Gifted Hands Writing, Editor

The spa experience can be a deeply spiritual and healing experience, that often leaves resort-goers coming back for more. Massage in particular, is a powerful healing touch that results in increased physical and mental health for both the receiver and the giver. Spa treatments:

Ø      Relieves stress, tension, fatigue, and anxiety are reduced

Ø      Increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood

Ø      Loosens contracted muscles

Ø      Stimulates sluggish muscles

Ø      Balances the nervous system

Ø      Helps break up and facilitates elimination of the waste products or harmful toxins that build up in overworked muscle tissue

Ø      Improves circulation to internal organs

Ø      Improves circulation to the skin

Ø      Helps the body to release endorphins (chemicals that relieve pain)

Spas offer deliciously enticing, seemingly infinite possibilities for wellness. Visitors look for memorable experiences with enduring benefits.

Here are some tips for spa etiquette:

Leave your Luggage Behind

Some of you seek resort treatments as a way of escaping or leaving behind a troubled past, a tragic incident, or overcoming the humdrum of daily existence.  Leave these behind when you are receiving your Ayurveda massage. Don’t let your mind be troubled by your emotional luggage when the therapist is at work.  Be ready to fully absorb the therapeutic effects of massage. If you leave your emotional luggage behind at least momentarily, you will have a refreshed perspective to handle what awaits you when you return to your home base.

Location, Location, Location:  Choose the Right Spa

 Are you looking for a resort in a bustling type of urban environment or in a remote secluded area? Whenever possible try to look at the menu before you book your appointment. Ask as many questions as you can, about the massage, about its benefits, and what is expected of you as a client. This can clarify many cultural barriers and miscommunications during the massage treatment.

Don’t be misled by the fact that the bigger the resort and fancier the building that the treatments are better. Not necessarily. Sometimes the smaller resorts may offer quality and personalized services as well.

Know what to Expect

Destination spas offer lifestyle transformation and typically suggest a three-seven days stay. You will find comprehensive programs that include healing services, physical fitness activities, wellness seminars, healthful cuisine, and special interest options. If you are looking to focus on weight loss activate a fitness regimen; or if you are seeking guidance on fertility treatments then bring that up during the initial physician consultation.

Ayurveda resorts usually provide you with a relaxed atmosphere, few decisions to make, and plenty of group camaraderie. You will find most resorts  to be quite exotic. They offer exceptional ambience and ancillary facilities of healthy indulgence and transformation.

Choose the Right Treatment

If you are not sure what kind of service to select, then start simply, by requesting a custom massage or facial. That way you will be assured a face-to-face discussion of your needs with the doctor or therapist who will help determine what is best for you at that moment. For example it is inadvisable to receive a deep skin cleansing, waxing, or peel on a day you have sunburn. If you would like to try a combo-package instead of one long treatment, mention this beforehand. A taste of a  25 minutes salt scrub, 25-minute massage, and a 25-minute facial can give you samples of different treatments.

When Possible Soak Before getting a Massage

Warm muscles – from a shower, sea bath, sauna, or hot bath make you relaxed and pliable. To get the best of a massage start your massage with hydrotherapy.  Thus, you are starting with heat  and ending on a cool note. This creates a type of vascular gymnastics that prepares the body for deeper assimilation during a massage session.

Eat Lightly Before Receiving a Massage Treatment

Spa cognoscenti generally agree that you should not eat a big meal immediately before heading to the resort, but a light meal two hours before is fine. Getting a massage is a lot like exercising, in that the blood flow is increased to the muscles and extremities of the body. The reason massage is so detoxifying  is because of this increased blood flow. When you are digesting food the blood flow is diverted to your internal organs and the amount of fresh, oxygenating blood reaching the muscles is diminished. 

Follow up with Aftercare

Downtime after a treatment is essential. Some Ayurveda resorts provide divine après-service lounges to entice post-treatment lingering. While keeping products used in the massage treatment on your body can be helpful it is important to follow the instructions given to you by your therapist. When it comes to keeping aromatic massage oil on or showering it off for example, it depends on the oil. Some oils are gentle enough that the aromatherapy can be enjoyed for hours after the treatment. Other oils may be irritating to the skin or too potent to leave on for an extended period of time.  Again, check with your Ayurveda therapist at the resort you are in.

Depending on the resort facilities you can also continue resort experience with a water and steam circuit. Moist heat application has many benefits both pre and post treatment. It softens the muscles, soothes the mind, and helps to detoxify the body by bringing out impurities through the pores. Besides, lounging after a treatment prolongs the delight of visiting an Ayurveda resort and being pampered in luxury.

Request an Outdoor Massage

Sure, there are those who prefer the perfection of meticulously controlled treatment rooms where light, sound, scent, and temperature are impeccably planed for individual comfort; but if you are looking for vagaries of serendipity the outdoor sounds of crows cawing or a bird hopping will enhance the massage experience.  Suffice to say there is just something particularly pleasing about an outdoor massage.

Receiving an outdoor Ayurveda massage on the beach can be a sublime experience. Try it. Indulge yourself and ask for a massage by the waters. You are so close to the crystalline Indian Ocean that you can hear gentle lapping as the water touches the shore. You are unlikely to forget the “sea-therapy” experience.

Developing Trust with a Therapist

Fundamental to any positive spa experience is trust wit your therapist, which can get tricky sometimes. Trust is necessary for relaxation and dictates receptivity to a treatment’s benefits and the extent to which a therapist can be effective. As with any relationship communication is vital, and there should be an open dialogue at the outset about specific concerns and expectations. Honesty and respect are key components in starting and building this bond.

Communicate your needs upfront. Being specific about your needs can prevent cultural miscommunications. For example if you are claustrophobic, want a same-sex provider, or prefer a clothes-on treatment instead of being nude, you should mention it at the time of booking. On the other hand if you are adventurous, feel free to experiment, and would like to “go with the flow” of things, then don’t say a thing.

Give your Mouth a Rest

Receiving a massage is about “down-time.” It is a form of meditation which allows you to seek an inner catharsis. It is a matter of personal preference whether or not you should be talking with your therapist during a massage. However, in order to get the most of a massage treatment, avoid being overly talkative. It draws some of the massage power away from you.