Do you spend long hours in odd postures, poring
over computer screens? Do chronic complaints like spondylitis and
arthritis threaten you? If you do, this may be the perfect time of year
to try ayurvedic treatments offered by some of Kerala"s leading medical
houses in your city.
For this is Karkitaka -- or the special month of healing --
according to the Keralite calendar. It comes around July or August,
when Ayurveda believes the body is at its weakest and also most
responsive to treatment. Authentic Ayurveda centres in all major Indian
cities are specially geared for the month of Karkitaka, which sees a
flux of patients and health enthusiasts from India and abroad.
Let"s find out what these centres offer
Stress busters
An hour-long medicated oil massage, custom-designed by a physician for
your body type and condition, costs approximately Rs 350, inclusive of
an oil bath. Add Rs 150 for a steam bath and enjoy being massaged and
bathed, perhaps for the first time since your diaper days.
Flab busters
Burn that excess fat in your gym by all means, but ayurveda can help you there too. It offers udwarthanam or a massage with herbal powders. According to Ashtang Hridaya,
the bible of ayurveda, special herbal medicine taken internally, in
combination with massage, raises fat metabolism and leads to a
considerable loss of weight. An individual session costs Rs 475 per
day, and it is generally administered over 7, 14 or 21 days, depending
on the patient"s condition.
Skin nirvana
The controversy over chemicals in some of the most-reputed face
packs in the market may have you worried. Ayurveda offers safer herbal
packs for acne, skin tone and skin glow. An assortment of face packs
costs Rs 350; body packs, Rs 500.
A new you
Ayurvedic rejuvenation, or Sukha Chikitsa,
is an elaborate spa session that reactivates every cell and restores
your stamina. It"s a stress-busting, body-purifying procedure that is
said to leave you looking younger, stronger and vibrant. It attempts to
leave you calmer, your voice better modulated, and neutralises the
ill-effects of junk food. There is a catch though -- the session goes
on for seven days.
Dr Rekha Nair, a qualified ayurvedic practitioner at the Estuary
Island resorts of Poovar, Kerala, makes a strong pitch for ayurvedic
procedures. "A regular date with Ayurveda puts the body in prevention
mode and protects it from severe damage," she says. "It is often
successful where other methods fail. It has treatment for ailments,
advice on routine life and support for a healthy lifestyle. It is
merely waiting to be discovered by the world in a bigger way."
Ayurveda centres
Make
sure you visit an authentic centre like the ones listed below, where
qualified physicians oversee the treatment and a trained masseuse
executes the sessions. Most of these centres have set up shop in major
Indian metros.
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