By Catherine Wargo
Spa addicts have watched while trends in the industry come and go. Massage cupping? I tried it and had bruises to show for it. Brown sugar as an exfoliant? My feet smelled like candy. Antioxidant pomegranate face mask? Didn’t work magic. So I think that a thorough examination of the current “it” spa treatment is in order. That’s right, it’s ayurveda.
Ayurveda is an alternative medicine developed in India over 3000 years ago. Obviously, something that is that complicated and historical cannot be condensed into an hour-long spa treatment. Thus, how can ayurvedic spas in the Western world claim authenticity? The following is a brief explanation and some standards that you can use to decide how authentic or desirable an ayurvedic spa might be for you.
One of the basic principles of Ayurveda involves the doshas, or three biological forces that govern all life processes. Every human being is some unique combination of the three doshas, and ayurvedic medicine is about bringing these into balance. The imbalance of doshas is the source of injury and disease. Treating the individual in order to balance their doshas includes addressing everything from diet and exercise to family and work environments. Again, you can see how difficult it would be to replicate this practice in a day spa treatment.
The three doshas are vata, pitta, and kapha. By reading the following descriptions, you will probably identify with one. But it takes an ayurvedic practitioner to properly diagnose your dominant dosha and your unique combination of the recessive doshas.
Vata is characterized by movement. Its elements are wind and space. Someone with an excess of vata is someone with high energy levels who can’t sit still or pay attention to any one thing at a time. Restlessness and agitation rule this person. Their body type is thin and light, and they are quick with movements and thoughts.
Pitta is characterized by fire, it is strong and determined. Someone with an excess of pitta can be overbearing or aggressive. They tend to be leaders, and discipline and responsibility come naturally for them. The body type for pitta is muscular and strong.
Kapha is characterized by water and earth. This person is stable and resilient. They have a heavier frame and more sluggish metabolism and may struggle with weight gain. When balanced, kapha acts as a regulator or anchor for the other two doshas.
Certain ingredients are recommended to balance dominant doshas. If Kapha is in excess, ingredients like ginger, bergamot, and citrus are used. For an excess of Vata, flaxmeal, cypress, or rosewood may be indicated. If Pitta is dominant, a practitioner may use pumpkin, black pepper, or tumeric.
Ayurvedic living includes a detailed analysis of your dosha makeup and adjustments in your life based on that diagnosis. Courses of eating and exercise, along with massage, yoga, and other body treatments are recommended. That’s the part that lends well to spas. But to lead your life according to ayurveda can mean adhering to strict dietary restrictions, including colonics and induced vomiting, as well as nasal administration of herbal therapies and bloodletting. These treatments are not found on your average spa menu.
Shirodhara is a treatment that involves drizzling warm oil for a prolonged period of time on the “third eye” to calm the central nervous system and reduce stress.
Ayurvedic spas offer only a tiny glimpse into the ayurvedic lifestyle. The most popular treatments are the ayurvedic oil massage and swedana karma, or sweat therapy. Swedana is meant to liquefy and loosen the toxins in the body so that any imbalance of doshas can leave the body more easily through opened channels. Traditionally, this can be induced by a number of different methods, including application of hot poultices to certain areas of the body or medicated steam being forced through the sinuses. In a spa setting, this basically breaks down to prolonged use of the steam room for fifteen minutes or more. Ayurvedic oil massage is meant to loosen toxins from the patient’s muscle tissue and encourage the movement of those toxins to the digestive system and intestines where they can be eliminated. In a spa, the client will have a massage focusing on head, hands, and feet, possibly with scented oil that has scents customized to their proposed dosha.
If you want to get an authentic treatment, do some research into the spa’s menu. Call the spa and ask questions. Your adherence to authenticity is up to you. After much research, it appears that if any of us want a true course of ayurvedic therapy, no ordinary spa will do. A round-trip plane ticket to India? That’s more like it.
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