After an arduous journey from London Gatwick through Dubai Airport (beautiful place but after 7 hours lost its lustre especially with my flight departing at 0415 hrs). Travel is sometimes overrated I say to myself. Anyway, after two long flights, arrived safely in Trivandrum and a driver and car were waiting to whisk me away to Rasa Ayurveda Healing Centre for Women (called a private clinic here in Kerala). 30 minutes in the back of the car through Trivandrum reinforced for me that even after 20 plus years since I have been in India, nothing much had changed - at least in mymind - just as frantic and noisy and colourful as it was back when I was travelling 'round in the past. But at Rasa it is all calm and cool as I expected it would be. A warm welcome, a warm bath/shower (hot water is brought to the room by one of themany attendants here), then a lovely vegetarian meal (Kerala was once known as the Spice Coast of India) and a long oily hot oil massage in the afternoon, followed by a sleep, I felt pretty good. And have continued to feel wonderful here, the hot humid weather punctuated by regular monsoon like rains at around 5-7 pm all contribute to it. The greenery is magical and the birds/crickets/other unknown types of noisy critters outside my window at nite lull me to sleep.
Yesterday was a big day, the previous several days working up to it, when I had the actual Panchakarma treatment. A hot oil massage at 6 am was followed by light steam - this is not a spa ladies and gentlemen - everything is done very traditionally and usually seems quite antiquated from our Western eyes! But it works as Dr Geetha, the Ayurvedic physician here, tells me - and that's why I came, to sample the real authentic Ayurveda that has worked for people for thousands of years. And it worked yesterday, after all the massage, steam and medicine at 7.30 am, I spent the day - I won't get too graphic here folks - but let's just say I had a nice calm cleaning out through all orifices. I have an overhead fan but no AC and it was a hot day, good for sweating toxins says Dr Geetha.
So today is more relaxing, lots of nice food, another treatment from the lovely young women therapists here, then we are having a Divali celebration this evening.
There are two other patients/guests here now, a woman from the UK and another woman from Texas, US. We have lovely chats over the wonderful nourishing food that is specially prepared for us. And there is a great little library to choose reading material from.
I'm planning the next leg of my journey as we speak as I leave here on the 21st and will probably either go south to the sea at Kovalam and/or north to Fort Cochin. Both are appealing and I would like to visit the very southern tip of India.
Loving my time here, it is such a rich place - colours, foods, spices, lots of caring and love, people are warm and thoughtful, can't do enough for us! I know I chose the right place to do my healing journey and am looking forward to another 10 days here!
More to follow. Hope all is well with everyone who is reading this! Health is an attitude Dr Geetha tells me as we discuss growing old with Ayurveda.
Yesterday was a big day, the previous several days working up to it, when I had the actual Panchakarma treatment. A hot oil massage at 6 am was followed by light steam - this is not a spa ladies and gentlemen - everything is done very traditionally and usually seems quite antiquated from our Western eyes! But it works as Dr Geetha, the Ayurvedic physician here, tells me - and that's why I came, to sample the real authentic Ayurveda that has worked for people for thousands of years. And it worked yesterday, after all the massage, steam and medicine at 7.30 am, I spent the day - I won't get too graphic here folks - but let's just say I had a nice calm cleaning out through all orifices. I have an overhead fan but no AC and it was a hot day, good for sweating toxins says Dr Geetha.
So today is more relaxing, lots of nice food, another treatment from the lovely young women therapists here, then we are having a Divali celebration this evening.
There are two other patients/guests here now, a woman from the UK and another woman from Texas, US. We have lovely chats over the wonderful nourishing food that is specially prepared for us. And there is a great little library to choose reading material from.
I'm planning the next leg of my journey as we speak as I leave here on the 21st and will probably either go south to the sea at Kovalam and/or north to Fort Cochin. Both are appealing and I would like to visit the very southern tip of India.
Loving my time here, it is such a rich place - colours, foods, spices, lots of caring and love, people are warm and thoughtful, can't do enough for us! I know I chose the right place to do my healing journey and am looking forward to another 10 days here!
More to follow. Hope all is well with everyone who is reading this! Health is an attitude Dr Geetha tells me as we discuss growing old with Ayurveda.
so wonderful to hear that you are enjoying your travels Bea!! This certainly does sound like a spa compared to western standards :) wishing you wonderful adventures along the way xoxo
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