Giving Traditional Chinese Medicine a Try

Traveling in Asia with our COO, Sallie Fraenkel, has been a delight. We share many interests, but adventuresome eating is not one of them. Sallie will try every fish ball and oddly named indigenous delicacy with great enthusiasm, while I stick to basics when traveling (spaghetti and Caesar salads all through Asia is fine with me). But when it comes to spa experiences we are both very adventurous. So when Joy Menzies, the managing director of Chiva-Som, suggests that we each have a session with their new Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor, Ken Rosen, we are “in”. When it comes to spa treatments I am always game. Bring on the TCM; sure, I’ll try Meridian Tapping, iridology, colonics, stomach massage, acupuncture in my ears – whatever. And there is no better place than Chiva-Som to sample something unique from all over the world.

Ken (pictured at right) has a 90-minute TCM session with me where he diagnoses weaknesses through taking my pulse (it is “wirey” but otherwise strong) and then looks at the color of my tongue, etc. The last part of the session consists of an acupuncture treatment in which he endeavors to strengthen my immune system and to help me relax. Not sure about specific results, but I do feel like it is a great thing to be able to go to a spa and try a large variety of health-enhancing modalities. Chiva-Som must have one of the most extensive spa and holistic therapy menus in the world. I would probably have to be here a month to try them all. Guess it’s a good reason to come back.

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