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For that `spa special' feel

Spas are getting popular with people craving for royal treatment for good money. Priyadarsshini Sharma visits a few spas in the city

HIGH COMFORT ZONE Beauty treatment, yoga and massage are popular in the new spas Photo: mahesh Harilal

Kingly in Kochi? Well, that's how you will feel anywhere in GOC (God's Own Country). But to give you that heavenly, heavenly experience step into any of the few spas in the city. Here pampering takes on a whole new meaning. The Serena spa at boutique hotel, Koder House and the Tamara at hotel Taj Malabar are virtual temples of mind, body rejuvenation leaving you in a beatific state of bliss. It is relaxation of the highest order, it is personalised care and service fit for the Gods and we are no lesser mortals there.

Says Shiraz, in charge of the Serena spa, "A spa is for complete rejuvenation and pampering. We do not offer any curative therapy but the aroma oils and the herbal pastes we use have definite holistic properties. Here we have combined both the Indian and Western therapies to provide that out-of-the-world experience."

So as you enter the precincts of the Serena spa steeped in gentle fragrance of oils and herbs you are welcomed by the traditional namaste. That wins you over and right away you experience a tiredness meltdown. You are attended to by a staff of lissom ladies and well appointed masseurs to rid your body of the pain and the aches, of the dullness and grime, of the dry dermis and the cracked soles. `As you like it' is the by-word here and `indulge' is with a capital I. So like the king and his favourite queen enjoy Serena Spa's romantic massage, `Adam and Eve Serenity' (Rs.2, 200), made especially for couples. Specially blended oils massaged skilfully will rid the body of stress and induce a relaxed mood. Sandal incense will spark the fire and the 50-minute massage will ensure that the couple is in a perfect ambiance to de-stress. Soothing hot stone massage, which is the application of aromatherapy oils with river stones that have healing properties, will rid you of that nagging ache and routine induced claustrophobia. Feel the stress drain out from the neck and shoulders after a regular `kalari' massage (Rs.950). Nagged by computer driven neck and shoulder pain, Aparna Govind found lasting relief. Said she, "This is the first time that I have used the services offered at the spa and I felt extremely pampered. It is the technique of massage, the hand skills and the pressure at certain points in the body that makes all the difference."

The `Padabhyanga' (Rs.850) relieves tired feet. On the Body Works menu enjoy the Udvarthina (Rs.700) or herbal body scrub. This uses a herbal powder made of green gram and sandalwood. A Coconut Delight hydrates dry hair and body. The slenderising Spirulina Wrap costs Rs.1, 600 and is for 90 minutes. It uses spirulina, vitamins, minerals and enzymes harvested from pure salt lakes in the country to revitalise face and body. In the beauty care line there are facials to rejuvenate and the Serena Spa packages offer wholesome de-stress solutions. Herbal tea is served as a welcome drink.

Another line of international therapy available at the Serena Spa is Decleor treatments. This offers highly specialised beauty treatments like aromaplasty, which is a 100 per cent natural treatment that addresses all major skin imbalances.

At the Tamara, the spa by the Infinity pool at hotel Taj Malabar, relaxation is redefined. Tamara that was the first spa in the city and the only one, for the last four years, is soon to give way to Jiva spa, which will be the signature spa of the Taj group. Along with water-based therapies, the Jiva spa will have a beauty salon, fitness centre, yoga and Ayurveda. As of now Tamara offers you all this. So while you soak your feet for a pedicure you can also be a part of a long term Ayurvedic therapy. Both long and short-term Ayurvedic treatments are available.

Ayurvedic treatment

"We have two types of clients, those who are the hotel guests for a long period and the locals who come in just for a beauty treatment. We have a 21-day treatment for arthritis, psoriasis, sinusitis and stress management. The cost is all included in the hotel package," says Dr. Abhilash who mans the Ayurvedic treatment centre at the spa. Ashish, Manager of Tamara says, "In the beauty salon we offer different kinds of treatments. It is totally different from the regular Ayurvedic massages. We have deep tissue Swedish massage that is a hard massage. Then there is the Thai massage. We have more of the European treatments here. The facials are especially made for the Taj salons." The Jacuzzi, the seaside pool, massage suite, steam rooms all spell princely pampering.

But the spas in the city have yet to get more local patronage and have remained very touristy like the spa concept that's foreign. Ayurvedic spas that combine the goodness of Ayurveda with water based healing treatments offer total curative properties and have little to do with beauty treatments. Pampering is only secondary to healing there. But all these spas, whether Ayurvedic or for sheer pampering the body, uphold Dhanwantri's mantra, "Body first, before all other worldly achievements."

Healing waters

The modern spa is descended from the ancient practice of bathing in hot springs and mineral waters. This dates at least to the Babylonians and Greeks.

Some say the origin of the word `spa' comes from the Belgian town of Spa, known since Roman times for its baths. They speculate that the town was so prominent that the very word spa became synonymous in the English language with a place to be restored and pampered.

Others speculate it may be an acronym for the Latin phrase `sanitas per aquas' - health through water.

In the 19th century, Europe's great spas were destinations for the wealthy, who went there to `take the waters.' Water treatments are still considered the heart of the spa experience in Europe. Massages and facials are by far the most popular spa treatments in America.

(From the Net)

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