THE LOGIC is sound. If the body benefits from a soothing massage on the outside, then it will probably benefit from a soothing massage on the inside, too.
It's a little late to determine exactly what was going on in the minds of the geniuses who founded the Ayurveda school of massage some 5000 years ago, but their thinking must have been along those lines.
Before too long, they had calculated that what you eat affects your health, your mood and even your complexion.
This was, without wishing to start a debate that could spoil a holiday, a little more beneficial for the world than the discovery of gunpowder, say, or black holes in space.
Whether it was a moment when a meditating guru shouted "Eureka!" or the Indian equivalent, or a gradual transcendental realisation, we cannot know for certain.
However, with the link between the body and what it ingests accepted in smart circles as sound science in uptown Kerala, let's move forward 5000 years to the Angsana Spa at Allamanda Laguna Phuket.
In fact, let's move right inside the spa and onto a massage table, where the exterior portion of the therapy is being administered.
For those who have already experienced the delights of a Thai oil massage, the main difference with the Ayurveda variety comes mostly in the length and power of the massage strokes.
Lying on the table, eyes closed, it is difficult to imagine how the therapist manages to run hands and fingers from the heels right up to the neck in one continuous sliding motion, over and over again.
Then suddenly an image springs to mind of one of those Hindu gods with four arms, or perhaps even six, and all is explained. So that's how they do it . . .
This particular massage is known as Abhyangam.
A little later, or perhaps a lot later, given that all impulses from the brain appear to be flatlining under the sure touch of a therapist who is clearly a deity of massage, along comes Shirodhara.
Now if some forms of torture involve the steady drip, drip of water onto the forehead, then Shirodhara represents precisely the opposite. Let's label it what it quickly proves to be: rapture.
A suspended brass bowl swings gently from side to side, layering a trail of oil across the temple. Hidden in the centre, lying below the surface, is the Third Eye, the seat of consciousness. Is it closed now, or open?
The viscous trickle of oil is all that the body can feel. And perhaps all that the Third Eye can see now is serenity, in all its glory.
Sadly, Shirodhara has a beginning, and an end. That's the outside of the body massaged and soothed for now, done on both sides, sesame oil on the body, coconut oil on the face, bottom to top.
The inside is quite different, largely because you have to be your own therapist. Sensible Ayurveda advice is delivered, though, by Dr Arun Satheesh.
As with everything about India, what seems plain and simple on the surface actually disguises a deep and meaningful tradition and philosophy.
Ayurveda, the "science of life," provides recommendations for every aspect of an individual's daily cycle.
Being introduced to the basic principles is both serious, and fun. Trained in Western medicine and a fourth-generation Ayurveda practitioner, Dr Arun also happens to be a yoga master.
His consultation and a questionnaire provide an artful guide to what kind of person you are, and how the five elements of Ayurveda science affect your health, mood, outlook, and eating habits.
It's an intriguingly different review of what you do, and why you do it.
Along with a summary of your character come some strict rules on which kinds of food and drink provide a suitable mix for your continued good health.
It's hardly a surprise that a large number of participants return, often the next day, to increase their knowledge. . . and enjoy some more sweet Abhyangam and Shirodhara.
Other aspects set this style of massage apart. It's same-sex, so a man will treat a man, and a woman will treat a woman. Squeezing into one-size-fits-all modesty pants is part of the treatment, too.
Be aware, though, that people will look at you strangely as you walk around the island after your dose of Ayurveda.
They will be admiring the smear of sandalwood on your forehead, a parting touch to soothe and safeguard that all-seeing, all-knowing Third Eye.
Phuketwan received a free massage. Ayurveda treatments are available at Angsana Spa, Allamanda Laguna Phuket. Telephone: 076 362700 ext 1001-1002.
This article is from the June-December 2008 issue of 'Laguna lifestyle & travel'
It's a little late to determine exactly what was going on in the minds of the geniuses who founded the Ayurveda school of massage some 5000 years ago, but their thinking must have been along those lines.
Before too long, they had calculated that what you eat affects your health, your mood and even your complexion.
This was, without wishing to start a debate that could spoil a holiday, a little more beneficial for the world than the discovery of gunpowder, say, or black holes in space.
Whether it was a moment when a meditating guru shouted "Eureka!" or the Indian equivalent, or a gradual transcendental realisation, we cannot know for certain.
However, with the link between the body and what it ingests accepted in smart circles as sound science in uptown Kerala, let's move forward 5000 years to the Angsana Spa at Allamanda Laguna Phuket.
In fact, let's move right inside the spa and onto a massage table, where the exterior portion of the therapy is being administered.
For those who have already experienced the delights of a Thai oil massage, the main difference with the Ayurveda variety comes mostly in the length and power of the massage strokes.
Lying on the table, eyes closed, it is difficult to imagine how the therapist manages to run hands and fingers from the heels right up to the neck in one continuous sliding motion, over and over again.
Then suddenly an image springs to mind of one of those Hindu gods with four arms, or perhaps even six, and all is explained. So that's how they do it . . .
This particular massage is known as Abhyangam.
A little later, or perhaps a lot later, given that all impulses from the brain appear to be flatlining under the sure touch of a therapist who is clearly a deity of massage, along comes Shirodhara.
Now if some forms of torture involve the steady drip, drip of water onto the forehead, then Shirodhara represents precisely the opposite. Let's label it what it quickly proves to be: rapture.
A suspended brass bowl swings gently from side to side, layering a trail of oil across the temple. Hidden in the centre, lying below the surface, is the Third Eye, the seat of consciousness. Is it closed now, or open?
The viscous trickle of oil is all that the body can feel. And perhaps all that the Third Eye can see now is serenity, in all its glory.
Sadly, Shirodhara has a beginning, and an end. That's the outside of the body massaged and soothed for now, done on both sides, sesame oil on the body, coconut oil on the face, bottom to top.
The inside is quite different, largely because you have to be your own therapist. Sensible Ayurveda advice is delivered, though, by Dr Arun Satheesh.
As with everything about India, what seems plain and simple on the surface actually disguises a deep and meaningful tradition and philosophy.
Ayurveda, the "science of life," provides recommendations for every aspect of an individual's daily cycle.
Being introduced to the basic principles is both serious, and fun. Trained in Western medicine and a fourth-generation Ayurveda practitioner, Dr Arun also happens to be a yoga master.
His consultation and a questionnaire provide an artful guide to what kind of person you are, and how the five elements of Ayurveda science affect your health, mood, outlook, and eating habits.
It's an intriguingly different review of what you do, and why you do it.
Along with a summary of your character come some strict rules on which kinds of food and drink provide a suitable mix for your continued good health.
It's hardly a surprise that a large number of participants return, often the next day, to increase their knowledge. . . and enjoy some more sweet Abhyangam and Shirodhara.
Other aspects set this style of massage apart. It's same-sex, so a man will treat a man, and a woman will treat a woman. Squeezing into one-size-fits-all modesty pants is part of the treatment, too.
Be aware, though, that people will look at you strangely as you walk around the island after your dose of Ayurveda.
They will be admiring the smear of sandalwood on your forehead, a parting touch to soothe and safeguard that all-seeing, all-knowing Third Eye.
Phuketwan received a free massage. Ayurveda treatments are available at Angsana Spa, Allamanda Laguna Phuket. Telephone: 076 362700 ext 1001-1002.
This article is from the June-December 2008 issue of 'Laguna lifestyle & travel'
