If you are on my email list (if not, you can join HERE!) you will know that I recently decided to take some time out to 'rest and reset'. I've been having some health issues and to be honest things were getting a bit on top of me, so I made radical last minute decision (which was either crazy or brave depending on your point of view!) to go by myself to a retreat in India for 18 days.
I went to an Ayurvedic Centre in a small village in Kerala. It was completely off the tourist trail and was peaceful and charming; a very authentic experience of rural India.
Ayurveda (a Sanskrit word that means "science of life" or "knowledge of life") is one of the world's oldest whole-body healing systems, developed more than 5,000 years ago in India. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, spirit, and environment. The main goal of ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health and prevent, not fight, disease.
The treatment I had was basically a holistic detox consisting of daily massage, lots of rest, a controlled nourishing diet, regulated sleep (up at 6am and bed by 10pm) and herbal medicines/supplements. I also resumed my practise of twice daily meditation which had somewhat lapsed lately.
There were more staff than guests about 2 to1 so we were very well looked after! All the staff were so kind, attentive, and ALWAYS smiling. A lesson in itself perhaps.
Although I was in a small rural village I got extremely lucky with my timing as my visit coincided with a Hindu festival in the local temple. Over a 10 day period there were daily performances of traditional music and dance, daily religious rituals, and processions following ceremonial elephants! It was a magical mix of solemn ceremony and community party! It included everyone regardless of age, gender, or social standing.
I have so many photos from my trip, but I know that quickly gets boring for other people! Here are a few though to give you a taste of all the vibrant colourful magic!...
Since returning I feel that I've turned a corner and taking a break really did me some good. I've lost a bit of weight, which is a good start, and got my sleep pattern in hand which was previously totally out of whack.
It wasn't all plain sailing though, in fact it was pretty tough at times. You can read more about that soon in my next blog: "7 life-changing things I learned on retreat!"🪷 🧘🏼♀️
P. S. I also did manage to do a few small watercolour sketches while I was there. You can see them on this blogpost: "Postcards from India (5 watercolour sketches)" 🎨
