Ayurvedic Shirodhara Massage

Ayurvedic Shirodhara is an increasingly popular therapy originating from India where for centuries it has been used as a holistic therapy for promoting good health and well being.

In Ayurvedic medicine it is believed that at the moment of our birth, we are pre-disposed to a prakriti, which defines out natural balance, this is determined by our parents' prakriti. Prakriti is made up of three dosha types - vata, pitta and kapha. Good health results from the three forces of pitta, kapha and vata being balanced and in harmony with one another.

The Secret Garden Health and Beauty Clinic in Lymington offer this therapy as part of their holistic treatment programme, and I was invited to experience this magical therapy first hand.

The Secret Garden is hidden away in a charming courtyard in the centre of Lymington and with its immaculately clean and fresh decor, offers a quiet and peaceful environment which I feel sure would encourage any healing process.

On arrival at the clinic, Joanne Hardman, proprietor and fully trained therapist, made me very welcome and started this almost ceremonial ritual, with a hot cup of specially mixed Indian herbal tea.

She then invited me to sit comfortably, 'saronged' and robed, whilst she washed and massaged my feet - a humbling experience in itself. This therapy comes with many props, which sets the scene for a very special experience; the vessel used for the foot washing procedure is a beautifully crafted copper bowl, filled with warm water and soft white rose petals.

Whilst the feet are being massaged, Joanne extracts snippets of crucial information relating to your life, both past and present, your eating habits, skin and hair type, psychological make up and other relevant details. She is then able to determine your dosha type to address any areas of imbalance, and which oil would be most beneficial for the rest of the treatment.

The next stage involved a massage of the joints and in particular the neck, shoulder, head and face - paying attention to pressure points. Heady, warm peppermint oil was used for this procedure and had a calming and relaxing effect. Then, a most unexpected stage of the procedure; warm oil was poured into my ears followed by massage around that area.

As a finalÈ, Tridosha Dhara (oil) was carefully drizzled through a Dhara stand, in a continual steady stream onto the third eye, (forehead). This is the ultimate in relaxation.

In my opinion, Ayurvedic Shirodhara massage is a combination of sheer pampering and self-indulgence, with the added benefit of healing. If you decide to give this therapy a go, be prepared for an exceptionally unique massage experience!

For more information on Ayurvedic Shirodhara massage please contact Joanne Hardman on 01590 677711.