One of the flagship property of Kairali Ayurvedic Group has achieved a lot of rewards and recognitions by various renowned associations in the health and wellness industry. It has created a space wherein travellers or Ayurveda and Yoga enthusiasts can preach the knowledge of Ayurveda. The New Indian Express in its July edition, had published an article on how Kairali-The Ayurvedic Healing Village has been able to provide a pathway of good health and healthy lifestyle. The inclusion of Yoga and meditation, Ayurvedic cuisines, a serene environment, Ayurvedic treatments by professional masseurs, all clubbed together gives a complete and a holistic experience at the health retreat at Palakkad, Kerala. Let us go through the following article to get a more distinct overview of the retreat cum Ayurvedic hospital:
“Prescription for a good life
This ayurvedic hospital in Palakkad, within a resort, offers
meditation with a pool table next door.
You can wait for a doctor?s appointment as you relax on a
hammock.
TIRUVANANTHAPURAM :Massages are medicinal. Or so
I discovered on a recent trip to Palakkad.Two Ayurvedic masseuses soak me up in
what I estimate to be at least a bucket?s worth of coconut oil. Their palms
kneading my skin in sychronised rhythm, to a beat only they seem to hear. I am
at the Kairali ? The Ayurvedic Healing Village. And if you?ve never been to
one, get out your acupuncture chappals, because we?re taking you on a tour. But
first, more oil. My massage therapists have me slowly but surely relaxing into
a classic Abhyangam session (reduces body aches and improves skin texture).
Lend me that glow, ladies…
Hospital in a resort
Wandering the grounds, Kairali is not what we expect it to be. This lush green
spread of 60 acres is, in fact, an NABH-certified hospital designed as a
resort. That means meditation sessions in the morning, with a pool table next
door and doctor?s appointments for ailments, that you can wait for whilst
sunning yourself on a hammock. ?Ayurveda is a lifestyle change, not just
popping a few tablets to be cured of an ailment,? says Abhilash K Ramesh,
Executive Director, Kairali Ayurvedic Group, explaining the need to create an
environment that would enable his family to teach these values. ?We needed a
centre to educate and make the public aware of the benefits of these treatments
and why a 14-day programme is essential,? he goes on to add.
Admittedly, our least
favourite part of this healthy lifestyle were the meal plans in place. Every
guest is prescribed a strict diet that waiters on duty are required to memorise
to keep one?s doshas (energies) ? vatha (ether and air), pitta (fire and water)
and kapha (water and earth) in balance.
Pass the salt?
We experienced this firsthand, having earned ourselves a ravenous appetite
after our first yoga class on the premises. A few swigs of a much lacking in
salt, Spring Onion soup, and we?re ready to jump to dessert (pineapple halwa!)
But the order of the courses must not be interfered with. The raw salad that
follows despite our apprehensions, is surprisingly delicious. Slivers of
carrots, cucumbers and radish ? plucked fresh from the in-house organic garden
sit pretty on a plate ? with a simple dressing of freshly squeezed lime.
For mains, there is a choice
or rice or roti with three cooked side dishes ? dal, cabbage and beans and a
black-eyed peas gravy. A far cry from the coconutty avial we were hoping for
while in Kerala… To up the flavour quotient on our meal, we attempt to
suggest to a waiter to bring us some ghee ? citing a more ?well rounded?
meal of course. We are promptly but politely turned down!
Weight loss, we quickly glean from this, is one of the top three requests from
guests staying here. The other two, the most senior doctor on the premises,
88-year-old doctor T Chandrashekhar shares with us, are, ?spondylitis and pain
management as well as detoxification?.
Blast to the past
Flashback to 1908, however, and this resort with 30-odd villas on the grounds,
flanked by coconut trees and flowing streams were a distant dream for Managing
Director K V Ramesh?s grandfather, an Ayurvedic vaid (practitioner) who
provided the residents of Palakkad with traditional remedies. Now reputed with
international awards, expanded to 35 locations (treatment centres, including
eight outside India) and hosting guests at the Palakkad resort from as far as
America and Azherbaijan ? and the ancient practice of Ayurveda has slowly but
seamlessly been interspersed into daily life.
Pink water & guavas
Our villa, for instance, has everything a creature of comfort might need ?
double bed, air conditioning, a television and room service. But the water in
our thermos is pink and infused with herbs like (Pattanga and Gokshura) to
promote wellness, the welcome basket is freshly cut fruit from the organic
garden (not a chocolate or chip in sight), the rubber slippers promise to slip
in an acupuncture session and we brush our teeth with a powder made of
arimedastwak (for healthy gums), yashti (which has anti-bacterial properties)
and ela (prevents bad breath).
Massages and meditation aside
? the highlight of our stay was a walking tour of the garden on site. With
wooden signage demarcating the name of each herb, fruit or vegetable and
summing up its wellness benefits ? we found ourselves in the midst of a rather
unconventional education to be stored away for the next time you hit the
grocery store. Ivy gourd can help tiny tots reduce their bed wetting while
guava makes for an easy-to-access aphrodisiac!The price is `30,480 (all
inclusive) per person for three nights and four days.
Grow younger
Joining the league of brands like Kama Ayurveda, look out for mainstream
Ayurveda products by Kairali in the beauty and health segment of the market
place shortly. These will include Kaircin for anti-ageing and stretch marks
(contains saffron and lotus) and Kairbal, a body wash (with the goodness of
green gram, nut grass and galanga) to exfoliate the skin.”
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