There are plenty of tribal cultures worldwide that have their own massage techniques, but this doesn't seem to be one of them. It basically is other recognized massage techniques with some alleged Aboriginal healing tossed on top as a marketing technique. The masseus is supposed to meditate and chant while massaging. One article says it doesn't seem to work.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/expathealth/4187341/Will-this-hurt.htmlOK, I know it sounds completely mad - I mean, why on earth would you go in search of Aboriginal healers in Knightsbridge? - but I was getting desperate. (There's nothing like illness to make you feel a failure).
Still, it was with some trepidation that I arrived for my appointment, expecting didgeridoos; even, possibly, a man in a loin cloth.
Fortunately, John Odel, the Australian masseur responsible for what is known as the "Kiradjee treatment" (Kiradjee being the Aboriginal word for healer), turned out to be fully clothed; and there were no didgeridoos in sight: just a cup of "bush tea" (which tasted of nothing more sinister than apple juice) to get things started.
So there we were - me undressed on the massage table, John pressing into my scalp, really rather hard - when the aboriginal bit was supposed to begin. He is not an aborigine, though he did grow up on a farm in the Adelaide hills; and learnt his stuff from some aboriginal healers in central Australia.
John explained that he would enter "a dream-like state", while working on specific Kiradjee pressure points between my shoulder blades.
According to the blurb at the Aveda spa, it is at this point that clients become "delirious": but I have to say, no delirium ensued on my part. I was a bit worried that the promised healing process would not ensue - did you have to get delirious to get better? - but after a while, I was too relaxed to care.
Whether John was in a trance, I couldn't tell - my eyes were shut, and he seemed simply to be doing a jolly good massage, unknotting my back and stretching my neck.
Afterwards, he looked quite normal, though I was a fright - his special blend of eucalyptus, geranium and camomile massage oil having turned my hair into a greasy bird's nest - but weirdly, I was still too relaxed to worry about having to travel home on the Tube, looking like a freak.
"You need to go home and schlump," said John, and schlump is what I did, stretched out on the sofa, sufficiently loosened to have collapsed into a heap.
As for the healing - well, who knows? Part of his secret is a silent mantra that he uses during the massage; but he wouldn't tell me what it was, even when I rang several days afterwards, to get him to share.
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This article names the tribes he supposedly learned from but not the elders. It does receive the endorsement...of an Aborginal who says he knows nothing of the traditions. There's also a tribe receiving a paltry 10% royalty for gathering herbs used in a spa. That's as poor a rate as Black rock musicians of the 1950s.
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http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/99074/mind_theres_an_aboriginal_ideaBody Experience was founded by Australian Janine Hawkins, a former IT specialist who decided to bail out before she burnt out. "I’ve always been passionate about health," she says. "I’ve also had a fascination with Aboriginal culture since I was a child. My grandparents spent three years living with Aborigines and I loved listening to the stories they told me about the dreamtime and the spirituality of their existence."
Sounds good in theory but does Body Experience live up to the hype? Or, is the "healthy Australian meets ancient Aboriginal" theme just a clever marketing ploy – a novel alternative to the Eastern, lotus blossom, joss- sticks-and-candles combo that dominates so many spas?
I have booked myself in for a Kiradjee, an Aboriginal-inspired treatment (Kylie and Elle McPherson are apparently big fans) created by Australian
John Odel who learnt his techniques directly from healers of the Latji Latji and Coper Pedy tribes. "Kiradjee means healer," says Odel. "It is a holistic massage that combines a few different styles of massage with Aboriginal healing rituals. Kiradjee therapists are taught to go into a meditative or dream state called tooranook before they begin. It involves a lot of work on the human energy field and spine.
I was taught this by a Kungka (female elder) from the Latji Latji tribe."Two hours later, I come out relaxed but a little spaced out. The treatment differs from an ordinary massage in that almost every part of your body is worked on, using different types of massage such as acupressure and deep-tissue techniques. In fact, I’m so chilled, I almost have to be carried to the "day-dream suite" where I am served a tropical fruit salad and left to admire the Australian landscapes on the walls.
Another native Australian invention soon to reach the UK is the Li’Tya range of beauty products. American distributor Gayle Heron, who has strong links with the state of Victoria’s Yaitmathang Aboriginal tribe, has obtained permission from the elders to create this organic line. Li’Tya means "of the earth" and it uses native ingredients that are harvested by the tribe who are paid for their labour and also receive 10 per cent of the profits. Li’Tya is already available at the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Turnberry Resort in Miami, a celebrity hot spot, where famous guests include Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It’s also the only place in the US which offers the Aboriginal Dreaming Body Experience. "This treatment incorporates Aboriginal healing rituals derived from the Yaitmathang tribe," says Kenneth Ryan, spa director. "It also uses the Li’Tya products."
The treatment starts with a sacred smudging ritual, to cleanse negative energy, and meditation. This is followed by a two-hour treatment which involves a foot scrub, body exfoliation, mud application, steam, a special shower, followed by a foot, body and scalp massage. "The Aboriginal Dreaming Body Experience has a very powerful, spiritual component." says Ryan. "We are honoured to have permission from elders to use it."
But I can’t help thinking, what are the Aborigines really getting out of all of this? Are we hijacking their beliefs for our own gain? Odel thinks not.
"There are a few tribes who believe that it is important to impart their knowledge because their ancient practices are in danger of dying out. It is the Aborigines who hold the key on how to survive in Australia, yet already we’ve lost most of that knowledge."
But what do Aboriginal people think? "I think it’s wonderful that people are doing things to keep the culture alive," says Bobbi Maher, an Aboriginal Kiradjee therapist. "The problem is many young Aborigines aren’t interested in their culture, especially, if
like me, you haven’t grown up among other Aborigines. Many people just associate Aborigines with boomerangs and didgeridoos. So, it’s great that someone’s finally looking at Aboriginal culture from a different angle."
