While travelling from one region in Kerala to the other, often driving through the lush green countryside, I noticed that almost every second house along side the road had small, bright painted boards with information on ayurvedic massages and treatments. The pictures of shirodhara and navarakizhi were mostly used to promote the destination’s ayurvedic treasure trove. The two treatments are famous worldwide. While navarakizhi is advised for all skeletal and muscular diseases and has been proven to improve general health, shirodhara is said to open up the flow of energy in body, apart from stabilising the nervous system. While I was there, I opted for shirodhara and navarakizhi was on my to-do list since then.
So after going through the list of summer spa treatments at Shanaya spa, I decided to go for navarakizhi. Once I reached Kempinski Ambience Hotel, the lobby manager, Preeti Thakur, took me to the fourth floor of the hotel, where the spa is located. She later introduced me to my shy therapist lucy. Hailing from Mizoram, lucy is well-versed with Swedish, Balinese and ayurveda therapies.
She shared that navarakizhi nourishes and softens the skin, enhances complexion, immunity and strengthens body muscles. “It is a special ayurveda treatment, ideal for this season. This treatment also improves the luster and texture of the skin,” she said.Navarakizhi is the treatment therapy based on the principle of triggering perspiration in the body with the help of medicated herbal rice. This therapy is one of the best therapies for rejuvenation.
The spa room with wooden floor was dimly lit to have a calming effect on the senses. Milk was being heated on the burner alongside the wooden table. lucy told me that the treatment involves especially cooked rice, tied up in boluses and heated in a mixture of milk. A massage is done over the body, which involves specific pressure and movements in the body. The pressure, thus applied, forces the mixture content in the boluses to come out. The boluses are warmed again and the process is repeated until the contents are entirely used.
After this brief, lucy pressed the vital pressure points of my feet. “This is like a warm-up session. I will apply pinda thailam oil to cool your body,” she said as she gently poured oil on the body.
Her hands moved smoothly over my body, relieving sore muscles. It indeed was a stress draining session, too. She dipped the potli (boluses) in the medicated milk mix and started rubbing it over the body. The mix is prepared with medicinal rice called navara and packed into the bundle called kizhi. She kept dipping kizhi in the mixture of milk and herbs to retain its content. lucy summed up the session with a light massage. Such was the effect of the treatment that I did not even know when I allowed myself a little nap.
lucy gave me a dry head massage and took me for a sauna, steam bath, followed by a shower. Ninety minutes on the massage table rejuvenated my senses. The after effects were such that I decided then and there and this would be a part of my ‘summer essentials’ list.