Holistic and Spiritual Activities You Can Do On Your Indian Vacation

If you are looking for a spiritual renewal on your Indian vacation, India offers a wide array of meditation and yoga activity opportunities. After all, it is the country of world meditation, massage and mantras, Meditation, Ayurveda, and yoga have gained respect all over India. The book India by Joe Bindloss, Sarina Singh, James Bainbridge, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliot, and Stuart Butler suggests these places to sart your spiritual and wellness quest:

Ayurveda uses mainly animal and vegetable medicines and teaches a broad range of therapies including diet, enemas, massage, bloodletting, leeching, ointments, douches, sweating, and surgery. There are clinics all over India that teaches Ayurvedic techniques like Ayurvedic Natural Health Center near Calangute, Ayurvedic University in Jamnagar, Naturopathy classes and Ayurvedic theraphies in Bengaluru and Mysore, Ayurvedic theraphies in Verkala, and Ayurvedic courses in Puducherry (massage).

The following are India's best spas as written in Outlook Traveller Magazine (September 2008) issue:

1. Kaya Kalp - they offer massage, Ayurvedic rituals, chakra balancing and gemstone massage, beauty elixirs, and hair and scalp treatments. The existing treatment rooms of Kaya Kalp are sensory and visually delightful. Exotic Pomegranate, one of the spa's signature "journeys" starts with a ritual scrub made of sticky, sweet-smelling concoction of brown sugar lime, ginger and pomegranate.

2. Divya Spa, The Leela, Kovalum - They has two spas - Divya, a specialty Ayurvedic spa, and the Spa and Health Centre, an international spa. A therapy called Chavutti Thirummu is especially made for men where the therapist uses his feet to massage the body. For women, one massage is called Abhyanga Snana handled by two therapists in tandem.

3. Ista Spa - This spa is a junior version of the legendary Ananda in Rishikesh and Bangalore Hotel. The atmosphere in Ista spa is a ritualistic indulgement. Aside from massages, aromatherapy, reflexology, Swedish/Thai massage, jet lag massage, exfoliation, body wraps, facials and rituals, they also offer a fully equiped gym and "wet area."

4. Decleor Spa in Bangalore - They offer couples massages, facials, Vichy shower, firming, cellulite, whitening and body wraps, apart from salon services such as pedicure and manicure. Decleor spa specializes in aromatherapy like the Aroma Body Envelopment Detox which starts with the application of vitamin-rich paste, followed by nice-smelling balm made of grapefruit, shea butter, basil and pepper. A yummy smoothness in the skin!

5. Ananda in the Himalayas, Rishikesh - The nerve center of Ananda is the first and only world-class destination spa in India. Ayurveda is the specialty of Ananda along with other 79 body and beauty treatments offered like Swedish massage, aromatherapy, Thai massage, reflexology, couple's massage, water therapy body treaments, exfoliation, body wraps, and skin care treatments. Recommended must-try is the classic Abyanga massage which involves vigorous sweeping moves to prime the body, stimulates its natural energy and process like a wake-up call to make you more receptive to own energies.

6. Aura at the Park, Delhi - Must-try in this spa is the Aura massage, a 90-minute massage employing skin softening oils and using the entire palm to release toxins and also the face massage, a 60-minute combination of face and head massage to relieve the body of negative energy.

7. Svaasa Spa in Ranjit's Svaasa, Amritsar - Treatments offer are Ayurveda, salt baths, fruit scrubs, body wraps, milk baths, hair therapy and nutritional counseling. The in-house Ayurvedic specialist treats ailments like arthritis and depression.

8. Taj Spa - This spa is tucked into a corner of the sprawling lawns behind the original 120-year-old palace. Their signature treatments are often a mix and match of other specific ones like Indian Aromatherapy, Scrubs and Wraps, and the list goes on.

9. Oberoi Spa in Udaivilas, Udaipur - Udaivilas was ranked as the number one hotel in the world in 2007 by the Conde Nast Traveler. They offer eight kinds of full body massage including hot stone, aromatic, Balinese, Thai and Hawaiian.

10. Sereno Spa in Park Hyatt, Goa - This spa covers over 36,000 2q. ft. - the largest spa in the resort-ridden state. It has 16 therapy rooms with views of the beach and equipped with steam rooms and outdoor plunge pools. The Sereno Spa operates differently and many tourists on Indian vacation (India) who haven't tried spa treatment found themselves loving it because treatments are decided after consultation with the physician.