20th April 2015
It was a very hot day and after finally being able to swim in the sea after a month in Kerala in India, I realized at 10.30 am it was getting too hot already.
I immersed into the sea one more time and took my bag. Slowly started walking towards Sea Pearl chalets, our accommodation on the South Cliff in Varkala where we were staying with my dad for our last days in Kerala.
This place was also great for travel blogging. Working there on my Acer R13 notebook from Acer CZ did not feel like working at all. Overlooking the beach, who would complain?
We both had Ayurvedic treatments at Absolute Ayurveda Clinic just a very short walk from our chalet.
I was happy I booked our treatments for 12 pm already on the previous day as the Sun was too strong for staying outside anyway. And that hot weather makes you slow and sweaty and I just don’t feel like doing anything but relaxing at lunch time.
When walking to the clinic, just at the corner my dad started screaming “look, an elephant!”
I so thought he was joking but inside the wall surrounding a guesthouse there was an elephant feeding on palm leaves. Wow.
“You know, just a pet in here.”
We were greeted at the entrance of Absolute Ayurveda Clinic and straight away went inside to talk with Doctor Sreejith Kumar who planned my Ayurvedic treatments in Varkala Kerala. The other Doctor Soumya Sagar already explained us more about Ayurveda and the three doshas types – Vata, Pitta and Kapha on the previous day and I finally understood more about it as it was presented to us in a very logical way ?
I was pretty much told that I should keep doing what I’ve done in the past 3 years as my lifestyle has improved my health dramatically, especially thanks to yoga, pranayama, meditation and my attempt of eating mostly vegan meals.
My weight and pulse were checked jut in case. We also made sure I was not getting any milky lotions during the treatments as I am allergic to dairy and also trying to stay vegan as much as possible.
Rejuvenate massage and herbal body scrub
I was taken inside one of the rooms with nice bed mattress with colorful flowers and covered with a white paper cloth in order not to get it dirty.
My therapist was a young local lady dressed in a traditional way mostly in green with a tilak dot between her eyebrows.
She told me to undress and put a huge white paper thongs on me. I knew them already from other two spas I’ve been to in Kerala. I was never more ready for a Rejuvenate massage than here and now.
First, we started with a head massage with warm Ayurvedic oil. I was in heaven! Head massage is one of my favorite ones … even though I do love them all.
Then foot massage, arm and back massage followed, and of course belly, cleavage and neck.
Let me tell you, she was the best at doing neck massage ever! All of a sudden I felt as if my head disappeared, it was so light.
All the problems disappeared (and trust me, I had so much work to do those days it was scary!)
At the end, the therapist also put oil all over my face and finished the treatment with a herbal powder scrub of a really memorable smell.
If not for a mosquito that decided to attack my butt and my back right during the body scrub, it would be the most relaxing feeling ever! However, I had two very itchy swollen places instead.
Once the masage was over, my therapist removed my thongs and she showed me the way to the bathroom next door (where I walked completely naked!) where a bucket with hot water was waiting for me. That was the first time I had a warm ”shower” after 4 weeks in Kerala in India and it did feel strange to me ?
Shirodhara treatment and reflexology
On the second day, we went to Absolute Ayurveda Clinic already at 11 am instead of 12 pm, as the Sun was too strong and we did not want to get sunburn on our last days in India.
The same sweet lady was already waiting for me, today dressed in a different traditional clothing of khaki colour. We walked to a treatment room where I was about to have a new treatment, the so called Shirodhara treatment followed by reflexology.
I did not know much about the Shirodhara treatment and was scared the medicated oil would be poured directly into my nose too but thankfully nothing like that happened.
I took off my dress, stayed in underwear this time and a towel was wrapped around my breast and belly. I sat down on a chair and we started with a head massage which is something I so enjoy!
When I am back home in Slovakia, I use a head massager (I got it at Mont-Saint-Anne in Canada) every single morning after I wake up, but I don’t want to carry it with me on the road so I need to get head massages instead. Until now, almost all the Ayurvedic treatments started with a head and hair massage, thumbs up!
This time the head massage was not followed by shoulder massage like on the previous day but I was still amazed at all the different movements my therapist was doing. If I did not have to take a photo, I would have fallen asleep already when seated. That good was it!
Afterwards, I was asked to lay down on a special wooden bed with a bowl hanging above my head. She put tissues in my ears and covered my eyes together a hair protection cap. What was going to happen next was a surprise to me ?
Warm oil was poured on my forehead in a continuous motion for more than half an hour. I could hear the therapist walking around and occasionally doing something but I still had no idea what was going on. The oil made me feel very relaxed, the headache from the heat was gone and I could feel all the stress (too much work and not enough time) disappeared within seconds. I would never EVER say oil on my head would feel so comfortable …
Shirodhara is supposed to help with insomnia. I honestly did feel like taking a nap afterwards but it might have been because of the heat, too. Let’s see if it improves memory like it should but I guess I won’t find that out ?
I found myself falling asleep and thinking of random things. But I had to force myself to stay awake to take some photos and most of all, short videos to see how the treatment was done. It was super funny as my battery was almost dead and I could not see anything so was just playing with the camera in dark with only left hand trying to take some selfies in a dark room.
Later, the therapist massaged my hair with the oil from the forehead and washed it with warm water. It was my first time And it was the second time only I used warm water after a month in India and the first time was at this clinic on the previous day, too.
My ear plugs and eye covers were removed and I kept laying down on my back. Now she sat down facing my feet and started with my right calf, then moved to the foot from both sides.
A very gentle massage roller and a stick were used to press the points all over the foot. I was surprised not even one point hurt me. I remembered all the Thai massages in Bangkok and Chiang Mai when I was sometimes jumping after each touch.
But now nothing felt unpleasant. Maybe because I’ve just spent most of my month in Kerala walking barefoot which is also a great reflexology.
Once I dressed up again, to finish she put powder on my seventh chakra in between my hair on top of my head and made my hair like the Indian women wear. I also got a tilak on my forehead and hot spicy herbal tea like on the previous day.
