Indonesian Massage or Pitjit

Often called the ultimate penetrating oil massage, Indonesian Massage or Pitjit has its origins in Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine).

Pitjit is traditionally performed on the floor or on a hard bed or couch.  At the clinic it will be on the massage couch. The recipient is naked but a towel can be placed to cover the body.  Indonesians massage therapists have astonishing strength in their thumbs and elbows which are their principal massage tool.

Pitjit is a very deep massage and is not for the faint hearted. Even the stroking techniques are penetrating, using as they do the heels of the palms and lots of body weight to push deeply into the tissues.  The Indonesian massage technique is characterised by a pushing techniques, penetrating very deeply into the tissues to ease muscle and joint pain.  This technique particularly affects the connective tissue - the myofascia and tendons. It is a highly effective treatment for sports injuries.

During the massage the therapist will use many different techniques and massage tools: myofascial release, cupping, Ceroh (a scraping technique, commonly known by its Chinese name of Guasha) and Gosok (deep rubbing with a balm to speed up the healing process.

Indonesian massage treats chronic and acute muscle and joint pain. It relaxes body and mind, calms the emotions and contributes to a "feel good " factor. It can be used to treat headaches, sciatica and insomnia. It is also traditional to treat colds and fever with Ceroh and Cupping.