Patra Pinda Sweda
Here at TOAD we’re big on trying out alternative remedies. So when we heard Chi Spa were launching a new Ayurvedic treatment, we hurried to the Shangri-La to seek a cure for our chronic shoulder pain and bad posture. We got a lot more than we had bargained for.
Native to India, Ayurveda is a form of alternative medicine which prescribes the use of oils and medicinal herbs among its natural remedies. Both ingredients featured heavily in our treatment, the Patra Pinda Sweda. Hot, herbal poultices and coconut oil are applied all over the body with a big focus on muscle and tissue joints. It’s meant to do wonders for rheumatic arthritis, stiff joints, back ache and sciatica.
The treatment step by step
First off, prepare for 90 minutes of pure bliss including the welcome foot wash which turned out to be like no foot wash we had before.
Our therapist, Rama, had our robe-clad selves seated at a water basin full of rose petals and commenced with pouring actual coconut milk down our legs as if it were ordinary bath oil. We instantly felt precious. As she got in there with the scrubbing salts, Rama asked about our complaints and explained that the treatment is also good for improving blood circulation and restoring the natural flow of energy in our body. She also warned us that things would get quite heated, which was good because sweating would help us get rid of toxins and excess water.
The treatment was carried out in three positions – the first involved us sitting on the massage bed while Rama started feeding warm, virgin coconut oil into our hair and face. She was quite generous with it too, but before we had a chance to feel weird about the oil dripping into our eyes, her magic kicked in. With expert hands she focused on various facial pressure points and gave our head a thorough massaging that nearly had us dripping off the side of the bed. Position two was lying face down while Rama continued the massage over the rest of our limbs. Once we were good and squidgy, she extracted a pair of piping hot poultices out of a steaming vat, dipped them in more oil and started beating us with them. It was a wonder she could handle them they were so hot, but the sensation of the poultices being applied rapidly over our body was wonderful. And once they had cooled a bit, things just got better, Rama then started dragging them over skin in firm, fluid motions as a way of continuing the massage. The process was repeated for our legs and back, with Rama paying particular attention to our neck and shoulders, which (surprise surprise) were terribly tense, cramped and knotted. The concern in her voice had us thinking it was a miracle we could still walk upright. When our back was done, she turned us over for the final position and did our sides and front half, focussing also on our stomach region.
Pros
Warm, indulging staff and a cosy, exotic setting will have you feeling like you’re miles away from home. We imagined we were tucked away in a traditional healer’s hut in some Eastern village. The smell of the herbal poultices and the coconut oil did wonders for the mind, as our therapist dedicated great attention to working the tension out of our body.
Con:
Our only complaint was not the oil but the temperature of the treatment room. If the room had been warmer, perhaps the treatment would have felt more effective with regards to sweating out toxins.
As it was, however, Rama had to get us a second towel because we were getting goose bumps in the places the poultice wasn’t working on.
The verdict
They say if you fall asleep during a massage it’s the ultimate compliment to your therapist. Rama must have felt very pleased about her handywork then, because we passed out half way through the treatment. This says a great deal about how good the Patra Pinda Sweda is but has us feeling a little gutted we missed the end. At least we woke up feeling fantastic.
The 90-minute Patra Pinda Sweda treatment costs Dhs900 at Chi the Spa, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain (02 509 8900).
