14-07-2025
Healing wisdom in the meeting of science and spirit from three Asian women
Above Ayurvedic ingredients used in Uma Oils (photo: courtesy of Uma Oils)
The inspiration for Uma Oils came from Shrankhla Holecek's desire to unite the essence of Ayurvedic tradition with the evolving world of modern beauty. In Ayurveda, oils are more than just cosmetic—they soothe the mind, deeply nourish the skin, and help maintain the body's internal energy. Holecek's family had long supplied essential oils to luxury beauty houses, but she noticed that many finished products had become 'divorced from their original purpose and value.'
'Uma was born out of a mission to honour and preserve Ayurvedic heritage,' she says. 'It's my way of sharing the treasures passed down through my family, recipes, hand-harvested botanicals, and rituals that see beauty as a full-sensory, holistic experience.' Part of Holecek's purpose is to show that these rituals need not be expensive or overly elaborate. 'Many practices rooted in Ayurveda such as yoga, breathwork, or cooking with turmeric and ghee are already part of daily life, even if people don't always realise where they originated,' she adds. 'As science continues to validate Ayurveda's core principles, people are beginning to see lasting benefits and, with that, growing trust.'
For Holecek, Ayurveda's power lies not just in physical transformation, but in its mental and emotional resonance. 'Even something as simple as massaging oil into the soles of your feet, taking a quiet moment to write down your thoughts, or sitting in meditation, these are ways to slow down, reconnect, and nurture the self. That's the true essence of healing.'
The renewed interest in Ayurveda reflects something universal: a yearning to return to ourselves. In asking us to listen to the body and honour its rhythm, Ayurveda restores a sense of agency offering this 5,000-year-old science as a meaningful answer to modern demands. Zoey Xinyi Gong
Above Zoey Xinyi Gong (photo: provided by Zoey Xinyi Gong)
Traditional Chinese Medicine Expert
A decade ago, Zoey Xinyi Gong relocated from Shanghai to New York, and soon after, her health began to falter. Weight gain, skin irritation, aching joints, and eventually, a benign breast tumour marked a turning point. 'When I look back, everything started with my diet. The processed foods, excess sugar, additives, dairy; so much of it was new to my body. When I adopted a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to eating, my symptoms disappeared. It felt miraculous,' she recalls.
TCM, she explains, aligns with nature, whereas contemporary lifestyles often pull us away from it. 'We've lost our instinct to eat naturally, but our bodies haven't changed. They're still made to process what the earth gives us.'
Since embracing this philosophy, Gong has carved a distinctive space for herself in the wellness world, demystifying TCM through accessible content. With over 150,000 followers on Instagram, her explanations of ancient Chinese concepts resonate widely. In 2023, she released her first book, The Five Elements Cookbook , and the following year, she returned to Shanghai to further immerse herself in the practice. 'Even as a practitioner, there's always more to learn here,' she says. 'TCM is a vast body of knowledge, and I never stop being amazed by the depth of wisdom our ancestors left us.'
Above Gong shares the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine in a modern way (photo: courtesy of Zoey Xinyi Gong)
Above Traditional Chinese herbs for holistic healing (photo: courtesy of Zoey Xinyi Gong)
Motivated by this passion, Gong began curating cultural wellness tours in Shanghai, weaving TCM into the city's heritage. 'We visit temples, wander through traditional Chinese gardens, and in between, guests experience treatments like ginger steaming, meridian massage, and facial acupuncture,' she explains. 'I want people to witness how TCM isn't locked in the past—it's something alive, woven into daily life here. That's the experience I hope to offer.'
Recently, Zoey Xinyi Gong has developed a keen focus on educating others about the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in women's health. 'Modern gynaecology in Western medicine only began to take shape in the early 20th century. But in TCM, women's and reproductive health have been central concerns for thousands of years,' she explains. Treatments range from therapeutic dishes and herbal teas designed to support the menstrual cycle, to zuo yue zi , the postpartum tradition often translated as 'sitting month.' First recorded in 960, this practice involves a new mother spending 30 days at home under the care of a midwife, following a structured regimen to aid her physical and emotional recovery after childbirth.
'TCM has always acknowledged the deep links between physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing,' Gong says. 'Where Western medicine may fall short, TCM offers something more holistic, gentle, sustainable, and rooted in nature. It seeks out the root cause rather than merely treating symptoms. If someone has digestive issues, for instance, a TCM doctor might trace the imbalance to emotional strain or overthinking, which are associated with the spleen, and then offer remedies that address both mind and body. TCM today may not emphasise the spirit in the same way it once did, but I truly believe that when body and mind are in harmony, the spirit naturally flourishes.' MARIAN ALONZO, MD
Above Marian Alonzo (photo: provided by Marian Alonzo)
Medical Director, The Farm at San Benito
Nestled in the lush outskirts of Manila, The Farm at San Benito is no ordinary wellness retreat. It stands on land long believed to hold spiritual energy, with sacred spaces like a 300-year-old mango tree—beloved by peacocks—said to mark the convergence of two energetic lines. These intersecting lines form what many call an energy vortex, thought to promote wellbeing and vitality.
'When energy vibrates at a higher frequency, the healing process tends to unfold more swiftly,' says Dr Marian Alonzo, who has served as Medical Director at The Farm since 2002.
Here, clinical treatments are seamlessly integrated with holistic therapies ranging from physical rehabilitation and acupuncture to Reiki, hormonal support, and psychological care. But what truly distinguishes The Farm is its approach to healing as a spiritual endeavour, guided by Alonzo and her team's commitment to balance and depth.
Read more: How to restore body energy after a long vacation?
'Filipino healing traditions are steeped in spirituality. We believe every human carries a spark of divinity, capable of co-creating a healthier reality,' says Alonzo. 'Yet just as we can nurture life, we can also manifest imbalance through fear, anger, envy: emotions that affect the body. When the natural order is disrupted or clouded, the spiritual dimension suffers, often absorbing the weight of this dissonance. That burden can manifest as illness, or even calamity.'
As a child, Alonzo was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. She lived with a misshapen chest, shortness of breath, and endured a steady stream of medical consultations. Everything changed the day her mother told doctors that Marian would decide for herself how to proceed. 'In that moment, something shifted in me,' she recalls. 'My mother stood up for my right to choose. It was a kind of rebirth. I opened my heart to natural healing and began to understand the contrast between physical limitation and the liberation of the mind.'
Above Dreamy scenery at The Farm in San Benito (photo: courtesy of Marian Alonzo)
Despite early obstacles, she graduated with honours and topped her class, earning a place in Intarmed, a highly selective pre-medical programme at the University of the Philippines, open only to the highest-scoring applicants.
At The Farm, Dr Alonzo and her team approach illness not as a setback, but as a 'messenger.' If the message is understood, the ailment may either resolve or illuminate a deeper truth about a person's life at that moment, offering guidance toward the next step in their healing journey.
'The Farm works across three dimensions—physical, energetic, and psycho-emotional—all with the goal of realigning people with their spiritual nature,' Alonzo explains. She speaks of a more intuitive, even mystical, way of understanding health, one that looks beyond diagnostics and lab results. 'Many people come to us with the sense that something isn't quite right, even though standard tests show nothing conclusive,' she says. 'I'm a physician, of course, but even before that, I had an awareness of what might be called the subtle body.'
Regardless of one's belief system, Alonzo insists that healing, sometimes miraculous, remains possible. 'And increasingly,' she adds, 'science is catching up.'
This article is edited from the original feature 'Embracing ancient wisdom: How three women are reviving traditional Asian healing practices' by Coco Marett, published in the January 2025 issue of Tatler Vietnam.
