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21.03.2011

MILLENNIAL REMEDIES

millenial

Vata, Pitta and Kapha. To our Western ear, they might sound like some tasty oriental dishes, …

Vata, Pitta and Kapha. To our Western ear, they might sound like some tasty oriental dishes, but they are actually are the energies which perform different physiological functions in the body according to Ayurveda, the most ancient medical system, born in India some 5.000 years ago. In case you’re planning to try an Ayurvedic spa treatment, here are a few things you should know.

Balance as the key to health. This is what Ayurveda – with prefix ayur standing for life and root veda standing for science – is all about. Although each one of us has a unique psycho-physical contitution, establishing a good proportion among the energies that govern the body is the only way to reach harmony between our body and our mind, thus keeping healthy.
To obtain such an ambitious goal, though, relying on natural ointments and remedies is not enough; what you need to do is choose the Ayurvedic way of life in terms of diet, excercise and meditation. All that you can hope to find in the spas – however pleaasnt, relaxing and regenerating – is just a foretaste.

What’s your Dosha?
In order to choose the right herb mix, your therapist will need to find out your physical constitution, determined by the dominance of one of the three Doshas - Vata, Pitta or Kapha – the metabolic principles governing the body’s physiological functions. Usually, all you need to do is fill out a simple questionnaire.

Choosing the right treatment
In the traditional Ayurvedic treatments, the body is rubbed and massaged with oils, ointments, powders and warm herb bundles. There are several versions of these treatments, manu of them customized or revisited. Here are the most widespread:

Midiabhyangam: soft food massage.
Neerabhyangam: lymphatic and energetic drainage which stimulates the lymphatic flow.
Pindasweda: massahe with herbal plants (chosen according to your dosha) warmed and tied into a muslin cloth Shirodhara: designed for the nervous system, this treatment involves gently pouring lukewarm oil over the forehead, with a relaxing effect.
Ubtana: exfoliating face treatment.
Udgarshana: body rub and scrub with medicated powders.
Udvartana: deeply penetrating herbal paste lymphatic massage with a peeling and purifying effect.

Ayurvedic destinations
From Tuscany to the Himalayas, from Germany to Val Pusteria, Ayurvedic treatments have become very popular in the spa world. Trying some Ayurveda in its birthplace, India, can be an enthralling experience, but there are many good places in Italy and Europe as well.

Italy
Hotel Caesius, Bardolino (VR)
Wellnesshotel Mirabell, Valdaora (BZ)
La Melosa Resort, Roccastrada (GR)
GB Hotels, Abano Terme (PD)
Maria Hotel & Spa, Moena (TN)

The world
Shakti Ayurveda, Portoroz, Slovenia
Ayurveda Parkschlösschen Bad Wildstein, Traben-Trarbach, Germany
Ananda Himalayas, Uttaranchal, India
Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort, Kerala, India

 

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