13/02/2019
Traditional Massage in Indonesia ( Java & Bali )
There are so many similarities between Java and Bali in massage and healing techniques. The Indonesians observed and selected the different techniques from cultures from India and China and developed their own styles, which have been handed down from generation to generation. Elements of pressure point massage, acupressure and reflexology can be clearly discerned in most Indonesian massages.
Massage in Indonesia is thought to help the body eliminate disease, regain its balance, and ensure continued good health. There are two traditional types of massage in Indonesia: Pijit and Urut. The Indonesian word for massage is Pijit, while the Javanese word is Urut. In Bali, you will here it called Pijat, for word meaning massage.
Pijit is the most common type of massage and is used mainly for relaxing and toning. It generally works only on the muscles, using medium to strong kneading and a repetitive squeezing movement of the flesh between the fingers and palm of the hand.
Urut is more specialized and is normally used to treat bone fractures and muscular injuries. Urut can be quite painful at times, as it penetrates much deeper, working not only on the muscles, but also the nerve paths. Its main purpose is to heal and encourage good blood circulation. Urut uses some of the same movements used in pijit but the pressure is stronger and requires additional skills. The urut practitioner, known as tukang pijit urut, must have a much greater knowledge of anatomy, including bone structure, nerve pathways and pressure points to heal effectively. Fingers, thumbs, palms, knuckles and body weight are all used to restore muscle tone, heal broken bones and remove toxins. Urut massage is very precise and technical, but to endure the discomfort of a treatment is usually beneficial, as the feeling of well-being is quickly restored after a treatment.
There is a great deal of confusion over the differences between Balinese and Javanese massage.
Unlike in Java, traditionally Balinese massage is usually performed by a man, primarily for healing purposes and is usually a stronger massage going straight to the problem. The massage generally uses strong deep pressure into the muscles.
Some techniques commonly found in Balinese massage are skin rolling, which is grasping the skin between the fingers and thumbs and rolling the skin while moving the hands, using the fingers to pull up on the muscles quickly and release and cupping the hands whilst drumming them over the back of the legs and back. The Balinese love to “crack” the neck, fingers and toes; the louder the sound, the more pleased they are. One very unique Balinese technique was inspired by the Kecak dance, of sliding the elbow along the side of the spine whilst shaking the hand thus vibrating the back. It looks scary but is actually quite pleasant to experience. Although there are thousands of variations of Javanese massage, many of them follow a similar sequence and use many of the same techniques as used in Bali.
