The Indus Valley Ayurvedic Center, located in Mysore, India, is in many ways "a little piece of heaven!"
Some time ago I met my South African friend Martin Gluckman in Nepal, who told me about the incredible Ayurvedic facility in Mysore his dear friend, Dr. Talavane Krishna had built.
"You absolutely have to go stay there, Janet. It's incredible! The grounds are fantastic, the food is some of the best in India, the rooms are at least 4 star, the Ayurvedic healing practiced there comes from the oldest tradition of Ayurveda. I promise you'll be blown away by the sheer beauty of this place!" he insisted.
From the first moment my driver drove onto IVAC's grounds I could immediately feel and sense the healing environment this facility is known for all over the world. Set on a breathtaking piece of land in the Mysore countryside, the serenity and peace I instantly felt told me Martin had been telling the truth about this place. Huge trees provide a canopy of green while beautiful gardens extend in all directions.
As I entered the registration office, a beautiful Indian girl dressed in a flowing red sari, the traditional Indian dress, greeted me with a smile that could light up the room. She asked if I was hungry and led me into a dining room which was both intimate and warm. The waiter smiled and showed me the numerous choices of Ayurvedic fare I had to select from. "Don't worry m'am, all of the food is fresh and organic. We also don't spice it too hot for the western palate," he said. After a short while, the Ayurvedic chef came out to meet me. While I was devouring my 4th bowl of the most delicious fresh organic vegetables and dahl (Indian soup), he asked if there were any dishes I would especially enjoy while I was a guest at IVAC?
After totally satiating myself, I was led to my room. As I walked through the beautiful gardens I could hear the chant of "Om" softly in the distance. "It's always playing m'am," the young man bringing my luggage said to me. "Dr. Krishna says it helps to create a more peaceful environment for everyone."
As I was led into my room I nearly gasped. All of the buildings I was told had been designed with perfect consideration of the science of Vaastu Shastra, the most ancient form of architecture known to man. It is said that a building with a perfect "vaastu" creates an incredible environment of peace, silence, abundance and wholeness. One immediately feels the depth of silence when they enter the room.
That was a serious understatement. Bliss was more like it. The feeling in my room was totally sublime! I immediately laid down on my bed, closed my eyes and took in the silence that permeated everything. After a short while I decided to take a bath. As I walked into my bathroom, once again my breath was taken away as I discovered this incredibly luxurious copper bath tub residing there. I found out later that Dr. Krishna created these copper bath tubs because copper has the ability to automatically pull toxins out of the body.
What a huge contrast IVAC was to much of the India I had heretofore experienced. I sighed the deepest sigh. Thank you for this gift, I thought.
After taking a luxurious bath and an incredibly long and deep nap I was awakened by a light knock on my door. As I opened my door I was greeted by a beautiful Ayurvedic technician. "Namaste, Miss Attwood. It is time for your treatment," she smiled, and gently took my hand as she led me next door to the treatment room. There I was greeted by two other bright and smiling female technicians and asked to just witness the sweet prayer they chant before beginning their Ayurvedic healing treatments. When they were done, they motioned for me to lie on an unbelievably beautiful hand-carved Ayurvedic massage table. They explained that the table had been made from a single piece of wood imported from Burma and constructed on the site.
Once I was comfortably situated on the table, four other Ayurvedic female technicians came into the room in total silence and with the other two technicians started massaging all the different parts of my body in perfect synchronicity. Using a warm Ayurvedic oil solution to massage me, I immediately entered into the most blissful state. Words can not describe the ecstasy I was experiencing. This was nurturing at its very best!
As I was led back to my room the technician looked at me with the kindest eyes and said, "Would you like your dinner served in your room Miss Attwood or would you prefer to dine with the other guests?"
This place was definitely my style!
For more information, go to: http://www.ayurindus.com
Email:
ivac@ayurindus.com
