Atmantan: your journey to a holistic and happier life

As I hopped across countries and continents and tried and make a perfect balance between work and travel, it was only a matter of time before stress took root and became an invisible, yet impactful, part of my life. I also know that I am not alone when it comes to stress. Let’s be open here - though the root cause might be different, we all get stressed in life and it can actually hamper in the happy and fulfilling way of life that we aspire for.

Leaving stress to sort itself out isn’t the best way ahead, and I learnt, even with a little help, it’s easy to tide over it. It was with this state of mind when I accepted the invitation from Atmantan, a luxury wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune & Mumbai where individuals come for rejuvenation, relaxation, Detox, fitness and even to indulge in a pampering spa holiday. I was looking to de-stress, but I actually came back much more enlightened, and relaxed, after my experiences there.

Divine Buddha at Atmantan

Welcome to Atmantan

Beauty is everywhere at Atmantan

"With its abode in the lush valley of the healing crystalline Sahyadri mountains and overlooking the blue waters of the Mulshi Lake, Atmantan integrates the traditional Indian healing practices with international therapies and modern fitness techniques that all translate into the holistic healing of the mind, body and soul. The spa cuisine here uses the freshest ingredients from our organic farms, and is customised and exquisitely prepared to complement the dietary requirements and the retreat goals of the individual guests. All this is offered to guests with warm hospitality that is synonym with India."

Though typically I would recommend spending at least a week in a place like Atmantan, because only then do you get to experience the full benefits of the numerous therapies on the menu there. However, if like me you only have a long weekend at hand, it's still a worthwhile experience, and will leave a very positive impact on you.

My experiences at Atmantan

I had never quite tried Ayurvedic treatments before visiting Atmantan, but it was something I was very curious about. So I decided to go fully Ayurvedic and imbibe as much as possible in my daily life afterwards as well.

Typically your time at Atmantan will start with a consultation with a doctor and this is exactly how I also started my time there. I had a 30 minutes long session with Dr Swati where we went in detail through your medical history, and she tried to understand more about my lifestyle. There was focus not just on physical health but also on mental wellness. I really enjoyed my session with the doctor and together we could also plan out my next three days. While we discussed my food and lifestyle, self-realisation came in as well and I could myself identify things that I need to change. For many others, my doctor had suggestions.

The reception and planning mu days ahead

I also grabbed the opportunity to fast for detoxification. The only fasting experiences I’ve had were festival fasting where detox is certainly not on anyone’s mind. This fasting was a diet of juices only for a few days (I could only do for two) and also undergo a colon hydrotherapy session. The key idea is to remove the acids accumulated in my large intestine (we all have those and occasional cleansing would help everyone) as well as excess mucus accumulated.

We also talked about concentration and I told her that it was my constant struggle - I had too much on my mind and I struggled to concentrate on one thing and it always effected the quality of work I did, especially these days. Thankfully right after this there was meditation session and that’s where I went next!

Due to my interest in Ayurveda, I also scheduled a session with Dr Manoj, who gave me an excellent overview of Ayurveda as well as explained all the theraies that he recommended for me. The 45 minutes session not only helped me identify the doshas, but we could then also take it further to diet and therapies which would be suitable for my needs. If you didn’t know this already, Ayurveda divides everything into one of the three doshas - vaat, pitta and kapha.

Every man or woman is either one of these, or a combination of the three. Problems start when they are not in balance, and treatments are done to bring them back in balance.

Life on liquid diet

When Dr Swati recommended the liquid diet to me, I readily agreed though I didn’t quite know what it meant. From the moment I said yes, the systems were updated and my diet plan changed. The next meal, dinner, was to prepare my stomach for what was coming next and consisted of broccoli juice and moong dal khuchdi.

However, it was only when I went for breakfast that I realised it was not going to be so easy. My breakfast was a glass of juice (apple, green apple and pears). Lunch was also a glass of juice and dinner was a bowl of soup (apple and tomato). During the day I also got a glass of buttermilk right after colon hydrotherapy to add some probiotics and a glassful of cucumber juice.

View of Mulshi lake during my morning walk

In all, it wasn’t very little food but I was certainly tempted to eat the bananas in my room. Plus looking at people eat full meals was challenging too, but then I knew I was doing it by choice and for better health, and that made things a little bit easier.

Group meditation sessions

I think deep down I always knew that meditation can be useful to everyone - whether or not you had a problem, but never tried because I thought I didn’t need it. But when an opportunity to meditate came my way at Atmantan, I decided to finally give in and give it a try.

The session in the Yoga room by the pool lasts for about 45 minutes and is a mix of chanting of the three components that make Om and then breathing-concentration session.

I am not sure if it was only in my head, but I spent the rest of the evening being very conscious of everything about my body. This was especially true when I was chewing food - it seemed like I could feel it so closely. It’s a difficult thing to explain unless you experience it yourself...

Of course doing one session won’t do anything to you, but I came back feeling rather good about it and open to giving it a shot possibly everyday - it’s just half an hour and I certainly have that kind of time just for myself everyday.

Ayurvedic treatments at Atmantan

As I mentioned earlier, all the therapies I took were Ayurvedic and they are all done by skilled therapists in the spa.

Atmantan spa

Udwartanam

It’s good to do a 5 minute steam session before you start with the therapy - it’s let’s the pores open up and helps in better absorption. The therapy is done by two therapists and takes at least about an hour or more. The message isn’t done with regular oil, but with coarse powder. Follow it up with 5-10 minutes in steam and then a shower.

Abhyangam

Abhyangam was my favourite treatment, it's a perfect relaxation for the mind and soul. The session lasted for almost two hours and I was both relaxed as well as rejuvenated by the end of it. It's great to follow it up with a 10 minute steam and shower.

Shirodhara

Now this is one procedure I’ve always been fascinated about and wanted to try for the past few years, and when Dr Manoj recommended it to me, I happily agreed to it. It's one of the best ways to de-stress, and it's actually recommended to sleep during the therapy, and that's exactly what I did.

Colon hydrotherapy

Though it's not an Ayurvedic treatment, it was still recommended to me to detox. This was by far the most difficult part of my stay and I do look forward to some long term benefits. Since I was already on a liquid only diet for cleansing and detoxification, it made sense to go all the way and cleanse my colon (large intestine) as well.

The procedure lasts about 45 minutes and involves flushing your intestine with 30 liters of water. It’s good to follow it up with a warm shower.

Other treatments at Atmantan

Ayurvedic treatments are a part of a rather exhaustive menu of packages available here. Some of the other ones are:

Spa Life

This is the perfect getaway retreat for you when you are looking for some me time and just want to relax and experience the ultimate in spa pampering and savour organic plant based formulas and rich nutrient infused spa cuisine. This spa journey with our restorative collection of regal treatments including daily massages, body polishes, and holistic therapies, will gently melt your stress away and give you a visible transformation. Experience a journey of magnificent treatments for your body and senses combined with the most refined, organic and wild crafted botanical extracts rich in Pranic life force.

Master Cleanse

If you are looking to delve into the pure health enhancement benefits gained from detoxification, then Master Cleanse is just the retreat for you. Immersed in traditional naturopathic principles alongside modern cleansing sciences, the Master Cleanse affords you prime cellular detoxification of body, mind and soul.

Epilogue

Clearly my time at Atmantan was almost like living in a very different world, where the only thing that I constantly felt was relaxation. Whether it was the food or the food talks, therapies of conversations with the staff and the guests, I was always at piece.

However, the real benefits start to kick in only afterwards. The stay made me so much more conscious of my own body as well as my surroundings. One week later, and I was still doing a bit of meditation alone in my room, and it didn't feel like a task.

That's me relaxing and trying out the liquid diet...

One month later, I am still on a really good and balanced diet and often refer to the food list based on my body that I received from Dr Manoj. I think I've also become a mascot for Ayurveda and Atmantan, and don't miss out on a chance to talk about them. Just three days, and so many benefits. Imagine what could happen if you stay there for a week or more!

Booking for a stay at Atmantan

Though you can book a room and meals online, the signature treatments and packages can be booked only by getting in touch with the property. If you are interested to know more, reach them out here: reservations@atmantan.com | 91 20 66766666

Reaching Atmantan

Reaching Atmantan from both Mumbai and Pune is easy and the road is fairly decent, though one patch of the road was bad after the monsoon. Here's a map for reference:




The journey beyond Pune is beautiful, especially in the morning. Here's a picture I took when we stopped for chai.

On the way to Atmantan...

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Disclaimer: As mentioned above, I was at the property on invitation of Atmantan. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my personal experiences.