The Grand Finale of Spa Treatments

written January 22, 2008:

Today is Jan 22. I have been here for just over 2 weeks now, doing my job ‘training’ and I just counted…Since I arrived, I have received 30 various spa treatments. Let me name just few…Thai massage, Thai herbal massage, hot stone massage, lymph drainage massage, oriental scalp massage, craniosacral, guided meditation, laser skin rejuvenation, personal stretching session, body cocoon, floatation spa, detox bath, herbal facial, reflexology, reiki, acupuncture, accelerated body shaping therapy (as you can imagine, from all of this hard work, I’m too tired to explain that one right now…), energy healing, personal training session, flower remedy session… and that’s just a partial list. Well today was the big day. It was the last day of my strenuous ‘training’ schedule, and I think they must have saved the best for last…

You might think that after receiving as many massages as I have in the last two weeks that one might become immune to the oohhh’s and aahhh’s of getting a massage. (Well, I sadly admit that on some days, that kinda of happened. It was just another thing I had to do for an hour, and then I’d go off to lunch and soon forget that I had just had a spectacular massage.) Well not today. This one will be a hard one to forget…

It was called, “South Indian Body Pampering.” It is considered the ‘most indulgent experience’ offered here at the resort…and when this place is all about indulgence, you can only imagine what ‘the most indulgent’ indulgence must be. Well, imagine no longer… I am escorted by the massage therapist down the spa hallway in my robe and slippers as I have everyday for the past two weeks, and enter into one of the over 40 massage rooms. But when I arrive, there are already 2 other therapists in the room. ‘Hmm, interesting,’ I thought. I lie down on the table and the heaven begins…

One woman is on my right. One is on my left. Simultaneously they start pouring warm aromatic oil into my hands, which immediately makes every muscle in my body let go. For the next hour, one works on my left and the other on my right, continuing to pour hot oil over me as they go, making every stroke exactly in step with each other. Meanwhile, a third therapist spreads powdered Ayurvedic herbs all over my body, resulting in a full body exfoliation. Before flipping over to have this entire indulgence repeated on my front side, they cover me in steamed herb-infused towels for a few minutes…just in case I haven’t relaxed enough?! It was utterly amazing. Talk about indulgence. The sense of relaxation was beyond any massage I have ever had…..and to no surprise, I am now off to bed for a long deep sleep, too zen-ed out to type anymore. Good night!