Once upon a time—back in the 17th century—a Javanese princess bride-to-be indulged in a 40-day beauty ritual before her nuptials. Central to her regimen was a spice rub of exfoliating turmeric, rice and jasmine, administered by her mother and future mother-in-law as they offered their insights on how to have a successful marriage.

Get that Javanese princess feeling again—minus the excess motherly love—with an indulgent Jamu Javanese Lular Ritual at Solstice Spa, in Manitoba’s Elkhorn Resort, an hour north of Brandon, MB. The ritual is not purely Javanese—it’s an au courant amalgam of treatments that’s “spa fusion,” the latest in wellness pampering. In 2007, Spa Finder, The Global Spa Resource, listed “spa fusion” as one of the top 10 trends, holding its own with social spa-ing and “green” (sustainable) spas.

Begin with a Jamu massage and float into a meditative state as your “servant” blends Hindu prayer rituals with Chinese and European massage influences (acupressure, skin rolling, percussion and effleurage-delicate stroking motions). Then relax into a scrub designed to increase circulation and slough dead skin cells. Next, feel cool yogurt smoothed onto your skin before you’re wrapped in hot towels to ease it off. Finally, sink into a hydrotherapy soak scented with jasmine, symbol of love and fertility, and frangipani, signifying spirituality. By the end, you’re as peaceful and fragrant as an Indonesian garden. Before and after, loll in the spa’s steam rooms, mineral pool and hot tub, order lunch and generally act like a royal for as much of the day as you like. Later, you may want to avail yourself of the numerous outdoor options in nearby Riding Mountain National Park. Until it all wears off, you might find yourself surprised that people don’t bow in your presence. www.elkhornresort.mb.ca