Indian Head Massage: it’s about service not business

A well-travelled Australian client of ours recently visited Kerala for the first time and I was thrilled because Kerala is (for good reason) one of the most popular destinations in India – known for its sun, sand and spices! I longed to hear about the places she’d visited and the people she’d met…

While she was there, she went for an Indian Head Massage, believing (as you would) that here she’d experience the traditions and authenticity of this age-old Ayurvedic treatment ‘in situ’ as it were. Sadly, all did not go well… she suffered neck pain as a result of too much pressure – what was supposed to be a pleasurable voyage of discovery turned into an instrument of torture!

Home once more, she rang to arrange her usual Head Massage with me – I couldn’t wait to hear about her trip, but sensed something had not been right. As I gently but firmly worked on her head, neck and shoulders, she told me her story. Soon, she began to breathe deeply, relaxed (and relieved I think to have me just quietly listening). “How come it is so different with you Saroj?” she asked…

The Power Of Intent

I have written about this on the Prana Blog but essentially, it comes down to what I call the power of intent… by which I mean the mental preparation of your therapist (before this or indeed any other treatment).

This process is always meditative, insightful, never hurried, always seeking to find the quiet space through which I truly express the meaning and intent of Ayurveda. It is my time to prepare and be ready for my client – every client. To receive and honour their trust in me with empathy and (through careful observance of body language as well as the spoken words) understand what needs to be done.

It’s About Service Not Business

With due respect to my fellow therapists in this or any other country; when your guiding principle is to play the numbers game (churning people in and out of the salon in quest of ‘business’) you are not ‘in service’ to anyone – you are slave to the almighty dollar. I suspect my client fell foul of this principle (if one can call it that) in India.

I am going to make it up to her. That is MY quest.