A Saturday Afternoon with Classic Ayurvedic Massage at Sambahana

On the massage salon's website I chose precisely the Sambahana massage because, from the description, it seemed to best represent what Indian massage is in general. Moreover, it lasts a full two hours (well worth it), the oil baths visible in the photos are not included (I wasn't ready for a dough disc filled with warm oil on my back), and for someone unfamiliar with ayurvedic principles - which I certainly am - this option seemed the most suitable.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon I headed to Kr. Barona Street 109 - a building that turned out to be known as the Eden Garden project, with a decorated and painted courtyard, through which I arrived at the masazas.lv studio. There I was already greeted by the salon's owner and masseur Toms Stašāns (we had previously agreed on the massage session by phone).

Having left my outer clothing on the coat rack and received the warmed slippers and towel offered by Toms, I went to the shower room to undress. Then I lay face down on the massage table and the massage could begin.

At first there were light, soothing, and warming movements - a traditional back massage using sesame oil (according to Toms, it is the most neutral of all oils). Later the "gymnastics" began - a thorough massage and stretching of the arms and shoulders, likewise the legs and feet, and finally work on the neck, rotating and tilting the head, and so on. Much like a real sports training session, there were also quite painful moments and joint stretching that balanced on the edge of comfort.

I realised (which the masseur himself later confirmed in conversation) that this was no Spa relaxation game, but rather a thorough and deep health massage that aims to get every stiff spot in the body moving. I have used the services of quite a few different masseurs in both Riga and Jūrmala, but here the full-body massage was truly full - it also included careful massage of the palms, the soles of the feet, and every little toe.

Since at the start of the session I had mentioned that I had been unable to shake a cold for three weeks, Toms additionally prepared and placed three heat bags on my back after the back massage, first covering the back with a warmed towel. The bags contained Himalayan salt mixed with sand from Vecāķi beach that had been sifted seven times. Oh yes, everything here was pleasantly warmed - warm oil, slippers, towels, and at the end a warm tea. As someone who loves warmth, this was pure bliss (previously I had encountered massages where one had to battle a certain cold shiver lying on the table). Heading home along the currently roadwork-disrupted Kr. Barona Street, the warmth gained during the massage kept me warm for a long time, as if heating me from the inside.

The massage concluded with stretching and massage of the neck, nape, and back of the head. A more recognisable and stronger lavender oil was used, whose purpose was to release tension, soothe, and relax.

Throughout this time, a recording played in the room - an Indian mantra, which was a woman's voice singing without music, which is why it sounded so unusual and hypnotic. It was not intrusive or unpleasant (quite the opposite) but left a certain impression. I would like to hear it again sometime, as it calmed the mind wonderfully - no thoughts crept in about planned tasks or unresolved issues.

I also appreciated that no Indian incense sticks were burned in the room, as that scent is too heavy for me personally.

Once dressed, Toms served a tea he had made himself, containing orange, cinnamon, and some other ingredients I can't recall, though I asked for a second cup as it was quite delicious and exactly what I wanted to drink after the massage. For some reason, in the majority of cases at other salons, green tea or jasmine tea is always served.

Sipping the tea, I asked Toms about his experience and how he had come to his private practice. It turned out that Toms gained his deeper knowledge of ayurvedic massage and practical experience while living in Hungary and studying at the Calendula Ayurvedic and Medical Clinic, practising the Panchakarma technique (unfortunately the name means nothing to me). He then returned to Latvia and worked as a masseur for a while at the Aditi Charm centre in Riga. Now, since February of this year, Toms has his own studio (one room plus a bathroom), his own trade, and his own regular clients who already know him by his practice.

I appreciated that Toms did not insist on the obligatory massage course - the traditional ten massage sessions without which, according to most salon masseurs, there will be no effect. The effect should be felt after just one session, if the massage is truly performed in full. If one wishes, a preventive full-body massage can be done once a month. That was probably a recommendation aimed specifically at me, since if there is a specific health problem, it needs to be addressed more intensively and carefully.

Today, one day after the massage, I feel my body as if after a proper workout, especially around the shoulder blades. No - more like after a proper session of dancing in the hot beach sun (a strange comparison, but still) - the skin on my back feels as if it has been slightly sunburned, it tingles a little, it dislikes being touched, although visually there is no redness, everything is soft and pleasant from the oil absorbed into the skin. I am still sniffling, but perhaps this sniffling is not a cold but rather a somatic reaction to something.

In any case, I do not regret trying this massage, and in the future I am considering the possibility of visiting Toms again. The masseur has "light hands" (as my mother would say), because energy - whether positive or not - is essential when two human beings come into contact.

If you too would like to have a similar massage experience, you can learn about the types of ayurvedic massage offered by Toms Stašāns on his website - www.masazas.lv