I find Ayurvedic spa treatments deeply rejuvenating, particularly “Shirodhara” (Photo Source: spafinder.com)

Whenever I’m in need of deep relaxation, I spend what I call an ‘Indian Afternoon in Soho.’ I did this two weeks ago, and made a pact with myself to make it a regular ritual. It was the first time I’ve done it since giving birth to my son nearly 9 months ago. Being a new mommy in bustling New York City is no small feat. After non-stop sleep-deprivation, returning to full-time work, and running to daycare to pick up Liam every evening, I needed my much-awaited (and like all new parents, much-deserved) afternoon of rejuvenation. So what did I do exactly? I treated myself to a little piece of Ancient India in Lower Manhattan…

Photo Source: pratimaspa.com

My first order of business is to book two Ayurvedic spa treatments: an Abhyana full body massage and a Shirodhara. If you’ve never heard of these before, stop what you’re doing and find an Ayurvedic spa near you. Seriously. It will change the way you look at massages and the way you look at your mind-body connection. I go to the Pratima Ayurvedic Spa at the corner of Greene and Spring in Soho, where the treatments are described like this:

ABHYANGA MASSAGE  
This full body massage melts away muscle tension and liquefies toxins with the traditional anointment of warm herb-infused oils that penetrate deeply to bring true balance to the body, mind and senses.

SHIRODHARA
An Ayurvedic ritual to quiet the mind. Following a nurturing front body massage, warm herbal oil is gently poured over the third eye or forehead center to deeply lull your senses. Helps relieve insomnia, improve memory and focus, and restore peace of mind.

I mean, how can you not be curious to try this?

Pratima Ayurvedic Spa at 110 Greene Street in SOHO (Photo Source: pratimaspa.com)

What is Ayurveda? According to Pratima Spa, “rooted in the ancient Indian body of knowledge known as the Vedas, Ayurveda dates back to about 1500 BC. Ayurvedic medicine is holistic, meaning it is based on the intrinsic law of nature that states that whole person is made up of many interdependent parts and that when one part of the body is malfunctioning, it disrupts all other parts of that person. Therefore, by concentrating on the source of imbalance, Ayurveda uses natural treatments to eliminate the root cause and promote the person’s immunity. Ayurveda not only treats physical complaints, but it also changes lifestyle practices to help maintain or improve health, wellness, beauty and optimal living.”

Waiting area and treatment room at Pratima Ayurvedic Spa in SOHO. Yes folks, my treatments were in the room to the right! (Photo Source: pratimaspa.com)

After seating me in a cozy, dimly lit alcove where incense wafted against framed Hindu gods and goddesses, my Ayurvedic therapist came to receive me. Blonde and soft-spoken, Cynthia is an Ayurvedic practitioner, yogini, and massage therapist. She put me into relaxation mode almost immediately, greeting me like an old friend who offers to makes you a cup of tea after you take a nice, long nap. She explained that I had chosen the right treatments for this time of year. As she describes on her terrific site, “in winter the variable weather, extreme cold temperatures, dryness from external heaters, increasing moisture in the air, as well as shorter days of sunshine throughout winter can begin to add additional stress on the body and mind.”

The Abhyanga massage comes first, and don’t let the Ayurvedic descriptions fool you into thinking it’s soft and willowy body treatment — while it’s unlike a classic Swedish or deep tissue massage,  it’s deep and thorough in a different way. Herbal oils are matched with the season and your skin type, and are worked vigorously into the skin and muscles, not too hard, not too soft, but definitely vigorous so the blood really gets flowing. After an hour of this, just as my Manhattan-stressed-full-time-working-mother body and mind began to relax, came the Shirodhara. Honestly, it’s what I wait for, and the timing after the Abhyanga is perfection. According to Spafinder.com, Shirodhara has “a deep and penetrating massage on the mind that deeply relaxes the nervous system and helps to heal by calming imbalances in the mind and disturbances in emotions.” A good Ayurvedic practitioner like Cynthia will ensure the oil is just the right temperature–not too cool, and not too hot–(we are talking the third eye, after all), and will expertly allow the warm stream of oil to flow over your forehead. It’s not a direct massage, but rather, a constant, enveloping flow of warm fluid that seems to know exactly where to go to ease the mind and senses.

Pratima Ayurvedic Spa lobby (Photo Source: pratimaspa.com)

As Cynthia bid me a warm farewell, she kindly reminded me “to be gentle with myself for the rest of the day” because she had worked on relaxing my mind-body connection. With my muscles supple and my head warm and buzzing, the second order of business is to walk very slowly out of the spa on to Greene Street, float down Spring Street, just past Broadway to Hampton Chutney, which features South Indian dosas (a crispy crepe made from rice) with a variety of fresh fillings, both savory and sweet. Dosa is ancient as well, its roots date back to 1st Century A.D. India.

Hampton Chutney in SOHO

Apparently the owners of Hampton Chutney opened their first dosa shop after meeting at an ashram in South India. I’m from a South Indian family and I proudly claim my mother’s homemade dosa to be the best, but I really like Hampton Chutney. On my first visit I was determined to not like it, but failed. While it’s not like my mom’s dosa, I like the crispness they achieve and the interesting flavor combinations that are always robust (they do not skimp on their ingredients), high quality, and well seasoned. In addition to the traditional potato masala filling, there are choices like  Balsamic Roasted Onions, Spinach and Goat Cheese and Avocado, Fresh Tomato, Arugula and Jack Cheese.

Completely relaxed and my tummy warmly full of the ‘Chicken Chutney Curry, Spinach, Onions’ dosa, I headed back into the cold to catch the express train uptown to Harlem. I can’t wait until my next ‘Indian Afternoon in Soho.’

Hampton Chutney Dosa #9: Chicken Chutney Curry, Spinach, Onions

I opened it up so you could take a look!

All of the dosas are served with a choice of fresh chutneys.

Hampton Chutney’s owners first began selling their homemade chutneys. The cilantro one is my favorite. (Photo Source: hamptonchutney.com)