Trip to India: December 16 Post 2

Posted by Laurie English on December 16th, 2009 filed in SpaNomad Adventures!

Post 2 of 2

Reminiscing from THE day, Pushkar, India

Thank heaven for Antonella D’Anna from London, by way of Italy.  We met the other day as part of the contingent going from Pushkar to Ajmer for dental work (Bob, Jay, Antonella and myself).

I haven’t had the fortune of meeting many Italians in my life, but I’ll consider myself blessed twice over if I do.  Antonella is a fantastic dream of synchronicity, warmth, and generosity.  She is responsible for honing me on the exact whereabouts of Baba, the cosmic head massage barber featured in the youtube video, “The World’s Greatest Head Massage.’”

So, prior to going over to Baba’s shop, Antonella and I met to discuss her history with Baba.  Candid and vivacious, she gushed about the specialness of Baba’s indian head massage treatment.

I couldn’t wait to actually meet the man in person. (I’d been going to his shop everyday since my arrival on the 9th of December and he apparently now works on groups of foreigners and can be away from the shop for spells of time).

We left the rooftop to walk down the main bazaar street. 

And there he was standing outside his shop, adjacent to the nephew who never seemed to know when uncle Baba was expected.  I must say, the nephew looked suprised to see me. 

That was satisfying.

I told Baba that I had come all the way to Pushkar, India from Santa Fe, New Mexico for the sole purpose of meeting him and witnessing live this cosmic head massage.

I must say, he didn’t disappoint.

The look of cosmic head massage from the youtube video has thrilled me all these months because it was so far afield from what I think of as massage….zen music, soft lighting, quiet, the nonindividualization of the therapist.

Yet, Baba is all about showmanship, charisma, and ENERGY! The setting — a main thoroughfare in Pushkar, India is all about incessant horn honking, loud chattering, cows mooing, dogs barking, and full on sunshine.  This fantastic Ra-Ra combination has flipped my mind upside down and, I quite like that.

I had to see it for myself and be a part of the excitement.

And, being there for the session and even receiving sessions myself was definitely worth the trip.

Welcome to the world of massage theatre…. where the audience gets as much out of the treatment as the participants themselves, if not more so.

Baba’s hospitality was incredible, being invited to his home and being told he was my “bodyguard” was quite humorous.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my head massage experiences here in Pushkar and will squeeze some more in before I leave on Friday (gosh, just 2 more days!)

What a SpaNomad Adventure! 

I have such a wealth of information I want to share from this experience with my indian head massage students in my classes and clients alike. Can’t wait to come home; Can’t wait to come back.

–Laurie