The Wedding Vows
magazine has published a wonderful
article of Kairali- the Ayurvedic
Healing Village. The writer Purva Bhatia recently visited our Ayurvedic HealingVillage 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.
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 VaastuShastra. 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
AvagahaSwedam: 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
3) FACT
FILE
Location: P.O.Olassery, Kodumbu, Palakkad, Kerala
678551; Ph: +91-9555156156
Climate: Summer – 20 to 36 degrees C; Winter- 16 to 32
degrees C
How to get there:
Air: Nearest airport is Coimbatore, about 60 kms away
Train: Nearest station is Palakkad Junction Stations,
5kms Away
Road: Well connected by moterable roads with major
cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Published on: March 2014
Source: Wedding Vows Magazine
Summary: In its March 2014 issue the prestigious
lifestyle magazine Wedding Vows recently published an wonderful article recounting
the delightful experience the author had in Kairali- The Ayurvedic healing
Village. She talks about the goodness of the Ayurvedic treatments that are
offered here in this lovely resorts and also highlights the location of the resort in a pollution-free environment, amidst paddy
fields and palm and coconut trees.
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