Gentlemen, Start Your Engines…

Last week, we kicked off our Mardi Gras Sweepstakes in New Orleans, where they’re still fired up after winning Super Bowl XLIV. (The Biotropics Rejuvenation Station at Maxim’s Mardi Gras Mansion event was a big hit among men and women, who waited to get free massages while the Maxim models in Biotropics tanks kept them entertained with free TenagaXX samples.) 

But beyond the beads and babes, Mardi Gras is about celebrating everything you love about life. So we thought we’d help you start this Tuesday off with some tips for giving your girl a little TLC (courtesy of our friends at Maxim):

1. Treat massages like scheduled tune-ups—not 100,000-mile checkups!

2. Warm a quarter-size amount of (massage, not motor) oil in your hands.

3. Vary your pressure from gentle to firm.

4. Pay special attention to her shoulder blades and the back of her neck.

5. She’ll be ready to accelerate!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter here for a chance to win an energizing massage package…the contest ends March 8! Think of it as a gift to your girl. Who knows...maybe she’ll return the favor next year and buy you Super Bowl XLV tickets?

The 3 R's of Ramuan

What IS Ramuan? We get this question a lot.  In fact, we could write an entire book about Ramuan (Gerard Bodeker did—it's called, "Health and Beauty from the Rainforest"). In the simplest terms, Ramuan is a carefully selected blend of plants and botanicals, many of which have been gathered from the rainforest. In the Malay language, ramuan means synergistic blending and is the term of choice to represent Malaysia’s unique health and wellness practices.  

Here are three easy-to-remember elements about the practice, or as we like to call it, "The 3 R's of Ramuan":     

1. Rainforest - The key to unlocking Ramuan’s Malaysian rainforest secrets is the herbs. Potent herbs and botanicals such as tongkat ali and ubi jaga, for example, have traditionally enhanced ongoing vitality, vigor, balance, and overall wellness. These ingredients can be used in modern day cooking, medicine, drinks or food. 

2. Remedies - The beauty of Ramuan is that you don't have to look any further than your garden or kitchen to clean your hair and body, or find remedies for common ailments. For example, a natural facial scrub could be created using a mix of rice, cekur, sandalwood, ginger, jerangau, and a hint of rose water; while an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory drink consisting of ginger, lemongrass, jerangau and other herbs might be used as a remedy for post-partum depression.

 

3. Regimen - Traditional Malay healing focuses on attuning the body's energies with the rhythms of nature. It's about creating a holistic lifestyle regimen for mind/body/soul balance. It’s about wellness from the inside, out.  

The concepts of Ramuan have inspired Biotropics’ holistic health and beauty products, which are ideal for people who don’t have the time to grow these ingredients in their garden or have access to these rare herbs at their local natural foods market. For more info, we’ve also included a list of helpful links right here on this blog. And of course, don’t forget to check back with us at Living Ramuan. We will be sharing practical ways to blend Ramuan into your daily routine each week!

Re-Energizing in 2010

Yes, it’s been quiet in the world of Ramuan over the past couple of months…but that’s because we have been working behind the scenes to re-energize our digital community. In just a few short weeks, you will see the real fruits of our labor: a revitalized blog called “Living Ramuan,” a Facebook Fan page with new features and applications, and an expanded Twitter presence intended to encourage more intimate interactions with people…well… like you! Two exciting new sites for our men’s and women’s products (tenagapower.com) and (ramuanasmara.com) are already up and running. In March, you’ll also see a recharged website (ramuanusa.com).

We’re already feeling pretty energized for the year ahead. The New Year seems like the perfect time to make positive life changes, and we can’t think of a better way to usher in 2010 than by changing along with you!