Most of us have come across or heard about Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing science that is deeply rooted in nature and heals by helping one achieve an inner balance. Although Ayurveda healing is used to alleviate health issues, sometimes you don’t need to have anything wrong with you to undergo a treatment session. This was the case when we visited Dubai’s Ayur Mandala Ayurveda Center, and underwent a detoxing Ayurveda healing massage.

Review: Ayurveda Healing Massage at Ayur Mandala — Dr. Athika Chettiar, Board-certified Doctor, and Ayurveda Expert

We met Dr. Athika Chettiar, who is a board-certified doctor as well as an Ayurveda expert, for a consultation. Since we’d never had an Ayurveda healing massage before, we thought we would just walk in and head straight for the massage table, as we would do in a massage parlor. But it was quite the opposite. During the consultation, Dr. Athika asked some personal questions, which we assumed was to create a baseline, and know which Ayurveda healing to prescribe.

The Treatment – Detox Massage

The customized Ayurveda healing massage, which was done by a trained therapist using infused oils took about 90 minutes. This treatment, according to Dr. Athika, was just the beginning of a healing journey, which if we agreed to proceed after the initial session, would have to include a total of 14 more sessions (which we are still discussing).

The therapist started with a complete head massage (while sitting upright), using the infused oils and aromas. This was followed by a shoulder and upper back massage, and finally, a full body massage whose main purpose was to holistically balance the mind and body.

The last part of the Ayurveda healing massage (and the most interesting), was the Shirodhara Ayurvedic therapy. This, as explained by Dr. Athika, involves pouring a continuous stream of herbalized warm oil on the forehead. She adds that it promotes a sense of wellbeing and relaxation, by bridging your physical, emotional and mental health.

After the healing massage was over, including the Shirodara, it was time for a shower, which is a must, because you are covered in oil from head to toe and everywhere in-between, including the hair.

Our Takeaway From the Ayurveda Healing Massage

The detox massage focuses on the whole person (physical, emotional and spiritual). After the massage, there was a surreal sense of calm in the entire body. The goal of the massage was to help reverse the undesirable effects of our fast-paced (stressful) lifestyle by offering inner peace and positive energy within the body.

One thing though, Ayurvedic therapy is not a one-size fits all kind of healing. Each treatment, massage or otherwise, has to be tailor-made to fit your specific needs or whatever you want to be healed. After all, according to Dr. Athika, regardless whatever holistic healing methods a doctor is using, a new body imbalance should never be created in order to fix another imbalance. In other words, the doshas (mind-body types) should never be disturbed.

At Ayur Mandala Ayurvedic Center, they offer more than an Ayurvedic healing massage. Dr. Athika uses an individualized approach to develop a personal prescription that goes beyond simply relieving symptoms to address the core imbalances. Some of the services they offer include pain management, weight management, stress relief, women’s health, cardiovascular, diabetes management, geriatric care, infant therapies, and hormonal care among others.