By EMILY CHRISTENSEN, Courier Staff Writer

VEDIC CITY --- A steady stream of warm oil trickles over Chandra Cleveland's forehead.

Her eyes close and Terri Gee, an ayur-veda technician, sees her body begin to relax. The shirodhara treatment is just one of many offered at The Raj, an ayur-veda (Sanskrit for life and knowledge ) health center in this southern Iowa community.

"I love this," Cleveland says, the oil moving down her forehead and into her hair. Her words seem unnatural in the usually silent treatment room. Under normal circumstances, neither the technician nor the client speaks, leaving room for total relaxation.

But, relaxation isn't the only focus at this spa. An on-site doctor works closely with each client, even before check-in, to develop a treatment schedule and vegetarian dietary regimen geared for getting the body back on track. The Maharishi rejuvenation treatments, traditionally known as panchakarma, are known to help remove impurities and enliven the body's inner intelligence

"These treatments are so good for you, yet still so luxurious. (The pizzichilli) is like a river of velvet," says Raj Public Relations Director Lindsay Oliver of the treatment that involves a steady flow of herbalized oil over the body while two technicians message the client in sync.

After checking in, Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf meets with clients to learn about their medical history and goals for the week. Her pulse-taking technique monitors the body's three doshas, a mix of mind and body principles that affect a person's mental and physical characteristics. By reading the doshas --- vita, pitta and kapha --- Lonsdorf can find imbalances in the body and prescribe treatments and food to help the body regain its balance.

"Health is more than just a sum of the parts. Modern medicine does not always get to the root of the problem," says Lonsdorf, who received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Cleveland has visited the spa several times but is ready for another experience. Her family is moving back to Fairfield, which will make future visits even easier.

"Now I just have to convince my husband," she says.

Each visit costs between $2,000 and $5,000, but it is a fee Heidi Honchariw, 54 of Tennessee, gladly pays. "By the fourth or fifth day, I felt energy I hadn't felt in a long time," Honchariw says of her first visit. She began experiencing health problems after turning 50 and as a trained massage therapist and "generalist" in other complimentary medicines felt open enough to experience the ayur-veda spa.

Honchariw is also partial to the shirodhara, an experience she says "lightens" her mind.

"It's so hard to explain ... I become lighter. The world around me becomes slower and there is a stillness," she explains. "Then I go back to my room and it is so nice to just be in silence."

Guest rooms at the Raj are geared for relaxation, but television sets are available. Honchariw said during her first visit she often kept the television on for background noise, but noticed during subsequent visits the television sat darker for longer periods.ger.

Like many clients, Honchariw tried taking home some of the newly learned principles, mostly those involving her diet. She has moved her big meal to the lunch hour and eats a small dinner before 5 p.m.

"It is tough. I sometimes have to special order food, and family get-togethers are always a challenge. Do I go out to dinner with them and order my meal? Do I go out and not order anything or do I just say I already have plans?" she says.

Honchariw believes everyone over 50 should make a visit to the Raj part of their yearly routine.

"As we get older we need to flush the toxins from our body," she says. "Fasting is hard for the average American, but I do think the average American can handle (panchakarma). You don't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy."

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