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I just knew it was going to be a good week from the moment I was picked up in Colombo by private car and driver to spend a week at the Barberyn Reef Ayurveda Resort having some R&R and a week of Ayurveda therapies. When the driver collected me from my hotel he gave me my "welcome pack" which included a small pillow, bottle of water and pack of tissues so that I would be comfortable on the drive to the resort....how nice is that????
The resort is at Beruwela which is approximately 58 kms south of Colombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka but due to the narrow road and excessive traffic the journey takes about 2 hours. Upon arrival at the resort I was greeted by staff who gave me a my welcome flower ( blue lily - national flower of Sri Lanka) and a cool welcome fruit juice. Once the formalities were done I was taken to my room.
Barberyn Reef Resort is set on a long strip of beach with a reef running the length of the property, forming a natural swimming lagoon. The resort has a casual and serene ambiance which I am told guests seem to absorb after a while. I am in a garden room which is comfortable and furnished in wood and natural materials with a balcony overlooking the pool and garden. The furniture is made at the resort by the Barberyn carpenters. The rooms have a fan and mosquito nets -no air conditioning as this is not recommended during Ayurveda. They also provide you with your own sunhat and a calico bag to carry your things around the resort in - nice touch!!
I have booked in for the full deal which includes: all meals (Breakfast, Lunch,Dinner, morning & afternoon tea/ fruit juice) and Ayurveda treatment according to the treatment plan that will be prepared by the physicians at the Ayurveda health centre. Also included are yoga, tai chi, short excursions, lectures, tours etc and I intend to make the most of everything the resort has to offer............ Cant wait to get started.
After settling into my room I was invited to have lunch prior to seeing the Dr to start my sessions. Lunch was a buffet where they served an array of fresh foods accompanied by fruit juices and herbal teas. Had a delightful lunch of steamed fresh fish, vegetables and rice - good start to my stay.
After lunch I was accompanied by a staff member and taken to the health centre to meet my Dr and have my initial consultation. An aura of tranquility embraces you as you enter the health centre and I immediately could feel myself starting to relax. Was examined by the Dr which included checking my weight, listening to speech and voice, looking at eyes, teeth, tongue and skin and feeling my pulse as well as being asked a load of questions about my ability to recover from illness, behaviours, lifestyle, diet, medical history and what I hoped to achieve in my week here. Essentially the Dr is trying to determine your primary dosha and the balance among the others in order to identify what treatment will be best suited to you. I was advised that my treatment plan would include acupuncture, daily head, neck and shoulder, face and synchronized body oil treatment (massage with two therapists), herbal bath , fresh herbal decoctions, and Herbal elixirs.........starting immediately!!!!
A Bit about Ayurveda
Sri Lanka developed its own Ayurvedic system based on a series of prescriptions handed down from generation to generation over a period of 3,000 years. The ancient kings, who were also prominent physicians, sustained its survival and longevity. King Buddhadasa (398 AD), the most influential of these physicians, wrote the Sarartha Sangrahaya, a comprehensive manuscript which Sri Lankan physicians still use today for reference.
The word Ayurveda has derived from AYU and VEDA. AYU means life VEDA means Science or knowledge. That means the science of life. Ayurveda embrace all living things, animate and inanimate. It is divided into three main branches. Nara Ayurveda dealing with human life, Satva Ayurveda the science dealing with animal life and its diseases, Vriksha Ayurveda the science dealing with plant life its growth and diseases.
Ayurveda believes that the highest wealth one gets is health. Righteous life, (Dharma), Wealth (Artha), fulfillment of desires (Kama) and attainment of salvation (Moksha), all these four factors depends on a healthy life. Swasthya (Health) is defined as (a) Dosha Dhatu samya (well balanced metabolism) plus (b) Prasanna Atma, Indriya, Manah (a happy state of the being, the senses and the mind).
The entire science of Ayurveda is based on the 'Five Great Elements' (Panchmahabhuta) theory. These five elements are earth (prithvi), water (jal), fire (agni or tej), air (vayu) and ether or space (akash). In popular tradition, the universe is understood to be made up of these elements including every person. Ayurveda comprehends body, mind and spirit likewise and has specific methods for working on each.
These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. The three doshas are:
- vata dosha (space and air)
· pitta dosha (fire and water)
· kapha dosha (water and earth)
Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas. One dosha is usually more dominant. Each dosha controls a different body function. It is believed that your chances of getting sick are linked to the balance of your doshas.
For followers of Ayurveda, anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe. Some things that can cause a disruption include:
· genetic or birth defects
· injuries
· climate and seasonal changes
· age
· emotions
How your body works to keep you healthy and your unique physical and psychological characteristics combine to form your body's constitution, or prakriti. Your prakriti is believed to stay the same for your entire life. However, how you digest food and eliminate waste can influence it.
And so began my daily ritual.....started with acupuncture where I got to lie down for about 1/2 hour with pins placed around various parts of my body. I was then taken to the treatment room by my therapist who was a lovely lady. We started with a head massage with warm oil (each oil is selected individually) then a neck and shoulder massage, then up onto the bed for my medicated eye drops and a face massage. Feeling rather blissful by now I can tell you but it doesn't end here. I then had a synchronized full body massage done by 2 therapists simultaneously. Following this I was led out into the garden area where I laid down on a lounge and the therapist applied herbal poultices to various parts of my body - some were hot, some cold - a mixture of honey and other herbs was applied to my face and the eyes covered with cucumber. I then laid there for about 20 minutes while the herbs did their job. This was followed by a shower with some other mixture applied to the skin followed by a medicated bath where you lie in the bath and the therapist pours medicated water all over your body. Talk about feeling wonderfully relaxed by the time this was finished. In addition to all this treatment I also get to take a number of herbal dicoctions and elixirs several times a day......heavens above I need to write a schedule of when everything is!!!!
After 48 hours you have a checkup with the Dr to see how things are going. I was having trouble sleeping (lord knows why!!) so the Dr suggested I have 2 days of shirodhara treatment which I accepted.
What is shirodhara?
Shirodhara is an Ayurvedic treatment which involves slowly pouring liquids over a client's third eye, which is located in the centre of the forehead.
Shirodhara is designed to relax the body and open the third eye. It is used to treat a range of skin conditions, along with eye problems, stress, insomnia, memory loss, and graying hair. A wide range of liquids can be used, depending on the body type of the patient; oils are common, but milk, buttermilk, and water can be used as well. Frequently, the liquid will be infused with herbs which are tailored to the client.
So this was added to my growing treatment list. I laid down, my eyes and ears were covered and slowly the warm oil was poured onto my forehead in a continuous stream wit the therapist gently massaging the third eye. Sounds like something tortuous out of a horror film but was actually very relaxing!! Afterwards your hair is wrapped up in a turban (not the most fashionable look!) and you are advised to rest for the remainder of the day - no swimming, so exercise, no wind, sun or cold - you can tell who is having the treatment as we have to wear the turban for 48 hours so attend meals with it on and have advise on what foods we can/cannot eat during this treatment.
Food is considered a vital part of your treatment. A wide range of food is served at the breakfast and lunch buffet and dinner is mainly served according to the prescribed requirement of each guest. The kitchen and dining room works closely and the dietary requirements of each guest is noted by the kitchen and an individual card with directions are placed at each table. The waiters will gently remind you what you should not eat and an Ayurveda physician is on hand at meal times to advise which specific vegetable, herbs and spices to select and which to avoid according to the prescribed treatment. Breakfast and lunch are buffets and dinner is a set meal served at the table. Guests are also served with herbal drinks and soups which are specially
prescribed by the physicians. The menu is designed taking into account the dietary needs of all guests and while the guests who have a “controlled diet” are asked to avoid certain dishes, the meals are eagerly awaited by all guests and they learn that healthy food can also be tasty food.
I have included some photos of the meals and menus to give you an idea of the variety of food we were given. Part of my treatment included carrot juice and some awful soup (!) at breakfast time; hibiscus juice and a light vegetable soup at lunch and apple juice and some green soup at dinner - this was in addition to what was on the menu. We also had a herbal concoction on the table to be taken after meals. The first night I dined alone but was then invited to join a table of "singles" for the rest of my stay. Met some really nice people from around the world - Swedish, America, German, English, Swiss - and it was fun to compare our different concoctions and what treatments we were having and how we found them.
As if all this wasn't enough to fill my days they also offered yoga, tai chi and meditation which I attended. The health centre and kitchen staff gave a cooking and food demonstration. Whilst the actual cooking held little interest to me I was interested to learn about what different vegetables, fruits and herbs can do for your body. I also attended a tour of the health centre "pharmacy" area and got to see them making up my dicoction - what an interesting assortment of things goes into that - but it is a brown fluid by the time I get it. Got to see the enormous range of ingredients that are used - approximately 1370 plants are used in Sri Lanka for Ayurveda. Almost all prescriptions are produced by raw materials found naturally and no artificial substances are used. Includes roots, stems, bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruit and nuts of many plants. It was fascinating to visit this area of the health centre. Attended a lecture on the fundamentals of Ayurveda given by one of the Doctors. Figured that I might as well learn as much as I could while I was there!!!
And so my week was filled up and it all went far too quickly. On the last day I had a final consultation with the Dr who advised me of my body type (pitta vatha), what I should/shouldn't eat to keep balance and to give me some tablets and oils for ongoing treatment. In addition to that all guests are provided with a choice of beauty treatments to finish off their time so I chose to have a foot massage, facial, manicure and pedicure......came away a new woman!!!!
So am I convinced about Ayurveda??? Well being a Western trained health practitioner I admit to being skeptical. Much of it is common-sense and impossible to refute — healthy living, hygiene, balanced diet — but other aspects are more strange and I question the ability to "cure" certain diseases like cancer. In respect to prevention of diseases and general health and well being.....there’s a hell of a lot of practical wisdom to be gleaned from
this ancient system of medicine.
As for the resort itself.....this I can highly recommend - however at least one person in the room must be undertaking Ayurveda treatment. Everyone goes out of their way to ensure your stay is relaxing and enjoyable. Everyone says hello as you wander past them on your way to and from the health centre. The boys who clean the rooms greet you each morning with a cheery hello. The restaurant staff ensure you get the right things at meal times. Perhaps the care and attention is best highlighted by my last day where I was due to check out at 12 noon, however my flight did not depart until 0040 that night - effectively I could have been stuck for 12 hours. Upon checking my flight details the hotel let me stay in my room until 1430 and then stored my luggage for me whilst I went off and had my beauty treatments. I was then advised to have dinner early prior to my departure from the resort at around 1900. At the time of departure I was given a bottle of water to drink in the car on the way to the airport and staff stood outside and waved farewell.......just like someone saying goodbye as you leave their house :)
What a week...it has been interesting, educational, relaxing, restful...and I haven't felt this good for ages. I agree that one week is simply not enough time here....you need at least 2-3 weeks to get the full benefit of all the treatments. However my little taster was not wasted and I have come away feeling more relaxed than I have in a long time. Its just a pity that reality bites and its back to work this week.
Bye for now. xxx
The resort is at Beruwela which is approximately 58 kms south of Colombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka but due to the narrow road and excessive traffic the journey takes about 2 hours. Upon arrival at the resort I was greeted by staff who gave me a my welcome flower ( blue lily - national flower of Sri Lanka) and a cool welcome fruit juice. Once the formalities were done I was taken to my room.
Barberyn Reef Resort is set on a long strip of beach with a reef running the length of the property, forming a natural swimming lagoon. The resort has a casual and serene ambiance which I am told guests seem to absorb after a while. I am in a garden room which is comfortable and furnished in wood and natural materials with a balcony overlooking the pool and garden. The furniture is made at the resort by the Barberyn carpenters. The rooms have a fan and mosquito nets -no air conditioning as this is not recommended during Ayurveda. They also provide you with your own sunhat and a calico bag to carry your things around the resort in - nice touch!!
I have booked in for the full deal which includes: all meals (Breakfast, Lunch,Dinner, morning & afternoon tea/ fruit juice) and Ayurveda treatment according to the treatment plan that will be prepared by the physicians at the Ayurveda health centre. Also included are yoga, tai chi, short excursions, lectures, tours etc and I intend to make the most of everything the resort has to offer............ Cant wait to get started.
After settling into my room I was invited to have lunch prior to seeing the Dr to start my sessions. Lunch was a buffet where they served an array of fresh foods accompanied by fruit juices and herbal teas. Had a delightful lunch of steamed fresh fish, vegetables and rice - good start to my stay.
After lunch I was accompanied by a staff member and taken to the health centre to meet my Dr and have my initial consultation. An aura of tranquility embraces you as you enter the health centre and I immediately could feel myself starting to relax. Was examined by the Dr which included checking my weight, listening to speech and voice, looking at eyes, teeth, tongue and skin and feeling my pulse as well as being asked a load of questions about my ability to recover from illness, behaviours, lifestyle, diet, medical history and what I hoped to achieve in my week here. Essentially the Dr is trying to determine your primary dosha and the balance among the others in order to identify what treatment will be best suited to you. I was advised that my treatment plan would include acupuncture, daily head, neck and shoulder, face and synchronized body oil treatment (massage with two therapists), herbal bath , fresh herbal decoctions, and Herbal elixirs.........starting immediately!!!!
A Bit about Ayurveda
Sri Lanka developed its own Ayurvedic system based on a series of prescriptions handed down from generation to generation over a period of 3,000 years. The ancient kings, who were also prominent physicians, sustained its survival and longevity. King Buddhadasa (398 AD), the most influential of these physicians, wrote the Sarartha Sangrahaya, a comprehensive manuscript which Sri Lankan physicians still use today for reference.
The word Ayurveda has derived from AYU and VEDA. AYU means life VEDA means Science or knowledge. That means the science of life. Ayurveda embrace all living things, animate and inanimate. It is divided into three main branches. Nara Ayurveda dealing with human life, Satva Ayurveda the science dealing with animal life and its diseases, Vriksha Ayurveda the science dealing with plant life its growth and diseases.
Ayurveda believes that the highest wealth one gets is health. Righteous life, (Dharma), Wealth (Artha), fulfillment of desires (Kama) and attainment of salvation (Moksha), all these four factors depends on a healthy life. Swasthya (Health) is defined as (a) Dosha Dhatu samya (well balanced metabolism) plus (b) Prasanna Atma, Indriya, Manah (a happy state of the being, the senses and the mind).
The entire science of Ayurveda is based on the 'Five Great Elements' (Panchmahabhuta) theory. These five elements are earth (prithvi), water (jal), fire (agni or tej), air (vayu) and ether or space (akash). In popular tradition, the universe is understood to be made up of these elements including every person. Ayurveda comprehends body, mind and spirit likewise and has specific methods for working on each.
These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. The three doshas are:
- vata dosha (space and air)
· pitta dosha (fire and water)
· kapha dosha (water and earth)
Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas. One dosha is usually more dominant. Each dosha controls a different body function. It is believed that your chances of getting sick are linked to the balance of your doshas.
For followers of Ayurveda, anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe. Some things that can cause a disruption include:
· genetic or birth defects
· injuries
· climate and seasonal changes
· age
· emotions
How your body works to keep you healthy and your unique physical and psychological characteristics combine to form your body's constitution, or prakriti. Your prakriti is believed to stay the same for your entire life. However, how you digest food and eliminate waste can influence it.
And so began my daily ritual.....started with acupuncture where I got to lie down for about 1/2 hour with pins placed around various parts of my body. I was then taken to the treatment room by my therapist who was a lovely lady. We started with a head massage with warm oil (each oil is selected individually) then a neck and shoulder massage, then up onto the bed for my medicated eye drops and a face massage. Feeling rather blissful by now I can tell you but it doesn't end here. I then had a synchronized full body massage done by 2 therapists simultaneously. Following this I was led out into the garden area where I laid down on a lounge and the therapist applied herbal poultices to various parts of my body - some were hot, some cold - a mixture of honey and other herbs was applied to my face and the eyes covered with cucumber. I then laid there for about 20 minutes while the herbs did their job. This was followed by a shower with some other mixture applied to the skin followed by a medicated bath where you lie in the bath and the therapist pours medicated water all over your body. Talk about feeling wonderfully relaxed by the time this was finished. In addition to all this treatment I also get to take a number of herbal dicoctions and elixirs several times a day......heavens above I need to write a schedule of when everything is!!!!
After 48 hours you have a checkup with the Dr to see how things are going. I was having trouble sleeping (lord knows why!!) so the Dr suggested I have 2 days of shirodhara treatment which I accepted.
What is shirodhara?
Shirodhara is an Ayurvedic treatment which involves slowly pouring liquids over a client's third eye, which is located in the centre of the forehead.
Shirodhara is designed to relax the body and open the third eye. It is used to treat a range of skin conditions, along with eye problems, stress, insomnia, memory loss, and graying hair. A wide range of liquids can be used, depending on the body type of the patient; oils are common, but milk, buttermilk, and water can be used as well. Frequently, the liquid will be infused with herbs which are tailored to the client.
So this was added to my growing treatment list. I laid down, my eyes and ears were covered and slowly the warm oil was poured onto my forehead in a continuous stream wit the therapist gently massaging the third eye. Sounds like something tortuous out of a horror film but was actually very relaxing!! Afterwards your hair is wrapped up in a turban (not the most fashionable look!) and you are advised to rest for the remainder of the day - no swimming, so exercise, no wind, sun or cold - you can tell who is having the treatment as we have to wear the turban for 48 hours so attend meals with it on and have advise on what foods we can/cannot eat during this treatment.
Food is considered a vital part of your treatment. A wide range of food is served at the breakfast and lunch buffet and dinner is mainly served according to the prescribed requirement of each guest. The kitchen and dining room works closely and the dietary requirements of each guest is noted by the kitchen and an individual card with directions are placed at each table. The waiters will gently remind you what you should not eat and an Ayurveda physician is on hand at meal times to advise which specific vegetable, herbs and spices to select and which to avoid according to the prescribed treatment. Breakfast and lunch are buffets and dinner is a set meal served at the table. Guests are also served with herbal drinks and soups which are specially
prescribed by the physicians. The menu is designed taking into account the dietary needs of all guests and while the guests who have a “controlled diet” are asked to avoid certain dishes, the meals are eagerly awaited by all guests and they learn that healthy food can also be tasty food.
I have included some photos of the meals and menus to give you an idea of the variety of food we were given. Part of my treatment included carrot juice and some awful soup (!) at breakfast time; hibiscus juice and a light vegetable soup at lunch and apple juice and some green soup at dinner - this was in addition to what was on the menu. We also had a herbal concoction on the table to be taken after meals. The first night I dined alone but was then invited to join a table of "singles" for the rest of my stay. Met some really nice people from around the world - Swedish, America, German, English, Swiss - and it was fun to compare our different concoctions and what treatments we were having and how we found them.
As if all this wasn't enough to fill my days they also offered yoga, tai chi and meditation which I attended. The health centre and kitchen staff gave a cooking and food demonstration. Whilst the actual cooking held little interest to me I was interested to learn about what different vegetables, fruits and herbs can do for your body. I also attended a tour of the health centre "pharmacy" area and got to see them making up my dicoction - what an interesting assortment of things goes into that - but it is a brown fluid by the time I get it. Got to see the enormous range of ingredients that are used - approximately 1370 plants are used in Sri Lanka for Ayurveda. Almost all prescriptions are produced by raw materials found naturally and no artificial substances are used. Includes roots, stems, bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruit and nuts of many plants. It was fascinating to visit this area of the health centre. Attended a lecture on the fundamentals of Ayurveda given by one of the Doctors. Figured that I might as well learn as much as I could while I was there!!!
And so my week was filled up and it all went far too quickly. On the last day I had a final consultation with the Dr who advised me of my body type (pitta vatha), what I should/shouldn't eat to keep balance and to give me some tablets and oils for ongoing treatment. In addition to that all guests are provided with a choice of beauty treatments to finish off their time so I chose to have a foot massage, facial, manicure and pedicure......came away a new woman!!!!
So am I convinced about Ayurveda??? Well being a Western trained health practitioner I admit to being skeptical. Much of it is common-sense and impossible to refute — healthy living, hygiene, balanced diet — but other aspects are more strange and I question the ability to "cure" certain diseases like cancer. In respect to prevention of diseases and general health and well being.....there’s a hell of a lot of practical wisdom to be gleaned from
this ancient system of medicine.
As for the resort itself.....this I can highly recommend - however at least one person in the room must be undertaking Ayurveda treatment. Everyone goes out of their way to ensure your stay is relaxing and enjoyable. Everyone says hello as you wander past them on your way to and from the health centre. The boys who clean the rooms greet you each morning with a cheery hello. The restaurant staff ensure you get the right things at meal times. Perhaps the care and attention is best highlighted by my last day where I was due to check out at 12 noon, however my flight did not depart until 0040 that night - effectively I could have been stuck for 12 hours. Upon checking my flight details the hotel let me stay in my room until 1430 and then stored my luggage for me whilst I went off and had my beauty treatments. I was then advised to have dinner early prior to my departure from the resort at around 1900. At the time of departure I was given a bottle of water to drink in the car on the way to the airport and staff stood outside and waved farewell.......just like someone saying goodbye as you leave their house :)
What a week...it has been interesting, educational, relaxing, restful...and I haven't felt this good for ages. I agree that one week is simply not enough time here....you need at least 2-3 weeks to get the full benefit of all the treatments. However my little taster was not wasted and I have come away feeling more relaxed than I have in a long time. Its just a pity that reality bites and its back to work this week.
Bye for now. xxx
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