An Ayurveda massage experience? Count me in! Amanda Clabaugh, Treatments Manager at The Lodge at Woodloch, has piqued my interest with their new massage menu.
Ms. Clabaugh notes that many clients are curious about Ayurveda experiences, which, by the way, are having a moment in the spa industry. “We felt confident we wanted to offer an Ayurveda experience,” she says. “But we try to be authentic with our offerings so we were waiting to hire the right person.”
Enter Amber Goshorn: A massage therapist and Ayurveda expert, Dr. Amber earned a four-year doctoral degree in Ayurveda from the American University of Complementary Medicine in California. She is the ideal lead for Woodloch’s program in this ancient therapy.
Harmonious Balance
What exactly is an Ayurveda experience? Hailing from India, Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine that seeks to balance the body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda revolves around five energies (fire, water, earth, air and space) and three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha). The doshas are assigned based on your constitution, personality and body. Imbalanced doshas can negatively impact your body and mood—as well as cause fatigue.
Practitioners say that each individual has a little of each dosha, but we typically lean toward one or two. For example, Dr. Amber notes that I am primarily a pitta type, which is ruled by the elements of fire and water. I have fair skin and eyes, my skin reddens easily during exercise, and I have a medium build.
Vata types, ruled by air and space, are usually thin, lean and energetic. But they can also be prone to anxiety. Kapha types, on the other hand, are grounded by the earth and water elements. They tend to be calm, have a slow metabolism and gain weight easily.
Woodloch’s Ayurveda Experience
Dr. Amber has designed a group of five Ayurvedic body treatments along with an enhancement treatment that can be incorporated into massages. The primary treatment is the Abhyanga Hot Oil Massage, a classic whole-body Ayurvedic massage customized for each person’s unique dosha makeup.
I immediately noticed something different about the Abhyanga massage when Dr. Amber instructed me to lie on my back with a sheet over me. Typically, massages start with the client lying on their stomach with their face in a cradle.
But this treatment starts on the back because it begins with a warmed-oil scalp massage. “This is the most important part of the Ayurveda experience,” she explains. “The herbs in the oil calm the mind and push anxious vata energy back down below the pelvis where it belongs, helping you to relax.”
Using downward strokes to encourage lymphatic drainage, Dr. Amber worked her way down my body. She varied the strokes and pressure from short to long and gentle to vigorous while using copious amounts of warm oil. This makes deeper pressure more tolerable.
“Sesame oil enhanced with herbs is used as the base for the massage oil,” explains Dr. Amber. “It is absorbed into the skin within two to three minutes and into the organs in four to five minutes. This enhances the therapeutic benefits of the Abhyanga massage compared to a regular massage.”
An Immersive Journey
The most surprising part of the massage occurred when Dr. Amber deftly placed a towel over my breasts under the sheet and then pulled the sheet down to expose my mid-section for an abdominal massage. It felt weird and uncomfortable at first, but she says many clients come to enjoy it. Plus, it improves digestion.
After turning onto my stomach to continue the massage on my back and legs, Dr. Amber concluded my Ayurveda experience with a Marma Energy Point Enhancement. This gentle pressure-point technique further addresses dosha imbalances.
I walked out of the treatment glistening and teetering down the hall “massage drunk” (as she put it), feeling serene (call me a goddess!) and with a deep sense of well-being.
Next was a facial featuring Dr. Dennis Gross products, a new treatment option at Woodloch. As a respected NYC-based dermatologist and skin cancer researcher, Dr. Gross has also developed a line of spa-only products and facials. Woodloch offers three of these on its spa menu: the Doctor’s Signature Facial, a Vitamin C Brightening Facial and an Intense Line Defense Facial.
Best Face Forward
My friend Martina and I chose the signature facial. We both agreed it was the best facial we’ve ever had. Our skin looked luminous and felt incredibly clean and soft. The results were thanks to Dr. Gross’s extra-strength clinical-grade Alpha Beta Peel, a powerful blend of acids that exfoliates the skin, allowing better absorption of ingredients like vitamin C, ferulic acid and retinol.
We appreciated how our aestheticians were reassuring about our skin’s condition. They checked in frequently during the peel to ensure it wasn’t too intense. We loved that they stayed in the room during the mask portion.
The treatment included a session with Dr. Gross’ LED mask. It boosts collagen and reduces wrinkles and discoloration. “My skin has never felt so good,” said Martina afterward, adding that her face wasn’t red as it usually is post-facial.
Woodloch Day Tripping
I love that The Lodge at Woodloch is easily accessible from the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metro area, allowing me to return year after year to enjoy the property and explore new treatments.
Next time, I’m thinking of trying vibrational sound therapy, Reiki, Thai bodywork or another Ayurvedic treatment like Shirodhara which is a scalp treatment that involves a steady flow of warm oil poured onto the forehead to induce a deep sense of relaxation. Their Tranquil Detox, a unique-to-Woodloch treatment that includes a full-body scrub, face mask and hot oil massage, also looks inviting. Whatever I opt for, I’m pretty sure it will be heavenly and healing.
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