Indian know-how available on our doorstep The C Spa at Westport’s Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel now offers a range of Ayurvedic treatments. Maggie Gibbons and Ciara Moynihan went along to experience a little bit of India for themselves.Massage with a medicinal message Ciara MoynihanIt’s been almost two years since I was in Kerala, a lush, tropical province in southern India. I left planning to return: For me, it was a place of calm, a place where I could slow down, where I was removed from the daily pressures of life, where I could rejuvenate; it was also where I first heard of Ayurvedic medicine – an alternative, holistic system focused on disease prevention and aimed at achieving optimum health.
Last week, those feelings of wanting to return to India were reawakened when I visited the C Spa in the Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel, The Quay, Westport. The spa now offers a range of Ayurvedic treatments and therapies, all provided by practitioners who hail from Kerala. In fact, they were brought to the hotel by former RTÉ TV and radio presenter Bibi Baskin, who now runs a her own hotel in Alleppey, Kerala.
After a consultation with the spa’s resident Ayurvedic doctor, Dr Thomas Pampackal, it emerged that I am a Vata type of person – reconfirming my suspicions after a cursory read of some material on the subject. Characteristics of Vata include being of slighter build; having high energy in short bursts; a tendency to tire easily; racing, disjointed thoughts (ok, I’m scatty); quick to learn, but quick to forget (I said ok!); and talking and walking quickly. Vata types often also have trouble sleeping, and insomnia is definitely a personal cross of mine.
I was told that a ‘Kalari Abyhanga’ massage, using an oil blend specially selected for its suitability to my Ayurvedic type, would benefit me. This massage is popular with sports people, as it uses stretching techniques to relieve stiffness in the joints, increase flexibility, stimulate the nervous system and relax body and mind. While I’m no athlete, I do run, swim and practice yoga, so I was interested to see how the experience would benefit me.
The hour-long massage, delivered by the extremely capable hands of Jijimol Vattathil, was not for the faint hearted. There was a lot of deep-tissue work and plenty of bending and stretching – who knew your toes could crack?
Afterwards, I can definitely say I was less stiff. I tried a few yoga moves and discovered I was also more flexible than I was before the massage – my hamstrings in particular were less tight. Best of all, I have had only one night of disturbed sleep since. As a bonus, I also feel like I’ve reconnected with a part of Kerala, and the part of me that loved it…
The consultation with Dr Thomas Pampackal (€35) is optional; you can book in for any of the treatments at C Spa without using this service. A Kalari Abyhanga massage costs €70. Clients can also use the facility’s pool, sauna and steam room free of charge. For a list of the full range of treatments available at C Spa, visit www.atlanticcoasthotel.com/ayurveda, or call the Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel & C Spa on 098 29000.
Just what the doctor ordered
Maggie Gibbons
After a rather long train journey, I was more than ready for my Ayurvedic massage at the Carlton Coast Hotel and C Spa on The Quay, in Westport. On entering the spa, I felt I could have been transported to India with the wonderful aromatic smells, the Indian dress worn by the therapists and the feeling of peace that permeated the area.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian science that dates back more than 6,000 years. Ayurvedic medicine involves healing the person by treating the root cause rather than just the symptoms. It’s a wonderful system of preventive medicine and treats a wide range of conditions to increase well being. It views each person as totally unique, and it is this uniqueness that ultimately determines which particular massage will be given.
Ayurveda says we each have a specific body type or Dosha. There are three Doshas, Pitta, Kapha, and Vata and every individual has their own unique blend of these three doshas flowing through the mind, body and spirit, with one of the doshas being dominant. I wont go into a long explanation of each, but will tell you that I’m a Pitta. How do I know this? Well before the massage began I had a consultation with Dr Thomas Pampackal who brought me through a lengthy questionnaire to determine which body type I was. Basically Pitta means I have a strong metabolism, good digestion healthy appetite (correct)! And my hands and feet tend to be warm.
Cooling foods are recommended for balancing Pitta dosha. Sweet fruits, like pears, milk, sweet rice, coconut, and milkshakes made with ripe mangoes are a good example of soothing Pitta recommended foods. For snacks I was advised to eat almond, rice cakes (yuck)!s and sweet fruits. I should be avoiding very spicy foods as they are too heating for the fiery Pitta.
My massage was the ‘Marma Abhyanga’ kind using hot oils, and I mean hot! My therapist was Rani Xavier, and she had the best pair of hands I’ve ever experienced. It’s not a pampering massage, with gentle probing soothing with the fingers, this is a flat hand massage. She started by pouring oil unto my hair and then working it in before she moved to my arms, legs and body. It was wonderfully calming for me but poor Rani sounded like I do when I climb a hill, all breathless! So obviously it’s hard work for the therapist.
The strokes were long and flowing rather than the usual shorter interrupted ones most beauty salon offer. I just felt healthy and I imagine a course would be recommended rather than a one off for optimum effect. The whole idea would appear to be a lifestyle change, promoting a better understanding of what we are putting into our minds and bodies; it’s all about balance. That has to be a good thing. Highly recommend it!
