East Meets West

Spa Palmera embraces Ayurvedic principles with its immersive abhyanga massage experience.

The Abhyanga Massage defies all logic. How could a massage that’s not a traditional Swedish one relax my muscles so well? Even more, how does a non-deep-tissue massage get out all the knots in my shoulders and neck? Lastly, how does this massage detox me and circulate fluid without being a traditional lymphatic drainage treatment? The answer I discovered after a 90-minute abhyanga treatment at Spa Palmera? It’s backed by thousands of years of wellness practices. Part of Spa Palmera’s suite of Ayurvedic treatments found on its Wellness Collection menu, the abhyanga experience may have been new to me but not to the entire world.

This specific massage is under the umbrella of Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic system originating in India 5,000 years ago. And to this day, it stands the test of time. Ayurveda—a polysyllabic word that surprisingly rolls off the tongue easily after a few tries— is a widely practiced health discipline in India and Nepal, and it is making deep footholds in the Western Hemisphere. The goal of an Ayurvedic practitioner is to create balance and well-being using a combination of physical, psychological, and spiritual techniques. If you’re feeling a little too anxious (like me), then a specific Ayurvedic approach can bring a sense of calm in your (er, my) life. And the best part? You don’t need a prescription for it.

The earmarks of an abhyanga massage include using warm, herb-infused oil that’s selected based off your dosha—Ayurvedic jargon to describe three fundamental energy principles believed to govern the body’s functions, mind, and overall health. Each person is said to have their unique combination of the three doshas that make up their specific Ayurvedic constitution, a blueprint to achieve optimal health. And practices like the abhyanga massage target your individual dosha. Ahead of my abhyanga massage, I spoke with two experts in the field of essential oils and Ayurvedic medicine. After hearing their perspectives after decades of practice and teaching, let’s just say my doshas were bouncing around. “In India, this was the medicine 5,000 years ago,” says Ashish Pandya, an Ayurvedic and well – ness coach. “Back then, Indians were not taking pills. Instead, they were using medicinal herbs and oils to heal the body through the skin.” Pandya also doubles up as the Vice President of Education and Training for Shankara, the award-winning skin care brand used in Spa Palmera’s Ayurvedic treatments. For the oils used in the abhyanga massage, Spa Palmera therapists use Shankara’s products, which include herbs that are infused with the oil for, at minimum, four days.

In addition, high-vibrational sounds are played as the oils are being made and stored, which has been said to reduce stress, improve sleep, relieve pain, enhance relaxation, and promote a general sense of well-being. “Our goal is to put positive messages and in – fused positive energy in our products, which will hopefully translate directly to the user,” says Gina Preziosa, Shankara’s Vice President of Sales.

When it was time for my treatment, I had a basic understanding of what to expect. But the actual, real-life experience was beyond anything words, literature and conversation with experts could have prepared me for. After arriving 30 minutes ahead of my massage, I found a spot in Spa Palmera’s sauna, which allowed my skin’s pores to open and accept more of the essential oils that I was going to be lathered with in T-minus 30 minutes. My therapist met me in the Great Hall and walked me to the treatment room. After smelling three distinct oils and selecting the one that appealed to me, it was time to experience balance and well-being. The abhyanga massage is unlike anything I had experienced before. The massage begins with a ritual of ringing a bell three times, which promotes relaxation and energy flow.

Sweeping, rhythmic strokes from an experienced massage therapist create a light friction that allows the oil to penetrate through the skin and become absorbed in the joints and tissues. My entire body was worked over, from scalp to feet. Though the therapist follows a tried-and-true choreographed massage treatment (personalizing the pressure, rhythm, and oil based off my dosha), we were allowed moments of freestyle to work on some key areas that were definitely throwing off my dosha. My shoulders and neck were the main benefactors of this freestyle. With each stroke, I melted into the massage table, becoming one with it as I sank deeper and deeper during my relaxed state. At the end of the 90 minutes, I felt calm and balanced. Less stressed, even. Now that definitely defies logic.