(Continued)

Another sign of the increasing integrity of Ayurvedic spa services is a commitment to high-quality, often organic, oils. In Ayurveda, the quality of the oils is essential to the success and therapeutic benefit of the treatment. Oil is used as a tool for detoxifying the tissues as well as conditioning the skin. For that reason, establishments like The Raj Ayurvedic Health Spa will purchase products directly from India to ensure their potency. Additionally, Ayurvedic spas and product lines like Ayoma blend dosha specific herbs into their treatments, giving clients tailor-made products for both spa and home use.

TCM-based treatments like cupping, moxibustion, and acupressure/ acupuncture facials and massage are demystifying the art and science behind this ancient healing practice and bringing its principles to a wider audience than ever before. Exhale Spa, with destinations all over the U.S., offers a full menu of acupuncture-based treatments including massage, facials, energy work, and vibrational therapy. MacDonald notes, “The most frequently heard comment from those new to acupuncture is that they wanted to explore [alternative] treatment, but they didn’t know who to trust or where to go.  Exhale provides a safe environment for our guests to explore this medicine, and the assurance of well-trained, highly skilled practitioners.”

But big city spas aren’t the only place to find these treatments—Sensibilities Day Spa in Asheville, North Carolina, has offered cupping to clients for more than three years. Gina Till, head massage therapist, says that cupping enables her regular deep tissue massage clients to get longer-lasting results. “People who used to book appointments every two weeks now come in once a month.”

Intrigued to find out for myself, I booked a half-hour cupping session with Gina. She thoroughly explained the process—much like a deep tissue massage, tissues are warmed with the hands and oil, then the cups are applied. The ‘cups’ are actually glass or plastic domes. The more traditional glass form uses a flame to create a vacuum in the cup, which is then placed upon the skin. The negative pressure in the cup draws the skin and tissues up, promoting circulation, breaking up adhesions and releasing tension—literally sucking away stress and stiffness. The plastic cups use a mechanical pump to create the suction, and can therefore be significantly more intense. Depending on your body type and threshold for pain, one or the other is usually a clear favorite. After a generous half-hour of placing and sliding the cups in particularly tense spots all over my back and shoulders, I left with a touch of redness, a little soreness, but full range of motion in my neck and shoulders, something that had been missing for months! 

Another ancient Chinese healing tradition that is showing up on spa menus is moxibustion. “Moxa” as it is affectionately referred to for short, is the application of heat, by way of a burning herb, to various points on the body. Theoretically similar to acupressure and acupuncture, moxa works   with   heat   and   the   qi-stimulating scent of the herb, to energize and balance the body’s energy. Cleveland’s Oaks Botanical Spa offers a one-hour full-body moxibustion treatment to release blocked qi, balance yin and yang, and energize the organs related to the body’s meridians. This gentle, warming treatment is a great option for the needle phobic and is safe enough for savvy clients to perform on themselves at home.

Clearly, both acupuncture and Ayurveda have much to teach us about health, wellness, and balance. Thankfully, spas are becoming much more savvy and results-oriented with their treatments, providing both the uninitiated and the experienced client with a trustworthy, safe, and luxurious avenue for sampling the breadth of these ancient arts. Their holistic approach and emphasis on balance further provides an alternative perspective to our Western tendency to max out every minute of our day and their myriad benefits are evident in skin-tone, stress level, and spirit.

Spa at Home

Moxibustion for a Restful Mind

Compliments of Josh Herr, L.Ac., Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic

You’ll need:

    1-2 moxa sticks, preferably smokeless, available online or from an acupunturist’s office

    a lighter

    a jar of salt or sand (to extinguish the moxa)

    a calm, quiet environment

Light each moxa stick until the ends glow red. Sit cross-legged (Indian style), barefoot, on a cushion or mat on the floor. Find K1, also called gushing spring, located at the base of the ball of the foot, in the little crease about two finger-widths below the base of the second toe. In each hand, hold the hot moxa an inch or so away from the surface of the skin over this point. Move the sticks away from your foot as the heat becomes more intense, gently tapping off ash as it accumulates to expose the red tip. Continue applying the heat to this point for 15–20 minutes.

Benefits: “Applying moxa heat to K1 provides a very relaxing effect, which roots the spirits and calms excessive mental activity which may be causing headaches or poor sleep.”

Treatment Profiles

Acu-Lift Facial
Exhale Spa, Boston, MA (with other locations across the U.S.) 
Combining the spa’s signature facial with a 60-minute acupuncture session, the Acu-Lift Facial uses vibrating calibrated tuning forks to help improve muscle tone, alleviate fine lines, puffy eyes, and dark circles, and further correct imbalances that contribute to an aged appearance. The relaxing 90-minute treatment addresses the skin, tissues, and appropriate energy meridians for a non-surgical lift.

Oriental Body Analysis
Oaks Botanical Spa, Cleveland, OH 
This two-session treatment serves as an introduction to Chinese and Ayurvedic principles in relation to the individual’s specific body type. The client is given specific recommendations for applying these principles to help maintain balance and harmony in their daily life.

Ama Releasing Abhyanga
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York City, NY 
Nearly two hours of head-to-toe therapy, this service combines Ayurvedic Marma point massage, the application of herbs and oils to vital energy centers, and either an Oriental Head Massage or Shirodhara to release congestion, restore natural energy flow, and detoxify the body. 

Vedic Facial
Sundara Inn & Spa, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Combining Ayurvedic principles with energy work and aromatherapy, this 80-minute facial is customized to the client’s dosha type. The facial includes dosha analysis, client-specific aromatherapy and product use, and a post-treatment tea.

Pizichilli
Spa Moksha, Birmingham, AL 
This four-handed massage is often considered the most relaxing treatment ever conceived. Two therapists gently massage the body as warm herbalized oil streams down from above. Pizichilli is soothing to the nerves, nourishing to the skin, and calming to the senses.

Spa Details

Ayoma LifeSpa
San Jose, CA
(408) 423-5424
www.ayoma.com

Chopra Center at La
Costa Resort
Carlsbad, CA
(888) 424-6772
www.chopra.com

Exhale Spa
Boston, MA (and others)
(617) 532-7000
www.exhalespa.com

Oaks Massotherapy
& Botanical Spa
Cleveland, OH
(440) 356-0061
www.oaksbotanicalspa.com

The Raj Ayurvedic Health Spa
Fairfield, OH
(800) 248-9050
www.theraj.com

Spa at Mandarin Oriental NY
New York, NY
(866) 801-8880
www.mandarinoriental.com

Spa Moksha
Birmingham, AL
(205) 980-9393
www.spamoksha.com

Sundara Inn & Spa
Wisconsin Dells, WI
(888) 735-8181
www.sundaraspa.com

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July/August 2006