Nattika Beach Ayurveda Resort in Kerala | Ayurvedic massage, therapies and more

God's own country, Kerala, is also India's home for Ayurveda. Not only is the state extremely popular for it's natural beauty and amazing hospitality, many also visit Kerala for healing and treatment of their ailments. Recently I was invited by an Ayurveda Resort in Kerala, Nattika Beach, to experience Ayurveda life there. I was there for a few days and learnt a lot about Ayurveda and also how it's such a powerful took for healing. This article is based on my personal experiences at the resort as well as my conversations with the staff as well as guests there.

Nattika Beach Ayurveda Resort

Here's a detailed vlog I made about my stay there.

What is Ayurveda?

Let's start with the basics first. The word Ayurveda is made up of two words - Ayur which means life and Veda which means science. So Ayurveda literally translates into 'Science of Life'. This science developed in India more than 5000 years ago and has been in practice for healing ever since. 

The treatment in Ayurveda is based on concept that we are all made up of three Doshas - Vatha, Pitha, Kapha. To understand these better, we need to do a bit more of deep dive. As per Ayurveda, the world is made of five elements - Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Agni (fire), Vayu (air) and Akasha (Space). The three Doshas are also a combination of these five elements.

Kapha - Earth + Water

Pitha - Water + Fire

Vatha - Air + Space

Each one of us have all these three and an ailment occurs when any of these are in imbalance in the body. Ayurveda basically treats that imbalance with a combination of many things - Ayurvedic treatments, food, meditation and Yoga. All of these are very important and are specific to your ailment, especially the Ayurvedic treatment and food.

Without going into more detail, there are eight branches of Ayurveda:

1. Shalya-Tantra - Surgery
2. Kaumarabhrityam - Pediatrics 
3. Kaaya-Chikitsa - Internal medicine
4. Agada-Tantra - Toxicology
5. Shalakya-Tantra - ENT & Ocular Disorders
6. Vaajeekarana - Aphrodisiacs & good progeny
7. Rasayana - Rejuvination, Health & Vigour
8. Bhoota-Vidya - Psychology

Ayurvedic Massage Therapy

The cornerstone of Ayurvedic Treatment is the Ayurvedic Massage Therapy. Now this is a big area in itself and there's no way I can describe it all here in this article. The therapies you get as well as the oils that are used are completely based on your specific ailment or body constitution. There are many different therapies and these are broadly divided into two broad groups - Shodhana and Shamana. Shodhana refers to Purification or detoxification and Shamana is all about pacification.

A few quick salient points if you are new to Ayurvedic therapies:

1. A therapy can take anywhere between 60-120 minutes.
2. The therapy includes head massage and upper body massage on the stool, a body massage on the bed and then the specific therapy that's suggested to you.
3. The therapies are mostly oil based. These oils are typically prepared just for you and so might need some time before they are ready.
4. It's recommended not to take a therapy right after the meal. Wait for an hour or so after a meal and then go for the therapy.
5. There could be one or two therapists based on the therapy
6. The therapist will be the same gender as you. If you are a man, your therapist will always be male too.
7. As a guy, you will be given a langot to wear during the session. It's a single use Indian underwear which is tied on your waist and your therapist will help you wear it if you don't know how to.
8. It's recommended that you don't take a shower right after the therapy - wait for an hour or so to let the oils soak in even better

If you need more details about the Ayurvedic Massage, you can read this article - Abhyanga Ayurvedic Massage for men. This article is about a specific massage therapy, but most ayurvedic massage sessions are similar in flow even if the therapies are completely different.

During my stay at the Ayurveda resort, I tried many different therapies like Abhyanga, Shirodhara, and Chavitti Uzhichil. The last one is most unique is the massage is given using the feet of the masseur and not the hands. It's surprisingly good and recommended. However, the massage therapy that I liked the most is not the one done most often - it's called Ksheeradhara. The massage is done using a mix of warm milk and herbal water which is then poured all over your body in a rythematic motion. If you ever get a chance, please do this therapy and you are going to love it. Also, it's one of those therapies where you will surely doze off and then wake up in the end completely rejuvenated.

Life at Nattika Beach Ayurveda Resort

Here's a quick overview of how you will spend your day here at the resort. It'll be quite similar to this at other Ayurvedic properties as well:

• The day typically starts at 5.30am when you get up and drink warm water or herbal tea. 
• At 6am the medication session starts and this lasts for half an hour
• At 6.30am, the Progressive Meditation Session starts - this session is meant for those who are also well versed with Yoga
• If you are new to Yoga, it's recommended that you join the next session - Wellness Yoga
• After Yoga, you can have your breakfast. The food should be consumed based on doctor's recommendation. All food is marked Vatha, Pitha, Kapha and that makes it easier to pick the right food.
• After breakfast, the only fixed activity is your therapy which take up two hours. 
• Besides that there's a lot of free time and you can do many different activities like reading, meditation, city tours, cooking demonstrations, lecture classes on Ayurveda and so on.
• Evenings are best spent on the Nattika Beach - it's very clean and quite devoid of people also. The resort has built huts on the beach where you can relax or leave your belongings. The guards are also there to make sure everything is safe.
• Finally you can end your day with dinner. If you are lucky, you might also get to witness an Carnatic Music performance during dinner. It's a perfect way to end your day.