Finding my balance at The Farm

There are many things in life I can’t go wrong with and taking a day off to be pampered at Eckard and Perla Rempe’s retreat in San Benito, Batangas is one of them.

I didn’t have to board a plane for Thailand, Malaysia or Boracay to get the finest spa treatment in an expansive and luxurious setting. After sending the troops off in the morning with hugs and kisses, I strapped on my seatbelt and headed South.

The Hippocrates Health Resort of Asia or simply The Farm sits in tranquil isolation surrounded by coconut trees that flourish from the surroundings hilltops. Although just an hour away from Manila, it’s a comfortable distance from the chaos and confusion of city home and workplace. This health resort is an idyllic escape for working mothers and wives like me who’d like to be back home in time for dinner with the family.

I heard The Farm’s message from the moment I walked into the reception area. "Begin a journey to optimum wellness."

I have to admit that my present health program needed tweaking despite my improved sleeping habits, noble attempts at exercise, regular visits to the quiet of the province and a semi-vegetarian lifestyle.

I would have brooded over this thought longer if operations consultant Rudy Studler did not gently interrupt my thoughts to usher me to The Farm’s 85/15 Gourmet Restaurant to have breakfast. Why 85/15? The numbers refer to the proportions of raw to cooked food it maintains. Everything I was served was as fresh as they come. Large platter of fruit, a glass of fruit juice, muesli dribbled with banana sauce and almond milk. The garbanzo, pesto, chili spreads were delicious but it was the buco crackers they were served with that fascinated me. They were light, crunchy with just a slight hint of toasted coconut. Best of all, I found another use for a dehydrating machinemy family banished to the bodega years ago after we got tired of making homemade banana chips. Needless to say, the meal inspired me to make a change from my morning mug of barako coffee and whatever is left over from my sons’ breakfast. With a view of the mountains, the sight and sound of flowing water, the presence of so much beauty around me already boosted my spirits.

I could have happily sat by the eternity pool in solitude all day just enjoying the sheer quiet and freshness of the air but my "Day of Pampering" was just beginning. Maybe the Live Cell Analysis isn’t your idea of pampering. It wasn’t mine either and I did try to squirm out of getting my finger pricked for a blood sample. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting Dr. Edna Huevos, lady in charge of evaluating my blood cells even if she was the most charming physician in the entire health resort.

I lead a very active outdoor life so I thought (or liked to think) that I was fairly in good shape. Unfortunately, blood cells don’t lie, and some of the "coral-like" cells I was seeing on the computer monitor were damaged. Dr. Hueveos explained it could be due to a variety of factors, some can even be traced as far back as childhood. I narrowed down the possibilities to pollution, bad choice of food as a child and young adult, alcohol, exposure to second-hand smoke, too many hours in front of the computer, a very bad sweet tooth, a million and one reasons not to exercise, work related stress...

For this lady turning 40, it was a time of reckoning. I didn’t need much convincing (I was staring at the colored evidence moving right in front of me) to believe I was no Lara Croft. Keeping my weight down, getting a minimum amount of exercise and eating more over-cooked vegetables than fresh salads and fruits wasn’t going to help repair my cellular level. For someone who entered The Farm’s clinic grudgingly, I left feeling grateful for that jolt of reality. Now I knew exactly what my body needed less and more of.

After a filling five-course lunch that included an organic salad masterpiece, I took a walk and found my little island of serenity at Salus Per Aqua Spa where massages and body scrubs promised to calm the mind and spirit. "This is your time to relax, all is well," whispers the attendant before she began to slather a tropical concoction of The Farm’s virgin coconut oil and sandalwood essence on my back. Lazily I think to myself, "That’s an understatement. Everything is great!"

The view of Mount Malarayat, showering in the open air, soaking in an outdoor tub "floating" in a private pond, lush exotic plants and soothing music does more than move one naturally toward relaxation. They are all tools of happiness for self-nurturing, one’s chance to rejuvenate, be sensual and take in the peace of the natural environment.

It’s a different experience for everyone but I promise, it can only be a good one. You’d be surprise how simple and uncomplicated it is to understand the importance of eating living food and applying the holistic principle of a unified body, mind and spirit. You’d be amazed to see how good you look–and feel–after a day visit.

Check out The Farm at San Benito at www.thefarm.com.ph or call (02) 696-3175.