Ayurvedic spa and panchkarma
‘Detox’ is a big buzz word in spas today as people look for a quick fix to combat excess pounds and an unhealthy lifestyle. Ayurvedic detox is easier than most because you don’t have to go hungry.
This 3,000-year-old philosophy addresses the question of how to live in harmony with yourself and with nature, using nutrition, yoga, breathing techniques, meditation and scents to preserve health and treat illness naturally.
At the heart of Ayurveda is panchakarma, carried out using a mix of massage, plant medicines and the application of steam, oils and purgatives to cleanse the system of toxic 'ama'. Clearing out this old matter, it’s claimed, removes the cause of illness and will improve anyone’s general sense of wellbeing.
Ayurvedic spa / panchkarma centers
- (00 49 6541 7050, www.parkschloesschen.de) has a four-night Get to know Ayurveda package from about £940, including treatments and all meals but not travel; a nine-night Panchakarma Special costs about £2,600, again including treatments and all meals. Room prices start at about £108 a night, or £145 full board.
- Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies daily from Stansted to Frankfurt-Hahn from £9.99 one-way.
- Dr Sharath Kumar, Kerala Ayurveda Health Centre, Laxmanpuri, Lucknow-226016, Uttar Pradesh, India. Telephone: +91-522-3251985
- Maharishi Ayurvedic Centre, Skelmersdale, Lancs, 01695 51008, www.maharishiayurveda.co.uk Basic non-residential three-day panchakarma detoxes cost £510; five days cost £850. Staying in a nearby b & b or apartment costs £15.50-£33 a night. Three-day non-residential detoxes in Shepherds Bush, west London cost £450-£550 (020 8749 5442).
- Ayush Spa, Hotel de France, St Helier, Jersey (01534 614000, www.ayushspa.com). Ayurvedic treatments from Dr Prasanna and a team of therapists from Kerala. The spa doesn’t do full panchakarma, but a seven-night cleansing package (with four-star hotel accommodation) costs from £980.
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