Ayurveda and Kerala

My journey into Ayurveda began in 2005 while battling an autoimmune illness for several years with Western medicine, whose solution always resorted to powerful steroids to control my symptoms. 

Ayurveda originated in the Vedas (ancient texts of India) and is a holistic medical system of India that differs from Western medicine by focusing on the root causes of disease rather than treating symptoms and uses therapies based on the five senses to bring health, balance, and harmony to the body, mind, and spirit.

I met Dr. Vacant Lad, the founder of the Ayurvedic Institute, at an Ayurveda conference and felt a strong connection with him. So, I decided to seek holistic treatment at his clinic, which was my first experience with Panchakarma (cleansing and rejuvenation modality). It changed my life, and I have learned to manage my condition and balance my life through the fundamentals of Ayurveda and Yoga practices.

My first trip to Kerala in 2014 was to experience Panchakarma at the birthplace of Ayurveda, where this ancient medical science originated over 5000 years ago.  

Kerala is located in the southernmost state of India and the southwestern state of India, and stretches 350 miles along the Malabar coast. It begins at the tip of India, known as Kanyakumari, where the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean meet, and goes up to Goa.

Kerala is internally connected by thousands of lagoons and waterways, which served as the primary transportation system before modern times.  

Besides tourism, its major trades include spices and herbs, coconuts, tea, coffee, nuts, fish, and the premier Ayurvedic universities reside there.  Hinduism is the predominant religion, but there is a mix of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism, with mosques, temples, churches, and synagogues. 

I love to go on retreat there in the fall, when the weather is milder, with a few monsoon showers arriving from the north, and it has a slower pace, lush surroundings, and amazing oceans. 

In 2026, I will host my fifth group at the Manaltheeram Ayurvedic Center, a beautiful resort with sixty cottages, daily body treatments, and organic food. I will teach two Iyengar-AyurYoga meditation, pranayama, and asana classes each day. 

Find the Kerala Retreat Page HERE!