Ang Dabawenyo

BioEssence Spa, a pioneer in the skin-care and spa business (and a Dabawenyo company!), has opened a new service to their already rich suite of offerings: Suay Thai. We’re talking about the ancient art of traditional Thai massage and healing therapy.

Here’s a snippet from their press release:

Inspired by traditional Thai massage techniques, Suay Thai revolutionizes this time-honored art to create wholeness of mind, body and spirit. Offering a myriad of calming yet invigorating bodywork, Suay Thai massage techniques work on the principle of maintaining the condition and the flow of the body’s vital energy by integrating contemporary scientific knowledge of anatomy and physiology with oriental medical disciplines. By combining rhythmic massage, acupressure with gentle twisting, and deep stretching, Suay Thai offers a versatile approach to bodywork and an extraordinary massage experience that gives forth a greater sense of balance to the mind, body and spirit — the true meaning of holistic healing.

It was an impressive launching that Bioessence laid out for us yesterday, with soothing ginger and turmeric scents wafting in the air. Aside from the usual speeches, we were treated to an actual demonstration of traditional Thai massage, which was done on a comfortably wide, bed-size cushion on the floor. Their trainors were sent to Thailand where they trained for a whole month in the intricate techniques of Thai massage. To me (a regular recipient of massage therapy), what sets Thai massage apart is all that stretching and body bending.

But Dr. Emma Beleno-Guerrero, the woman behind the very successful Bioessence name, told me that Thai massage is more than that. Aside from the time-honored tradition of Thai massage techniques, other aspects come into play as well: the ambience, aromas and sensations brought about by healing herbs — all of these make Thai massage unique.

With Suay Thai’s brand of service, and all the attendant accoutrements, it’s surprising that they charge so low for an hour of heavenly massage. It’s only P250 for a body massage! Dr. Guerrero told me that Bioessence — long known as a provider of high-class beauty and wellness services — wants to bring their healing therapies to more people. Dr. Guerrero is a cosmetic dermatologist, but says she’s now more of an entrepreneur than a doctor.

Bioessence has 30+ branches nationwide, and Suay Thai is also now in Las Pñas City, with more to open in Metro Manila and Lipa, Batangas within the year. In Metro Manila, you can contact this number for reservations: 374-6310. In Davao: 226-2305, 224-0361.

I have a couple of gift certificates for a session of Thai body massage. Who wants it? The first blogger who sends a trackback/pingack to this post, and the second one to digg this story (it’s already been dugg by me) will each get a GC.