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Being 'rejuvenated' for ten days is a great
way to spend a holiday, particularly when massage, facials, steam
baths and delicate, mouth-watering meals all occur within sight
and sound of the Arabian ocean breaking onto an endless stretch
of beach.
 The
Somatheeram Beach Resort and its sister Manaltheeram are charmng
hotels both with excellent Ayurvedic clinics providing exclusive
programmes directed towards strengthening the immune system and
preventing disease.
Ayurvedic medicine is the oldest and most complete
healing system in the world. It is also one of the fastest growing
complimentary therapies in the West today and it began in Kerala.
Ayurveda, derived from two Sanskrit words, literally means 'The
Art of Living'. It is a preventative, holistic system of medicine,
which aims to promote harmony and balance in the body, using massage
with medicinal oils, steam baths, herbal remedies, diet and relaxation
among other methods. Each programme is individually selected by
an Ayurvedic physician after a thorough evaluation
Somatheeram is not a resort for those used to five
star hotels, air-conditioning and discos, but for a stress busting
holiday with a difference which will improve health and fitness,
it comes highly recommended. I felt younger, fitter, more relaxed,
as well as fascinated by the local culture and charmed by the gentle
attention of the hotel staff. Most of the other Japanese, German,
English and Indian guests with whom I spoke, including several women
holidaying alone, were all on their second or third visit.
The accomodation consists of traditional Kerala
houses with antique doors and furniture, ceiling fans and ensuite
showers or bathrooms. The beach is long and beautiful (the surf
was too strong for swimming while I was there)And the restaurant
provides mouth watering local and international dishes.
 Positives
Secluded setting. Hours of gentle rejuvenating therapies. Walks
on the beach. Yoga. Delicious food. Perfect venue for lone travellers.
Negatives
A long flight with a change of plane (try for Abu Dhabi and buy
gold at the duty free) Begging from poor fishermen's children. Don't
leave anything valuable on the beach.
Activities
Therapies. Walking. Rice boat excursions on the backwaters.
Best Time to Travel
December to March.. It's hot and humid the rest of the time with
some rainfall, but prices are low off-season. Traditionally the
very best time to detox - three week programme - is during the monsoon
(June-July).
Clothing
Very light clothing. Sweater for evenings.
Food
Delicate South Indian dishes, sea food, tropical fruits. Drink tender
green coconut juice, Indian beer.
Shopping
Traditional Indian fabrics (get clothes copied with the in-house
tailor). Wood carvings. Statues of Indian deities. Gold at Abu Dhabi
airport.
The Home of Ayurveda - Healh and Fitness Magazine first published
November 2000
Being 'rejuvenated' for ten days is a great way to spend a holiday,
particularly when massage, facials, steam baths and delicate, mouth-watering
meals all occur within sight and sound of the Arabian ocean breaking
onto an endless stretch of beach.
 I
had vaguely heard of Ayurvedic medicine but didn't really know much
about it, except that it was a good way to detox. In need of a cleanse,
a rest and wanting to see the famed Keralan 'backwaters' (an inland
network of lakes, lagoons, canals and rivers), I flew to the southernmost
tip of India to experience Ayurveda in the country of its origin.
After an overnight flight from Heathrow, with a
change of planes in Abu Dhabi (the place to buy gold - I bought
a beautiful chain at less than half the price it would cost in the
UK) I arrived at Somatheeram Hotel, award winning Ayurvedic Centre.
The hibiscus-lined pathway led down through lines
of coconut palms to my traditionally-built Keralan cottage, complete
with tiled roof, carved wooden door and shutters on all the windows.
Inside, the large double bed was draped with a copious mosquito
net to keep night time bugs at bay and an efficient ceiling fan
ensured the temperature was comfortable night and day. There was
an antique wooden god in a niche above my bed. This was Ganesha,
the Hindu elephant god who helps to overcome problems, and to ensure
my stay was problem-free I followed local custom by picking a fresh
hibiscus blossom as an 'offering' to him each day.
After a quick shower, I made my way through the
garden to the brick-built 'hospital' building for my first consultation.
In Ayurvedic medicine there is no single treatment that works for
a particular ailment. Each person is treated individually. So I
was asked by two qualified lady doctors (specially trained to deal
with international tourists) to fill out a questionnaire to determine
my basic 'type' (Pitta-Vata) and detect any current 'imbalances'.
They took my blood pressure (which they did each morning) and gave
me an examination, prodding for aches and pains (a few). Then after
conferring with the head consultant I was recommended to take the
'rejuvenation' package (plus extra massage to reduce superfluous
fat)! They explained that the detox programme I had wanted, Panchakarma
is a long process, preferably 21 days and that Rejuvenation Therapy,
Rasayana Chikilsa, would be a wise choice for someone of my age
and having just been through the menopause. The massages with medicated
oil, the steam baths and papaya facials would help me achieve better
harmony of body, mind and soul, tone up the skin and strengthen
all systems so as to achieve ideal health and longevity!
 I
lay on the wooden massage table made of medicinal wood (Strychnos
Nuxvomica) which contains healing properties and is the traditional
bed of kings, looking up at the high thatched roof listening to
bird calls and the pounding of the surf below. Two gentle Indian
girls in blue cotton robes heated what looked like vegetable bouillon
powder (actually a serious concoction of herbs) over a gas cylinder.
Then dropping the warmed mixture over my body they literally rubbed
that fat away. (I returned home inches and pounds slimmer which
I have not regained.) Another two girls appeared with a jar of
sesame oil to give me the synchronised massage by hand and foot!
The final stress-buster, Sirodhara, was a process whereby they tied
a strip of cotton around the forehead before pouring a gentle stream
of warm oil across the forehead for about forty-five minutes. Finally,
I was presented with a fresh 'tender'coconut to drink, which is
laden with vitamins and minerals, and exhorted to rest for an hour
before having lunch. The doctors had also prepared a special Pitta-Vata
menu for me to follow. When I compared this with another Pitta-Vata
guest I was amazed to see the differences. She had various fish
dishes and coconut curries not present on my menu - proving again
the highly individualised treatment we were experiencing. Of course
we were free to choose anything off the a la carte menu if we wished.
Her treatments included Sirovasthhi, herbal oils poured into a cap
on the head and held for up to an hour - particularly good for headache
sufferers. Another Kapha guest was having Njavarakizhi, in which
parts of the body are made to perspire by the application of warm
poultices - good for joint pains, skin diseases, high blood pressure
and cholesterol.
That afternoon I explored the seashore. Hotel attendants
were on hand to provide umbrellas for shade and to help swimmers
negotiate the surf. The beach was alive with local, rather than
tourist activity. The devout praying at a Catholic shrine, while
others played cricket. The following morning I returned to the beach
at sunrise to watch the fishing boats riding in over the waves,
lines of men hauling in the nets, while the women sorted the fruits
of their catch - buckets of jumping sardines.
And so ten blissful days passed. Each morning I
took a leisurely breakfast (missing the excellent 8 am yoga class)
and began my treatments at 10:00 o'clock with two hours of massage
followed alternately by either a facial, the dripping oil treatment,
or a steam bath. Then there was lunch, beach activities and shopping.
A tailor on the premises copied a summer suit in local materials,
narrowed two pairs of trousers and made me a trendy summer outfit
copied from a catwalk photograph (and) I (also) coveted several
pieces of jewellery in the resident antique shop. There were many
excursions to choose from and I opted for a half-day trip through
the local backwaters to Kovalam beach. The house boat consisted
of two bedrooms and bathrooms and a sitting area. Our boatman poled
us through the quiet, wide waterway fringed with high coconut palms
as we watched a world turned totally green. This solid wall of colour
was occasionally punctuated by flashes of white as flocks of cranes
swooped by, vivid pinks and reds as women in saris scrubbed their
clothes in the river. We caught glimpses of smoke drifting up from
small settlements where buffaloes grazed and small children played.
And then we bumped up on a sandbank. We had reached the Indian Ocean.
Somatheeram is not a resort for those used to five
star hotels, air-conditioning and discos. However, for an activity
holiday with a difference which will improve health and fitness,
it comes highly recommended. I felt younger, fitter, more relaxed,
as well as fascinated by the local culture and charmed by the gentle
attention of the hotel staff. Most of the other Japanese, German,
English and Indian guests with whom I spoke, including several women
holidaying alone, were all on their second or third visit. I plan
to join them next January for the full three week detox as well
as looking for an Ayurveda doctor in London to follow up the excellent
advice I received.
 Ayurvedic
medicine is the oldest and most complete healing system in the world.
It is also one of the fastest growing complimentary therapies in
the West today. Ayurveda, derived from two Sanskrit words, literally
means 'The Art of Living'. It is a preventative, holistic system
of medicine, which aims to promote harmony and balance in the body,
using massage with medicinal oils, steam baths, herbal remedies,
diet and relaxation among other methods.
Vata type
Slim, fragile, narrow eyes, lips; quick movement; variable appetite;
not much perspiration; restless sleep; dreams of birds, flies, climbing;
creative and original thinking; poor to medium memory; rapid speech;
fritters money; love of travel; fatty, hot, sweet, sour, salty foods;
tendency to be indecisive and shy, prone to anxiety and depression.
Pitta type
Medium height, soft, thin hair (often blonde) cannot bear heat,
thin skin, eyes can become red quickly; moderate movement; moderate
appetite; tendency to sweat; little sleep; dreams of sun, fire,
lightning; interest in technical and scientific matters; sweet,
bitter, cold, dry, peppery foods; bold, aggressive, intelligent,
witty, adventurous.
Kapha type
Powerful, firm, big bones, often overweight, luxuriant dark hair,
hard skin, dislkes heat and cold; slow movement; good appetite;
profuse sweating; deep sleep; dreams of swimming, lakes and beautiful
vistas; good memory; business like, good with money, interested
in monogamy, peace, familiar places; bitter foods, nothing fatty;
friendly, calm, dependable, grateful, well-behaved, resolute, honest.
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