Treat Yourself to an At Home Ayurvedic Spa Day

I don’t think we are alone when we say that a spa treatment, spa day or, at best, multiple days at a spa resort is one of the most relaxing and stress-relieving experiences. However, sometimes, one’s schedule, budget or geographical location may not allow for a trip to a swanky day spa or resort. Thus, if you find your skin, body, mind and spirit craving a slice of tranquility but cannot make it to a zen-like spa, why not bring it to you? Here, we share how to turn your bathroom into a self-care sanctuary with everything you need to pamper yourself with the perfect Ayurvedic spa day - an ultimate moment of self-care in which we all deserve to indulge. 

First, let's set the mood. Part of the allure of spas is that these establishments eliminate distractions for their patrons to completely disconnect from the demands of daily living. To mimic the spa environment, we encourage you to turn off or silence your phone and leave it out of the room where your Ayurvedic spa day will take place. If you live with others, set healthy boundaries and request that they plan an outing for the hours you will engage in your at-home spa treatments. Yes, this will take some planning and organization, but these small steps will make all the difference so that you can remain in the present moment, engage in your self-care, and make the most of your Ayurvedic spa day.

Prepare your bathroom by giving it a good clean so the space sparkles and uplifts your being. Purchase yourself a bouquet from the market or pick some fresh blooms if they are available to decorate your space with nature’s beauty. Remember to have towels, a cozy bathrobe and slippers to slide into towards the end of your Ayurvedic beauty rituals. If you have a favorite essential oil, add it to your aromatherapy diffuser or mist your space with your Aromatherapy Spritzer. You can decide ahead of time if you would like to enjoy the sound of silence or create a spa day playlist with calming, ambient tunes. This is your spa day, so create a space that reflects you and your own personal needs. 

Begin your spa day by treating your skin to a PAAVANI Cleanser & Mask . Our five Cleansers & Masks ( Vata , Pitta , Kapha , Tridoshic and Clarify ) serve as both your daily cleanser and weekly mask. Ayurveda teaches that gently exfoliating the skin with powdered herbs is the best way to cleanse, revitalize and nourish the skin. PAAVANI Cleansers & Masks take this philosophy a step further by incorporating dosha-specific, earth-based clays into their formulas. This additional ingredient ensures that daily toxins (ama), heavy metals and chemicals are also cleansed from deep within the skin’s layers, further allowing each clay’s beneficial minerals (like potassium, silica and calcium) to replenish and oxygenate the skin. Needless to say, this is a lovely treatment to begin your Ayurvedic spa day.

1. Use your Facial Bowl & Spoon to blend 1 tablespoon of your selected Cleanser & Mask with Floral Water to create a thick, smooth paste.

2. Once combined, gently massage your mask on the face & neck in gentle, upward, circular motions.

3. Allow the mask to dry slightly, and then rinse with lukewarm water.

4. Mist the face with your Facial Toner to continue the cleansing process. 

Also known as Ayurvedic dry brushing, this traditional beauty ritual is a lymphatic massage practiced with garshana gloves . Garshana gloves are made from raw silk and naturally contain enzymes that are beneficial to the skin. Raw silk has a coarse, uneven texture that is slightly knobbed, making it a gentle but extremely effective exfoliant. Furthermore,  garshana  is a wonderful way to connect with oneself and assist in the body’s natural detoxification process. 

• Detoxifies the lymphatic system.

• Expels ama.

• Stimulates blood flow.

• Increases circulation.

• Warms the body.

• Improves energy.

• Promotes mental alertness.

• Exfoliates the skin.

• Encourages cellular renewal.

• Revives skin tone & texture.

• Combats cellulite.

Brush toward the heart to assist the movement of lymph in the body, applying as much pressure as comfortable. Exert more force in areas of fatty tissue and brush gently on sensitive areas. Stand on a towel or in the shower while performing garshana for easy cleanup, as dead skin cells will be sloughed off in the exfoliation process.

1. Wearing your garshana gloves , begin by making small circular motions at the top of your head.

2. Next, lightly massage the face using small circular motions from the center outward (see directions below for a full gashana facial).

3. Move to the neck & shoulder areas using long brush strokes.

4. Continue to the arms with long strokes, incorporating circular motions at your elbows & wrists.

5. Massage the abdominal area in a clockwise motion, the natural path of digestion.

6. The lower back & hips/buttocks area can be massaged using the same circular motion.

7. Finish the massage with feet & legs, using circular strokes for the knees & ankles and long strokes for the feet & legs.

1. On either side of your neck, sweep from the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) to behind your ears. The SCM is located at the base of your skull. Repeat three times. (3x)

2. Facial sweep up the jawline, drawing up towards the ears. (3x)

3. Sweep from the upper lip to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). (3x)

4. Sweep from the nose bridge to the cheeks. (3x)

5. Sweep from the 3rd eye to the temples. (3x)

6. Sweep from the hairline to the temples. (3x)

7. Forehead friction using fingertips of both hands moving back and forth.

8. Cheek friction in a figure 8 motion on the cheeks.

9. Nose bridge friction.

10. End your massage with a gentle facial sweep up the face and across the forehead. (3x)

Pacify your nervous system with a loving self-massage. Self-abhyanga is practiced by saturating the skin with warm, dosha-specific, herbal Body Oil to cleanse the lymphatic system, balance one’s energy and nourish the skin. 

• Improves circulation.

• Detoxifies the lymphatic system.

• Grounds the nervous system.

• Brings peace to the mind.

• Moisturizes the skin.

• Nourishes the skin’s layers.

• Tones the skin.

• Strengthens the bodily tissues.

• Fosters graceful aging & longevity. 

1. Begin by placing your Body Oil in hot water until it becomes pleasant to the touch. We recommend investing in a small crock pot to perfectly heat your Body Oil.

2. Lovingly massage the warm oil into the body for 10-15 minutes, beginning at your extremities and working towards the center of the body.

3. Vigorously massage feet and hands using back-and-forth motions with the open part of your hand.

4. Massage arms and legs with circular strokes on joints and long, back-and-forth strokes on limbs.

5. Massage the abdomen using a clockwise motion, following the direction of the large intestine.

6. Massage the chest with small, upward, circular motions, starting on the bottom of the breastbone and making your way up to the collarbone and also around the outside of the breasts.

7. Massage your back as well as you can. A downward stroke on the lower back can increase the downward flow of energy.

8. Once you have massaged your entire body, let the oil penetrate the skin for 20-30 minutes. During this time, you can wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing that you do not mind getting oily and practice restorative or yin yoga. Alternatively, you can sit and meditate, allowing the weight of the outside world to lighten as you focus on your breath and the present moment in your at-home Ayurvedic spa. 

Once your self-abhyanga ritual is complete, it is time to envelop yourself in a luxurious Coconut Milk Bath. This bathing ritual will allow your herbal Body Oil to penetrate even more deeply into the skin’s layers and allow the muscles of your body and the mind to relax completely. Our Coconut Milk Bath is formulated with organic, unadulterated coconut milk powder, Himalayan salt, epsom salt and essential oils of rose, lavender, turmeric and cardamom. Unlike other Milk Baths, ours has zero fillers, meaning that your skin will be nourished by whole plant ingredients and unctuous coconut milk powder instead of filler ingredients like baking soda that can cause dryness and irritation. 

1. Light some candles if you wish and place your fresh vase of flowers within your eyesight so you can enjoy their beauty while bathing.

2. Draw a hot bath, and using the bamboo spoon included in your Coconut Milk Bath, scoop 3-6 tablespoons into your bathwater.

3. Step into your bathing ritual with presence.

4. Take slow, deep, calming breaths and allow your body & mind to release any holding or tension.

5. Once your bathing ritual is complete, pat yourself dry with a towel, slip on your slippers and wrap yourself in your robe. 

You may have heard of gua-sha but have you heard of kansa? Kansa is an Ayurvedic beauty secret that has rejuvenated skin since the Bronze Age (3300 BCE). Specifically, kansa is a sacred type of metal comprised of copper and tin in a ratio of 4 to 1. This combination is called bronze in the West and kansa in the East. Kansa has the unique power to heal and restore the skin and naturally balance the body’s pH. Again, like garshana and self-abhyanga, a kansa massage’s primary focus is to help the lymphatic system release stagnant energy, stimulate blood flow, oxygenate skin cells and nourish the skin and tissues of the body. 

1. Blend your Serum of choice with Floral Water and massage onto the face & neck.

2. Apply a few extra drops of Serum directly onto the top of your Kansa Wand.

3. Glide the wand across your forehead, releasing any expression lines from this area of the face. (3x)

4. Sweep the wand from the undereye region to the temples. (3x)

5. Continue with this sweeping motion, moving from the nose and cheeks to the ears. (3x in each section).

6. Sweep upward along the jawline towards the ears. (3x)

7. Sweep down the sides of the neck to help direct the lymphatic drainage towards the heart. (3x on both sides)

8. Return to the third eye center and do 3 clockwise circles to close your Facial Kansa Massage. 

1. If necessary, apply more Body Oil to the body and also add some oil to the top of the Kansa Wand .

2. Starting with the neck, gently glide the Kansa Wand from the jawline down towards the clavicle, working from the outermost part of the neck towards the center, making sure to avoid massaging the throat center.

3. Gently massage the chest, moving the wand in gentle, circular motions around the nipple and outer breast tissue. Repeat on the opposite side of the chest.

4. Sweep the wand from the center of the chest outward towards the underarms, and repeat on the opposite side of the chest.

5. Move to the inner wrist, and sweep the Kansa Wand up towards the inner elbow crease, gently sweeping to the outer wrist up towards the elbow.

6. Sweep the wand from the upper inner arm towards the underarm and gently sweep to the upper outer arm towards the shoulder.

7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 on the other arm.

8. At the abdomen, start the massage near the belly button and move outward in a gentle, circular, clockwise motion. (3x)

9. At the center of the abdomen, glide the Kansa Wand in downward strokes toward the right hip crease. Continue gliding the wand in downward strokes toward the outer sections of the abdomen. Repeat on the left side.

10. Move to the lower leg and gently sweep upward towards the knee.

11. Move to the upper leg and gently sweep upward towards the hip crease. Repeat on the other side.

12. End the massage at the feet, sweeping the Kansa Wand across the tops of the feet, from the ankles towards the toes. Repeat on the opposite side.

13. Once at the soles of the feet, massage the feet in a circular motion, allowing tension to further melt away and release.

14. Once your Kansa Wand Massage is complete, wrap yourself in your cozy robe and slippers. Pour yourself a cup of your favorite organic, herbal, loose leaf tea & find a comfortable spot to continue to rest & renew.

We hope we have shown you how easy it can be to turn your bathroom into a serene self-care sanctuary. May the ancient practices of Ayurveda continue to inspire you to love and pamper yourself regularly and remind you that you can always treat yourself to an at-home Ayurvedic spa day.