Ayurveda, the science of life or the science of awareness, is an ancient form of healing.
Ayur meaning ‘life’ and veda meaning science. It originated some 5000 Years ago, and to this day remains the most prevalent holistic healing science in India and around the world.

The ancient philosophy, for its all encompassing nature, has long fascinated the western world and has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as a holistic health care system.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is not a religion rather an ancient philosophy on the nature of health and well-being. Legend has it that some 5000 years ago, a group of 52 rishis (sages) set off on foot to the Himalayas in search of wisdom, for natural cures for ailments and complicated diseases. They meditated long and hard, and eventually through divine intervention, they learnt the various healing techniques. This knowledge was preserved in Vedic texts written in Sanskrit for all who wanted to experience true wellness, thus Ayuveda was born.

Ayurveda is based on the principle that nothing exists in isolation - your diet, career, family, relationships, spiritual and mental states – all have an effect on your health and well-being. The underlying philosophy is, it is not enough to just treat the symptoms of diseases.  Ayurveda treats the mind, body and spirit as one entity, to ensure total harmony and wellbeing.

Ayurveda believes disease is a temporary phase in ones life and occurs when the three governing forces in our bodies, known as doshas, are imbalanced. Other vital forces according Ayurveda are dhatus (bodily functions) malas (contaminates in the body), marmas (energy matrix, 107 of these), agni (digestive fire) and ama (toxins or free radicals).

Many factors can cause imbalances in the functioning of these forces, the most common stress. Most modern medical practitioners realise that, in at least 60 percent of patients, stress is a major cause of illness.There is no medicine as such for stress,a change in lifestyle is required. Ayurveda identifies it as a cause and has the tools with which it can be managed.

Doshas  
According to ayurveda, each of us inherits a unique mix of the three mind/body/spirit principles. They are Vata,  Pitta,  kapha,  known as the doshas which are formed as a result of the assimilation of the five elements of the universe: ether, air, fire, water  and earth. The three doshas give us our individual physical, emotional and mental traits. Optimal health is achieved when our doshic mix, our ‘prakriti’ is in a state of equilibrium.

A thorough Ayurvedic consultation will determine your doshic mix. Typical doshic characteristics are:

Vata: dominant of air and ether, principle of movement. Vata dominated are slender,creative and insomniac and hates confrontation.

Pitta: dominant of fire and water, principle of metabolism or transformation. Pitta dominated are ambitious, focused, medium-build and confrontational.

Kapha: dominant of earth and water, principle of stability or strength of immunity. Kapha dominated are large, slow moving and dislikes change and has tendency to gain weight easily.

Many of us have one or two doshas dominating our tridosha composition resulting in ill health or chronic ailments.

Digestion
‘You are what you eat’ on e of the key aspects of Ayurveda is a healthy digestive system. The ‘agni’ or fire in your body is responsible for digesting, metabolishing and assimilating into the blood stream, all the goodness from the foods we eat.
Ayurvedic practitioners believe that the root of all problems is the stomach. When we are not able to process our food or thoughts properly, there is the formation of toxins in the body called ‘Ama’ or referred to in western medicine  as ‘free radicals.’ No matter what the quality of the food we are eating, if we are not metabolishing it  properly, we are bound to create an imbalance resulting in ailments. Each cell has the inherent ability to think for itself.
A sluggish metabolism is the result of having poor agni and can trigger the onset of chronic digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, flatulence and gastro-intestional diseases.

An Ayurvedic consultation
Your first consultation is known as a ‘Lifestyle consultation’ takes around 1-2 hours will determine your tridosha combination.
You will be asked about your bodily functions as well as your approach to life, including questions about home, work, past and present health, mental/emotional concerns and eating habits.You will also be asked about your goals in life and your specific likes and dislikes, for example, if you prefer a hot or cold climate.
In addition, the practitioner will physically observe your general behaviour,speech,eyes,your skin colour and its quality as well as perform an iris and tongue analysis.
Pulse diagnosis is also a profound diagnostic tool in Ayurveda, used to assess the qualities of the pulse based on seven levels.The first level provides an understanding of what’s happening to the person in the present,while the seventh provides knowledge of the person’s constitution. Three fingers are used representing the three doshas and each level of diagnosis is related to different organs of the body. Dosha dominances and ailments can be diagnosed or possible future symptoms emerging identified.

Every client is designed a comprehensive progamme tailored to suit the individual generally including a combination of daily yoga, meditation, nutritional advice and treatments.

Once your programme is designed, you can look forward to experiencing the bliss of Ayurvedic treatments including cleansing therapies for purification and rejuvenation, massages and herbal treatments selected from more than 2000 different herbs.

Some common treatments are:

Panchkarma  panch meaning ‘five’ and karma meaning ‘action’. A complete detoxification process comprising five steps allowing toxins to travel from bodily tissues through the digestive tract for excretion.

Shirodhara  this process entails a continuous flow of medicated oil on the third-eye region of the forehead which calms the nerves, balances the hormones and is great for mental stress and insomnia.

Snehana  Ayurvedic massage is performed in a synchronized fashion by two qualified practitioners. This treatment reopens blocked channels in the body, allowing a healthier
Circulation.

 Ayurvedic Spa treatment programmes range from 3, 5, 7,14, 21 days