Spa Dreams

So what have we learned this week?

That not all spas are created equal. Some are more equal than others. And a nod to George Orwell for that one.

Some spas are located in spectacular resorts (Sheraton Wild Horse Pass for one, Fairmont's Banff Springs, for two) and can't help but be visually stunning and restorative. Others are day spas, sometimes in the same buildings as hotels -- Bliss in LA for example is in the W Hotel but under separate ownership. Bliss has other citified sites in big metro areas, but except for New York/LA Bliss, I've rarely had a good spa experience in a day spa.

There, I said it. Remember, it's only one person's opinion, but I have been to a few spas (day and otherwise) and have lots of opinions. Hence, this blog.

So, unless you have good connections, know fabulous therapists who work somewhere (or are one yourself!) you have homework to do before booking your next facial in a day spa. And be sure to let me know if you have good ones to mention here.


Speaking of the "other" excellent day spa I discovered (like Columbus "discovered" America...) I urge any New Yorkers out there to check out the Pratima Skin Care Clinic in Soho. Formerly located in midtown, it's moved since I was last there, and that is a good sign. Not because of the quality of the treatments, but the quality of the neighborhood.

Smack in the middle of Manhattan, close to Carnegie Hall, Pratima had been in a typically boring office building, surrounded by incessantly noisy (what else?) and obnoxious street symphonies. Not the most relaxing locale, but still, the treatments were amazing. Where else could you have found a chemist by profession who switched to skin care after years of treating seriously ill patients in her native India?

Well, this brilliant physician did switch gears and is now one of the most renown beauty/skin care experts on the planet. No kidding. Plus, she treats lots of celebs and you never know who you might run into at the elevator or in her little lobby. Like comedian Lewis Black, for example, who was the opposite of his crazy-guy comedian-self. And he raved about his skin's improvement since visiting her years ago. He looked good to me--skin was perfect!

But I digress. Serious graf to follow.

Dr. Pratima Raichur is a multi-talented physician who parlayed her expertise into a hugely popular skin consultancy and Ayurvedic treatment facility. As in Vatta, Pitta and Kapha constitutions. You've heard of these--like astrology for your body/temperament, and as much fun to read about (even if you don't buy into it) and explore.

In fact, the site (above) offers a fun quiz to determine what your particular body type is. Check it out if you have a couple of minutes.

This little day-spa-that-could offered one of the most unique treatments I've ever experienced. It was a meditation room that contained a massage table draped by scores of hanging Rudraksha bead strings (secured to the ceiling) that sway above you and then become motionless when on the table. It's like magic!

These beads, used for centuries by holy people in India for meditation, gently danced above my positioned prone body until they weirdly calmed down. Except for one strand positioned in the middle of my forehead. It just never stopped moving! Hmmm.....What was that about?

As soothing music played Indian chants and meditation songs, Dr. Pratima herself administered this healing/meditative treatment that was far removed from traditional massage.

Pure meditation and purely restorative. And when I asked about the stubborn strand that never stoped doing the boogie-woogie, her response floored me. "That's your Third Eye over-stimulated," she explained.

Now, I'm not a total hippie-dippie type, but this resonated with me and my relentless over-worked brain. Let's just say I have a hard time calming my thoughts.

What made it weirder (and cooler, I thought) was her additional words. "It happens to me, too."

Soul mates! Or Rudraksha Bead-Mates! It made me feel special, okay? Special in a "why-can't-I-stop-my-brain-from-speed-thinking" special. Anyway, I need to bring that up during my next Shrink session.

I also had a superb total body massage, Abhyanga, topped off (literally) by the most relaxing Shirodhara treatment, during which a warm, cascading stream of essential oils is slowly poured over your aforementioned, so-called Third Eye.

By the way, I threw the link up for your own perusal and it should explain the terms you'll find in this posting. Just in case you're sitting there bewildered, scratching your Third Eye.

I've yet to visit this particular North Carolina spa, although I've heard good things about it and the background music on the Web site is cool..

To sum up, may it please the court, if you're looking for some quiet "me" time that helps free your monkey mind from running the hamster wheel (bad combo metaphors, but I like animals) I suggest you find a spa that offers Shirodhara--you will find no other experience as soothing and tranquil. Unless you like body wraps. If that's the case, we'll just have to agree to disagree.


And, to find a truly magnifico day spa, research the kinds of treatments you like (or think you'll like) and ask questions before making any appointments. And try out Ayurvedic for something completely different.

Questions?