Jamu Traditions: Honoring Indonesia
An Ancient Wellness Practice
There are certain practices that do not announce themselves as discoveries so much as they reveal themselves over time, settling into the rhythm of daily life until they feel both familiar and essential.
Jamu traditions have always existed in this way. Jamu, the Indonesian wellness tradition of herbal remedies, used internally and externally, is making a comeback and its beautiful to see.
Long before Jamu was documented in books or introduced to Western wellness spaces, Jamu lived in homes, in kitchens, and in the hands of women who understood its value and benefits, as a way of tending to the body through herbology and plant medicine. Jamu has always blurred the lines between beauty and wellness, between ritual and routine, offering a form of care that is both practical, botanical and deeply intuitive. The preparation of a drink at the start of the day, the application of oils and herbal poultices to the body, or the act of creating a simple herbal remedy were never treated as separate from daily life, but rather as extensions of it.
Cheers to healing traditions and congratulations to the newest Jamu inspired product on the market, NUSA available in three deliciously authentic ginger & turmeric remedies that will take your tastebuds to Indonesia.
To encounter Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing by Susan-Jane Beers through the lens of being included within its pages brings a particular kind of resonance. The book is widely regarded as a foundational reference, not only for its documentation of herbal formulations, but for the care it takes in preserving the cultural and historical context that surrounds them. It offers a thoughtful account of the environments in which Jamu developed, the generations of women “jamu gendong” who carry this knowledge forward, and the understanding that the body responds most meaningfully to what is consistent, natural, and rooted in place.
Thank you Tuttle Publishing and Author, Susan Jane-Beers, for this beautiful educational text, and the opportunity to be part of the research team in 1990’s when Cary and I lived and worked in Bali, Indonesia.
Being referenced within this work feels less like a milestone and more like a quiet acknowledgment of participation in an ongoing lineage. Jamu has never belonged to any single person or moment; it continues to evolve through those who practice plant medicine with intention and respect.
JAMUspa's line of body care products were created with this perspective in mind. Rather than attempting to modernize or reinterpret Jamu beyond recognition, the approach has always been to remain in close conversation with its origins. While the context of daily life may look different today, the rituals themselves retain their relevance when they are approached with care. A soak at the end of the day, the use of botanical oils to support the body, or the simple act of pausing to reconnect with oneself are not grand gestures, but they are meaningful ones.
In a time when wellness is often framed through immediacy and visible results, Jamu traditions offer an alternative that is quieter and more enduring. It asks for patience and attention, encouraging a relationship with the body that is built over time rather than achieved all at once. This perspective does not reject progress, but it does suggest that there is value in continuity, in returning to practices that have supported people for generations.
To be included in a work that honors and preserves this tradition is something that is held with care. It serves as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with engaging in a practice that carries so much history. The intention remains to move thoughtfully, to honor where this knowledge comes from, and to ensure that it continues to be shared in a way that feels both respectful and alive.
If you are interested in studying Jamu Traditions, at their source, I recommend Jamu Spa School in Bali, Indonesia.
In wellness & herbal healing,
Kim
JAMU was founded by Kim Collier, whose global work spans decades of spa consulting, documenting for preservation of traditions, wellness experience planning and massage education. JAMU represents Indonesian herbal healing history and body care that is as much about ritual as it is result. Botanical, sensory, and deeply intentional, each JAMU experience reflects the power of touch and the intelligence of plants, with Balinese Massage as the foundation for offerings within the healing art of JAMU.
