Makeover mantra
Blessed by knowledge and tradition that goes back 5,000 years, India provides total fitness through a fine combination of the body, the senses, the mind and the spirit or the soul. All this is possible through Ayurveda and Yoga.

If Ayurveda is the science of the body, Yoga is the science of the mind. Practiced together, they can go a long way to make an individual fit. The belief in India is that one should start with Ayurveda as a foundation and then move on to Yoga. It is necessary then, to first understand Ayurveda in order to experience the practices of Yoga.

Today, if the world knows about Kerala as a tourist destination, part of the reason lies with the well-known stress-releasing therapies of Kerala's famed Ayurvedic resorts and centres. The climate along with the blessings of nature has turned Kerala into the ideal place for Ayurveda's curative and rejuvenation programmes. Kerala has always practiced the traditional methods of treatment and today it is recognised the world over as the only place where Ayurveda is practiced with sincerity and dedication.

Believed to have begun in India around 600 BC, Ayurveda comes from two words: Ayur meaning life and Veda signifying the science of knowledge. The science and art of Ayurveda is often termed as Asthanga Veda or eight specialised branches of knowledge and it is all about having an idea of the dos and don'ts to be followed to lead a healthy life, both physically and mentally. The ancient medical system emphasises the prevention of diseases as well as methods of curing them. Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but the individual as a whole.

While most other parts of the world have their own therapies and treatments that are no doubt effective in restoring wellness and beauty, a new kind of health tours that are gaining popularity are Spa Tours. Spas offer the unique advantage of taking the best from the west and the east, combining them with the indigenous system and offering the best of the two worlds. Hydrotherapy and Swedish massages work with the Javanese Mandi Lulur, Aromatherapy, Reflexology and traditional Ayurveda procedures to help you along your path towards a healthy and beautiful lifestyle. Combining these therapies with meditation, Yoga and Pranayama give the Spa experience in India a whole new dimension.

The Spas offer a range of options from comprehensive regimens that provide holistic solutions to specific ailments including spondilytis, rheumatism, obesity or high cholestrol to simple massages and body wraps that rejuvenate an aching body and slow down the ageing process.

Welcome to India and return rejuvenated with natural treatments that have no side effects.

Yoga is more than fitness
The western world is still trying to unravel the mystique of Yoga. But in India, where Yoga began thousands of years ago, it is much more than a mystic science. The word Yoga denotes attachment or tying up and signifies the process of bringing together our body, mind and spirit to achieve enlightenment.

While total enlightenment is altogether a different concept meant only for those who are very serious about Yoga, it must be remembered that the Yoga asanas or poses unite our body and mind and build energies preparing us for physical and mental challenges. The Yoga that is popular in the West is in the category of Hatha or physical yoga. Many of the physical poses require concentration of a high degree. Yoga, incidentally, is one of the first steps to successful meditation and the strict discipline of yoga enables the body to stay still for long periods.

Today, though Yoga is becoming popular, the uses it is being put to are superficial. To learn more about Yoga and mental relaxation, which Yoga helps you attain, a trip to India for a Yoga holiday is a must and there are a number of places in the country where Yoga is taught by masters, like in Rishikesh, which is accessible from Delhi.

In Search of a New You
Since time immemorial people have yearned for a place where they could find solace from the complexities of daily lives. They seek a retreat where mind, body, and spirit can be brought into balance and from which they can emerge invigorated and rejuvenated. The Spas aim to create such an oasis of calm where every sense is revitalised and where old and new arts of rejuvenation are practiced by experienced professionals.

The spas are different from the Ayurveda resorts since they combine traditional treatments with modern facilities. Exotic oils like rosemary, lavender, jasmine and frangipani are used along with soothing music to calm your mind and provide relaxation to your body.

The wide range of facilities and services in the spa resorts include personal fitness training, physiotherapy, gymnasium with state-of-the-art equipment, exercise studio for all aerobic and workout programmes along with an outdoor activities like volleyball, swimming and aqua aerobics.

Spa resorts have grown and there are a number of them spread out through the country located in five-star hotels or as standalone resorts.

The ancient cures of Ayurveda
The first things that an Ayurvedic physician points out to a diseased person is that wrong behaviour and food habits disturb the natural harmony of the body, which in turn leads to diseases. The basic principles of treatment in Ayurveda are then, to eliminate the causes of the disease. The therapies used are the synchronised massages, steam baths: njavarakiszhi, pizhichil, sirodhara, udwarthanam, sirovasthi, kadidhara, thakaradhara, elakizhi, tharpanam and choornaswedam.

To experience the magic of the traditional science of Ayurveda, you have to take a trip to the green pollution-free environment of Kerala's Ayurvedic resorts. The Ayurveda tours are so designed that the visitor returns home completely refreshed and energised. There are a wide variety of programmes stretching from a few days to even a month and include rejuvenation packages meant to cure fatigue and weariness or cures for complex illnesses like joint pains and insomnia.