Finding Nirvana at 2012 ISPA Conference

I never expected to find Nirvana at noon in the middle of a noisy and high energy trade show, but by the time Egle was finished with me, I was limp as a piece of freshly cooked spaghetti and twice as relaxed. In fact, afterwards, it seems that I floated – not walked – by the gals I was supposed to have lunch with twice without seeing them or stopping. They both said I looked so blissed out, they didn’t want to break the spell. I should mention that this took place at this year’s ISPA Conference and Expo in Orlando and that this extraordinary experience was only one of many that left me inspired and renewed in mind, body and spirit.

So, what was responsible? In a word Shankara, or maybe three words, Shankara and Egle – a dynamite combination that still has me smiling weeks later. Shankara is a beautiful skin care system that I’d like to call Eurovedic – a blend of western anti-aging breakthroughs with the eastern science of Ayurveda, the ancient Science of Life and based on Ayurveda’s doshic principles. Egle is a soft-eyed, lovely therapist, steeped in the Ayurvedic tradition, who has utterly magical hands. Together? Wow!

Imagine a softly lit tent with gauzy curtains on three sides that managed to feel cozy and worlds apart from the bustle outside. The massage bed was soft and inviting and Egle, who quickly pegged me as a Pitta-Vata type, started my Arundhati treatment with a typical aromatherapist’s question, “Which scent do you prefer?” as she waved two vials under my nose. I found one a little harsh but the other caused my olfactory to do cartwheels with its exotic, spicy and sensual scent. “Ah,” said Egle, “you’ve chosen Relax.” Yes I had, but it smelled like no other Relax I’ve smelled in the past!

She started with a thorough head and scalp massage that made me glad I had chopped my hair before heading across the country to Florida and within minutes I had, indeed, relaxed so completely that I only noticed the sounds outside this cocoon as a sort of white noise.

Egle’s magical hands proceeded to exfoliate, and then massage, my arms and hands from the elbow down, continuing down to my lower legs and feet. Sounds simple, but during the entire Arundhati, she was careful to pay attention to the Marma points along which our Prana or energy flows and cleared – obviously! – any negative energy lingering in my extremities. Which led to the state of Nirvana I described at the beginning…

I remember wandering through the Expo enveloped in my little cloud of exotic scent and heading for my room where I continued to relax and allow the Arundhati experience to work its magic. It was an unexpected gift at a conference that was filled with such moments. You can find Shankara at spas like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Canyon Ranch Hotel and Spa in Miami Beach or Holtz Spa in Ottawa or contact Shankara for the spa nearest to you. My advice? If you have the chance to experience a Shankara treatment first-hand, don’t pass it up!