Ayurvedic Massage

Okay, I’m not going to get too technical on you, and I’m not going to try and explain all the principles of ayurvedic therapies as it would take a very long time.  Very briefly the concept of ayurvedic therapies, as with many others, is to balance you.  There are many different aspects, from diet to massage and it’s not something I wholeheartedly subscribe to, but I really did enjoy my Ayurvedic Massage, and the wonderful thing is you don’t have to understand any of the concepts to try one.  I tried the massage at the Terme Sensoriali in Tuscany - a great bargain spa (although their website seems to be stuck in Italian at the moment and they really do not speak English!)

My Ayurvedic Massage was, in many ways, similar to the Lava Shell Massage I tried recently; very oily, very fast and, unlike many other types of massage, included a gentle massage of my abdomen.

My therapist was extremely quick (maybe because we started a little late and she wanted to go home?), but managed to give me a great full body massage in just over 40 minutes.  There was no messing about getting the pressure or temperature of the oil right, it was just straight in there with the perfect pressure and temperature, saving valuable minutes.  She started on my shoulders and back, working out the tension that had built up from all that arduous lying in the hydrotherapy pools downstairs, going lower down on my back than any other therapist has ever dared go.  I was wearing the paper knickers and she was actually pushing them down!

Then it was on to my legs, and then my feet.  The really stand out part of this massage for me was the amount of attention she spent on my feet, it was almost like having a Reflexology session as she focused not only on my feet, but each individual toe.  It really was an outstanding massage.

There was very little ceremony, but she did hold the towel up as I turned over.  Although I’m not quite sure of the point of this as, once she had finished with my legs, she just pulled the towel down and massaged my whole top half.  I really enjoyed the abdominal massage.  When I had the Lava Shell Massage the focus on my belly took me by surprise, and made me very emotional.  In Hong Kong the therapist only had to lay her hand on my stomach, over the towel, for me to be in tears.  Perhaps as a result of those previous massages I was much less emotional when she was working on my belly, but I could still feel that I was holding a lot of tension and could feel it relaxing as she worked.

Finally it was on to my arms, and a little extra for my shoulders with her hands going under them for a last bit of relaxation; a way of massaging my shoulders which I just love.

Overall it was an incredible massage, which relieved any little spots of tension I had after the day in the spa, and I would highly recommend it.