Ready for a little bit of heated heaven for the holidays? If you enjoy these treatments, it’s in the bag. These traditional treatments consist of a therapeutic massage using warm poultices which are heated muslin bags filled with healing, fragrant herbs and spices. First, warm oil is drizzled over the body.  Then, using the poultices, your therapist massages your body in a slow, synchronized sequence, working out soreness and stiffness with the bag’s warming heat.

Oriental massage techniques may be used to trace the energy pathways, pressure points, and lymphatic drainage.  You will find that every touch induces a new level of relaxation and healing. The fragrant and therapeutic nature of the oils, poultices, and massage make this a heavenly, sumptuous experience that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and wonderfully relaxed. In addition to these spa ritual treatments, some spas have incorporated healing herbs and spices into their spa treatments to enhance your spa experience.  Here are just a few of the Spicy Spa Treatments

Chai Hot Stone Massage

A spicy new twist to an old favorite. Tested for hundreds of years by the Ancient Indians, the Chai Hot Stone Massage is balancing to the body as well as the soul. While the hot stones and massage are designed to open your chakras and balance your body’s energy flow, the traditional spices of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger and Pepper are intended to balance your Doshas—especially satisfying to Kapha, which craves more attention during the cooler seasons. For those who are seeking deep relaxation and balance this is a seasonal “must have”.

Hot Poultice Massage

There are several types of treatments that utilize hot compresses to provide valuable therapeutic properties to your massage.  Here are there that you may find in a spa near you.

Pinda Sveda style hot rice bags

Traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine, rice bag massage is applied to various parts of the body and energy centers; the rice can be plain or mixed with beneficial herbs and spices known to heal specific conditions. The texture of the grains revitalizes and cleanses the tissues and helps tone up areas prone to cellulite. The hot compresses are used during massage with hot oils.

Priadara Thai-Style Massage

Thai-Style massage is a spectacular treatment that stimulates the senses while soothing you with warmth to alleviate muscle tension, aches and pains. Herbal compresses are bundles of beneficial herbs and spices that are steamed to release both fat- and water-soluble active ingredients of selected plants: stimulate your mind, body & soul with an energy boost blend of ginger, lemongrass, camphor & cinnamon; spruce up with antiseptic and healing citrus cleanser, clear out congestion with a cold-care blend of ginger, eucalyptus, lime & clove, find stress relief with basil, peppermint, ylang ylang & may chang or sensual luxury with jasmine, ylang ylang, lime & nutmeg.  The synergy between the warm Thai-style compresses (containing up to 20 exotic Thai herbs and spices) and massage creates a powerful purifying and detoxifying lifestyle treatment.

How does Hot Stone Massage Compare to Hot Compresses?

1. Compresses offer the advantage of providing valuable therapeutic properties of healing plants, thus being able to treat specific conditions, not just warm up muscles & joints for massage.  
2. Compresses follow the contours of the body, so you can receive the desired amount of pressure on any part of the body; stones should not be used to massage or apply pressure on the spine or other bony areas in order to avoid discomfort and bruising, but herbal, rice or buckwheat compresses can be moved along the spine, on the sacrum, shins, feet or around scapulae and joints, for example, with gradually increasing pressure
3. The texture of the grain compresses stimulates your senses, improves blood & lymph circulation and works on cellulite that little bit deeper and more effectively without damaging the tissues
4. The 100% cotton fabric the herbs and grains are bundled in has a light exfoliating effect, removing dead skin cells, revealing younger skin and improving penetration of the healing, nourishing & protecting massage oils.  Stones will exfoliate if they are still rough in texture.
5. Compresses offer a great variety of choice humid or dry heat, stress-relief, relaxation, sensual stimulation, invigoration, mind clearing, cold-care, energy boost, sedation, detox, cleansing,  and the opportunity of having treatments personalized based on blends of herbs, grains and oils to suit your individual requirements

Thanks to the healing, nurturing and inspiring effect of the plants, grains and oils on one’s mind, body and soul, the experience of a hot chai stone or hot compress massage is truly holistic.