I was convinced the Chinese doctor would prescribe an imbalance of yin - dark, cold and feminine rather than yang - bright, warm and masculine. But it turns out that I have too much fire in my stomach and the Qi is not flowing properly because it is being blocked by the fat around my stomach and thighs (charming).

A tui na massage was ordered and performed by the doctor himself who alternated between eight fundamental massage techniques: tui (pushing), na (grasping), an (pressing), mo (rubbing), gun (rolling), qian (pulling) da (beating) and you (shaking).

Having freed the Qi, I returned to my sea villa for another afternoon on the deck chair, although this time I did manage some light reading and to open the complimentary bottle of champagne, which had been so kindly left in the room.

In themselves, the Pangkor Laut villas are extremely relaxing. All are made of wood with bamboo roofs and high tropical ceilings, typical of a Malay home. Numerous, individual finishing touches made of natural fibers were designed by the wife of Francis Yeoh, whose company, YTL hotels, owns the resort.

Through the wooden slats of the sea deck, it is possible to watch tiny fishes in the tropical waters blow. Or in the bathroom, it feels extremely decadent dipping into an oversized bath strewn with flowers, after throwing open all the windows to the sea beyond.

The villas are an extension of the spa and the spa is an extension of its surroundings. Aside from Chinese and Indian treatments, it also offers Western, Japanese and Thai treatments, as well as a shop, library, nap gazebos and yoga pavilion.

Pangkor Laut operates under the concept of one island, one resort. For its guests, it also offers one hell of a time.