Las Vegas is not my favorite city for a vacation. Between the late nights, the smoke-filled casinos and the over-the-top shows, it's an intense destination-not all that relaxing. After a few days in Sin City this weekend, I felt (and looked!) pretty haggard. So I snuck away from the group for a few hours and made a bee-line for the Qua Baths & Spa at Caesar's Palace-now
this is the kind of place you want to go to recharge. There are dozens of treatment rooms, steaming-hot (clothing-optional) pools and even an ice room where it "snows" (check out the pic). I opted for an ayurvedic massage, which is designed to increase circulation and help with digestion. After the previous night's all-you-can-eat buffet, it sounded like just the thing.
The therapist began by taking my pulse in order to determine the right oil for my "dosha" (an ayurvedic term that refers to the way your body is functioning at that minute). She said my heart rate was "snake like" (not good, I'm assuming) and chose an herbal oil to help calm it down. The massage was majorly soothing-all the tension in my muscles dissolved, my stuffy sinuses cleared and my dull headache disappeared. The highlight of the treatment was something called "shirodhara", which came at the very end: a warm stream of oil poured over my forehead (the "third eye") and through my hair. As hokey as it sounds, it totally cleared my head. Isn't it amazing how a few hours at the spa can feel like a vacation, while three days away can be so so tiring?
If you want to get ayurvedic benefits at home, Pratima Skincare makes some incredible oils-and there's even a dosha quiz you can take. Then, all you need is someone to give you a good rub-down.
A handout image from Haslimann Taylor PR shows a pizza with the portraits of Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton as toppings.
