How different is an Ayurvedic massage?

• The massage starts with the recitation of an ancient prayer to invoke healing and is not religious in nature. While SOUKYA has a spiritual basis, it is non-sectarian and non-denominational, and these prayers are done out of respect for the Ayurvedic tradition. • There is a lot of oil used on the body which most soon find to be quite pleasant. • In general, the massage uses vigorous strokes unless of course based on the conditions and requirements of the individual. • After the massage, the person gets a herbal steam for the body alone as heat to the head is not recommended in Ayurveda. • As per tradition, male therapists massage male patients, and female therapists massage female patients. This may be because the massage strokes come quite close to the groin area and for women the chest area is also massaged. • One's body is quite exposed as one is given to wear only a massage thong and the massage strokes are such that the body cannot be covered. ... more