Richard Williams shares his experience at Jiwa Spa,
Conrad Bali Hotel on SWAY, a sleep therapy
Hilton Group have since last year 2023 launched dynamic global wellness initiatives in their various properties. Part of this, at the Conrad Bali, at Jiwa Spa, is their Sleep Therapy, SWAY. In a darkened room, you will be lulled to sleep as if by angels cocooned and suspended in a hammock to induce deep relaxation and sleep, and installing a sense of nurturing, and light touch.
My SWAY journey began at the Jiwa Spa reception where I was warmly welcomed, offered a cooling oshoburi and refreshing lemongrass iced tea. I was asked whether I got seasick or have vertigo, for obvious reasons, and of course a claustrophobic would be best to avoid this treatment. For the rest of us, you are in for an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. In my case, full disclosure, I had my doubts about whether I could be subdued into sleep at 2.30pm in the afternoon.
In loose clothing (or you may be more comfortable in your bathrobe), I was invited downstairs to the treatment room by therapists Sulari and Arsare, where the hammock and process was briefly explained. The room was like a small cavern, black sheers hung from the wall, a very large moonlike light feature was on the rear wall and the room was dimly lit. I was introduced to Ayu, the resident healer, who would conduct the 10-minute meditation. Asked to join her on a cushion on the floor, with candlelight and incense. Ayu guides you through a meditation that begins with breathwork to calm the mind and slow the heart rate, along with some moments of silence to just ‘be’.
The 10-minute meditation is a good chance to decompress and allow oneself time to forget about whatever it is that drawers your attention, and to give yourself permission to surrender and relax into the program. Ayu departed and Sulari and Arsare returned to assist me to the swing-style aerial hammock. I’m not a small man, I was a little nervous! But they both assured me I would be safe, and I kind of rolled into the hammock and got comfortable. Quickly and seamlessly, a weighted blanket is placed over me, a warmed eye pillow to evoke the body’s natural reaction to calm the nervous system, and soothe the wandering mind is put in place. Headphones are positioned so that I may listen to the curated music developed by Hilton’s in-house team, comprising of healing frequencies that purify the aura, and remove negative energies.
The experience of being gently rocked in a rhythmic swaying motion I’m told invites the sweet bliss of deep sleep, and that the session mimics the safety of how one might feel lying in a fluffy cloud or the dark warmth of the womb. For me, I loved that gentle sway, and I couldn’t help but think of childhood, being rocked to sleep as a baby.
Sensory deprivation is a great vehicle for reaching the much calmer alpha, theta, delta, brainwaves. The music has its own sedatory effect. I am already departing consciousness, inhaling the surrounding aromatherapeutic effects, I feel light rolling pressure to the back. Almost subconsciously I am asking myself, how is the therapist doing this…it feels like a massage device. Only because of its precise rhythm and bi-lateral movements. It’s very comfortable, this segways to gentle pressure pointing to my scalp.
I would say by this point I am losing consciousness and suddenly engulfed in deep relaxation and sleep. REM / rapid eye movement, dreams are entering and departing, along with shameless open-mouthed snoring and possible drool! It is very very clear that this sleep therapy has a profound and positive effect!
At some point I find myself being awoken by both Sulari and Arsare. I could not even discern what they were saying, to be fair I still had the headphones on, which were gently removed, along with the eye pillow and the blanket. I was given a moment to acclimate, which I needed. I felt like Rip Van Winkle, awoken from a century of sleep! Assisted out of the hammock and into my slippers, I was allowed a chance to sit at the chair at the door a moment further, before being guided to a resting lounge.
How did I feel? I could hardly remember my name! Honestly I was so… so relaxed, I needed the resting time to process what just happened, and to return to reality. Tea was served to me and a nutty snack sweetened I am told from the coconut palm syrup of Karangasem, a local Balinese village was offered…delicious!
Sleep therapy and treatments are more than just a passing trend. This is the democratization of something once only reserved by medical fields and handled, sadly, by pharmaceuticals. How wonderful that we can now experience these incredible modalities that not only assist with insomnia, and jetlag, but hypertension, and mental health issues such as anxiety, and sadness.
At bed time, I thought to myself, “well, I’ve slept in the afternoon, I will never get to sleep tonight.” How wrong was I, I slept like a baby with ease and didn’t awake until the morning, feeling great.
If you, your friends or family, have issues with sleep or stress, I would highly recommend you seek out a holistic alternative. You may be surprised at how effective they may turn out to be.
Jiwa Spa at The Conrad Bali, offers wellness programs such as the following, to name a few:
- Sound healing
- Forest bathing
- Scenographic cooking classes
- An Olfactory experience
- Full Moon Celebration
- Art Therapy
Jiwa Spa, SWAY, Sleep Therapy, was featured in the New York Times – ‘Hotels Take Sleep to the Next Level,’ March 6th 2024.