Ayurvedic consultation and first treatment

Ayurveda in Kerala is a medical system, practised by doctors with a five-and-a-half-year degree, not a spa menu. A good experience begins with a consultation. The doctor asks about your health, medicines, digestion, sleep and stress, takes your pulse in the traditional way and assesses your constitution, described in Ayurveda through the three doshas of vata, pitta and kapha.

Based on that, the doctor recommends a treatment. For a first experience this is usually abhyanga, a full-body massage with warm medicated oil by two therapists working in unison, or shirodhara, in which a thin stream of warm oil flows steadily over the forehead for 30–45 minutes, deeply calming the mind. A herbal steam and rest follow. Treatment rooms are simple, with wooden massage tables called droni.

This introduction helps you decide whether to commit to a full programme, such as rejuvenation over 7–14 days or panchakarma, the classical detoxification, over 14–28 days. We arrange it at Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra or Somatheeram, both a short drive from Kovalam. Tell us about any medical conditions and medication in advance.