self-care 101plan. Corn is a busy yoga instructor, social
activist, workshop coordinator, creator of
DVDs and audio courses, and c0-creator
of the nonprofit Off the Mat, Into the
World. “I’m a Type A personality, and
my pattern is go-go-go-go, crash,” she
explains. “When I go to the spa, there’s a
reason for it—I need to be in an environ-
ment geared to relaxation, feeling, and
introspection. It allows me space to let
go and receive.”
An occasional spa excursion fits right
in with Corn’s yoga. “I think that anything
that helps bring you back into the present
is a valid form of practice,” she says. “It is
a luxury and a privilege—and optional—
don’t get me wrong. A $95 herbal wrap is
not going to get you any closer to God.
But we live in a culture of stress, and you
should do everything you can to bring
yourself into alignment.”
PROFOUND PEACE
For most of us, that means slowing down.
We are overscheduled multitaskers,
addicted to doing and not so big on just
being. Natasha Korshak was at one point
the director of yoga, meditation, and
mindfulness training at the storied Mira-
val Resort in Catalina, Arizona. “We see all
types here at Miraval, but I think of it as a
playground for pittas,” she says. “Many of
our guests have high-level positions and
are very driven. They come here and are
ambitious with their agenda. I encour-
age them to slow down, to decide from
moment to moment what they want to
do. To think deeply about what they need
now and going forward. The message at
Miraval is: This is fun, but we’re asking
you to be present for every moment of it.”
Indeed, for overtaxed Americans—
particularly those who don’t pursue a
daily yoga or meditation practice—a
trip to the spa can be a spiritual expe-
rience, says Jona than Ellerby, former
spiritual programs director at Canyon
Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. “There is so
much that stands between us and our
spiritual selves—our minds, habits, dis-
appointments, kids, jobs, taxes,” he says.
“People come here and they slow down
and nurture themselves, sometimes for
the first time ever. They may be having
a shirodhara treatment or a massage and
around me if only I’d chill out just a little.
I would move forward with a commit-
ment to take better care of myself, know-
ing that my life could be not only happier
and healthier, but also more efficient and
productive! And suddenly—from my pos-
itively pitta perspective—an occasional
trip to the spa began to seem very worth-
while indeed. ✤Hillari Dowdle, former editor of Yoga Journal,
is a freelance writer in Knoxville, Tennessee.find that the mind relaxes and something
else emerges. They can connect to a pro-
found sense of peace, open-mindedness,
and present-moment awareness. They say,
‘How come I couldn’t do this on my own?’
I say, ‘How come you thought you could?’
We all need support sometimes.”
And so I took a deep breath. I got
some perspective, and I realized I was
angry all the time. And then, I wasn’t. I
began to see how my life could be a little
bit sweeter for me and for everyone elseA balanced kapha is a
beau tiful thing: strong, lov-
ing, kind, earthy, grounded.
“The constitutions all have
their upside and their
downside,” says Jonathan
Ellerby, former spiritual
programs director at Can-
yon Ranch in Tucson, Ari-
zona. “Someone may be a
kapha, and it may help
them to be steady and
patient at work. But per-
haps in a relationship
where there is a crisis,
they’re absent, maybe
sleeping a lot.”
The kapha dosha is com-
posed of earth and water,
which makes it solid, yes,
but also slow. “When a
kapha goes out of balance,
the person becomes very
sluggish and the imbalance
is much deeper than with
vata or pitta,” explains
Greenspan. “When kaphas
are overwhelmed, they
often just shut down. You
have to break that cycle
of inertia. The way you do
that is by invigorating the
body through yoga and
diet and treatments that
bring blood to the skin
and get the body moving.”
Kapha types who have
been on the couch for a
while should get movingwhat kaphas
needgradually. “Kaphas need
stimulation, but you have
to go gently or they’ll get
scared off,” says Korshak.
“You have to help them
see the benefit of more-
vigorous efforts.” The chal-
lenge for out-of-balance
kaphas? Weight loss.
To invigorate stagnant
kapha, select body scrubs,
deep massage such as
Rolfing, lymphatic drainage,
detox facials, vishesh (an
Ayurvedic deep-tissue fric-
tion massage), or udvartna
(an Ayurvedic treatment in
which an herbal paste is
used to draw out excess
fluids and toxins). Dry-heat
saunas and any kind of
moving massage therapy
are also helpful. Choosesafflower or sesame oils
for massage, and add
aromatic frankincense,
peppermint, or rosemary.
TREATMENT TO TRY
THAI MASSAGE
The perfect marriage of
movement and massage,
Thai massage invigorates
stagnant kapha types with-
out overwhelming them. A
blend of assisted stretch-
ing and acupressure treat-
ment, it has often been
described as passive yoga.
The therapist uses his or
her weight to take muscles
and joints through a wide
range of motion. It’s both
energizing and relaxing—
and moreover, it’s fun.A THAI YOGA MASSAGE
INVIGORATES GENTLY.MOVES THAT ENERGIZEYOGA TODAY YOGAJOURNAL.COM 103