Cynthia Rodrigues

Jiva spas, the latest in the bouquet of luxuries Indian Hotels offers, blends the spiritual and medicinal characteristics of ancient India to relax and rejuvenate guests

The Patels, Samir and Bina, are seeking to infuse guests with Jiva, the life force. General managers of the Taj's new spa division, they have launched four Jiva spas at the Wellington Mews, Mumbai; Taj Green Cove, Kovalam; Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior, and the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Mauritius. The success of this venture has proved its capacity to fulfill a sorely felt need.

Jiva is the life force, says Samir, adding, "Connecting to that force enables you to have a balanced harmonious life. At Jiva, we allow guests to get in touch with their core, to get completely balanced and grounded within themselves."

The concept behind the Jiva spas emerged when Raymond Bickson, the managing director of Indian Hotels, realised that the company had no cohesive concept for spas for its Taj properties. Perceiving a business opportunity, he wondered why India, the land of spirituality, could not create a spa concept woven around the Indian elements of yoga, meditation and ayurveda. While ancient Indian knowledge exists in some form in other spa models, no one offered the authentic Indian experience.

Anxious to introduce an Indian spa model, Mr Bickson brought in the Patels to crystallise the concept. The couple had recently set up spiritual retreat sites in India and New York for a voluntary organisation. The components of these sites were similar to those of successful destination spas. Mr Bickson realised that the Patels were ideal for packaging the wisdom of ancient India for Taj guests.

Accepting the challenge of creating an Indian spa experience, the Patels came up with the Jiva master menu of various experiences, a different combination of which is offered at each spa. These experiences includes signature Indian body treatments, beauty makeovers, aromatherapy, yoga and meditation, which are unique to India. Signature therapies were developed for specific goals of relaxation, invigoration and detoxification. An array of water-based therapeutic experiences, inspired by Indian bathing traditions, are also part of the offering.

"We may have 20 to 25 treatments in ayurveda, but in each spa we only take a part of that menu," explains Samir. 

Besides, an ayurveda physician is on call to offer consultation on lifestyle, treatments and diets that guests can follow. The Mauritius spa also has the Jiva cuisine, created by the hotel's executive chef in consultation with the ayurveda physician. This cuisine takes care of the guest's dietary requirements. The feature will soon be introduced in other spas.

The Patels have also developed an aromatherapy line, using oils from Indian pharmacopoeia. Herbs such as gulheena, amla and jamarosa are used to help guests relax. Floral essences, made from jasmine, champak and mogra, are also used. Says Bina, "People generally take what the west has to offer and incorporate it here. We took care to look at what India has had to offer over the years."

Part of their job also involved looking for individuals with whom they could share their vision. These included a professor of ayurveda and a writer of books on ayurveda aromatherapy. The Patels have collaborated with them to develop nine signature blends for different experiences. "The reception blend," says Bina, "is what the guest experiences through the vapourisers."

She takes care to point out that none of their special touches are intended as gimmicks. "Culturally, in India, the threshold has been the most important. Traditionally one uses the right foot to enter a home. Temples were built so that you had to go through several gates before you reached the innermost chamber. Also, you had to wash your feet at the threshold."

The washing of the feet enables the guest to feel relaxed. The act stimulates the pressure points located on the soles of the feet. The use of foot blends, consisting of peppermint and black pepper, helps soothe tired feet and get rid of tension. Immediately, the whole body feels relaxed. The fragrance that envelops the guest at the reception also plays its part in making the guest feel at ease. By the time the guests are taken to the table for a treatment, they are ready for a whole new experience.

Neither the philosophy nor the history of ayurveda can be explained to the guest. These elements become evident through the experience, décor and ambience. For Jiva, the Patels settled on an Indian contemporary look that could be styled with the culture of the location in mind. The design also takes the comfort and convenience of the staff and guests into consideration.

For example, when a guest steps out of the Jacuzzi, the towel must be within reach. Since it is a wet area, care must be taken to ensure that guests do not slip and fall. Special attention must be paid to the bathrooms and the drainage system, particularly in the case of ayurveda, where oils and thick pastes form part of the treatments. Above all, there should be no clutter thus ensuring a calming experience.

The ambience is more pronounced in terms of a series of things that the Patels are mindful of. The music is quiet and hushed so as to enable guests to feel completely calm. "The music serves to drown other noises and relax the guest at a subtle level," says Samir. "We create a sublime atmosphere through the oils we use, the music we play, the décor, the lighting and the subdued use of colours." 

Instruments like the tabla, violin, etc are used to take guests, in  Bina's words, "down, down, down, like a feather".

The entire Jiva experience draws inspiration from the ancient Indian principle of atithi devo bhava (the guest is God), and it is designed to awaken the consciousness of the guest to the spirituality of his soul. Says Bina, "We greet our guest with namaste, the quintessential Indian greeting, which says, 'I salute the divinity within you.' We are telling our guests that this is in honour of the God within them."

That is why Samir and Bina ensure that their therapists touch guests with a feeling of warmth and sincerity. Staff members go through daily meditation and weekly yoga sessions. They receive training in anatomy and physiology so that they do not, unknowingly, do more harm than good. In addition, they also go through a healing and energy workshop. "We teach them to be sensitive with their hands, to sense the energy of various things around them," says Bina. "We also teach them Pranic Healing."

"A spa is a private, personal experience," explains Samir. "It is about shedding layers to connect with the Indian core. It is essential for therapists to interact properly with themselves, with the team and the guest." If the therapist does not feel enthused, the guest will be able to sense it.

It is this attention to detail that has enabled the Patels to fine-tune the Jiva model and ensure its success. Bina and Samir are now working on 21 spas at various Taj hotels, including the conversion of about five existing spas into the new Jiva spa concept. Earlier Indian Hotels had multiple brands such as Tamara, Tejas, Mandara, etc.

The Patels have other plans too. They are working on the packaging and subsequent retailing of a range of 37 beauty products in the Jiva signature beauty line. This range includes body scrubs, lotions, cleansers and scrubs for three different skin types, moisturisers, conditioners and shampoos. The next challenge will be to include the line as part of room amenities.

With so much in the pipeline, Samir and Bina are naturally excited about their work and anxious to add to Jiva's offerings. "Our research is ongoing," says Bina. "There is so much more to learn." The wealth of learning that is being ploughed back into the working of the spas is already beginning to reap benefits.

In a scenario in which successful hotel chains report 15 to 20 per cent of their hotel guests use their spas, Jiva's progress is commendable. Starting with only about 2 per cent, its guests captive spa ratio has climbed to 15 to 17 per cent. In Mauritius, 37 per cent of guests patronise the treatment.

In beating the international benchmark of 30 per cent, the Jiva spa has not only upheld the quality of its services but also proved that, for the Patels, atithi devo bhava is not just a saying; it is Indian hospitality at its best.

Uploaded on November 4, 2005