By Ann Costa LaRose, illustrations by Jenny Kostecki

Today’s spa therapies draw from the tried-and-true wisdom of our ancestors

It’s nearing sunset in the coastal community of Puerto Morelos, not far from Cancun. A small group of us dressed in loose, white cotton caftans, has gathered on the still-warm sand along the beach at the Ceiba del Mar Resort. We face a low, open doorway that leads down into a kiva-like structure, while waiting our turn to enter, and recite words of greeting and supplication to the spirit guides we trust will be in attendance. This act is our preparation for the Temazcal ceremony in which we’re about to participate, an ancient Mayan ritual meant to cleanse both body and spirit.

At Ceiba del Mar, as with the majority of today’s spas, more than one treatment on the menu is likely to be based in traditional healing wisdom. These treatments and therapies – from acupressure massage, Ayurvedic facials, and Shiatsu to hot stone massage, seaweed treatments, and the use of herbs and botanical oils – all share an important component: each has a firm foundation in an ancient, respected healing modality that’s recently made its way back into our collective awareness.

Thanks to migrating populations and the efforts of world explorers, there’s a glorious overlapping of regions and practices. Here’s a look at some traditions from around the globe that have gained renewed respect in today’s forward-thinking spas.

Native American Wisdom

As recently as the mid-1800s, nearly eighty percent of all medicine in Europe and the United States was derived from native plants. Native American populations have a long history of tapping into the healing world of botanicals, awarding great respect to plants, and recognizing the life force within them as integral to healing.

Cleansing sweat lodge ceremonies, as well as such natural elements as sage, clay, willow, agave cactus, and honey have become staples in spas throughout Mexico and the West. Recently, another tradition has been rediscovered. At the Westin Kierland’s Agave Spa in Phoenix, each spa guest is presented with a burden basket at the beginning of his or her session. An adaptation of an Apache custom, these small, woven baskets are a physical receptacle for worries, concerns, and mental burdens. Guests mentally place their cares and burdens in the basket. The therapist removes it from the room and empties it, leaving each guest free to garner the maximum healing benefit from their therapy.

Caribbean, Coastal Mexico, West Indies, and South America

Healing traditions in every part of the world share common elements. In tropical locations, local fruit crops of papaya, mango, and coconut provide an abundance of natural, antioxidant-rich ingredients for facials and body treatments. On islands throughout the Caribbean and other coastal areas, seaweed, sea water, volcanic mud, sea salt, and marine algae provide the same detoxifying and exfoliating benefits today as they did centuries ago.

As in many parts of the world, shamanism has a long history of application and ritual here. At the Jalousie Hilton on the island of St. Lucia, guests can make an appointment with area bush doctor Daniel “Menziel” Cherubin, who uses local herbs to treat a variety of conditions including a tea brewed of salt and tichimai for headaches, a boiled mix of japanah and pea leaves for cold symptoms, and dried sour grape leaves boiled and steeped in water to relieve insomnia. The use of hot stones for massage, found throughout a variety of cultures, is equally popular here. Wosh Cho, the St. Lucia version, found at Anse Chastanet’s Kai Belte Spa, utilizes stones believed to be imbued with the power of volcanoes.

The Temazcal ceremony at Ceiba del Mar is one of several Mayan-themed rituals available to visitors along Mexico’s east coast. It includes meditation in the shadows of area ruins, seaside purification rituals, and a reawakening of the senses at the Villas Tacul Boutique Hotel’s Sensorama Experience. During this intense ritual, you’re blindfolded and guided through a series of experiences that involve each and every sense.

Further south, in the Amazon region of Venezuela, shamanism revolves around the practice of calling upon the spirits of native plants during healing rituals – a respected method that’s helped to maintain and restore health for centuries. Crimson sap from a native tree called Sangre de Grado (Spanish for “blood of the dragon”) is used by traditional healers both externally to prevent and treat bacterial infections, and internally to aid in the healing of stomach ulcers. Indigenous peoples in this rainforest environment believe that demonstrating proper respect for each plant is essential to the healing process. This respect ranges from asking the plant’s permission before removing it from its source and thanking it for bestowing its healing powers to not overharvesting it and acknowledging that its spirit is every bit as important as its chemical components.

Hawaii

In Hawaii, kahunas – traditional Hawaiian healers who also served as holy men – have provided a solid basis for modern island spa treatments. Centuries-old Lomilomi massage, with its long, stroking movements, helps stimulate and drain lymphatic glands, while easing the sore muscles of countless visitors.

Honey, popular in facials and moisturizing body treatments, has long been recognized for its topical healing properties and was even used in numerous healing rituals throughout ancient Greece and Rome. Cleopatra was said to use honey in her royal bath water.

At the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina on Oahu and the Mandara Spa at the Wailea Marriott Resort on Maui, you can find authentic Lomilomi as well as body treatments incorporating ti leaf, local fruits, honey, brown sugar, and coffee.

India

Who can think of India without being grateful for the 5,000 year-old medical system of Ayurveda and the centuries-old practice of yoga? Today, studies of the healing qualities of harmonic sound has resulted in the use of soothing soundtracks for massage and the use of Tibetan Singing Bowls during massage and energy treatments. The use of gemstones to balance emotions and realign energy patterns has also gained popularity.

Gemstone therapy has roots in many cultures, including Greek, Egyptian, and Judaic societies. It was in India, however, that their spiritual and healing powers were most recognized, with mentions included in the Vedic Scriptures. Gemstones have been shown to emit specific vibrational frequencies that many believe capable of affecting the body’s own frequencies, functions, and well-being. The Broadmoor Resort & Spa in Colorado Springs, Colorado, incorporates the healing power of stones with harmonic sound and the application of gemstones in its Harmonic Hot Stone Therapy Massage.

Africa and Australia

From Africa, the practice of rhythmic drumming to induce a meditative state was used by shamans as a way to enter the spirit world, where questions might be answered and healing might occur. It’s alive and well in spas today, and the Spa at Camelback Inn in Phoenix/Scottsdale holds sunset drumming ceremonies to help guests obtain the introspective mood necessary for beginning a healing journey.

Aboriginal medicine men in Australia also use drumming, repetitive percussive music, and crystals to gain insight on dreams, which they believe are mediums for important messages – including messages of healing.

Asia

Asian cultures understand the health benefits of meditation practice. These days, quietly sitting on a cushion has given way to equally beneficial moving meditative practices, including Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and the beautiful tradition of Japanese flower arrangement known as Ikebana.

Ikebana was once restricted to men – specifically, Japanese male nobility. Today, it can be found in numerous locations, including Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. Ikebana makes use of found objects, be they rocks, branches, feathers, or other offerings from nature. Fresh flowers or greenery may be added. Through contemplation and meditation, the practitioner seeks to create a harmonious arrangement from the components he or she has gathered.

Japanese tea ceremonies are another old ritual with multiple health benefits. In addition to the antioxidant properties found in tea, the act of slowing down and taking time for introspection at a regular interval each day can reduce stress and create an oasis in a busy schedule. A beauty practice handed down through generations of Japanese geishas involves the use of dried hummingbird droppings as an ingredient in facials. This practice is still available at Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Health Spa just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico.

These, as well as other healing therapies from around the world, provide a way for us to reconnect with our past, as well as a reminder of what our ancestors knew so well – that body, mind, and spirit cannot be separated. True health embodies the whole person.

address book

Anse Chastenet, St. Lucia, West Indies (758) 459-7000, www.ansechastanet.com

Ceiba del Mar, Puerto Morelos, Mexico, (998) 872-8060, www.ceibadelmar.com

Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa, St. Lucia, West Indies, (758) 459-5006, www.jalousie-hilton.com

JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina, Oahu, HI, (808) 679-0079, www.ihilanispa.com

Mandara Spa at Wailea Marriott Outrigger Resort, Maui, HI (808) 879-1922, www.mandaraspa.com

Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, CO, (970) 881-2184, www.shambhalamountain.org

Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Health Spa, Santa Fe, NM, (505) 982-9304, www.tenthousandwaves.com

The Broadmoor Resort & Spa, Colorado Springs, CO, (800) 634-7711, www.broadmoor.com

The Spa at Camelback Inn, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, (480) 948-1700, www.camelbackinn.com

Villas Tacul Boutique Hotel, Playa Beach, Mexico, (800) 842-0193, www.villastacul.com.mx

Westin Kierland Resort & Agave Spa, Phoenix, AZ, (480) 624-1000, www.kierlandresort.com

March/April 2004

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