I used to do yoga at the Breathing Space studio in Tanjong Pagar once a week Every Thursday, I would leave the office at a decent hour (the only time I ever did), enthusiastically toting my bag of yoga clothes, oblivious to the peak hour squeeze on the train. The hour and a half spent stretching tense knotted muscles smoothed me out both physically and mentally, transforming me from an urban stressball into a calm, energised being. I relished those sessions, not just because of the physical benefits conferred, but also for the mental respite they afforded.
Entering the dimly lit studio was like entering another world, where your consciousness segues no further than the rhythm of your movement and the pattern of your breathing. A year on, things have changed. I have ceased yoga and Breathing Space no longer holds classes. Fortunately though, what it still does is organise weekend breaks to its retreat, a spa tucked away in a comer of Turi Beach resort on Batam. I had heard of their getaways before and thus accepted an invitation to spend some time there, curious to see if they could still work the magic that I remember so well. The journey starts when you reach the island and are whisked through customs by the people who meet you where your boat docks.
A five-minutes bus ride brings you to your destination, where a panoply of large wooden huts rise up to greet you, dark brown against the shimmering blue of a sun-spangled turquoise sea. Flights of steps link split levels of vast space and soaring roofs, and lead all the way down to the beach. Guests are ushered into rooms by the sea, in rustic huts with thatched roofs and a bird's eye view of the blue beyond. Trees shade the walkways and the sand, and wind rustles in the leaves. It's simple and unpretentious, which proves a surprisingly effective formula for real relaxation. Because the thing is, surroundings of manicured perfection make you feel like you have to be correspondingly manicured and perfect. In a place like this, uber chic definitely isn't the watchword. It's not a hip and trendy spa resort frequented by beautiful people, so the main activity here isn't to compare Prada thongs or slink around in little Tocca sundresses. You can put your feet up, your head back, and not care whether your Gucci accessories match or if you have tracked sand in all over the floor. The surroundings have jumpstarted the process and it feels simply divine. Indeed, it's something to consider how different all this is in the face of fierce competition in our part of the world with the proliferation of world-class boutique spa resorts nearby, especially in Bali and Phuket.
But when it comes to their getaways, the Breathing Space people take things a little further, holding true to their philosophy of maintaining a mind-body whole, It pivots on the simple, often unrealised truth that you can't have a good rest if your mind is still working. And it's a sad fact that many find it difficult to eject from work mode, spending a holiday worrying about the big meeting they face when they return and then wonder why they don't feel rested when they get back. Admittedly, it can be difficult to tune out, especially with the advent of mobile phones, fax machines and laptops. To combat a world on continual fast forward, Breathing Space crafts what you might term 'holistic holidays' centered on activities that help you get in touch with your inner self, like yoga, meditation, dream workshops and of course, spa treatments at their Moana Spa. I started off my stay with a relaxing floral bath in their spa. They have two massage rooms which have attached baths positioned under skylights. The spa attendants, graceful Indonesian girls, glide by softy, serving you a glass of tea as your bath is filled. Their soft voices make music as they talk, sitting by the tub, sprinkling flowers and fragrant leaves into the water and piling fresh towels on the ledge. When they are done, the doors are shut and I submerge myself completely, until the flowers fickle my nose. It's amazing how everything falls away - the myriad distractions, niggling irritations, petty worries. The heat of the water dissolves it all, and a perfumed haze starts to invade the brain. Golden sunlight pours down lavishly around me, and I find myself absorbed in the minute contemplation of the shadows the floating petals make upon my skin. An attendant checks in on me, no doubt worried I have expired from the combined effects of the hot water and the sun and serves me a welcome glass of cold lemon water. I am surprised to note that almost twenty minutes has melted away, When I finally rise from my petal-strewn bath, I feel oddly cleansed and purified, almost in a spiritual sense. Wrapped in soft fluffy towels I am led to the massage table and given a Polynesian massage. If the bath rid my mind of worry, then the massage succeeds in emptying it completely. Your scope narrows to a pure sensory circle - long strokes and soft firm hands. You don't realise you have loosened your grip on consciousness until a hand gently shakes you awake. After dressing, you are led to recline on a wide couch where propped up by cream cushions and sipping a glass of tea, your gaze is drawn out the window to a sparkling blue sea. The rest of the time here is equally structured to get the best both physically and mentally. The following day starts off at daybreak so that we greet the sun with a mix of yoga and tai chi movements. I am most definitely not a morning person and ordinarily the idea of rising early on a holiday would be given short shrift. But I am glad I did. Imagine doing yoga on the sand with the wind whispering in the trees. Or meditating in a large airy hall with the sound of the surf pounding not far away. Or lying pampered while getting a facial at the spa, so close to the sea you can hear the waves gently lapping at the shore. Who needs piped in New Age music from a CD when you have the real thing? In the city, these rituals succeed in shutting off the world, easing overactive minds and stilling restless thoughts. But out here, with your mental and emotional slate wiped completely clean, you are freed to experience a richer sensation that you ever thought possible, acutely conscious of every fibre of your physical self and every strand of thought that emanates from you. I never thought I would like confronting myself so intimately, but found myself actually comfortable in my own skin. At the end of my time there, it was clear that the magic I remembered was as effective as ever. The Wind of experience that awaits someone who takes off on a Breathing Space retreat is one that is almost spiritual. You carry away a sense of not just being renewed and refreshed, but actually having come close to God.
Moana Spa at Turi Beach Resort is situated on Batam. It is 25 minutes by ferry between the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore and Nongsapura in Batam. Ferries leave every two hours on the hour from 8am. For bookings and enquiries, please contact Breathing Space at 65-9 8429590 or fax 65- 8353937.