Ayurveda on me
What’s the best way to treat a tired and weary self? Have a massage.
I did just that, traveling to Kerala in
Ayurveda — a Sanskrit word meaning “science of life” — is
Illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, kidney stones, obesity, insomnia, migraine, rheumatism, bronchitis, depression and others are all treated with Ayurveda.
A complete ayurvedic treatment requires three weeks to three months (or longer) of daily therapy but since we could not do that, we opted for a one-time session, which was basically one of their soothing, calming massages.
After a short assessment by the in-house ayurvedic doctors or vaidyar, the fully-trained therapist prepares the oils and herbs as prescribed by the vaidyar. (I wanted something that would heal and soothe my lower back).
My therapist was named “Princie,” a wisp of a girl with smiling eyes.
Princie asked me to strip naked and she gave me a tiny piece of loincloth to cover the essential body parts. (This was the first culture “shock” for me.)
Princie began with a silent prayer — a wish that she may provide “healing” and contribute to my well being — before she poured a generous amount of heated oil that completely drenched my head and streamed down to my shoulders and chest.
With a firm hand, she applied pressure on my shoulders, making a figure eight on my chest before going up the shoulders and down to my arms and fingertips. She repeated this motion for several minutes maintaining a steady pressure throughout.
Princie then asked me to lie facedown on a wooden table and more oil was poured on my entire back down to the tip of my toes until I was completely soaked to the skin. She then applied the same steady pressure to my back traveling down to my toes in one smooth and firm sweep.
The continuous movement of Princie’s hands had a rhythmic, sleep-inducing effect that physically pushed out all kinds of negative energy releasing muscle tension and increasing blood circulation.
Before long, my breathing slowed down and I fell asleep.
I lost track of time until Princie gave me a soft tap on my shoulders.
It was time to take a shower.
Princie wiped the oil off my feet and helped me get down from the table as she led me to an adjoining bathroom where she asked me to sit on a stool. She prepared warm water and a powdered soap and shampoo made from fresh herbs that she used on my head and the rest of my body for a good scrub and lather.
I sat motionless on the stool and felt helpless as a baby being bathed by someone else; but the feeling was pleasurable and soothing.
I smelled like fresh rain with a whiff of lime and floral scent that made me want to sleep for a hundred days.
In Coconut Lagoon, a sister hotel of Spice Village, I had another ayurvedic treatment with four hands working on me. Two therapists synchronized every stroke and turned the massage into a ballet of movements with my body as the performance area. The process was just as indulgent and enjoyable.
When we emerged from the treatment rooms, we all sported the same dreamy-eyed expression, flushed with a rosy glow.
I saw Silk Air’s manager, Kum Hoong Kong, with a big smile on his face as he approached our group, “What can you say about ayurveda?”
Just two words… “Ay sarap!”
