5 Things To Know About ZenNaTai, The Treatment Of Self-Love & Happiness At The Spa, Mandarin Oriental, KL

We’d do anything for worldly happiness; sacrificing headspace, sleep and health, only to end up burned out and unfulfilled. In actual truth, joy is manifested from within. This pattern was observed by Dr Buathon Thienarrom, a Thai holistic guru of 20 years’ experience, who created her trademark ZenNaTai treatment to relax, detox and stimulate the body’s qi. From now to January 28, 2018, the renowned guru will be in town, offering locals a try of this restorative treatment, among others, at The Spa, Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur. We carved out a couple of hours to meet Dr Buathon, to talk about her customised methods, wellness philosophy, and a review of the healing ZenNaTai. These are the 5 areas she stresses on.

1. “Happiness is generated when the <em>qi</em> flows”

Above Photo: Courtesy of @mo_kualalumpur on Instagram

“It’s joy, confidence and self-fulfillment that everyone seeks. If our body relaxes and our mind is focussed, we have less problems,” Dr Buathon observed.

Her lifelong mission was finding a solution to this, with treatments combining western-meets-Asian practices and supported by a firm understanding of anatomy, psychology and sociology.

ZenNaTai prides its roots on Tibetan medicine and Taoist philosophies, with the end goal to release stress trapped in cell memories and consequently, unveil inner happiness.

2. How ZenNaTai is designed to treat modern problems

Above Photo: Courtesy of Dr Buathon Thienarrom

“ZenNaTai is created to resolve overthinking. For 30-40 minutes, the treatment focusses on the head, and when the head is relaxed, the body will be, too,” explained Dr Buathon, before our review.

From the head, Dr Buathon will move to the chest and abdomen, described as the functioning channel. The back part is next, an all-important part governing and controlling the body. In between, Dr Buathon will check on breathing to stimulate the lympathic flow from her massages.

“When you breath better, you have more energy: More oxygen fills the body, and in a way, you’re doing internal qi gong,” she said, adding that Asians face poor sleeping quality.

3. The treatment: ZenNaTai’s procedures and how it’s customised for individual bodies

Above Photo: Courtesy of @mo_kualalumpur on Instagram

According to Dr Buathon, her clients come to her with a variety of problems, signalling a need for a crafted healing journey. “The whole idea is to connect the body and mind. At the end, it’s self-love and a discovery of personal joy I can offer my clients.”

From observing postures and energy levels, Dr Buathon is trained to accurately summarise individual concerns that come in handy during ZenNaTai sessions. The same could be said for me. My session began with a host of synchronised breathing exercises and a few rounds of singing bowl vibrations to deeply stabilise the body. Next, a whiff of curated aromatherapy essential oils grounded my senses, before Dr Buathon massaged away tensions in my head, then moved down to the shoulders, feeling for and loosening knots and blockages.

From there, her discerning hands shifted to the abdomen, arms and legs, working according to what my body needed to obtain this sought-after qi flow.

4. Observing holistic wellness is more important than ever, and easy too

Above Photo: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental

“Eat well, exercise, sleep, drink water and rest your mind,” summarised Dr Buathon, who believes that self-care is correlated. Mindful eating aligns us to how we feel during and after we eat, and sleep is important to recharge the body. All these are day-to-day observances that support ZenNaTai, and promote better digestion, energy, posture, sleep quality and inner harmony.

5. To self de-stress, this is the simple thing to do at home

Above Photo: Courtesy of Dr Buathon Thienarrom

“Breath in, send a smile to your heart, and exhale,” Dr Buathon taught me even before my treatment began. Do this gently and your body heat will go down, and spike your happiness. Her final advice: “Before you smile at others, smile to yourself. Before you speak to others, speak to yourself.”

ZenNaTai is available from now to January 28, 2018, at The Spa, Mandarin Oriental, KL. For reservations, call 03-2179 8772 or email mokul-spa@mohg.com.

Topics

Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur The Spa Dr Buathon Thienarrom holistic massage ZenNaTai health and wellness

Tatler Asia