My wonky dosha called for a 5,000-year-old Indian holistic treatment in a modern Whistler spa – and oil… lots and lots of oil
Today’s massage actually begins with a personality test: Am I creative and imaginative? Organized and detail-oriented? Calm and patient? Am I a light, moderate or deep sleeper? Do I plan my spending, hoard my money or shop impulsively?
I’ll let you guess the answers, but suffice it to say, they all add up to reveal my dominant dosha is Pitta, which – alongside Vata and Kapha – is one of three inherent personalities that make up every human, according to Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old Indian holistic medicine. Just as Chinese medicine might say you’re an earth or fire or water, or a modern-day horoscope says you’re a hippie Libra or sexy Scorpio, your dosha indicates your personality and preferences. And here at the Vida Spa at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, it also dictates how my massage will go.
It’s not often you’ll find an authentic Indian spa experience overlooking snow-covered Canadian ski hills, which is exactly why it appealed to me to begin with. Ayurvedic medicine is all about balance, which I’m admittedly terrible at. I tend to go-go-go until I crash, grinding to a lazy stop that oft requires a seven-day vacation to recover.
Don’t do that, explains my massage therapist before we begin, as a wonky dosha is thought to cause physical disease and emotional stress. Pittas like me, I’m told, get irritable, impatient, over-hungry for salty snacks and sweaty (TMI but true). So, while a Type-A Vatas needs to slow right down, and slovenly Kaphas should speed up, I’m happy to know I’m operating in healthy middle territory and my rub will, too. That’s just the kneading speed though: in Ayurveda, unlike a garden-variety Swedish massage (sorry, Swedes), everything from the temperature of the room and the pressure of the strokes to the essential oil selection (I get a cooling blend – see sweaty, above – with peppermint, sandalwood and chamomile) is personalized for my Pitta personality.
While we’re talking oils, prepare yourself: in lieu of the familiar frugal droplets, my Ayurvedic massage marinates my whole body from scalp to toes in a pint of aromatic oil. For tension headaches – a common ailment for stressed-out Pittas, I’m told – I am given an extra treat: a signature Shirodarha, a.k.a head massage.
In Sanskrit, shiro means “head” and dhara means “stream of flow,” and yes, there’s more oil involved. This time, there’s a slow and steady stream between my eyebrows, which is said to simulate my third eye’s wisdom and intuition. It’s working, I think, if only because today’s massage choice has proven both enlightening and enjoyable, albeit very oily. Its scent lingers, despite numerous showers, for three glorious and uncharacteristically relaxed days, and each and every time I get a whiff, I’m gently reminded to take a breath, control a wobbly mood swing in advance and grab a not-so-salty snack.