To get a different look at our Treatments Week, we asked model and blogger Rebecca Pearson to sample some of the more unique tasters available. Read on for her experience and Treatments Week review.
I’ve been going to triyoga for well over a year now and, despite enjoying the odd smoothie in the Camden branch while perusing the catalogue of therapists and treatments, I’ve never booked one. They all look rather fascinating and wide-ranging, but I’ve never felt like I had the time or decisiveness to bite the bullet and go for it.
However, last week I had the great pleasure of sampling some of triyoga’s taster treatments during Treatments Week, which are 30 minute tasters for £20 each. Here’s how I got on…
osteopathy with Katy Teasdale
I was surprised to find that osteopathy is far more holistic and profound than I had thought (I thought it was all clicking necks and massaging joints). Katy, who is enormously qualified, asked me about my entire medical history. Orthodontistry, digestion, my cycles and any accidents were all taken into consideration and painted a bigger picture as to why certain niggles, like pain in my shoulder, occur. She then had me stand and observed my body from different angles, looking at posture and movement. Katy had me at ease and really cared about what I was saying and comforted me when I got a little teary.
Each treatment is unique and tailored to the individual. Some might have their joints and muscles manipulated (this may lead to the aforementioned ‘clicking’ osteopathy is famous for) but for me it was Cranial Osteopathy, which is quite hard to describe. Katy placed her hand on my sacrum, held it there, and said she was measuring my energy. Initially I was disappointed that she wasn’t just going to massage my shoulder better, however after a few minutes I felt a real release into my thighs and increased sensitivity in my back where I had been holding a lot of tension.
It was far more intriguing than I expected and I’m definitely interested in booking it again (if you book on the day of your taster, you do get a £20 discount so worth bearing in mind).
Chinese herbs with Santosh Kaur
I’ve actually done yoga alongside Santosh before, so I was pleasantly surprised to see her in the consultation room. Santosh is so kind – a generous spirit – and I could tell she really wanted to help me. After talking through my various problems, taking my pulse and checking my Meridian points with a soothing massage, she diagnosed me with damp heat and generally being really stressed. Damp heat can lead to women’s problems, digestion issues and feeling heavy in the head, which definitely rang true. Lately I’ve been having irregular periods, pain after eating and I often feel mentally sluggish.
For some, Santosh might then do acupuncture (which is fantastic and everyone should try) or massage, but for me she made a herbal concoction with the top quality, strong herbs she uses with advice to avoid foods like yogurt that are damp and heavy. The herbs would usually cost £65 but for those using the taster they were just £45.
Santosh taking my pulse
chavutti massage with Ramu Nair
If I read the words ‘massage with feet’, I’d probably be instantly put off. Although I have seen my friend, barre teacher Emily Spriggs, walking out of Ramu’s room looking like she was dancing on air (fitting, as it was initially invented to help dancers with their flexibility).
All I can say is, wow. This was quite unlike any massage I’ve ever had before and I would absolutely do it again.
It involves lying on a mattress on the floor, above which is a rope for Ramu to hold onto, and being massaged with his very dexterous feet. The pressure was at times intense but each technique – using toes on the neck while I was in Sphinx Pose, the heel on my shoulder blades, the whole foot up and down my spine – made me even more relaxed as the half hour went on. I loved it! And I also appreciated the advice Ramu gave me: that I am tense in my upper back, that I don’t breathe properly and that I have a good body which I should look after better.
I walked out of there unwound, barely able to form sentences and full of resolve to sit up straighter and practice breathing & meditation.
Ramu’s foot massaging my neck
ayurvedic massage with Jwala Tsai
I was interested in ayurvedic massage because since loosely integrating an ayurvedic diet into my life, I’ve enjoyed a healthier immune system and maintained a regular weight.
Explained loosely, ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of eating, drinking, moving etc. based on your ‘Dosha’, or constitution. I have a nervous, flighty energy and I’m cold all the time, so I eat warm stews and do gentle exercise to ground me. I recommend it to anyone, as I think it’s about regaining intuition with your body rather than anything faddy.
Jwala took my pulse and then proceeded with an upper back massage. Compared to other massages, it was far more gentle and fluid, like running water – but I could feel the knots in my back dissolving and I felt so calm and energised, rather than spaced, afterwards. The warm sesame and sunflower oil she used were particularly appreciated now that the cold is setting in. Altogether, it was a really mellow and peaceful experience.
Inside the therapy room for ayurvedic massage
my overall thoughts
What a week! I must say any tension in my shoulders has disappeared after all this massage. But these treatments were far more than just pampering sessions: each one gave me a unique insight into my body and how my lifestyle is affecting my posture, my digestion and my mind, and I’ve come away with some really positive guidance on how to improve on all of them.
Rebecca is a model and writer from London, find out more at:
Website: www.modeltypeface.com
Instagram: @1rebeccapearson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebeccapearson
