Spa magic

When you are in Phuket, you can take a boat trip to Phi Phi Islands, where you can snorkel, enjoy the balmy waters or relax on the power sands, and not to forget feast on some of the freshest seafood. Photos by Valerie Ng / China Daily

Avlsta Hideaway Resort and Spa offers a complete Ayurveda treatment.[Photo/Provided to China Daily]

Not long ago, a colleague wrote about how he was transformed from a spa virgin. I am a spa friend, if you'll excuse the word. Although easily tickled, I have braced myself for all kinds of spa treatments because of the supposed health benefits. There are all types of spa treatments in the market, from Swedish to Balinese, Indonesian, Thai and Chinese - from full body to shoulders only, foot reflexology, aromatherapy, scrub and more. And of course, there is also aqua treatment, namely whirlpool bath, which is suitable for those who are uncomfortable with massages.

In recent years, the Ayurvedic treatment has become a buzzword among health- and wellness-conscious people. For the uninitiated, it is a massage treatment involving a lot of oil, which is just a fraction of the story.

Ayurvedic practitioners believe that it is a holistic system of medicine. Defined as the science of life, it originated from India and has been around for over 3,000 years.

"Life according to Ayurveda is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul," says Alvin James, the in-house doctor of Avista Hideaway Resort and Spa on Phuket Island, Thailand. The resort has made Ayurveda its niche, although it also offers other types of spa therapies.

Before your treatment begins, an in-house Ayurvedic doctor will analyze your body, take your pulse rate and ask you questions about your lifestyle.

In Ayurveda, every human body has a defect against the cosmic rhythm, called dosha. But dosha is not harmful per se. It is prone to undergo aberrations during disturbances.

There are three body types in Ayurveda - vata (air), pitha (fire) and kapha (phlegm). Some people are more prone to one body type, while others may have combination body type.

Avlsta Hideaway also offers other types of spa theraphles.

Those with "air" body type move fast like the air. They are dynamic and fast learners but also forget easily. People with this body type tend to suffer from ailments related to dryness, for example, of the skin, of joints (which leads to aches in joints) and of the stomach (which leads to bloatedness if the wrong food is consumed).