The ayurvedic session
deep in the Indian jungle was tough getting into, but Triona McCarthy left
revitalised, a few pounds lighter and hungry for more
This document is a
review by our client, who experiences our ayurvedhic treatment and Yoga. Hi I’m
Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness, Goldshield Group and WeMet, giving an example
review about our Farm House India, Goa. This is what Triona McCarthy is saying....
My idea of a holiday
normally involves copious amounts of food, drink, shopping and fun, with the
odd full-moon party thrown in. Definitely the days must be hot but the nights
must be hotter -- know what I'm talking about? More retox than detox -- that sort
of thing.
How I ended up in a remote
part of India starving myself for a week is still a mystery to me. The offer of
a trip to a "brand new ayurvedic reTREAT in the lush Goan jungle, focusing
on looking and feeling fantastic, building beauty from within, using a range of
traditional and ancient ayurvedic methods" came along and I was in there
like swimwear. I assumed it would involve a few salads and a massage here and
there -- that sort of thing.
Anyway, Christmas was coming and the goose wasn't the only thing
getting fat.
I barely even looked at the
itinerary for this last-minute beauty-seeking mission as I had more important
things, such as Brazilians and bikini-buying, to sort. I nearly forgot to get
my Indian tourist visa in my haste. The trip from Dublin to London Heathrow,
Mumbai to Dabolim airport in Goa involves about 10 hours of air travel. I was
then picked up by a jeep to be driven deep into the jungle to the resort, which
is about two hours away.
Luckily I'd been to Goa about a decade ago, so I knew what to
expect -- such as the hustle and bustle on the roads with elephants, cows and
goats meandering next to motorbikes carrying five or six passengers each and
everyone beeping like craaaazy!
Some of the girls travelling
with me screeched and gripped onto seat belts in terror as we overtook two
buses on a blind bend. Everyone drives as if they are a retired rally driver
here as basically there are no road rules.
So we arrived a bit tired and emotional at Dudhsagar Spa Resort,
which is situated along the Western Ghats, close to one of the highest
waterfalls in India and Goa's biggest wildlife sanctuary.
We were greeted by staff who
anointed our foreheads with a red dye and handed us a yummy juice drink as we
took in the lush greenery and wild monkeys running amok.
Dudhsagar Spa Resort is an eco and wildlife resort where you can
stay in either a deluxe eco tent or a fully furnished cabin. I chose a cabin,
which was pretty basic -- just a bedroom with a TV and a decent sized bathroom.
But it is all about getting
back to basics. Its philosophy is based on the 5,000-year-old Hindu practice of
ayurveda --the world's oldest documented treatment of ailments of the body and
mind. In Sanskrit "ayur" means "longevity" and
"veda" means "knowledge". Ayurveda identifies different
body types or constitutions and recommends different diets, health regimes and
lifestyles for each of them. The Sanda Wellness team of specialists at
Dudhsagar -- which includes nutritionists, doctors, psychologists and beauty
therapists -- prescribe and provide practices to purify and detoxify guests.
I had hastily filled out a lengthy form emailed to me prior to
my visit, detailing my health, diet and lifestyle. I was to do an Indian detox,
which incorporates an ayurvedic menu that includes digestive juices,
"mind-boosting" drinks, herbal water, and cleansing drinks of fresh
juices and broths. Diet, daily yoga and meditation are an integral part of
ayurveda, aimed at balancing the body's "doshas".
Set up by former pharmacist
and entrepreneur Ajit Patel, the resort falls somewhere between a spa and a
clinic, using Eastern and Western ideas to educate people about their health.
It offers tailor-made rejuvenating holidays to heal the body, mind and spirit.
On the first morning, my daily itinerary was delivered to my
room and, after a group lecture explaining what we were embarking on, I met the
ayurveda doctor at the spa for an assessment.
There are three different
body types in ayurveda: kapha, vata and pitta. I am a mixture. My biological
age test, based on visceral fat measurement, revealed that I'm 45 and a pH test
showed that my body's acidity level was way too high. My chronic insomnia was
also discussed and then it was off to learn how to administer a DIY enema!
Basically it involves a coffee solution, plastic bucket and tube -- I'll leave
the rest to your imagination.
Apparently colon cleansing helps eliminate toxins released
during a detox. Apparently, it can even purge old emotions stored in the
intestine.
Each day started at 7.30am
with a glass of juice and some supplements delivered to my room. Then we met
for a yoga session on an outdoor platform with the monkeys running round
seeking attention. FYI don't leave your phone lying around -- the monkeys will
steal it.
Throughout the day there were the spa treatments -- two a day,
anything from reflexology to Indian head massage to a hypnotherapy session.
There was juice but very little food and no caffeine, no sugar, no meat, which
equals no fun. I'm sure my tummy rumble in the jungle could be heard all the
way back in Ireland.
I must admit I struggled at first, feeling tired and emotional
with no internet or mobile phone to distract me, but by the third day I began
to relax and got into the swing of getting healthy.
There were day trips to the
nearby Dudhsagar waterfalls, which are beautiful. We also visited a temple
called Mahadev and Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary.
But to be honest there's not a lot else to do besides relax and
recharge your batteries. On my final day I had my "reveal". I was
reweighed and re-tested. I had lost a lot of weight off my mind as I was
sleeping better, and 6lbs off my body. I was less acidic and my age had come
down a few years. It was akin to a kind of full MOT for my body and mind and
I'd love to do it once a year now. Who'd a thunk it?
So if you want to escape the world for a while to return
refreshed with some helpful health tips, this too could be for you.
GETTING THERE
The Farm House India, Goa
Mollem-Goa, 403410
Tel: (0832) 2612319
Triona flew with Kingfisher from London Heathrow to Dabolim
airport in Goa. India flights are from around £500.
The
resort is around £600 for a week, which includes all “food”, therapies,
supplements and being collected from the airport.
No comments:
Post a Comment