The new religion

Pilgrimages to spas, that's my new religion.

I didn't realize how much I missed this stuff when I was in the US, until I came back and someone ran screaming when they saw me - "YIKES, it's the Yeti and it's in Bangalore".
My general appearance combined with stress wars left me acting like a Yeti as well, grumpy with claws.

So one day, propelled by a war with the hubby and the inability to find my face anymore behind the grime I started investigating, and found - oh such a plethora of options that there is almost NO reason not to de-fuzz, smell like a rose, have sparkly teeth, eyes, shiny hair and no wrinkles. And guess what, even taking away the "expat" terms it is still affordable and oh soooo convenient.

Here is where India TRUMPS a whole lot of the rest of North America and Europe. The dazzling, sparkling variety of spas and services are yummy!!!! in the US, it cost a bomb read 100/- big ones for 1 hour of something. The results are ok - not outstanding. In India they will dig into your skin find every bump and wrinkle and iron it out till nothing is left...

So there is basically the high end - you attain nirvana and pay for it; the middle end - your garden variety special temple with some amount of nirvana attached and the low end - maintenance of religious status - you pray, the spa gods hear you, you get a moderate halo of beauty and you're done! There may be other permutations and combinations but these are the ones I have experimented with.

So high end - expensive and interesting options - places like Kaya & Kosmoderma. They can suck the fat out of you. They have doctors on call who do skin analysis and then leave you in the hands of capable sales women who suck the cash out of you. A skin treatment at Kaya that spans 4 months, can run you about 20K Rs/- I haven't tried the lipo bits or the other cosmetic surgery ones yet - but there's time for that still!
There are a few high end, non surgery type spas that have sprouted in the city as well - places like Chandhan Sparsh, White Mantra Spa & Salon, The Spa at The Leela. Chandhan Sparsh for example has a membership package that starts at 20K Rs/- and you can use it year long or services to the tune of 30K.I didn't dare try the membership package but I did try a nice pedicure and a hair spa thing - the former, in a giant massaging chair with the attendant scrubbing the bottom of my feet, massaging till I almost fell asleep. The latter with a hair specialist who massaged a million things into my head and then washed it off. The end of this was a completely de-stressed me and the family loved me that night. I was too sleepy to war with any one. The price for this lovely experience - 4K Rs/- about 100 $


Middle end - places like Body Craft, YLG Spa, Bounce - They offer a different spiritual experience. For a reasonable amount of money - 4K Rs/- will get you a few nice options, an entire japanese hair straightening treatment or a mani+pedi+ hair combo OR a massage + pedi + Mani etc. In other words, this is my usual bi-weekly temple routine. I get blissed out, the fam is happy and I have restored enough energy and enlightenment to make it to work the next week.

Low end - tons of spa's in people's homes, and people willing to come to your house. Think 1K for a whole RANGE of stuff, massage, pedi's, hair oil thing, etc. The ambience, well it's as good as your home is - which in my case can be completely chaotic and insane, kids screaming, husband looking for socks etc. however, the service is EXCEPTIONAL. In other words this is my equivalent of my home pooja room - everyday maintenance!.

I have to say this - If the meaning of life is to find eternal happiness and bliss, the fast track seems to be at the spa. Get your feet rubbed by one of the experts, watch your stress melt away, have less fights, develop a more magnanimous approach to life and everyone around you and the effects rub off on everyone. I can't argue with that....

I would love to post before and after pictures, but you can't take a picture of someone who is attaining sainthood.


And the pilgrimage continues...