Hi, I’m Nina! And today I’m taking you through a day at an Ayurveda retreat. I’m at the Ayurveda retreat Sandaru Lanka in Maggona on the west coast of Sri Lanka.
6:00 a.m.: The day greets me
Then I quietly sneak out of the room, descend the steps to the beach and take my first deep breath. I savour the peace and quiet and stroll along the beach. The beach dogs are just waking up, playing with each other and accompany me with interest for a few steps.
I savour the moment just for myself. I have positive thoughts for the day:
‘I’m open to new things.’
‘I am grateful for this experience.’
‘My time is now and it starts here.’
8:00 a.m.: Breakfast like Buddha
Showered and dressed, I sit down awake and refreshed at the breakfast table. Janath, our steward, brings us a delicious green herbal soup to start: the locals call this dish Kola Kanda. Buddha himself is said to have eaten this green soup.
I’ve always had a sweet tooth. That’s why breakfast is my favourite here. In addition to savoury soups, beans, grated coconut and many other delicacies, there is always a ‘sweet’. Today it’s halapa. This is a typical local dish made from millet flour, coconut flour and palm sugar steamed between banana leaves.
I sit at the table with other guests. The conversations over dinner are always exciting and varied. Today we share our experiences from our last Ayurveda treatment. And we talk about the books we’re currently reading until the first people set off for their Ayurveda treatment.
11.30 a.m.: Treatment time for balance
A 30-second walk takes me to the small, elegant premises of the Ayurveda centre, where my therapist Dilki is waiting for me with a smile.
I am given a soothing, rather gentle full-body massage with natural oils. She mainly uses sesame oil mixed with a blend of herbs that is customised for me.
I am surrounded by the smell of incense sticks and pleasant sounds. I relax.
Then comes the acupuncture. Our doctor Nalaka treats me with small needle pricks. After about two hours, I go back to my room feeling satisfied and get ready for lunch. Tomorrow, the Panchakarma treatment continues with cleansing methods. On the agenda is a nasal cleansing (nasya). It clears the nose, sinuses, frontal sinuses and throat. This treatment is a little more challenging for me than the massages. Just so you don’t think this treatment is a walk in the park 😉.
Some of the treatments are beneficial in the moment, others afterwards. Ayurveda is a mixture of cleansing, detox and Ayurvedic massages that bring the body back into balance. In the end, it’s always about balance.
13:30 Culinary discoveries and me-time in the Ayurveda programme
Janath serves us a delicious 3-course meal of soup, rice, curry and fresh fruit. What else in Sri Lanka? The mangoes here are so deliciously sweet, the watermelon fresh and juicy.
I really wouldn’t have thought that Ayurvedic food could taste so delicious.
And I’m discovering new Sri Lankan dishes every day during my Ayurveda treatment that I hadn’t come across on my first trip to Sri Lanka a few years ago.
After dinner, I lie down on one of the loungers in the garden. I relax, read my book and enjoy myself. I like to use the afternoon here for myself and my me-time.
If you want more action, you can also take a trip to the nearby Big Buddha temple in Aluthgama, go to Beruwala or Bentota or visit the colonial town of Galle.
16:00: Herbal tea and daydreaming
Today I take a short walk through the neighbourhood in Maggona. When I return, Janath is already waiting for me with a hot cup of Iramusu.
The delicious Ayurvedic herbal tea is a welcome change from the warm water I drink during the day during my Ayurveda treatment.
The delicious Ayurvedic herbal tea is a welcome change from the warm water I drink during the day during my Ayurveda treatment.
I savour the tea in peace, looking out to sea.
The green platform on Uswella Kanda is the place where I feel most at home. Uswella Kanda is Sinhala and means: the mountain with the highest waves. This is the place that gives me more strength and energy than any other.
I sit for a while and watch the waves, the colourful birds and the fruit bats making their rounds over the property. I grab my mobile phone to take a few lovely souvenir photos.
18:00: Sunset, starry sky and good conversation
The sun is already low in the sky and the table is set. We all get together for dinner with a view of the waves and the sunset. We enjoy the delicious food, talk about our day and our experiences, swap stories and get to know each other.
Full and satisfied, we return to our lovingly prepared room for the night. Hot water is ready, the mosquito net over the bed and warm light create an extra dose of cosiness and I listen to music and read my book until I fall asleep, content and full of curiosity for the next day.
My first Ayurveda treatment
I am experiencing this Panchakarma treatment with all my senses, with highs and lows. And I am here with an open heart and a healthy curiosity for this ancient Indian art of healing, which is still quite new to me. I encourage everyone to be open to this experience and to give it a try. I am learning a lot about myself and my body, healthy eating and Ayurveda. I am taking home three key insights from my Ayurveda treatment in Sandaru Lanka:
- It´s all about the balance.
- My body is my home.
- Deine Zeit ist jetzt uns sie beginnt hier – in Sandaru Lanka.
Best wishes from my Ayurveda treatment, your Nina | October 2024
PS: It is now November and I am back home in Germany. My conclusion after the Panchakarma treatment: an Ayurveda treatment in Sandaru Lanka is a great experience that I wouldn’t want to miss. Sandaru Lanka really is a special place that will be a refuge for many more people to relax and get/stay healthy.
Ayurveda is in vogue. What is Ayurveda all about? What are the opportunities and limitations? What can Sri Lankan holidaymakers expect from an Ayurveda treatment? Our Ayurveda doctor Dr Nalaka Samadhi in an interview for the Sandaru Lanka blog: ‘Before I treat you I want to read you’.