CaliNurse

On the last two trips, we had some interesting experiences . The best by far, quite unexpectedly, was a Western style/modesty preserved massage at a little safari resort in the middle of (almost) nowhere. Bliss!! The worst was the unexpected "bare it all" and oiliness of Ayurvedic massage.

Since more and more hotels in India are leaping on the luxurious spa bandwagon...it'd be interesting to see which are worth the cost. Or, should one just walk into the local village and find someplace? I tried that too, with excellent results.

thursdaysd

I tried the hotel set-up in Rajasthan and Kochi (with two masseuses), and the wander down the beach and pick one method in Goa. I would say all three were notable for oiliness (definitely need a shower afterwards), and none were particularly expert. (I see a massage therapist at least once a month at home, and have tried massage in a number of different countries. China and Thailand have been the best to date, Bhutan the worst.)

Jaya

Hahaha, let me laugh right from the beginning.

Getting a massage in India is a little like going to a Chinese restaurant for Greek food. The masseuses in India just pick it up on the job from someone else who picked it up on the job, etc. so they don't have any of the therapeutic massage knowledge that we pay for in the west. I bet they couldn't give one correct name to any muscle or bone on your body. Obviously there is no testing, certification, or licensure procedure in India for masseuses. Even if they tell you they are giving you this kind or that kind of massage, don't be so sure they're not just throwing around buzzwords.

What you should know:

1) an Indian massage HAS to be oily. I don't know why, but never have a massage before your morning shower. If possible, bring your own favorite oil with you. I unknowingly had a massage with olive oil used for cooking! You can tell them before they start to not use as much oil as they normally do.
2) it's commonly accepted and expected in India that the harder they pound and prod at your muscles, the better massage they are giving you, therefore resulting in a larger tip. They almost don't know what to do when you tell them to lighten up.
3) you DON'T have to expose yourself during a massage in India. Just tell them "no", keep your underpants on and keep control of the towel to cover your chest or anywhere else that's off limits. Sometimes they think that it's YOU who expects the naked massage (must be the Europeans giving them that idea -lol).

Femi

LOL! Wish I'd read Jaya's tips BEFORE I got my massage in India!

Kathie

I had a massage in Sri Lanka at a local place... Yes, very oily, and they did the traditional dripping oil on my forehead routine. As Jaya says, they like to pound on you. Then they put me inside of a coffin-like thing with my head sticking out and steamed me. After that I tried to wash all the oil out of my hair.

Never again.

inquest

I'm not fond of massages,but circumstances demand that you have one.In fact a reluctant victim of circumstances.The Thai massage is too rough.The Shiatsu,what is meant to be a holistic approach to body relaxation,turned out to a martial art form for me.Came out with aching muscles,and vowed not to try it again.At the end of it all,it seems there is a problem with me.In other words massage & me dont get along.
The only legit(as in authentic & traditional) form of massage in India is ayurvedic.The emphasis is on the herbal 'oils'that are used & the various 'pressure' points on the human anatomy that are worked upon.Post massage,they insist on a hot bath with only chickpea flour(read,no soap) to take the excess oil away.That leaves you with a feeling of being just rescued from an oil slick.
I liked the Balinese,very gentle with aroma therapy.The other experience was at Ananda Spa Resorts,close to Haridwar.A beautiful place up in the hills.The sheer fact that you are relaxed makes all the difference in the Spa experience.
http://www.anandaspa.com/about/default.asp

BTW,thursday,when in Kannur,if you are keen on a massage,you must try the Asoka's Pharmaceuticals,they are into manufacture of Ayurvedic concoctions,that besides the point.They have a Spa on Payyambalam beach(note;not the one in town with dingy massage rooms),with authentic ayurvedic massage.Worth an experience(not for someone like me),I've tried it myself.
http://www.asoka.co.in/aboutkannur.html

inquest

Here it is.Need to book with them in advance.They have furnished rooms too,pretty decent.The beach is lovely.The only hitch being there is a road betw the property & the beach.
http://www.asoka.co.in/beach_helth_centre.html
http://www.ayurvedaresort.co.in/

thursdaysd

Thanks inquest. Having "been there and done that", not sure whether I'll be doing it again! I have a reservation with Hyacinth for Kannur, just need to get over to Western Union and send a deposit.

Cicerone

I disagree with Jaya’s comment that India does not have a therapeutic massage history. As noted above, Aryveda was invented in India, and includes a large range of massage. It’s an integral part of the overall treatment. Mothers routinely massage their baby with oil as part of overall baby care. There are books written on the subject of Aryvedic massage. (Also, a massage with olive oil is not uncommon. It is <i>excellent</i> for your skin. Many Italian women use it as a moisturizer. I use Grapeseed oil myself. I wish I had known about it when I was 40.)

I have had dozens of massages in India, mostly all aryuvedic types. The two-person massage and most especially the foot massage is fantastic. (The foot massage is a massage where the therapists massage you with <i>her</i> feet. Its very relaxing. A definite must-do.) I have to say I have not found the pressure of any of them to be overly hard, but I am a person who likes a firm massage, so perhaps that was me. I agree that many of the massage treatments end with a shower/steam to remove oil; I generally prefer to have treatments at night and leave the oil on so it can penetrate the skin. An India head massage is very good, these can be done dry or with oil. Also consider branching out into something like Shirovasthi which is the slow dripping of oil on the “third eye” on your forehead (good for the hair too). Or try Manal Kizhi in which heated sand wrapped in cheesecloth balls is pounded into your skin, which has been first lightly massaged. The pounding is vigorous but not unpleasant and the heat is very relaxing, the sand bags are then massaged a bit into the skin for some exfoliation.

I don’t’ know that it makes a huge difference where you go. I would agree that smaller village places may not have the training you would find as an aryvedic resort or hotel which has an aryvedic spa. I agree that Ananda is excellent, and the aryvedic spa in the Leela in Bangalore is really good and includes a consultation with their aryvedic doctor. (The spa at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok also has excellent aryvedic massage treatments if you find yourself in Bangkok at some point.) South India is probably a better place generally to go if you want a massage outside of a hotel/dedicated spa. But a massage in a local village place will be cheaper, and as long as you can work out the language to indicate that it is too hard or too soft, would probably be quite good as well.

ileen

Cicerone is so right!

Ayurvedic massaging was invented in India and has been popular with the masses for long, long time.
Of course, in the modern world, things have been improvised to meet the demands of tourists.

In addition, people learn new techniques through their own travels or through some training.

Olive oil massaging also is very popular in India esp. on babies since many believe it is not only good for the skin, but also for the developing bones. Most newborn babies are given a good oil massage daily by their own mother or a caregiver. It is just part of the Indian culture.

Head massages are also part of Indian culture as it is believed that massaging oil into the hair and scalp not only keeps the hair roots and hair healthy, but relieves stress and kind of clears the mind/brain. Even barbers usually give a nice mini massage to men folk before or after a simple haircut---even in villages during the good old days. Now, of course, the hair salons and spas have their own westernized versions.

So, try the massages at reputable resorts/spas and you will not be disappointed. Make sure you tell them exactly what you want. If you dont like something, you can always ask them to stop and go gentler or firmer, less oil, more oil, no oil!

Massages in Asian countries are truly so much better than the ones we are used to the western world.

So, do try and then tell us about your latest experience. Good luck.

thursdaysd

"Massages in Asian countries are truly so much better than the ones we are used to the western world" - what a sweeping generalization!!! Try "Some massages in some Asian countries are better than some massages in some Western countries..." (and even then it's often a matter of personal taste). None of the massages I had in India were as good (by my definition) as those from the three massage therapists I've used in the US....