Boone Chronicles | Holistic Health Retreat
“You probably have digestive issues and lower back pain that needs immediate attention!” This was not an assessment from a regular practicing medical doctor — It was an assessment from a qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner 3 years back, across the world, in Bangalore. What amazed me was that she hit the nail on the head with the health issues I had been facing for a few months — The only thing the practitioner did to give me this assessment was check my pulse. Yes, you read that right! Pulse assessment is an Ayurvedic method (an ancient Indian system of holistic healing) to detect imbalances in the body and take natural remedies to correct them. It is more than just a regular pulse check that would see if the pulse is in its normal range — It is a deep dive into the patterns of the pulse that takes quite a bit of training to tune into and can give insights on the state of the body at that moment.
So, when I heard of the Holistic Health Retreat as an Ayurvedic deep-dive into different aspects of our health up-keep and techniques to keep our human system at its optimal level of performance, I jumped at that opportunity! The retreat happened at the Art of Living Retreat Center, Boone and about which I have chronicled more here.
Holistic Health Retreat
The retreat I attended had a beautiful blend of yoga, Ayurvedic holistic health practices (an ancient way of staying healthy that relies on a deep understanding of how the natural elements influence our physical, mental and spiritual well being), meditative techniques, spa treatments and health consultations. This wonderfully packaged blend of processes were spread over 5 days. The best way to describe my daily routine at the retreat was a coming together of wonderful synergy of health practices and food, spread across the body, mind and soul — A true health refresher!
As one participating general physician quoted in the session, “Allopathy and Ayurveda complement each other very well in today’s day and age. Allopathy or western medicine can address immediate and urgent health issues well through surgery and treatments, whereas Ayurveda or ancient Indian medicine ensures that health imbalances are resolved much ahead of time — A more proactive approach.”
The teachings on the principles of Ayurveda were an eye opener — The diet at the retreat center was a blend of wholesome Ayurvedic delicacies and I learnt what diets were more suited to my body constitution and what I may want to avoid. The level of detail that Ayurveda goes into towards personalizing diet and healthy daily practices is mind-boggling.
Have you every wondered why certain people are more suited to have certain kinds of diets. For example, sour and spicy foods like yogurt dressing or spicy vegetable rice doesn’t sit well with my stomach and yet I know many people who are just fine. I also prefer more warm soups in my diet to just dry cooked food. These diet compatibilities and preferences have to do with our body constitution and the five elements that we are all made up of. To know more about your body type, elemental constitution and a personalized set of daily health practices, I would recommend a pulse assessment with a trained Ayurvedic practitioner!
Final thoughts
The overall approach we take to health in today’s fast-paced world falls woefully short of the true ideal of energetic, vibrant, dynamic, happy and intuitive individuals and societies. When we think of the word health, what comes to mind? A disease free body right? What about having a healthy mind? What about a life with purpose and fulfillment — Doesn’t that also contribute to well-being? When was the last time we felt free of worries and tensions, felt consciously and deeply relaxed, and rejuvenated at the level of the body, mind, and soul? When was the last time you felt joy well inside of you for no reason, just simply because you were a human being on this beautiful planet earth?
As world renowned humanitarian and global peace leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “A disease-free body, a quiver-free breath, a stress-free mind, an inhibition-free intellect, a trauma-free memory, and a sorrow-free soul are the birth right of every human being!”
Isn’t the vision painted in the above statement amazing? In a busy life filled with deadlines, the bottom-line for health boils down to the bare minimal up-keep of body functioning, enough to execute tasks, goals and priorities in life. It’s like pushing a car we own, to its breaking point and only fixing it when it hinders our transportation experience.
When we start expanding our perspective on what it truly means to be healthy, and going by the grand vision stated by Sri Sri, there is a lot of growth and rejuvenation that awaits us on this journey of life — And life becomes a grand celebration as we grow from one experience to another!
Speaking of celebration, we had a lot of that at the retreat — I would love to share more about it on my next post. Stay tuned!