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DEAL WITH IT“If I can just finish this project,”

mutters my ultra-busy husband, “I

can stop worrying.” He says this regularly no

matter how much work he ploughs through.

By the time it’s done he’s fixating on a

whole new crop of deadlines. I suppose

that in our achievement-obsessed society,

this is “normal.” Fortunately in the beautiful

resort with its 75 rooms furnished with hand

crafted wood, there is no business centre

and internet is patchy. Alleluia. I calm his

nerves and tell him that instead of fretting

There’s a lot to love about Sri Lanka. For starters, it’s much cleaner than its mammoth neighbour India, which has its

magic, but, also its chaos that can tarnish the shine from any holiday. The island of Sri Lanka is also excellent value for

money, geographically diverse, steeped in culture and rich in mouth watering cuisine. Replete with a heritage of Ayurveda

that adds an effective healing dimension to a form of travel – wellness tourism – that is growing exponentially worldwide,

Amanda Prentice-Lobb reviews the island’s oldest Ayurvedic retreat, Barberyn Reef Ayurveda Resort in Beruwala.

in Beruwala

Barberyn ReefAyurveda Resort

about getting everything done immediately,

why not simply accept that being alive

means having things to do and that these

can wait? Especially when we find ourselves

in the middle of a beautiful natural swimming

lagoon with a breath taking view, I then

suggest that we dive into full engagement

with what we are supposed to be doing at

this sea front resort with more than 40 years

of fine hospitality which is serene and calm

and then just let the worry go.

“But,” he says, “I can’t just cut my

anxiety loose. It isn’t under my control”

I empathise with his stance but I also

know it’s rubbish. To stop worrying about

something, simply direct your attention

towards something else. And in an

environment where treatments such as

body and head massage, facial treatments,

purgation therapy and full body fomentation

are available, the opportunities for more

appealing distractions are many. Personally

I joke with him, I like to interrupt my flow

of worry by imagining – vividly–what I’d do

if Spiderman walked into the room. See?

Distraction works.

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ASK FOR HELPI used to be one of those people who

spurned assistance–from other people,

from God, from anything. Not anymore.

As I get older and my ability to recuperate

becomes slightly less swift, I realise that the

best way to stay healthy is to prevent illness

before it strikes. This is why a wellness

holiday that has Ayurvedic treatments

which not only treat the symptoms of a

disease but also helps strengthen the

immune system makes sense. These

days–whether I’m begging for divine

intervention or enlisting a colleague to help

me overcome my aversion to technology,

I pretty much walk around hollering, “Help

wanted.” And at this resort which provides

the level of care and comfort that is needed

to enjoy the well-being that comes from

within, that help comes in spades by the

various treatments they offer such as

breathing-oriented meditation and loving-

kindness meditation.

FACE, HIPS AND BOTTOMNo matter what pampering or aesthetic

treatment we try, there is always a tendency

to worry about our appearance; especially–I

hate to say it–with the passage of time.

I’ll put it into perspective: My teenage

daughter’s favourite pastime – aside from

watching TV reruns on her iMac – is to

snap photos of herself and upload them

on social media networks to share with her

friends. Is she vain? Not particularly, but I

suppose she’s enthralled with her budding

femininity and wants her radiance to

emanate in cyberspace. Whereas now I find

myself cowering away from the camera.

Not because I’m old, but because with age

my inner radiance has diminished a little.

This is what; I discovered, Ayurveda can

transform beautifully. After only two days,

the massages and the Sattvic vegetarian

diet had me looking so radiant – even

without makeup – that I grinned proudly for

the camera and looked like a schoolgirl…

only just. But radiant all the same…

PERFECTION DO OR DIEI have never met any perfect people, but I

know loads that worry about being perfect.

They exercise religiously and serve their

families home-cooked organic free-range

Tofu-laden recipes. They are sad. I love the

Buddhist concept of enlightenment as living

without anxiety over imperfection. However,

I can strain every fibre of my being trying to

be flawless, only to face inevitable failure–or

I can stop worrying about perfection, which

instantly makes everything seem great. I

have also never been to a perfect place.

This is what I found at this exotic resort set

on a long strip of beach with reef running

along its length. Whilst our experience was

not perfect; the season was hot (my fault

for not choosing a cooler time of the year

to visit), there could have been more daily

yoga lessons and evenings were a little

quiet; overall it was fantastic.

I refreshed my mind-body connection

and enlivened my soul in a way that I

am still getting the positive after effects

from. I rejuvenated myself through all the

treatments, massages and cleansing, I ate

well without putting on weight, relaxed and

even managed to get my husband to do the

same. So all in all it was a great experience

for holistic healing and for the overall well-

being of the mind, body and soul.

www.barberynresorts.com 〉〉

88 new you

Ayurveda

ILLNESSES AYURVEDA CURESAyurveda is a popular and useful

treatment that originates from India.

Aryurvedic treatments have the

ability to treat numerous illnesses

and disorders through focusing on

their underlying causes. Illnesses

Ayurveda can cure are:

• Migraines

• Heartburns

• Obesity

• Diabetes

• Skin problems

• Heart Disease

• High Blood Pressure

• Arthritis

• Anti-Aging

• Hair Loss

• Rheumatism

BENEFITS OF AYURVEDAThe Ayurvedic approach to an illness is holistic and therefore after an Ayurvedic

treatment a person will find an improvement in their physical, mental and

psychological conditions.

• The ingredients used in Ayurvedic medicines are mostly derived from herbs, plants,

flowers, fruits etc. making it a remedy close to nature.

• There are practically no side effects for Ayurvedic medicine.

• Ayurveda has been found to be an effective cure for many chronic diseases.

• An Ayurveda treatment can bring about wellness to the entire body and will be in

effect for a longer time than Allopathic treatment.

• Ayurveda not only helps in treating diseases but also in preventing the occurrence

of diseases.

• Ayurveda gives guidelines on how to keep away diseases by means of simple

dietary and lifestyle changes.

• Ayurvedic medicines are good even for healthy people since they are restorative in

nature and helps in nourishing the body and enhancing mental ability.

• Ayurvedic treatment and medicines are comparatively cheaper than other systems

of medicine.

• Ayurveda recommends readily available herbs and spices for minor ailments.

• Ayurvedic therapies can give relief from stress and rejuvenating the body.

89new you

TOOLS OF THE TRADE• The focus of Ayurveda is on all of the five senses.

• The central practice of Ayurveda is hygiene. Hygienic

living involves regular bathing, cleansing of teeth, skin

care and eye washing.

• It stresses the use of plant based medicines and

treatments such as ginger, cardamom and cinnamon.

Some animal products such as milk and bones are

also used along with fats which are used for both

consumption and external use.

• The practice of Ayurveda stresses on eliminating toxins

from the body which is also known as panchakarma.

Body, mind and spiritual awareness are the holy trinity in

Ayurveda and so this practice focuses on yoga, meditation

and stresses the importance of maintaining a constant

balance in the body.

AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS• ABHYANGA involves massage of the body with large amounts of warm oil. The oil is often pre-medicated with herbs for specific

conditions and commonly used oils include sesame, coconut, sunflower, mustard and almond. Used for relaxation.

• SHIRODHARA involves gently pouring liquids over the forehead (the ‘third eye’). The liquids used in shirodhara depend on what

is being treated, but can include oil, milk, buttermilk, coconut water, or even plain water. Used for relaxation. Treats eye diseases,

sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, greying of hair, neurological disorders, memory loss, insomnia, hearing impairment, tinnitus, vertigo etc.

• TAN LEPA FACIAL Mixture of almost paste and coconut cream all over the face. Used to exfoliate impurities and clean the

pores on the face.

• TAN LEPA a blanket of coconut paste, almost paste and gram flower spread all over the body. Kept for 15 minutes. Removed

manually with gentle scrubbing movements. Exfoliates the skin and makes it look radiant and younger.