At Auntie’s Store, a provision shop in Block 739 Yishun Avenue 5, customers can buy groceries and snacks, but one thing is free of charge — a traditional massage by its owners.
Between customers, Mr Lim Yow Hoon and his wife provide Yuen Shi Dian massages, also known as Origin Point Therapy, to residents in the neighbourhood.
Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture, the massage technique targets specific pressure points in the body to treat various ailments. But this traditional healing method is slowly losing touch in today’s modern society.
Mr Lim hopes to change that.
The 61-year-old runs weekly classes to teach anyone willing to learn the skill, and is keeping this traditional craft alive, one free massage at a time.
At Auntie’s Store, business has noticeably slowed ever since the convenience stores and 24-hour mini-marts arrived around the corner, said Madam Lo Moi Kee, 55.
She wistfully explains that both her daughter and son have no interest in taking over Auntie’s Store, having chosen to focus on their white collar careers.
“Back when they were still studying, my children would come by the store during their holidays to accompany me. I still remember which toys and snacks were their favourites.”
More Than A Provision Shop
A curious sight lies beyond rows of snacks and trinkets at their provision shop — a makeshift massage table made with planks of spare wood fitted together by hand and padded with thin cushions. The last plank is a moving piece propped up by a plastic stool.
The couple has been the proud owner of the shop for close to three decades.
But after reading a brochure about Yuen Shi Dian in a TCM shop, Mr Lim started devoting his time to mastering the technique and now takes it upon himself to help those in need.
“It’s a form of treatment that targets different pressure points and relieves pain associated with various physical ailments, it’s very popular among the old folks in the area.”
When Auntie’s Store eventually shutters for good, Madam Lo says that she and her husband will spend all their time teaching and practicing Yuen Shi Dian — their way of serving the community.
Said Madam Lo: “When my husband started learning, he always used me as a test subject. I started out a little skeptical but after the first few sessions, I could feel the aches in my back go away.”
She now assists her husband when he gives massages, but can also play masseuse independently in Mr Lim’s absence.
Wide Appeal
One of their regulars is Madam Halimah Abu Bakar. The 78-year-old lives in the block where Auntie’s Store is located, and makes time for a session everyday.
“She has been coming for over a year because of a sharp pain in her knees that makes walking difficult. But on days when it’s bearable, she tries not to head down for fear of troubling us,” said Madam Lo.
The duo’s faith in the treatment extends to terminal illnesses as well.
When Mr Lim’s 86-year-old mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, he convinced his siblings that Yuen Shi Dian was the best intermediary method between a risky operation and a lifetime of expensive medication.
“I’m not saying everyone should stop taking medicine and just go for Yuen Shi Dian massages, but in my mother’s case, we’ve seen improvements in her condition in the past half a year.”
His children had their doubts too, but Mr Lim’s vast knowledge of the practise and compassion to help others eventually won them over.
Once, his daughter returned from a cycling trip with both arms numb from the long ride, but not after he massaged her for a few weeks using the technique.
“She became more accepting of Yuen Shi Dian after that,” he said.
Keeping Traditions Alive
Informal massage sessions at the provision shop are merely a prelude to the real deal.
The couple pulls the shutters at 6.30 pm on weekends to give free sessions for up to 25 people in their two-room HDB apartment along Yishun Street 61.
Alongside three to four volunteers who also help on weekends while studying under his wing, they sometimes teach the basics to interested customers in the two-hour long session.
Ever the handyman, Mr Lim sewed these spare cloths into rectangular packs and filled them with red beans himself. These help to keep costs low since the classes are also free – a practice aligned with the core value of Yuen Shi Dian: Having a giving spirit.
Customers who come with the sole purpose of being treated fill in a copy of a health report with their particulars and details of the physical ailment they hope to address. Number tags are also given on especially busy days to make sure sessions run systematically.
The seriousness of each customer’s ailments are first assessed and ranked from 1 to 4, with 1 being the most serious and 4 being the least. As they come regularly, these numbers change accordingly.
Mr Cheng Kiat Yan, 70, has been battling several health problems recently. But that does not stop him from making the hour-long journey from Tampines every week to receive Mr Lim’s healing touch.
“Everyone here is very patient and I really like their attitudes. It warms my heart to witness the work of people who devote their lives to the betterment of others,” he said.
While majority of his customers and students are seniors, Mr Lim has seen a small increase in the number of interested youths.
“Most of my younger customers come because they hope to pick up a few tips as caretakers to their older relatives or through word-of-mouth.”
Madam Cloris Yiew is 36, and sticks out like a sore thumb in a room full of seniors with greying hair and balding heads. The housewife and mother-of-two attended her first Yuen Shi Dian class on a friend’s recommendation.
“I’ve been having back troubles because of the long hours of housework, so I’m hoping to learn Yuen Shi Dian to remedy this myself,” she said.
She was nervous about the session due to her low tolerance for pain but her eagerness to learn pushed her to continue. Her daughter, Yu Qing, five, hopes her mother can learn the technique well and give her massages too.
Mr Lim admits that without the sustaining interest among the younger generation, Yuen Shi Dian risks fading away with the passing of seniors who practice it now.
“But it’s tough, because younger people have grown accustomed to Western medicine and are skeptical about a treatment that isn’t scientifically-proven.”
It is the couple’s greatest wish that Yuen Shi Dian will continue touching the lives of others, as it has touched theirs.
This photo story is written by Clara Lee and Leanne Chua from This Is Yishun, a photo exhibition organised by students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.
