A Journey Into the Philippines’ Traditional Healing Practices

The Philippines is known for its wellness heritage that blends natural herbs and traditional therapies, which together offer great health benefits. At the heart of these Filipino wellness practices lies Hilot, a healing art practiced for generations. It is rooted in the magic of touch and local remedies. 

The Farm at San Benito promotes the Filipino brand of wellness by offering such traditional wellness therapies in a world-class setting. The Farm thoughtfully pairs these old wellness techniques with sustainable, homegrown ingredients like medicinal herbs and virgin coconut oil to ensure that guests get to experience the authentic Filipino healing with modern comfort and care.

How Hilot Heals You?

Hilot is a traditional Filipino healing technique that helps individuals restore balance within their bodies. It involves a range of therapeutic massages, herbal remedies, and treatments that promote the body’s ability to heal itself. This not only targets physical health but also focuses on achieving emotional and spiritual balance for one’s overall well-being. 

Professionals who perform Hilot are known as ‘Manghihilot’ and have deep expertise in joint manipulation, massages, therapies, and treatments that promote healing.  Hilot begins with assessment, where the professionals check for knots, stagnation, and areas of heat or coolness. Based on this assessment, they perform suitable massage movements or apply warm compresses with the right herbs. These massages help ease muscle tension, stimulate blood circulation and lymph flow, and calm the nervous system, allowing your body to reset and restore.

Hilot-Inspired Spa Treatments at the Farm at San Benito 

The Farm at San Benito, a renowned wellness resort in the Philippines, offers a wide range of therapies and spa treatments inspired by traditional Hilot healing therapy. Each one is carefully designed to offer maximum relaxation and is performed by experienced professionals. 

• Tres Banyus Lunas: This spa treatment is mainly focused on herbal remedies to address specific conditions or illnesses. It involves herbal bath, herbal steaming, and a Hilot Tapal Massage. Tapal is basically a warm wrap filled with medicinal herbs that promote healing. The massage is paired with a cup of hot salabat tea that has soothing properties. It is suitable for those seeking detox and relief from body heaviness.
• Hilot Lakambini: Named after Goddess Lakambini, who is associated with throat diseases and good health, this treatment is specially designed for women. It involves therapies and treatments that help women achieve hormonal balance and promote their overall well-being. Not only this, but Hilot Lakambini also highlights intuitive pressure, abdominal work, and thoughtfully chosen local herbs that soothe and support cyclical balance and deep rest.
• Hilot Lakan: This treatment is specially curated for men, focusing on their overall wellness. It helps promote hormonal balance and improves vitality. It involved firm yet focused strokes to reduce stiffness across the back and legs, along with herbal applications to calm your body, improve circulation, and boost energy. 
• Hilot Kasuyo: In Filipino, Kasuyo means lover or sweetheart. That’s exactly where the name of ‘Hilot Kasuyo’ comes from. This spa treatment is designed for couples seeking connection, romance, and wellness. It involves a luxurious cacao and coconut bath, which provides a relaxing experience. Cacao has mood-enhancing and stress-reducing properties, whereas coconut oil offers deep hydration and protection to the skin. 
• Hilot Haplos: This is a great therapy for guests focusing on self-care and wellness. It combines a coconut body scrub with a traditional Hilot massage. The body scrub exfoliates your skin and prepares it to absorb the virgin coconut oil applied during the massage, which hydrates your skin from within and leaves a healthy glow. 
• Hilot Pandanggo: This Hilot therapy primarily focuses on improving muscle health and flexibility. It is based on a dry massage technique that stimulates foot reflexes, enhances flexibility, includes gentle stretching to release tension, and boosts muscle health. 
• Hampol: This is another soothing Hilot therapy that involves a herbal massage done using herbal compresses enriched with local herbs with medicinal benefits. This massage can help improve blood circulation, ease aches, and promote restful sleep.
• Hilot Musmos: This Hilot therapy is specially designed for infants. It involves a gentle massage that boosts digestion, immune health, and circulation, and provides relief from gas and bloating. 

How do Local Medicinal Herbs and Virgin Coconut Oil Benefit You?

Hilot is not just a massage but involves the use of local medicinal herbs and virgin coconut oil, having multiple health benefits. These natural elements are combined with specific Filipino massage techniques to improve circulation, reduce muscle tension, and provide ultimate relaxation to your body, mind, and spirit. Here’s how these medicinal herbs and virgin coconut oil enrich Hilot therapy:

Medicinal herbs: Traditional medicinal plants such as lagundi, sambong, ginger, lemongrass, etc, are commonly used in teas, warm compresses, baths, and steams. They may help ease respiratory discomfort, calm aches, reduce puffiness, and support natural detox processes. When paired with heat and massage, herbal actives penetrate more effectively, enhancing comfort and recovery.

Virgin Coconut Oil: The skin benefits of virgin coconut oil are not hidden from anyone. It is rich in skin-loving fatty acids and helps keep the moisture locked within the skin, reducing roughness and smoothing your skin for massages. It can even be used as an everyday oil for those with sensitive skin. 

The combination of warm hands, professionally applied strokes, wraps/steams of medicinal herbs, and heat-based therapies calms your nervous system. These Hilot therapies, combined with herbs, make your body shift from stress to rest, giving the ultimate relaxation you might be seeking. 

Elevate Your Wellness Journey With the Farm 

Wellness travelers seeking an authentic Filipino healing experience with luxury accommodation options and premium facilities must consider visiting the Farm at San Benito. The Farm offers a wide range of Hilot-inspired massages and spa treatments that are perfect for

• Busy professionals who want to feel lighter and calm their nervous system
• Individuals seeking deeper sleep and relief from muscle stiffness and travel fatigue
• Couples and families looking for shared wellness experiences rooted in nature

The Farm at San Benito is redefining the Filipino brand of wellness for the world by combining the age-old healing therapies of the Philippines with modern luxury. The Farm curates Hilot-inspired therapies with medicinal herbs and virgin coconut oil, making these treatments deeply effective and soothing. 

Whether you are seeking hormonal balance, stress relief, better sleep, or meaningful connection, The Farm’s wellness experiences allow you to slow down and let your body learn how to heal itself. Taking the Filipino brand of wellness to new heights, The Farm at San Benito is your ultimate destination for a relaxing weekend getaway or a staycation just to focus on yourself.