Tanishka| Wanderer of Wild Places | Storyteller at Heart

I didn’t plan on getting a massage in Thekkady. My trip was already packed with spice walks, bamboo rafting, and a long-awaited visit to Elephant Junction. But on my third day, after waking up to the sound of rain and feeling this deep fatigue that no amount of sleep seemed to fix, something shifted inside me. My legs were sore from the plantation hike the day before, and my mind felt scattered – like it hadn’t caught up with all the stillness around me.

That’s when I remembered overhearing a conversation at breakfast. This couple sitting across from me at Sterling Thekkady were going on and on about some Ayurvedic therapy called Shirodhara. I’d never heard the word before, but the way they described it – “a stream of warm oil poured on your forehead until your brain goes silent” – made me stop mid-bite. Later, while I was nursing my second cup of chai in the lounge, I did what any curious traveller does I googled “What is Shirodhara in therapy”

What I found blew my mind. Shirodhara is this ancient Ayurvedic therapy that sounded like exactly what I didn’t know I needed. Picture this a slow, meditative stream of warm, herbal oil rhythmically falling over your third eye to relax your entire nervous system. It’s supposed to calm anxiety, reduce insomnia, treat migraines, honestly it read like a prescription for modern life. As someone who’d spent years glued to deadlines and notifications, the promise of a treatment that could quiet my mind felt almost too good to be true.

I expected to find some remote centre or local ashram when I searched for Where to experience Shirodhara in Thekkady. “The Spa Sterling Thekkady” popped up, what really caught my attention weren’t just the usual reviews about cleanliness or professionalism, but guests talking about how the Shirodhara session there felt deeply healing, not just relaxing. One person wrote, “It’s a therapy that stayed with me long after the oil was wiped off,” while another said, “I came in tired and left with clarity. It felt spiritual.” That sealed the deal for me.

I walked to reception to ask about it. The staff were incredibly warm and knowledgeable, and within minutes I had my appointment booked for that afternoon. During the consultation, the therapist asked really thoughtful questions about my lifestyle, stress levels, even my digestion, and explained how they’d choose the herbal oils based on my answers. I loved that it wasn’t just some cookie-cutter treatment it felt personal and intentional.

When I stepped into the therapy room, I was hit by the most incredible scent of lemongrass and sesame oil, with soft instrumental music playing in the background. The table was warm, the lighting was dim, and the whole atmosphere was just perfect. What happened over the next 45 minutes is really hard to put into words. The oil started as this gentle trickle, then became a steady, slow stream across my forehead, within minutes, I drifted into this space between being awake and asleep – like a quiet void where my thoughts just dissolved. It wasn’t like any spa experience I’d ever had; it felt ancient, wise, deeply rooted in something real.

After the session, I sat there quietly with a cup of herbal tea, my hair still oily but my heart feeling so much lighter. The therapist smiled and said, “You look rested from the inside.” She wasn’t wrong I could feel it.

Choosing to experience Shirodhara at The Spa, Sterling Thekkady, turned out to be one of the most meaningful parts of my entire trip. Not just because of the treatment itself, but because it was completely unexpected. It wasn’t planned, yet it was exactly what I needed. Here was this therapy that bridges ancient wisdom with modern wellness, offered right in the heart of Kerala’s wilderness, at a resort that truly understands not just hospitality, but healing.

Trade noise for nature. Book your monsoon at Sterling Thekkady.