Detoxing the Mind and Body

My Ayurveda Experience at Sri Lanka

 Barberyn Reef, Beruwala

(http://www.barberynresorts.com/english/index.htm)

 

  

Ayurveda

I've just come back from a wonderful and very different holiday in Sri Lanka all refreshed and well looked after and this holiday made me realise how toxic our western lives really are. Hear me out...

A resort highly recommended by a friend and after seeing how much more healthier and svelte he looked from his visit (not that he wasn't already!) he had an extra glow about him and so I was definitely intrigued and emailed the resort to see if they had any room left. Thankfully there was a last minute cancellation which meant I could go at quite short notice!

I went for the ayurveda treatments as part of the package as I had never tried this before and was keen to acheive similar results to my friend. I felt I needed a detox on all levels and this was the perfect place to do this.

"In simple terms, ayurveda is a holistic system which guides us so that we can live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. It recognises that we are all unique and focuses on food, lifestyle, massage, yoga and herbal remedies to suit our individual make-up.
The wisdom of ayurveda encourages us to take responsibility for our own health according to the different stages of our lives, the seasons, and the environment we live, work and play in. These factors all have a big impact on our health and it makes sense to adapt our lifestyle accordingly so we can continue to live in harmony with our body and stay in optimum health."(source: pukka herbs)


All Inclusive
Music to my ears!! I didn't need to take much spending money as everything seemed to be included, all the food, the treatments, the medicine, yoga, tai chi, meditation, they pick you up from the airport, even the excursions were included! What more could you ask for?!

Chillax to the Max!!

Waiting to see the Doctor

Oh my goodness! I was looking forward to being looked after, and you certainly were! You see the doctor on the first day and go through what ailments you have. Then he recommends what foods to eat/not eat and these details are placed on your table.  The doctor also recommends what treatments and medicine you will be having also during your stay at the resort.

My medicine for 1 day

The medicine was dispatched everyday and you were to take them at the recommended time. The medicine was all natural made from different herbs and plants, no chemicals something I got was the theme throughout the resort. Even the pool was filled with sea water!


So my day pretty much went like this:
6am - Get up to take the medicine
6.30am - go for Yoga (okay so I only made it once!)
7.30am - go for the fabulous breakfast
8am - take some more medicine
8.30am - go for head and shoulder massage, followed by facial massage, followed by full body massage, followed by eye-drops for me (ouch), then to...
The herbal garden for some natural herbal packs placed all over your body and face..
Then to have a herbal bath or shower then steam bath (this is where I've lost track of time)
I head back to my room to meditate as this is all I can manage, okay maybe a little snooze!
11.30am - Acupuncture
12pm - Ooh look it's Lunch (with some medicine)
 
Yummy Food - Suitable for Vegans!

Healthy Food - Sambol

Doctors note for my food

Even the meat eaters won't miss the meat!  The food was fantastic! And there was so much choice! Buffet style offering starters, mains and healthy desserts.  The waiting staff know what you are supposed to have (and not supposed to!) by looking at your note written by the doctor. My favourite was the atta flour roti and red raw rice, and all the curries. Yummmmmmmmmy!

Sometimes they had fish for those that were missing 'meat' but really you didn't miss it.  Each food item had it's own label telling you it's healthy properties e.g. good for digestion, blood circulation etc, and if you were taking certain treatments, they will advise you whether to avoid or not. Everything was good for you (okay occasionally there was the naughty dessert - but no one dared to load their bowls with naughty food)!  I heard that a couple went to eat out somewhere else one night and they had really bad tummies from it. Not because it was poorly cooked...but after being on their treatments for a few days, I guess they had become more sensitive to foods that were 'bad' for them.

Sarana

I think I actually ate more than I normally do at home. (But hey - I'm on holiday innit!) But the thing is I actually LOST WEIGHT! yes that is right, during my 10 day stay I lost 2.5kgs and I was eating more! I lost 2 inches off my waist.  I realised all these treatments I was having really were effective and just eating the RIGHT foods makes a real difference. Yup - goodbye sugar, dairy and wheat - oh come on! you knew they were bad for you already! ;-)



Excursions Optional

The rest of the afternoon I chilled and chatted to the other guests. If there was an excursion on I would go on that (if I had the energy!) or there would be a talk on Ayurveda medicine or something else. There was always something different on each day. So the rest of the day looked like this:

Turtle Farm

2pm - maybe a swim in the pool
3pm - afternoon tea or whatever event was on
4pm - more medicine
5.30pm - Tai chi or meditation
6pm - more medicine
9pm - final medicine of the day (phew!)
10pm - oh my I'm tired, time for bed.

Pool with sea water

The excursions I managed to go on were a visit to the Mask factory, Silk Factory and Dutch Fort in Galle.  I also went to a sea turtle farm which was my favourite.

I had a very peaceful time at Barberyn. Perfect for what I wanted which was to detox the mind and body. You were really forced to slow down and relax which is a good thing.  I put in some meditation time whenever I could to help detox the mind, as the rest was being sorted out by Barberyn. All the staff were really friendly and helpful.




Beautiful Sunsets
I just caught the end of the monsoon season, and so it was cloudy most of the days. But I didn't mind as I am not that into sunbathing. However the last few days cleared up and was presented with the most beautiful sunsets lighting up the sky with wonderful colours. (Please see photo slideshow below for more photos)

Sunset at Beruwala

After my own experience of Ayurveda and speaking to many of the other guests, I am a Ayruveda convert!!  You get 'sorted' holistically...inside and out. We all know that no one 'magic pill' can help sort your problems out no matter how big or small. It is finding a harmonious balance with our mind body and spirit which is the key. A balance point which will change as these areas of our life change.  It made me realise how easily we fill our bodies (and minds) with toxic things. From the foods we eat to the things we read and watch (yeah I'm talking about TV and the internet).  Some things are good some are bad, but they all don't come with helpful labels!  I realised that we are our own guide, and our body tells us when something is not quite right for us (literally!)  This can be difficult when most of us live hectic lives and get sucked back into bad habits...if we can step away from that for a bit, all the better.

So if you want a helping hand...pay Barberyn at visit for a healthy start!






Photo Slideshow
Below is a photo slideshow of the photos I took during my stay. Enjoy!