Touch of the Tropics

Padding back and forth between my casita and the spa in loose, comfy clothing, I found myself lingering over the magnificent view of the sea, stopping to look at vibrant purple orchids, watching guests board a beach-bound ferry at the bottom of the cliffs. I forgot about dressing in real clothes and putting on makeup. The relaxation had begun to take hold, the tension sloughing off like the dead skin after my Pineapple Body Polish — but I wanted more. That’s why I now find myself in the capable hands of Miriam, preparing to experience the spa’s ultimate balancing treatment. 

After Miriam lets me vent about the stresses back home, she preps me for an Ayurvedic cure called the The Spirit of Life. Ayurveda, she explains, is a 5,000-year-old East Indian health tradition that addresses physical, mental and spiritual equilibrium. First, the therapist must determine the individual’s body type and personality traits — vata, pitta or kapha. Miriam quickly recognizes mine. “Pitta,” she says, “fire.” To cool my fire and bring me back into balance, she mixes herbs based on kapha, the water/earth constitution. For the bindi, or rejuvenation, part of the treatment, Miriam applies a full herbal body mask — again hand-crafted to counter my high-octane disposition as well as to build immunities. Once I’m encrusted in the aromatic blend from head to toe, Miriam follows with a brush massage and a soothing oil rub. I feel my body slip into a luxurious haze as she wraps me in a cocoon of steaming, tea-soaked linens for a final detoxifying. Everything is still and peaceful. Before my mind goes blank, I realize that this treatment is more about nurturing than pampering. And maybe that’s what I needed.

I’m roused slightly when Miriam begins the Shirodhara phase of the treatment, designed to quiet and calm the mind. A soothing stream of oil applied to the third eye in the center of my forehead dissolves my sense of reason. I’m intoxicated by the unending flow of warm, hypnotizing oil, my thoughts alternating between pleasant memories and nothingness. In the darkness, the oil flows and flows. My mind is entirely at rest. I feel suspended in time, not sure how much or how little has passed. Miriam continues with a thorough massage of my face, neck and shoulders, enabling my body to join my mind at peace. I’m not aware that the treatment has come to an end until she speaks.

“Lie there as long as you like,” she says gently. It seems an eternity before I can form any

words.

“Miriam... ” I eventually whisper. “Are you a religious person?”

— Santa Choplin Bogdon

The Golden Door Spa at the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort (877-999-3223; www.wyndham. com) offers 25 treatment rooms, a movement studio and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Treatments include Pineapple Body Polish ($115) and the Ayurvedic Spirit of Life ($155). Room rates range from $279 to $1,599 in low season ($469 to $2,179 high).

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