Beauty exists in different forms. For Javanese princesses, beauty exists in the outside as much as in the inside. A balance of both inner and outer beauty results in the balance not only in beauty but in thoughts, body and force of mind. The balance is thought to activate all five senses that exists in our body.
Many of the treatments done like lulur, pijat, jamu and others are not only to look beautiful on the outside but also to help with our five senses. Such senses include sense of
- seeing (asmaraini),
- hearing (asmartaswara),
- tasting (asmarawara),
- sense of touch (asmarasutra), and
- sense of smelling (asmararum).
If the five senses are activated, then every organ in the body will work just as it should be.
If a woman is always in state of balanced beauty, it is believed she will undergo a radical change in her mind. Her face will glow and look fresh, her heart filled with happiness, mind filled with clear and positive thoughts and her speech soft and polite. That is the goal with performing Javanese beauty.
Four Stages of Javanese Beauty
The first stage of this treatment begins with a shower (siraman) using water soaked with tuberose flowers. At the time of showering, gending classic music is played to indulge the sense of hearing pendengaran (asmartaswara). A calm mind is thought to bring peace to the body while going through the spa treatment.
After bathing, the body is then wrapped in silk cloth that was inserted into a jar and put inside a refrigerator. The body will be given the initial sensation to activate the sense of touch (asmarasutra). This sense will further be pampered with a relaxing massage using aromatherapy oils. All of this is meant to relaxing nerves and muscles at the bottom of the skin in order to improve blood circulation.
Massage is followed by scrubbing of grated coconut material to remove dead skin, dirt and dust, eliminate body odor and provide nutrition to the skin. However not only the sense of touch is activated by also the sense of smell (asmararum), by using aromatherapy fragrance.
To indulge the sense of taste (asmarawara), Jamu is served after the therapy. Usually, the drink is consisting of cloves, coconut milk, and rock sugar. This particular blend of Jamu is meant to brighten facial skin, remove acne, and make the skin look younger.
Beauty does not only count on the outside, but also on the inside. The Javanese belief of both inner and outer beauty counts as holistic beauty care for a beautiful, healthy body and clear mind. Fortunately these ancient beauty steps are already available in most of the spas in Indonesia.
What do you think of these beauty steps? Share your opinion in the comments section below!
