JAMU Founder Kim Collier on Wellness Rituals

Kim Collier, founder and educator, JAMU & Organic Spa Rituals Operations and Education for Collier & Collier Spas and Blu Spas Inc.

What’s Bali got to do with it?

Twenty-five years ago, my husband Cary and I lived and worked in Indonesia, calling Bali our island home for almost 10 years. This was the 1990s, when world-class spas were just getting started. There was an overall feeling that what comes from the West is best, yet we focused on spa design to preserve elements of Indonesian culture. Our first client, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, in Bali, was dedicated to the herbal healing of Jamu—Indonesia’s traditional medicine.

The spa’s jamu bar prepared fresh ginger and turmeric drinks, the center of the spa building was the apotik hidup (medicine garden), and all spa rituals included fresh herbal body scrubs, Balinese massage and outdoor flower baths. It was the first of its kind, and a success, much to the locals’ surprise.

Resort guests immediately asked, “How may we take home this incredible spa experience?” So JAMU was born in Bali, Indonesia, in 1993.

What is the intention behind your company?

Jamu, the ancient and indigenous wisdom of Indonesia, is defined as “herbal healing, internal and externally.” The intention of JAMU is to celebrate traditional healing and share cross-cultural experiences through spa products and treatment rituals.

How are wellness rituals relevant to spa and healing, and to JAMU?

JAMU wellness rituals and scent traditions are inspired by the Eastern world’s prayers and blessings offered throughout each day. What if we could all inspire our lives and the earth with sacred moments?

For example, start with a morning self-massage with organic body oils and a reading from an inspiring book, then finish each day with gratitude, breath and tingsha—meditation chimes before sleep for soulful peace and calm.

Are you a values-driven company, and if so, in what way?

The values, or powerful drivers of the way we think and work, have always been about building community and nurturing our earth family.

A key value is sustainability, which carries through inside (we use only certified organic ingredients and rice-, clay- and salt-based scrubs) and outside (sustainable, minimal and recyclable packaging), aligned with the definition of Jamu internally and externally for health and beauty. Additionally, every year, JAMU dedicates a portion of sales to Unicef, as well as other charitable wellness and health-based organizations in USA.

Cary and I started the company for the Balinese and Javanese, supported them to grow, and we grew too. We’re still growing, while working together to design and package ancient health and beauty practices. jamuspa.com

Recommended Reading

· JAMU, the Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing by Susan-Jane Beers

· Bali, Morning of the World, by Nigel Simmonds & Luca Invernizzi Tettoni

· The Tropical Spa: Asian Secrets of Health, Beauty and Relaxation by Sophie Benge

​