Ayurveda, literally translated into English as `the Science
of Life’, is an ancient form of healing and well-being
that dates back 5,000 years to the Vedic era in India. Ayurveda
is considered to be the oldest healing science in the world
and embraces all living things. It is divided into three main
branches: Nara Ayurveda for human life; Satva Ayurveda for animal
life and diseases; and Vriksha Ayurveda for plant life. Ayurveda
is a holistic system of curative and preventive medicine, which
concentrates on the state of total health based on vigour, energy
and the balance of body, mind, and consciousness.
Ayurveda in Sri Lanka: Ayurveda spread to Sri
Lanka from India around 6th century BC to become the main form
of medical practice for centuries. Sinhalese kings contributed
significantly to the development of Ayurveda in Sri Lanka. According
to the Mahawamsa, ancient chronicles of history, King Dutugemunu
built hospitals for the Buddhist monks and a maternity hospital
as early as 173 B.C. It is known that King Buddhadasa (388 to
416 AD) was a great Ayurveda physician, who was well versed
in medicine and veterinary science and is credited with the
compilation of `Saratha Sangrahaya’, which is read by
Ayurveda physicians even to this day. Ruins of these ancient
hospitals in still remain and are part of the UNESCO protected
world heritage sites within the Cultural Triangle cities.
The Ayurveda system of healing that is practiced today in Sri
Lanka is intermingled with several forms of indigenous medicine
including Siddha (medicine of South India), Unani (Greko-Arabic
system) and some aspects of acupuncture from China. Until the
introduction of western medicine by the British in the 19th
century, it was the indigenous medical practitioners that attended
to the health of the people. Even today, Ayurveda is very much
a part of Sri Lanka’s National Health Care system. The
government’s Department of Indigenous Medicine is responsible
for monitoring and developing Ayurveda in Sri Lanka. Training
in Ayurveda studies is provided at the Government College of
Ayurveda, which is affiliated to the University of Colombo.
According to statistics, approximately 17,500 Ayurveda practitioners
are registered under the Sri Lanka Ayurveda Medical Council.
How you can benefit from Ayurveda?: Ayurveda
is a completely natural and holistic healing system which promotes
general well-being and seeks not only to cure disease but also
to rejuvenate the body. It has also proved to be very effective
in curbing present day stress and in promoting a positive mental
attitude and relaxation of the mind. Hence, you don’t
have to be sick to benefit from this healing wisdom. Indeed,
thousands of people travel every year to Sri Lanka and Kerala
for Ayurveda holidays to cleanse and rejuvenate bodies.
The basis of Ayurveda treatment is a process of purification
and rejuvenation. According to this philosophy the accumulation
of toxic substances in your body including pollution over a
period of time, coupled with poor diet, digestion, sleep and
excess stress leads to the imbalance of the system and can lead
to poor health. Ayurveda treatments aim at eliminating these
toxins and balancing the body’s energies, which will restore
one’s health and vitality. Some of the detoxification
and rejuvenation therapies include herbal oil therapy, massages
(head, feet, and synchronized body massages), application of
herbal body masks, herbal baths, saunas and facial treatments.
In order to receive the maximum benefit from these therapies,
a minimum of seven days is required for these initial preparatory
treatments and at least a period of two to three weeks for the
more intensive detoxification therapies that come under the
methods of `Panchakarma.'
Diagnosis and Ayurveda Therapy: The first step
is the initial consultation with a registered Ayurveda physician
who will record not only the obvious symptoms, but take all
aspects of a person’s life into consideration (one’s
personality, lifestyle and state of health). These insights
are used to formulate a personalized detoxification and rejuvenation
treatment plan that will restore the balance of energies and
restore optimal health. The treatment process follows a holistic
approach that takes into consideration three vital factors:
`Ahara’ (food intake); `Vihara’ (mental and physical
behaviour); and `Aushadha’ (medicine and therapy). Ayurveda
practitioners take food seriously when treating a patient and
will supervise your diet to ensure that it complements the treatment
plan. During the period of treatment, it is also advised to
engage in activities that will assist in restoring the balance
between mind and body. Yoga and meditation is recommended and
are offered at most places that have comprehensive Ayurveda
programmes.
Ayurveda Medicines and Oils: The common medicinal
preparations used in Ayurveda therapies are herbal teas, powders,
oils, herbal wines and pastes made out of local medicinal plants,
fruits and vegetables. The Sinharaja rainforest is a natural
`storehouse’ of these Ayurvedic medicinal plants. Some
of the ingredients are also imported from the foothills of the
Himalayas in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Examples
of basic herbs used for preventive and curative purposes include
Cinnamon oil to cure colds and toothache, Aloe Vera for constipation,
cough, asthma, nervous diseases and various eye diseases, Ginger
for nausea, colic and palpitations of the heart and Jasmine
for skin diseases, mouth ulcers, toothaches.
Recommended Ayurveda Properties
| Ulpotha, near Anuradhapura |
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 Ulpotha
is one of Sri Lanka’s greatest secrets, a
remarkable Yoga and Ayurveda retreat hidden away
in the heart of the Cultural Triangle close to Anuradhapura.
Visitors stay in semi-luxurious wattle and daub
huts and eat delicious traditional Sri Lankan food
cooked in clay pots over an open hearth. Rooms have
oil lamps, spring water in a pot to drink, mosquito
nets covering the beds. Ayurveda is a specialty
at Ulpotha with the beautiful natural surroundings
providing bountiful supplies of plants and herbs
for therapies. Yoga is conducted in an open-sided
building with a thatched roof or in the cool shade
of a Banyan tree. You can swim in a lake strewn
with water lilies, go for long walks in the surrounding
woods and hills and experience the `unhurried’
lifestyle of the surrounding rural village community.
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| Ayurveda Pavilions,
Negomobo |
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 Located
six km’s north of the Katunayake airport in
a quiet location just five minutes from the beach,
Ayurveda Pavilions is a boutique-style Ayurvedic
retreat that blends successfully into its existing
natural landscape. The hotel has 12 luxurious air-conditioned
villas or pavilions. Each pavilion has its own courtyard
and garden, open-air bath, your own treatment area
and even your own wellness music. Meals are prepared
according to wholesome Ayurveda-based recipes using
local produce and can be enjoyed in the seclusion
of your own villa or the dining area. Other activities
include Yoga, music therapy or just relaxing by
the poolside.
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| Rainforest Edge,
Waddagala |
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 Rainforest
Edge, located just five miles from the northern
entrance to Sinharaja rainforest, is blessed by
one of the most restful panoramas in Sri Lanka.
Indeed, harmony with nature is the essential essence
of its appeal. An Ayurvedic room, offering a full
range of natural therapies, is a natural offering
for such a hotel. Some may just wish to relax with
a simple spa or massage. A trek to the Sinharaja
forest will enable you to learn bout the medicinal
herbs used for Ayurveda therapies.
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| Villa de Zoysa,
Boossa |
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 Located
just a few km’s north of Galle, Villa de Zoysa
is an old refurbished Waluwa (ancestral mansion)
with an airy, colonial feel. If you want to escape
hotel life, the villa offers a relaxing environment
and specializes in Avurveda, Yoga and Meditation.
The balconies offer views of the ocean just a stroll
out of the properties gardens. The property has
become very popular for those wanting a good-value
wellness-cum-beach holiday.
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| Paradise Island
Health Resort, Bentota |
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 The
Paradise Island Health Resort, sister to the Ayurveda
Waluwa in Bentota, is strictly for Ayurveda clients
only. The resort is located between the Bentota
river and the sea and has to be accessed by boat.
The setting is simple and small with basic redbrick
individual cottages with either a riverfront or
beachfront view. The hotel discourages smoking and
there is no telephone or TV in the rooms. This simple
setting, without the usual beach resort bustle,
aids relaxation.
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| Ayurveda Waluwa,
Bentota |
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 Situated
amidst a coconut palm garden in Bentota, the Ayurveda
Waluwa is a great hideaway catering for Ayurveda
clientele only. The day starts early and ends early.
Very few establishments are this serious about Ayurveda.
The hotel, furnished in colonial-style antique woodwork,
is only 50 meters away from the broad, sandy beach
of Bentota. The landscaped garden is quiet and peaceful,
helping to create a completely stress-free environment.
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| Tree of Life, Kandy |
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 This
immensely tranquil hill-country hotel has Ayurvedic
philosophy at its heart. It rests in the hills,
close to Kandy, where the tropical heat of the coast
is exchanged for the verdant cool of lush mountain
slopes. The Tree of Life lolls on the site of an
old estate bungalow, where it has become one of
the most individualistic of Sri Lankan hotels. It
sprawls across 64 acres of woody, hilly terrain,
a haven of solitude where guests prefer dawn nature
walks to noisier pleasures.
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| Barberyn Beach
Ayurveda Resort, Weligama |
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 Located
on the south coast of Sri Lanka, the Barberyn Beach
Ayurveda Resort blends contemporary architecture
beautifully with indigenous design, to create a
feeling of space and light – amidst natural
surroundings. The 60 rooms are built into the valley
on stilts and overlook the landscaped gardens and
the beautiful ocean. A sea view restaurant, seawater
swimming pool, a Buddhist shrine room, art gallery,
reading room, yoga and meditation pavilion, and
a center of holistic health and wellbeing where
Ayurveda therapies are conducted, are all special
facilities of this resort.
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| Siddhalepa Health
Resort, Wadduwa |
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 The
Siddhalepa Health Resort. located close to Colombo
on the West coast, is one of the most famous Ayurveda
hotels on the island with a reputed Ayurveda tradition.
It is a great place for couples when one person
is not as serious about Ayurveda as the other because
there are many other activities as well. The resort
is fronted by the turquoise blue waters of the Indian
Ocean and surrounded by woodland and meadow. The
chalets depict Sri Lanka's ancient heritage and
are set in an extensive garden that is home to over
800 medicinal herbs. |
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