Podikizhi in Palo Alto

Short answer: Podikizhi is an Ayurvedic heat treatment in which warm cloth bundles of powdered herbs are pressed over the body. At Shanti Dhara Wellness in Palo Alto it is booked in combination with Abhyanga warm-oil massage: $258 for 75 minutes or $298 for 90, at 2875 Middlefield Rd, 2nd floor.

What Podikizhi is

The Kerala government's tourism department describes Podikkizhi as a swedana treatment, one of Ayurveda's heat therapies, using a fist-size kizhi, or poultice, made with podi, a medicated powder. Its classical Sanskrit name is choorna pinda sweda. Ayurvedic references describe the method the same way: cotton bags filled with a warm herbal mixture, dabbed and pressed rhythmically over the body, applied once they have cooled to a tolerable warmth.

On our menu, Podikizhi is combined with Abhyanga warm-oil massage: the herbal bundles are gently pressed across the body, and the treatment is described in Ayurvedic terms as easing Vata-related muscle stiffness and joint discomfort.

What to book

• Abhyanga + Podikizhi, 75 minutes, $258. Warm-oil massage combined with the herbal bundles.
• Abhyanga + Podikizhi, 90 minutes, $298. The same combination, 15 minutes longer.

Podikizhi isn't booked as a standalone session here. If you just want the oil massage, Abhyanga on its own is $228 for 75 minutes or $268 for 90.

Podikizhi, Kati Vasti or plain Abhyanga

Both add-on combinations cost the same, $258 for 75 minutes or $298 for 90, so pick on the treatment rather than the price.

• Podikizhi moves warm herbal bundles across a broad area of the body. It suits general stiffness rather than one spot.
• Kati Vasti holds warm oil still over the lower back inside a ring of dough. It is the choice when the lower back is the one place that needs attention.
• Abhyanga alone is the choice when the goal is rest and winding down rather than a stiff area.

For a longer comparison of the oil massage and the herbal bundles, read Abhyanga vs Podikizhi. If you are unsure, say so when you book.

What the evidence says

We could not find a controlled trial of Podikizhi itself in PubMed. The closest is a 2011 study of 101 people with osteoarthritis that tested a related bolus treatment made from Nirgundi leaves rather than powder. One group had 21 days of leaf-bolus treatment plus an oral Ayurvedic formula; the other had the oral formula alone. Both improved, and the group without the bolus treatment did better. So there is no good evidence that Podikizhi treats arthritis or any other condition, and we don't offer it as treatment for one. It is bodywork: warmth, pressure and a herbal scent. It sits alongside your doctor's care, not in place of it.

Who should wait or check first

• Skip it if you have a fever, an acute infection, or broken or irritated skin. Ayurvedic references also list fever, a burning sensation, vertigo and wounds as reasons not to have kizhi treatments.
• Tell us before booking if you are pregnant, take blood thinners or are being treated for a circulatory condition.
• Mention reduced feeling in the skin, including from diabetes. Research on burns in people with diabetic neuropathy notes that without normal sensation, skin can stay in contact with heat too long before anyone notices.
• Tell us about any herb, sesame or nut allergy. Sesame is one of the nine major food allergens the FDA recognizes, and sesame and coconut are traditional Ayurvedic massage oils.

Before and after

A generous amount of warm oil is used in the Abhyanga and it is meant to stay on the skin to keep absorbing, so wear clothes you don't mind oiling and plan a shower later rather than immediately.

Where to find us

Shanti Dhara Wellness is at 2875 Middlefield Rd, Suite 8, 2nd floor, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Open Tuesday and Sunday 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, and Wednesday through Saturday 10:30 am to 6:00 pm; closed Mondays. Book from the treatment menu or call (650) 283-9121. For the other body treatments on the menu, see Ayurvedic massage in Palo Alto.