Pitta? Vata? The terms come from ayurveda, the traditional Hindu medicine of India, which teaches that everyone has a predominant mind-body type, or dosha. There are three: pitta, vata and kapha.

Kapha is composed of water and earth. Vata is air and space. And pitta is fire and water, which explains, if that’s the word, Verea’s dry patches.

Verea had been looking for a spa where she could simply get a good massage now and then when she found Ayoma Lifespa in San Jose, which offers a variety of treatments based on ayurveda. One treatment, called abhyanga, is an herb-infused hot oil massage performed by two masseuses at the same time. Another involves being dusted head to toe with an herbal powder and then luxuriating in a steam bath.

Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life,” has been practiced for 5,000 years. In many places across India, ayurvedic hospitals still exist alongside those that offer modern medical treatments. Rather than dispense prescription drugs or perform surgery, the ayurvedic centers provide massage, herbal treatments and dietary advice meant to cleanse the body of toxins, fortify the immune system and boost energy.

In the United States, ayurveda is gaining its biggest following at luxury spas and health resorts, where the treatments are being promoted as a way to relax the body and mind as well as to smooth and rejuvenate the skin. In a 2004 survey of spas that offer so-called wellness treatments, the International Spa Association found that 12 percent had recently added ayurvedic services and that an additional 7 percent were about to introduce them.

Ayurveda’s new popularity may seem surprising at a time when so many mainstream skin cream makers promote the scientific merits of ingredients developed by dermatologists and tested in research laboratories. But ayurveda’s mystical trappings appear to be what draw many people.

“One of the things that attracted me was the idea that mind and body are really one,” said Ellen Price, 48, who receives oil massages and other treatments at the National Institute for Ayurvedic Medicine’s day spa in New York.

The ingredients used in facials and body plasters include turmeric, ground coriander seeds, dried orange peel, black pepper and a number of exotic Indian herbs.

The three doshas — pitta, vata and kapha — are the heart of ayurveda, Malhotra Hora said. In most people, one predominates, influencing health, appearance, personality and character. “People who are vata, which is space and air, tend to have cold extremities and dry, thin skin,” she said. “People who are pitta, which is fire and water, have oily skin that’s warm to the touch.” They make excellent managers and mathematicians, she added.

Imbalances in doshas are thought to cause ill health. And ayurvedic practitioners believe that the application of certain oils or powders to the skin can draw out toxins and restore a proper balance.

Ayurveda also posits the existence of 107 points in the body, called marmas, somewhat similar to acupuncture points. Massage is believed to release toxins from the marmas and help restore normal energy flow.

Traditional ayurveda is far more rigorous than a day at the spa. Central to the ancient practices is a regimen for detoxifying the body called pancha karma, which includes oil massages as well as herbs that induce vomiting and the use of leeches for bloodletting. A cleansing diet featuring mung beans and herbal teas is also part of the mix.

A handful of alternative medicine clinics in the United States offer ayurvedic therapies to treat chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, constipation, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome and allergies. But American spas generally offer a form of ayurveda “lite” that never draws blood.

“You have spas that offer what they call shirodhara, but they might just as well call it pouring oil on the forehead,” said Dr. Scott Gerson, who founded the National Institute for Ayurvedic Medicine in New York.

Western-trained doctors are skeptical for other reasons. Few of ayurveda’s claims to treat serious medical conditions have been rigorously tested. And some recent studies have been disappointing. A trial conducted in 2005 by researchers at the University of Exeter in England, for instance, found that ayurvedic treatments for asthma did not relieve symptoms.

The claims made for ayurveda’s purely cosmetic benefits likewise raise eyebrows among dermatologists. “There’s a good rationale for applying oil, which moisturizes the skin and adds luster to the outer layer, which is, after all, just dead skin cells,” said Dr. DeeAnna Glaser, a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University. And massage, she said, can ease stress and temporarily increase circulation in the skin, giving it an extra glow.

“But there’s no reason to think that powders or oils applied to the skin remove toxins,” Glaser said, disputing one of the central claims of ayurveda. And while a balanced diet is important to healthy-looking skin, she said, there’s no evidence that so-called detoxifying diets do any good. Some extreme regimens may actually rob the body and skin of essential nutrients.

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