Ayurveda Retreat: Holistic Health, India
What is it?
Ayurveda is the ancient practice of health and wellness origin of India. It incorporates natural herbal medicine, particular food for the promotion of digestion, spa-like massage, and other esoteric body attentions. These are all with intention towards restoring balance and optimum healing.
My Intel
I can’t speak to the acute validity of Ayurveda to heal dire medical conditions, however, I’ve experienced Ayurvedic retreat to where moderate ailments and overstressed physical exhaustion, things like my digestion and skin were addressed effectively.
In India, the experience of Ayurveda is a combination of affordable and rustic spa retreat with an Indian medicinal focus.
Ayurveda treatment typically is the duration of a whole month which includes one or two treatments every day. However, spas in the states now offer simple a la carte treatments, you can do something daily, you can do something for a week, or what you can.
The flow of the treatments gets ascertained by the Ayurvedic-trained practitioner or doctor who diagnoses your physiology every morning, listens to what might be bothering you, and what you’d like to focus on whether it’s helping insomnia, reducing inflammation, a digestive disorder, or losing weight.
Aatma Ayurveda Center and Dr. Raju’s:
Aatma Ayurveda Center
Aatma is in the southern part of Kerala, it’s secluded with private rooms, or villas, in a rice-paddy neighbored retreat environment. It feels like a rural tropical getaway but that includes daily oil massage and treatments such as getting warm milk poured over your forehead. It’s in a remote area, it’s well-kept, modest, private, and casual food. The coconut chutney and dosa most mornings for breakfast combined with authentic Indian chai is really a plus while lunch and dinner are very mildly spiced plates of vegetables and whole grain. All of the food is vegetarian.
Dr. Raju’s in Hyderabad
The stays in Hyderabad are apartment and room-style instead of a consolidated campus like the aforementioned. The buildings are within close proximity, walking distance to the treatment rooms where you get massaged, hot oil-ed, esoteric bastis, and even eye treatments. It has a bit more of a city feel of India immersed in a neighborhood. The treatment rooms are slightly smaller than the rooms in Kerala, but the treatments are more versatile. And the housing, or apartments, are more spacious.
The food is similar to Kerala being fresh vegetables and whole grains. You can also have your tiffins delivered to your room for eating rather than going to the group dining hall for each meal. Sometimes with the experience of such a deep cleanse, it can be a lot for the body, so you may want to be quiet or rest room-side.
Kerala: Breakfast platter scene of fermented mungbean pancakes, or dosa, unsweetened chai, fresh spiced coconut curry chutney
Kerala: Lunch platter of dosa, some veggies, and papaya. The glass is buttermilk
Hyderabad: A tiffin lunch meal with rice, a wheat chapati or tortilla, and some dahl lentil soup with vegetables and cabbage, a watermelon half as well (fruit can be purchased at stalls of the market nearby).
*I found the spices of the Hyderabad food to be superior to Kerala.
Kerala: Walkway of the area treatment rooms, villas, and rooms in Kerala
Kerala: The rice paddy fields about 20 minutes walk away from the center in Kerala
Hyderabad: View from the apartment stay
Temple in Kerala
Activities (Day-to-Day Retreat Routine)
Day-to-day you check in with the practitioner who notes your progress and changes or adds to your program. Usually, treatment begins with abhyanga, a hot oil massage, or a sort of pseudo massage with cheesecloth balls filled with herbs that get gently bopped or massaged into you.
One of my favorite treatments is a milk ball massage where herbs wrapped in cheesecloth get soaked in milk and smoothed over you. Probably the most popular and iconic treatment is shirodhara where warm oil is dripped onto your head to alleviate stress and balance the mind.
Treatments are done nude or with small cloth coverings.
My skin and hair always look 10 years younger after Ayurvedic treatment. My eyes get rested, which has been increasingly worsened by continued computer and phone usage. And my digestion has always improved, I usually lose 5-10 lbs after the rest and rejuvenation of Ayurvedic treatment.
No Exercise Allowed
That being said, there are a few compromises to surrender to during a month-long treatment. You’re not supposed to exercise and especially do elevated cardio, and you have to be celibate during the month of treatment. This is difficult for people who exercise daily, though the areas do allow for leisurely long walks.
Walking Allowed
You can walk for over an hour to the rice paddies or gardens in either area. One goes a little stir-crazy with so much physical attention and rest, so I suggest taking advantage of the walking times.
There is working WiFi in both locations and you can go on your computer for those who need to continue to work remotely.
More Activities
While you’re supposed to maximally rest, there are fascinating temple sites, sweet stores, clothing stores, other shopping, jewelry stores, and places to visit around the area of both Kerala and Hyderabad. You can arrange these outings ahead of time and pay a small driving and transportation fee arranged by the offices of each center respectively.
*Safety tip
The immersion of Ayurveda can be a restoring and rejuvenating experience. However, for someone who requires an exuberant amount of exercise, doesn’t like Indian food, is meticulous about cleanliness (you will have oil on your hair for days), or can’t be naked around treatment technicians, this probably won’t be for you. The immersion can be purifying so it’s best to be prepared for what the routine is so you aren’t surprised once there.
Bottom line
There are few opportunities like Ayurveda that maximize holistic rest and cleansing of the body. The experience is also one of intel that provides a canvas of what it’s like to live in India.
I recommend trying Ayurvedic treatment particularly if your physiology is in great fatigue or host to a small ailment. The immersion is a commitment to holistic wellness that’s particular and also must be surrendered to so to speak. The outcomes are substantial to subtle. For spa-like experiences that last an entire month in duration, the retreat is as enjoyable and economical as you make it.
