Pink frangipani flowers float in terracotta bowls, their sweet fragrance a counterpoint to the earthy herbal notes of the oil being gently massaged into your feet and body. As you lie on a neem wood table, with dried neem leaves hanging from the ceiling to purify the air, you slip into that elusive state where body and mind are in complete harmony, the only reminder of the outside world being the soft sigh of the Indian Ocean in the background.
One of the world’s oldest forms of healing, Ayurveda — derived from the Sanskrit words for life (ayuh) and knowledge or science (veda) — originated in India more than 3,000 years ago and soon spread to Sri Lanka, where Sinhalese kings established Ayurveda treatment centres in the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
In Ayurveda, a combination of herbs, diet, massage, hydrotherapy and oil treatment is used to treat everything from stress to diabetes, migraine, asthma, arthritis and high blood pressure. Ayurveda specialists will tell you that this form of treatment also helps boost the immune system, promotes a general sense of well-being and even helps delay the ageing process.
With many in the West turning from medicine which treats only the body, towards a more holistic approach, Sri Lanka has become destination for those seeking solace in the Ayurvedic principle of body, mind and soul.
Principles of Ayurveda
The basis of Ayurveda is the belief in a combination of five basic elements which form three types of energy or dosha within the body: vatha (a combination of air and space); pitha (fire and water) and kappha (earth and water). Ayurvedic practitioners believe that illness arises when these dosha are out of balance, and work to restore harmony. Comprehensive treatment not only includes massage, herbal baths, oil treatment and a special diet, but also involves meditation, yoga and music to help the mind and soul.
The pharmacopoeia of Ayurvedic preparations includes an amazing range of leaves, roots, bark, resin, spices and fruits, with familiar ingredients such as black pepper, ginger, cinnamon bark and sesame oil joined by many more esoteric items. There’s everything from aloe to zedoary, with such exotica as black cumin, blue water lily and white poppy seed.
Yoga
Yoga helps you to make your body extremely agile. The flexibility of the spine and joints and the elasticity of muscles improve the blood circulation. Yoga disciplines your mind and body. By concentrating on the rhythm of breathing you discover the art of relaxation. The discipline of Yoga will ensure a balanced food intake. You will be resistant to disease and immune to infections. The effortless regimen triggers positive thinking. It does not matter whether you are on a Sri Lanka tour package or in any one of the up market boutique hotels in Sri Lanka. Go a little further in your Sri Lanka vacation. Learn Yoga.
Meditation
Meditation is not a religious ritual. With meditation you control your mind. Concentration gives you a mastery over mind and events. It alters your body metabolism. It regulates your heart beat and blood pressure. It has a positive effect on the brain chemistry by reducing or inducing cerebral secretions that determine your demeanor and mental reactions.
Modern science has discovered its benefits. Many professionals whose daily routine is to gape in to the abyss of uncertainty and anxiety have rediscovered the pleasures of a restful mind by meditation. Meditation centers some of which are easily accessible from your Sri Lanka Bungalows or Beach Hotels in Sri Lanka offer lessons on meditation.