a Chinese physician check-up
Think outside the box
Empty a crowded, busy mind by popping a triangular box on your head at a pyramid meditation session. Meditation aims to silence the mind, but pyramid meditation goes even further - according to organiser Shashi Samireddy, 36, a business development manager in his other life. "Pyramids are storehouses for cosmic energy, so by meditating underneath a pyramid you triple the benefits - such as relaxation", he says. The atmosphere at the gatherings is chilled and the concept simple. Put on a plastic triangular hat, or sit under larger, colourful pyramids suspended from the walls. Try to clear your mind and focus on your breath. Sitting under the pyramid feels strangely comforting and the hour-long class passes by in a flash.
WHEN & WHERE:
- Free sessions Thursday 7:30pm-8:30pm. Wasabi Yoga, Tel: 6224 3612, www.wabisabi.com.sg
- Free sessions Saturdays 9am-10am. OM Vedic Heritage Centre Tel: 6297 2670, www.omvedicheritage.com.sg
- Attendance by donation Sundays 9am-10am. The Wisdom Tree Tel: 6220 0166, www.thewisdomtree.com.sg
MORE INFO: Tel: 9863 4046, www.pyramidmeditation.org www.meetup.com/pyramidmeditation
A resident Chinese doctor can prescribe your dinner for you, according to your needs, at Imperial Herbal Restaurant. Before you dine, Chinese physician Dr Nie Xin gives her verdict on your health by taking your pulse and eyeing your tongue, at her resplendent wooden herbal counter in the centre of this enormous restaurant. She'll then make a recommendation on which healing dishes to eat. Not for the faint-hearted, choices include pastries encrusted with black ants ($4) to enrich the kidneys, or scorpions ($4) to prevent giddiness. And if your man needs a boost in the bedroom, he can gulp a glass of ginseng deer penis wine ($30). Alternatively, play it safe with a delicious hawthorn health drink ($3) and egg white in bird's nest ($4).
WHEN: Thursdays 8pm-9pm. 10-minute consultations $15.
WHERE: Imperial Herbal Restaurant, #03-08, Lobby G, VivoCity.
Tel: 6337 0491, http://www.imperialherbal.com
Oil change
Get well-oiled at OM Vedic Heritage Centre, housed in a shophouse located off the beaten track. A host of Ayurvedic - traditional Indian medicine - treatments on offer include Shirodhara, an excellent antidote to fatigue and migraines. Lie on an exquisite polished neem wood table, while a clay dhara pot is raised above your head and a continuous stream of warm oil cascades onto your forehead for 30 minutes. Beforehand, you'll enjoy a 30-minute full body massage. The Centre and its warm, unpretentious staff, also offers consultations with an Ayurvedic doctor, plus astrology sessions.
COST: Shirodhara $85-short hair, $100-long hair.
WHEN & WHERE: Monday-Saturday 8:30am-8pm, Sunday 10am-3pm. OM Vedic Heritage Centre, www.omvedicheritage.com.sg
Head case
Ever wished you could clear negative thoughts right out of your head? A Bars Session - which feels like a gentle head massage - is based on a belief there are 32 bars of energy running through and around your head, storing all the thoughts, ideas and attitudes you've ever had. The bars include money, sexuality, control and healing. By touching your head, a bars facilitator runs energy through these bars to release limitations, so you walk out feeling open to new possibilities. Bars facilitator Vivien Loong advises, "Massage makes you feel good physically, but having your Bars run goes much deeper, releasing concerns and obsessions you may have been holding onto for a long time."
WHERE: • Vivien Loong conducts 75-minute sessions at her home near Orchard Road, cost: $120. Tel: 9665 3556, www.bars.accessconsciousness.com/fac_detail.asp?mid=273
- Monisha Assudani conducts sessions at Wasabi Yoga (www.wabisabi.com.sg), The Wisdom Tree (www.thewisdomtree.com.sg) and Petra Hypnosis (www.petrahypnosis.com). Cost: 90-minute session $150, package of five $600. OFFER Initial session $90. Tel: 9650 2806, www.bars.accessconsciousness.com/fac_detail.asp?mid=210
Each week in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, people meet to have a good old guffaw - all in the name of the Laughter Club. Hearty laughter increases happy brain chemicals known as endorphins and reduces cortisol - the stress hormone linked to several health problems. Fake it until your forced sniggers become real. Not that you'll have much trouble chortling in the presence of effervescent instructor Zaibun Siraj, 63, who has an extremely infectious laugh. Her 30-minute outdoor class will get you jogging on the spot and faux-riding a bicycle, all while chuckling. But the highlight has to be 33 people waddling like penguins and laughing raucously. If you leave your cringe wings at home and join in, there's no denying you'll leave with a broad smile on your face.
WHEN & WHERE: Free sessions Tuesdays 6:30pm. Singapore Botanic Gardens (near the Green Pavilion, close to the Napier Road gates).
MORE INFO: Tel: 9758 0125, www.zaibun.com
Go fish
If you fancy a giggle-fest with kids or friends, visit a fish spa. Hungry Garra Rufa fish feast on the dead skin cells of your feet, making them feel silky smooth in a ticklish fashion. The small but perfectly formed Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa has four miniature pools where little ones can dip their feet. And the tiny fish in these pools don't look too scary. You can even surf the net while you enjoy your fishy pedicure, thanks to computers set on circular tables over the pools. If you can pluck up some courage, go for the window tank. The multi-sized fish here can grow up to eight centimetres in length. "The first time you try fish reflexology you'll just laugh and laugh, because it feels so ticklish. It's only when you return you'll experience true relaxation", according to friendly spa attendant Rini.
COST: 30-minute Fish Spa $28, internet services $15.
WHERE: Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa. OUTLETS Marina Bay Sands, 313@Somerset, Marina Square, Orchard Central, Singapore Flyer & Tanglin Shopping Centre. www.kenko.com.sg
Posted Apr 2011
