The sun was setting when Four Seasons Jimbaran’s resort-priest Ajik Ngurah began praying before the hotel’s temple on July 14. Five fire poles, covered with a fabric of different colors, and Balinese offerings laid in front of him.

“[Ajik] asked for permission for us to do the ritual,” said the hotel’s cultural ambassador and guest-experience manager, Ni Ketut Swartini, who also goes by Bunda (Mother) Atik. That day, The Jakarta Post was invited to watch the hotel’s unique fire-blessing ritual, created by priest Ajik himself. 

“This fire blessing is different from the others. We will focus on the five key elements in our body,” Ajik said as he finished praying.

“When the fire on the pole with red fabric is lit, [we] focus our energy on our liver. The yellow fabric is for the kidneys, the black one represents the gallbladder and the colorful one is [to connect with] the heart base. And the white fabric is for the heart.”

The sky turned dark when the ritual ended with a blessing using young coconut water, which, according to Ajik, is “pure and not contaminated by anything”.

The Four Seasons Jimbaran has numerous activities to help guests release stress, recharge energy and connect with themselves. The Post joined some of them during a media stay in mid-July.

Purification

Melukat, a Balinese cleansing ritual at the Goa Gong Cave Temple, is another purification activity the hotel offers. The Post left the hotel for the ritual, accompanied by Bunda Atik. 

The melukat ritual commenced with a prayer in the tranquil cave temple. A priest then led the participants outside for some splashes of holy water and escorted them back to the temple for more prayer.

“The essence of melukat is to balance our energy. Sometimes, our surroundings, like the gadgets we use, influence bad energy [within us],” said Bunda Atik, adding that the holy water is beneficial in helping to release that negative energy. 

Rejuvenation and makeover

The resort’s Healing Village Spa presents Celestial Light Ritual at the Illume Room, where guests lie on the massage bed filled with crushed-crystal quartz. The room is also equipped with color-changing light that follows the guests’ moods and physical conditions. 

Incorporating crystal-massage tools and sound vibrations from the crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, the treatment helps balance the guest’s mind, body and emotions.

Hailing from Italy, the world-renowned Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa opens its Bali branch within the compound. Creative director Raffaele Bruognolo leads the Bali team, while global-brand coach Andrea Sattin paid a visit to train the staff before the opening on July 26 and 27.

Treatments at the hair spa start with a consultation session with the hairdresser where guests share their hair concerns and daily activities. Rossano Ferretti’s unique signature treatment is the Invisible Hair Cut and Blow Dry.

“[This treatment] is all about following the natural fall of the hair. We use special scissors made by Rossano himself,” said Sattin, the global-brand coach.

“[We do this] to enhance the natural beauty of each woman we treat. We don’t follow the trend. If the trend is not suitable for you, we don’t do it.”

The technique results in a haircut that is uniquely “personalized to [the guests’] hair, character and lifestyle,” according to Sattin.

Up in Ubud

Guests can continue to unwind at the sister-hotel, Four Seasons Resort Bali, at Sayan. Located in Ubud, the resort offers a 60-minute Sacred Nap, a distinctive relaxation in the afternoon created and led by the resort’s wellness-mentor Heny Ferawati, also known as Ibu (Mother) Fera. 

At Dharma Shanti Bale, surrounded by greenery, guests are invited to lie on hanging hammocks while Ibu Fera tells a tale. Her soothing voice and the calming breeze bring guests to a peaceful state of mind -- many might fall into a deep sleep.  

Available at Sacred River Spa, the CODAGE Bespoke Facial Treatment will make guests’ skin glow. The 90-minute treatment incorporates French’s CODAGE serums with a massage treatment using gua sha (a massage tool made of stones, like jade or rose quartz). 

Delicious delights

After joining a series of activities to feed the soul and mind, it feels only right to relish some delicious drinks and dishes for more self-rewards at Four Seasons Jimbaran’s dining places.

Refreshing drinks await at Telu, the resort’s bar with a sustainable concept. The bar holds a zero-waste cocktail class where guests can concoct Made’s margarita signature drink using orange skin and learn about Balinese arak (a fermented drink) at the arak cellar.

The resort’s beachfront-restaurant, Sundara, offers choices of delicious high-end barbecue dishes cooked in an Austrian-invented Kopa oven. Using coffee wood, the oven enhances the smoky flavor and tenderness of the meat dishes -- enjoy perfectly grilled 200-day grain-fed Angus t-bone and 12-hour smoked-beef short ribs on the menu, for instance.

Accompany the dishes with Kelapa Negroni, which is infused with slow-smoked coconut, while enjoying a view of the tranquil ocean to conclude the relaxing time at Four Seasons Jimbaran. 

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