Ayurveda-Forums.Org

[Alexander]

Hi there, I am planning to go for the first time in a resort and try an ayurvedic treatment. Could you help me in choosing one? what are the important criteria? any help appreciated!!!!! Thx

[ayurveda]

hi Alexander,
I think it would be helpfull to have more information about your plans i.e.:
- where do you plan to go for an ayurvedic treatment? India, Sri Lanka, Europe, USA...?
- do you have specific problem / illness or is it just for a preventive treatment?
- how long would you stay in such a resort?
Tell us a bit more and we should be able to give some clues

[Alexander]

Hi,
Obviously I would prefer to go there,, but do you need a visa if you are a EU citizen?
Apart from a enormous stress and sometimes insomnia I don't suffer from a specific illness.
I could spend all my holidays - 1 month in summer - there if the place gives other distractions, if not let's say 15 days

[katherine]

Found this article very appropriate for this post:

HOW TO CHOOSE AYURVEDA / SPA STAY IN INDIA


There are several Ayurveda Resorts and Spas spread across India catering a wide range of clientele and for a variety of Reasons. This section intends to give guests a perspective on them and therefore help them choose the correct option for them

Basic Difference between Ayurveda and Spa:

Ayurveda is age old Indian Science that has evolved over period of centuries a set of alternative medicines and therapies that are required to be customised for individual body constitution for effective results. Ayurveda apparently given the time and correct application of procedures and follow ups, can cure all ailments. Some of the Ailments that are treated are Arthritis, Psoriasis, High Blood Pressure, Parkinson's Disease, Asthama, acidity etc.

Ayurveda also has developed a set of therapies and processes for Rejuvenation (Feel Good) , Stress relief (De-stress), Detoxification (From Tobacco etc.) and Body Purification (Panchkarma).

Ayurveda is not just a massage or a set of treatments but a way of life and its more effective if undertaken for longer period and a stay of 7 nights or longer is always recommended. After effects of Ayurveda are more long term in nature and guests are expected to follow the diet recommendations after the stay and do a follow up later for better and more sustainable results.

The word spa comes from the Latin meaning "health through water." Modern spas have evolved from ancient European towns known for the healing powers of their springs. Spas range from a day spa , where people can drop in for massage and body treatments on a day-use basis OR destination spas where people immerse themselves in a total spa experience for several days. Spas target Rejuvenation (Feel Good) aspect and therefore a minimum stay is not recommended and guests can even enjoy the benefits over a weekend. Spas world over have come to associate with luxury and style and celebrities and glitterati have been known to patronise them regularly.

Different Category of Ayurveda Resorts and Spas

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Ayurveda Only Resort - These are a set of Ayurveda resorts catering to mainly serious Ayurveda treatment and cure related stays (e.g Kairali Ayurvedic Resort). These resorts are equipped with full set of ayurveda doctors and treatment Rooms and are geared to deal with any serious ailment besides rejuvenation and Panchkarma stays. Some of the Ayurveda doctors have themselves started small but highly personalised stays which some guests prefer (e.g. Hari Vihar). Some of these have now become full-fledged resorts themselves (e.g. Cherai Resort). Typically there are two sessions a day for about 2 hours each. Besides these there are yoga sessions. Resorts offer various options to guests occupied and interested (Some may have a swimming pool, library, open interaction sessions, organised trips around the area etc.). Meals are strictly ayurveda meals (No Alcohol, No Meat, No spices customised by doctor as per individual requirement). High end Ayurveda only Resort like Kalari Kovilakom employ specialised Chefs that can cook up interesting dishes as per ayurveda specifications. One of the biggest area of difference with other category of resorts is the amount of pre-visit and after-visit support they offer. Guests are in contact with the doctor well before their arrival and well after their departure.
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Beach, Backwater, Mountain Resort - These are well located resorts having ayurveda facilities. Here guest looks at having a relaxed long stay at a serene location coupled with Ayurveda. e.g. Aquaserene, Coconut Lagoon

While most resorts having a full-fledged Ayurveda centre are capable of treating serious ailments, they end up getting a lot of rejuvenation and Panchkarma stays. A lot of these category resorts have limited treatment rooms and ayurveda doctor and staff and therefore are not able to handle beyond rejuvenation and Panchkarma stays. Its important to ascertain this before reserving an ayurveda stay.

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Health Resort - A health resort is where guests visit for a long-stay for relaxation coupled with a few treatments / therapies. Here idea is to relax while your ailments are being worked upon. Some of the health resorts also employ Naturopathy Diet, spiritual healing, Yoga etc. for treating both body and mind together.
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Destination Spa - This is a luxury resort that offers extensive set of Spa therapies. These are typically located in close vicinity of a metro city and have a lot of corporate patronage. Therapies on offer could be as diverse as Stone Therapy, Chocolate Massage, Wine Therapy etc. e.g. Windflower Spa Mysore. They may or may not offer some Ayurveda therapies.

Season and Climate requirement for Ayurveda - It is believed that Ayurveda is most effective in warm and humid climate without any temperature control (No AC). Monsoon is considered a very good season for Ayurveda. However Ayurveda is effective even at Hill stations located at moderate heights and having persistent rains are also found to be effective e.g. Orange County Coorg, Tea County Munnar and Ananda in the Himalayas at Rishikesh.

Factors contributing to success of an Ayurveda Stay

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Time - Ayurveda is a highly customised set of procedures. So to understand the body constitution and to customise and based on the responses adapt further, the doctor and his team prefers to have some. Anything less than a week is considered not enough. Even for 1 week stay, guests can be requested to do a follow up visit later for maximum benefit.
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Experience - Ayurveda is a highly customised set of procedures. It helps for a doctor to have handled or have access to a large set of cases to be able to end up suggesting most optimal set of procedures. This is particularly required for complex and serious ailments. Some of the resorts in Kerala are managed by a Second or Third Generation Ayurveda Doctor (Father and Grand Father have been Ayurveda Doctors) e.g. Sarovaram and therefore privy to a large set of in-house case studies. Some larger and a decade old resorts like Kairali have built their own set of experienced doctors who have been there for over 10 years treating thousands of guests over that time.
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Adherence - Guests have often shown inability to understand seriousness of the restrictions and lifestyle changes prescribed and shown resistance / Inability to adapt once they are back to their life. This effectively often negates the positives gained out of a stay.
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Information - Ayurveda doctors prefer to have full patient medical history for evaluation. Guests often are unable to provide this information and thus making task of customising and adapting that much more difficult.
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Patience - Guests sometimes are not prepared to be patient enough to understand the purpose and undertake the extensive Massages like Full body Oil Massage etc. Ayurveda needs a bit of patience and understanding and any expectation of instant result should be thrown out of the window straightaway.
Source: http://www.nivalink.com/ayurveda/index1.html

[jones34]

^^ Nice one.

@OP: Not sure where you are from, assuming you are from india if you go to Europe things will become expensive for you, there are a few places to go for ayurvedic treatments in kerala, but i think silent valley resort in pulamonthole, which is the main place for ayurvedic treatments, will be better for you. You can check their website www.silentvalley.in

Regards

[3316]

I just finished 9 days Panchakarma treatment in the US at an Ayurvedic center called The Raj and was very impressed. Besides the treatments everyday, (and organic food -- a plus for me), we had wonderful speakers each night talking about different aspects of Ayurvedic knowledge. When I go home I"ll pretty much need to turn my life upside-down as I've discovered many the things I was doing that I thought were health-promoting were actually causing imbalances. I had a specific problem (restless leg syndrome to the point where I was getting maybe 4 hours of sleep a night) and really didn't know what Ayurveda could do for me. I was going to do 7 days but extended 2 more as my sleep got increasingly better. Last two nights I slept through the night. I'm very impressed and recommend the place highly. It's in Iowa, which is odd. But it is very professional and comfortable and the knowledge was surprisingly profound. I considered India but worried about the water, air pollution and food as I my body felt a bit weak after not sleeping for so many months. I thought it would be safer to stay in the US. I'm glad I did.