Ayurvedic Healing Village Reviews on Wedding Vows | Ayurvedic Villa

A wonderful Article About The Healing Village by Wedding Vows
magazine.

The Wedding Vows magazine has
published a wonderful
article of Kairali- the Ayurvedic
Healing Village. The writer Purva Bhatia recently visited our Ayurvedic Healing
Village in Palakkad and wrote a glowing review about her unique stay.

Wedding Vows is a National
Magazine with its base in Chennai; it is a complete guide to the Indian wedding
market. Wedding Vows isn?t merely a wedding magazine it is also about
lifestyle. With an illustrious panel of experts on board from the fields of
fashion, beauty, fitness and lifestyle the WV philosophy is simple?give the
readers the very best of the best with no compromises. It is a matter of great
pride for us to be featured in this prominent
magazine.

A Wellness RETREAT

Kairali Healing Village in Palakkad, Kerala offers a healthy break with
massages that de-stress, food that detoxifies and an environment that
celebrates good health. Text and photographs by Purva Bhatia.

Picture this : waking up fresh early in the morning for yoga and doing
the suryanamaskar(sun salutation) even as you witness nature painting the sky
in myriad colours and then welcoming the rising sun. The breeze that touches
you is unadulterated and the only noises you hear are of the trees swaying and
birds chirping around. You then relax on a hammock for a while before you head
for breakfast which includes fresh juice and healthy meals. You get Back to
your room, which is a cottage-each distinct from the other. Then you walk
around for a while and then get an Ayurvedic massage. Herbal tea and healthy
food become your friends and you do nothing else but relax.

Would you consider such a wellness holiday? Before you answer that,
consider this: A certain 92 years old gentleman from Mumbai has been visiting
this resort in Kerala regularly for the last 12 years-he came once a year
initially but now comes every few months. Similarly, a couple came for a
retreat some years ago and paid for 14 years in advance so that they could keep
coming back.

To be honest, I
wouldn?t have been thrilled to say yes to that question but just two days at
the resort and I know why one would want to be here and in fact, make repeated
visits here. It could be because of the pure, unadulterated air that circulates
here. Or the invigorating encounter one has with the rising sun each morning.
Perhaps, the warm hospitality radiated by each member of the staff-be it the
owners or the old gardener who greets you with a big genuine smile every time
he sees you. I guess it is the simplicity of life you experience, away from all
the cacophonies of urban existence.

IDEAL FOR…

Don?t come here looking for a holiday where you indulge in sumptuous
meals, skip mornings and party all night. Kairali Ayurvedic Healing Village is
ideal for a discerning traveller, who appreciates health and wellness. You
could be here looking to cure an ailment you?re suffering from, like arthritis,
obesity, sinusitis, skin diseases et al or simply to detoxify and rejuvenate
your senses.

Soon to get married patrons come for relaxation and go back with
treatments(see box) that work wonders on their skin while married couples come
for cleansing treatments before they start family planning.

While domestic tourists usually visit for skin treatments and arthritis,
the place gets a lot of foreign visitors who mainly come for detoxification.
The most popular therapy here is Panchkarma, a five-fold procedure that aims at
overall prevention and fitness. ?It is a rigorous therapy that requires a lot
of self-control. Usually foreign visitors go for this therapy, which fine tunes
not just the body and its organs but mind and thoughts as well,? says Abhilash
KR, Director, Kairali Ayurvedic Group. ?Most Indians find this treatment
extremely challenging,? he adds.

?HEALTHY IS BORING?

This brings us to discuss how Indians haven?t really woken up to the
concept of health. ?Not to generalize but broadly speaking we as a society
haven?t started taking fitness seriously,? elaborates Abhilash. That?s true.
Our friends jibe if we say we?re watching our weight. We prefer to take the car
when we can just walk down. We join the gym and even pay the fee but aren?t
regular because ?there is too much work?. And, of course, we think one extra
parantha and the chilly pizza does no harm.

The Ayurvedic life is a thing of past in our fast pacing world. We have
forgotten the concept of ?science of life? that our ancestors discovered. The
basic principles of this science deal with the natural way of living a healthy
life.

According to Ayurveda, every human is a unique combination of the five
elements and there are three vital forces of life, namely, vata (ether and
air); pita (fire) and kapha (water and earth). A balance of these forces is
said to be the solution for a fit and healthy body.

Working on this principle, Kairali offers treatments for various
ailments under the guidance of Ayurveda qualified doctors; the chief being Dr.
T. R. Chandrashekaran, who has been an Ayurvedicpractioner for over four
decades. Talking about fitness and wellbeing, he stresses on the importance of
looking inwards for a healthy living. ?You must make taking care of yourself a
habit. If you eat non-spicy, oil free food, you should not think of it as a
sacrifice but relish it knowing the benefits it has for you,? says the doctor,
who is said to detect your ailments by merely looking at you!

Since digestion is the foremost component of health, not only is the
food served here simple vegetarian but the patrons are also told the recipes so
that they can continue with the eating habits even after their stay here is
over.

THE HEALTH FARM

Founders KV Ramesh and Gita Ramesh started the place with an aim to
create a place where one can recuperate from stress and even undergo a
treatment while being on a holiday.

Located in a pollution-free environment, amidst paddy fields and palm
and coconut trees, Kairali does a good job of taking you back to the nature.
There are 30 exclusive villas, which are apparently designed as per the
principles of Vaastu Shastra. Surrounded by lush foliage, these villas are
allocated on the basis of your birth sign. Red oxide used in the flooring keeps
the rooms naturally cool but there are air conditioners, just in case. Tooth
powder replaces toothpaste and other toiletries too are free of chemicals.

Forgetting all sorts of stress seems to happen effortlessly here.
Internet connectivity is purposely low here, encouraging you to cut off for a
few days. However, there is wifi availability at the reception. The weather is
conducive to let you adapt the lifestyle: you don?t feel like having milk tea
even if you are a tea addict like me; you want to sleep early too. You get used
to the pink hot water served in your cottage. Not just here, but in any of the
household you visit in Palakkad Village in Kerala, the drinking water is of
pink colour, which it gets from the herbs boiled in it. ?You will have to ask
for the regular water if you want. The herbal water is as much a part of their
lives as a healthy lifestyle is,? informs Abhilash.

Kairali is all about celebrating health and happiness. It tells you
that good health is not a destination but a journey. It can?t be about a target
of losing 10 kgs or hitting the gym for 3 months; it is a lifestyle. Like the
yoga instructor (also named) Abhilash said: ?Yoga is not about doing just a few
exercises. It is a complete way of living. It is about being at peace and being
able to manage the stress in your life.?

t is about holistic living and making wholesome choices. I went to
Kairali merely looking at the words ?health? and perhaps even ?life? quite
differently.

1) SOME OF THE
TREATMENTS AT KAIRALI

Royal Makeover: For grooms and brides-to-be. Improves colour and
complexion, blood flow and cleanses eyes.

Shirovasti: For insomnia, insanity and neurological diseases

Abhyangam: For mental stress, dryness of skin

Virechanam: For skin diseases and jaundice

KhadiKizhi, Kayasekan: For weight loss

Avagaha Swedam: For gynaecological disorders

2) BEAUTY TIPS FROM
KAIRALI

? Before sleeping
watch your feet and apply ghee for a good night?s sleep.

? Put oil for half an
hour before head bath at least twice a week.

? Cleanse your skin
with raw milk to remove unseen dirt.

? Eat on time and
avoid afternoon sleep