(Earlier this year, Yoga Sanctuary instructor Rachael Sellars and other yogis accompanied yoga teacher Annie Carpenter (from Exhale yoga studio in Los Angeles) on an amazing trip to India. Rachael shares some of her adventures in this article. You can view some of Rachael's favorite photos from her trip at Yoga Sanctuary's Facebook: Yoga Sanctuary Las Vegas)
It’s been over one month since I’ve been back from my journey to India. An amazing experience that is difficult to put down on paper. I will do my best to take you through my travels and with that I included some photos that I would love to share. You’ll find them in an album at Yoga Sanctuary’s facebook (Yoga Sanctuary Las Vegas). These were some of my favorites, selected from over 700 photos taken from about 6 of us. There were 25 in the group so I can only imagine how many I will have once I retrieve more photos. Enjoy and take in the local people, the culture and the sites.
First week was spent in Kerala’s capital, the coastal city of Trivandrum set on seven low hills, 87km from the southern tip of India. Stayed at Somatheeram Ayurvedic (AYUR literally meaning life and VEDA the science or knowledge) Health Resort where 25 of us had a personal consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor for a recommended course of treatment for the week. According to ancient Hindu beliefs, Ayurveda was gifted to mankind by the gods to help lead a healthy and fruitful life free from mortal ailments. A 5,000 year-old holistic medical science, Ayurveda has become linked with Kerala, thanks to the region’s tropical climate, its rigorous standards of practice, and its wealth of medicinal herbs. Ayurveda’s goal is to preserve a balance between the forces and principles thought to govern the body, mind, and soul. Doctors prescribe treatments based on your constitution, and remedies usually take the form of medicated oils and herbal concoctions that are ingested or massaged into or poured over the body. My personal favorites; the Sirodhara, where in this process some herbal oils, medicated milk, medicated buttermilk etc, are poured on the forehead in a special method of about 45-60 minutes. The second one called Elakizhi, where herbal garlic and lemon leaves are made in wrapped cloth bundles and are applied on the whole body after dipping in warm medicate oils. This is done for 45 minutes and even though I smelled like an Italian salad dressing, it is very effective for treating muscular and joint inflammation. Click here to read Rachael's entire article.
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ooh! take me!
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