Some swear by it, others swear at it – alternative treatments and therapies tend to spark intense debate between supporters and detractors. Also known as traditional or complementary treatments, it covers practices not within mainstream or Western healthcare – think body movement therapies like yoga or tai-chi as well as herbal remedies.
On the one hand, many of these treatments and remedies have not been scientifically proven, while plenty of traditional or herbal health products have been tested unsafe for consumption, on the other hand, alternative healthcare is establishing more legitimacy. In Malaysia, traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) has been recognised as part of the national healthcare system, with regulatory measures enforced upon T&CM practitioners and services since 1 March 2021. This includes traditional Malay medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Indian medicine, homoeopathy, chiropractic, osteopathy, and Islamic medical practices.
According to market research firm Euromonitor International, the Covid-19 pandemic has catalysed sales of herbal or traditional consumer health products in Southeast Asia – it is expected to grow by a CAGR of 5% to 2025 in real terms, mainly driven by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
One festival in Malaysia seeks to unite all its practitioners as divisive as alternative treatments can be. MurFest, an annual wellness and lifestyle festival, has been bringing together practitioners and trainers of complementary therapies from all over the world for a 3-day-2-night retreat in Klang Valley. Its trainer-led sessions include meditation, breathwork, movement-based therapy, nutrition, Pranic Healing, sound healing, yoga and pilates.
Shobie Malani, the co-founder of MurFest, is no stranger to the doubt surrounding alternative treatments. But the event management entrepreneur believes in creating a “safe space” for the practitioners of these complementary therapies.
She chats with Asia Connects about how she navigated the challenging beginnings of MurFest and the stark evolution that the alternative wellness space has seen in recent years.
Asia Connects: What was your journey with alternative treatment?
So, off I went to Bali, and it was by chance that I stumbled upon something called the Bali Spirit Festival (an annual music, dance and yoga festival held in Ubud). There, I was introduced to aromatherapy with essential oils. I found much healing, so I kept practising it. And within three months of returning from Bali, I conceived! We went on to have our first child.
So, if you ask me about alternative therapy, I’m a big fan. I don’t condemn modern medication. I feel that Asians have such a rich cultural heritage of alternative therapy, but we don’t take it seriously. We seem to be struggling to accept the culture and the gifts that our forefathers, our nenek moyang (ancestors), have given us. That’s why I felt the need to start a wellness festival in Malaysia that brings together trainers of different alternative therapy modalities. They have these ‘gifts’ to share with people. And it is not something forbidden or undoable. We are talking about simple practices like Reiki healing, EFT (emotional freedom technique), energy healing, and so on.
AC: How did the concept and name for MurFest come about?
Shobie: The festival was conceptualised in 2011. Attending the Bali Spirit Festival made me realise what was lacking in Malaysia – a safe space for people to explore different treatment modalities, whether for emotional health or physical and mental wellness. So, I aimed to bring people from all walks of life together over a three-day weekend retreat, where you could bring your family and make it a whole family affair.
The name of the festival was initially the Malaysian Urban Retreat Festival. As the years went by, we no longer wanted to limit it to just ‘Malaysian’. We attract many overseas participants and trainers and want our brand to expand to other countries. So we rebranded to MurFest by our third or fourth year.
AC: How was it like getting MurFest off the ground?
While getting government support was great, we still needed funding. In the first year, we had to raise about RM200,000 to get the festival up and running. That was a big challenge.
AC: It cost RM208.93 for an all-access pass to over 100 workshops in the 2019 festival, right? Why not raise the price if it does not cover the cost?
AC: So, how did you raise the money?
AC: How the tables have turned, indeed! How have your fundraising strategies evolved?
AC: So brands not usually associated with health and wellness are also tapping into the market?
The pandemic drove many human resources managers to realise how vital is their staff’s mental and physical wellness, so we run training on stress management and behavioural programmes. We have also started branching out into conducting corporate sessions. All in all, the awareness and interest in the complementary treatment space have grown tremendously.
AC: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected MurFest and its trajectory?
We want to create a safe space and a catalyst for both a parent and child to be able to talk while the right kind of people can sit with them and help them through it. That means many dialogue sessions with trainers, clinical doctors, and non-clinical practitioners about psychology – especially between parents and children. This will be our aim for this year and the next.
AC: How did the pandemic spark this new focus of MurFest?
AC: On that note, can you tell us more about how you stay mentally resilient amidst juggling entrepreneurship – which we know can be demanding – and family obligations?
