It was mainly through the yoga class, friendly chats and online search that I came to know of the Ayurvedic treatments and herbal packages offered in Keralaand their magical results. As I was already planning to travel to India, in thought this could be the right time for me to visit Kerala to enjoy the magical rejuvenating touch of Ayurveda in the land. According to internet surveys, thousands of foreign travellers visit Kerala just to enjoy the Ayurvedic tradition of the land. To the south, Kerala is the land with an Ayurvedic tradition which dates back to the 5000 years and is mostly referred to as the herbal hub in the country. After collecting enough information regarding Ayurveda and Ayurvedic treatments offered in Kerala, I booked myself in for a herbal treatment therapy of Panchakarma treatments at Aura Spa, an Ayurvedic treatment centres to the western ghats of Kerala which was to last for 2 weeks. My main aim in booking myself into the herbal treatment was to detox myself, to relax and to sort out my digestive issues. In literal words, I was in very bad shape as I reached the treatment centre. After taking a 5 am a flight from Delhi to the Cochin international airport and after getting the news of a 3 hr travel to reach to the Ayurvedic destination, I was so in the mood to abort the whole mission, but then a step taken for the good is to be kept forward.
On my arrival at the Ayurvedic centre, I met a number of other guests. Some of them were at the place for short-term herbal treatment whereas some of them were there for long-term herbal treatment which would last to a month or more and aim to heal serious ailments. the very first girl with whom I talked at the Ayurvedic centre who was staying at the Ayurvedic treatment centre for a month had already gone through a set of herbal treatment which includes 3 weeks of Panchakarma treatment and 1 week of rejuvenation treatment. The first thing that runs to my mind at the moment is that look on the face of that girl when I asked her of the experience she had at the place. As an answer to my question, ‘do you feel better now? ‘Her reply was something like ‘not really’. I was really in shock after hearing her. I was all in a confused state with a number of questions flooding my mind. How can that be right? Wasn’t Ayurveda herbal treatments suppose to be effective and useful? Over the time my herbal therapy at Aura Ayurveda and Spa began and I had enough and more time to think on what that girl said to me. at the Ayurvedic treatment centre, I was actually not that sure of my treatment duration as the normal Panchakarma treatment would take a month to finish but I didn’t have so much time in hand, so after consulting with the doctor, he confirmed my 2-week Panchakarma treatment and I no longer had to do the complete therapy but only need to undergo a number of main therapies that are a must for me. after revealing my work schedule to the doctor which included one 6 week travel right after the treatment, he expressed concern as in his words it would take a minimum of one month to for myself to get back to the “normal’ stage and that statement explained it all.
After the meeting with the doctor, I went through 3 sets of main treatments as listed in the Panchakarma treatments. As I can’t go deep into the list and details of the treatments listed below are the main herbal treatments that are being included in the Panchakarma treatments.
Abhyangam
This is one of the most important herbal therapies from those listed in the sets of Panchakarma treatments. As per the Ayurvedic practitioners, the treatment offers the patients with an effect that is similar to the one that is received when a person is being saturated with love. The treatment is supposed to soak the body with vital force as the treatment mainly includes whole body massaging by including warm oil that is mixed up with a number of essential oils and healing herbs. In Ayurveda, one of the main aims of Abhyangam is to increase the flow of vital force within the body which would, in turn, result in the vitalizing and nourishment of the body. It helps in removing the toxic elements of the body and stimulated the blood circulation.
Podikizhi
This is a herbal technique for fomentation where the body of the patient or the certain body parts of the patient is made to sweat with the help of applying different herbal powders. Podikizhi is prepared by mixing up warm herbal powders that are tied in pouches and is introduced to the body in a soft manner. The therapy is brought to conclusion by a simple message with herbal oils. According to the Ayurvedic practitioners, this treatment is said to be very effective in treating the conditions where the ‘Kapha-Vata’ are predominant as in ailments like paralysis, arthritis, muscular pains and back pain. Podikizhi is also said to be useful in a number of other ways as in increasing the blood circulation, loosening the toxic elements, building up the muscles and more.
Elakizi
This rejuvenation therapy that is being practised most commonly in the Ayurvedic treatment centres of Kerala makes use of the medicinal plants and the fresh herbal leaves available in the land. A number of best effective Anti Vata plants and herbs are being used in this therapy. Some of the most commonly used plants include Eranda, coconut leaves, Arak, Rasna, lemon, Nirgundi and curcumin. Most of these herbs are fried along with a number of other medicinal ingredients and are tied into a pouch which is now ready to use. The pouch before use is dipped in warm medicated oil and then is massaged over the body of the patient in a slow rhythmic manner. According to the Ayurvedic practitioners, this treatment induced liberal sudation which in turn accelerates the process of fomentation. Elakizi is an Ayurvedic treatment in the list of Panchakarma treatment that is very effective in treating ailments like back pain, inflammation and joint pains. In addition, the therapy promotes blood circulation which in turn helps the body with the elimination of the waste materials.
Virechanam
This is yet another important Ayurvedic treatment offered in Kerala that helps in cleaning the Pitta and thereby purifies the toxic elements in the blood. The treatment mainly concentrates on eliminating the toxins from the body are seen accumulated in the gallbladder, the liver and the gastrointestinal tract. The treatment is mostly prescribed in the morning sessions after treating the person with Snehapanam” and “Swedanam after which they are given a particular dose of herbal medicine on an empty stomach. Within a maximum of 2 hrs, the toxic elements from the body are eliminated. This treatment is mostly used in treating ailments that are related to indigestion, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, gynaecological disorders, skin ailments, headaches, and a number of stress-related ailments.
Nasyam
This is an Ayurvedic treatment offered in almost all the herbals treatment centres of Kerala for any ailment that is related to the head. According to Ayurveda, the nostrils are considered to be the doorway to the brain. In this herbal therapy a number of medicated oil, along with medicated powder and herbal liquids are being administered through the nose for a particular time. The main aim of the Nasya treatment is to remove the excess amount of mucus from the head region of the body. The treatment is very helpful in treating different ailment like sinus, migraine, paralysis, hormonal imbalances, mental disorders, loss of smell and taste, premature greying of hair and much more. The treatment helps in cleaning the cavities in the body which instead helps in increasing the process of oxidation thereby improving the functioning of the brain. Ayurveda offers the patients with a number of different Nasya treatments depending on the number and the types of medicinal oils that are being used. This herbal treatment not just remove the mucus and the toxic elements from the head, neck, brain, eyes, ear, nose and throat region of the body but would also improve immunity and strengthen the functioning of the senses
Most of the Ayurveda packages offered in the treatment centres of Kerala would have the above-listed treatments as the main set of herbal therapies. One of the main reasons for this is as these treatments are best prepared for almost all the basic ailments in a human body. Being one of the most sought-after Ayurvedic travel destinations to the south, Kerala is now home to a number of tests Ayurvedic treatment centres in the country. My Ayurvedic experience at aura spa was one of the best and most rejuvenating. For all the travellers who wish to enjoy the magical touch of Ayurveda by indulging the nature and the beauty of the cool climate, Kerala would be the best preferable destination to the south.