Why should you travel to India for your first Yoga Retreat?

by Bijoya Mohanty, Co-founder | Spain | Apr 29, 2022 | Experiences

Why should you travel to India for your first Yoga Retreat?

In the life of every yoga practitioner comes a time when one feels the urge to give their body and mind some time to truly know themselves. Disconnecting from your daily life gives you the opportunity to get to know yourself better, to contemplate and to learn new things about your life. Leaving everything behind for sometime feels like the right thing to do, so why wouldn’t you choose to give yourself that kind of treat in beautiful India, where yoga is not just a practice, it is a lifestyle.

Travel to the Yoga capital of the world

Yoga has been practiced in India for over a thousand years, and nowadays India offers many different retreats. Yoga retreats are great healing holidays and a true gift to oneself. The main purpose of yoga retreats is to isolate the mind from all thoughts, worries, and fears, and to increase the strength and flexibility of the body.

This yogic inward journey gives great opportunities to find balance within life. You can find programs for beginners or experienced practitioners, of any form of yoga. Retreats are placed all over India, in traditional ashrams or modern places. You can choose between the bank of the Ganges in Rishikesh, high in the Himalayas, or by the sea in Goa. Possibilities almost seem to be endless.

Possibility of learning authentic Yoga Sutras

Yoga retreats in India open the possibility of learning a combination of traditional and modern yoga practiced and developed by various yogis . You can find various yogic experiences, may it be Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa or Kundalini yoga. As we all know that the three main pillars of Yoga structures are asanas, pranayama and meditation. Hence the goal of the Yoga retreats always revolves around to create a wholesome and interdependent sense of wellbeing, by offering balance of mind and body through asanas, breathing and meditation. The yoga retreats are designed for everyone whether you are just a beginner who wants to develop a personal yoga practice, or you are an experienced yogi who wants to gain certificates and learn from highly skilled gurus/ teachers. One thing is sure, that Yoga retreats definitely give you a chance to deepen your yoga practice and to transform your perception of life.

Beside practicing yoga, many retreats offer classes and workshops about yoga philosophy and history of yoga along with the lessons about yoga anatomy and physiology. The focus is to help you understand the roots of yoga and its effect on your body and mind.

Right spiritual environment for Meditation and Chanting.

India is always known as a reservoir of spiritual knowledge and wisdom. One can find the undercurrent of spiritualism in every ashram, retreat, and in fact in every corner of India. Ancient authentic Yoga is always practiced with meditation and chanting for strengthening the inner energy. The meditation in Indian ashram or retreats not only gives you the gift of consciousness of the present moment but also the opportunity to truly relax. Therefore, most of the retreats and ashrams are designed to practice yoga along with chanting and meditation.

Get connected to the Yoga community:

Travelling to India on a yoga retreat is like connecting to the beautiful yoga community. The whole atmosphere in the retreat and ashram is designed in such a way that you can feel supported and empowered with the wonderful new yogic community. A sense of gratitude and freedom comes though you are not known to anyone in the community but yet get connected through the common thread of YOGA. After all we are all connected on this incredible yogic journey of life.

Taste the Yogic and satvik Food:

Indian Yoga retreats and ashrams always offer the purest form of food called satvik food. The yoga sutra defines that, satvik food offers nourishment to the body and peace to the mind. The ancient yogis realized the healing properties of satvik food which created inner peace and calmness. Therefore, it is greatly popular among yogis as it brings energy and freshness to the mind.

The yogic and sattvic diet is difficult to incorporate into daily life which is why most Indian yoga retreats and ashrams focus on the sattvic diet and offer the lesson on how to prepare yogic meals.

Yoga retreats in India are the perfect getaway for someone who is ready for holistic transformation. It is not just about yogic experience, it’s also about personal growth, recognizing your own strengths, and achieving inner peace. If you have not yet experienced your yoga retreat in India then why not connect with our team who can hold your hand and organize the wonderful Yogic Experience in India called RAGA- The Rhythm

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

Five Reasons to Travel to India for Your Ayurvedic Treatment

by Andrea Kajgana | Croatia | Apr 15, 2022 | Experiences

Five Reasons to Travel to India for Your Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurveda, or the science of life as it is often translated, has existed for over five thousand years. It is one of the most efficient preventive, palliative and restorative traditional medicinal systems in the world. There is no wonder why it is, alongside allopathic medicine, also the official medicine practiced in India.

At the very core of the ayurvedic experience is the notion that our personal health is in our own hands, and by knowing the principles of our own bodily constitution, our daily practices, the food we consume and the general way in which everything that surrounds us interacts with us, we are able to achieve longevity, and a quality one at that.

The ayurvedic treatment is a holistic approach to the human experience realizing that the mind, the body and the soul are one and thus cannot be separated one from another. In order to heal oneself, all of one’s self must be taken into consideration. And while a person might try to do it on their own or with the help of an ayurvedic physician locally, in their own country, here are some reasons why you might consider going to India for your ayurvedic wellness journey.

Travel to India for Your Ayurvedic Treatment

1. Going to the source of ancient wisdom

Ayurveda originated in India over 5000 years ago. And from personal experience and the experience of many others, there is something to be said for seeking healing where the healing system originated. Imagine the power of an ayurvedic doctor who is the 14th generation of ayurvedic healers (this is just an example) in his family, every previous relative of his has been taught ayurvedic healing since they could articulate words, it is in their DNA and is not comparable with any other experience. Also, imagine taking your healing process to the very earth it originated from, knowing that the herbs that will be used in your treatment are the very ones that surround you, you are breathing in the essence of your healing process just by being there alone. Considering ayurvedic treatment in India may be the key solution for you.

2. YOU are the center of your healing

With Ayurveda, practiced anywhere , your healing journey is specifically tailored to you and you alone, there are no two people alike and this is how Ayurveda approaches the entire process. The preparations, therapeutic measures, and your diet and daily activities are planned out for you especially, taking your condition into account. So, you can put your mind at ease and know that this is a custom made plan with you as an individual in the center of your healing process.

3. Sound, Touch , Colors, Taste, Fragrance

This is an experience that involves all of your senses. It may overwhelm them at times but the sheer experience of being in India is something you will recall for the rest of your life, just go with an open heart and expect everything to happen. Because India is everything in one place. Experience the noise of the street, let it break the inconvenience of your conference meetings. Smell the herbs being sold by the side of the street or the flora of a park if you visit one, let it contrast the noisy perfume stores that might make your headache. Look at the smiles on people’s faces, remember how much you have and find gratitude as these people might not be in the situation that you are but they find joy in life. Seek to find the joy you see. Find beautiful scarfs and ancient jewelry, anything you like. Take time to enjoy the entire process with every single inch of your being. You will be that much better for it.

4. Experiencing a new culture

Have you ever traveled abroad on vacation and left your worries at home, just to realize that somehow the food, even though it’s something you could never digest at home, sits well with you somehow? There is an attraction in the power of distraction, and sometimes that might be all you need to start your healing process, and India is nothing if not colorful. This is where the journey of relaxing your entire body begins. Sure, it’s not home, it’s something completely different but it’s a transformative experience if you go into it with an open heart. If you decide to go and seek balance and health in India, you won’t be stuck in a hospital all day long. Ayurvedic treatment addresses your entire being. You will find yourself immersed in the culture and the variety of people and temples there are to visit. Remember, you are clearing your system of ailments, and an ‘ambush’ of completely different interactions with nature, people, and life can be very transformative, and an amazing start to a healing journey.

5. Everything is taken care of. You just need to show up

Of course, we are all aware that leaving our daily problems behind is something that not many people can do, but simply going away and putting yourself in trustworthy hands may sometimes be the better part of the solution. We all underestimate how much of a toll stress takes on us, the conscious and the subconscious kind, so taking at least one type of stress out of the equation can be described as releasing the weight so your ship can sail clearly. There are no appointments to be made, nothing to worry about except putting yourself into the hands of experienced practitioners who will guide you to your best health.

While there are many more reasons to be listed as to why you should seek anything in India, these are just a few to nudge you in the right direction. You might not realize this until years after, but a trip like this will leave a mark on you, making you a more appreciative and better person with a deeper understanding of life.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

A Holistic Healing Travel to India

by Yashica Dalal | Switzerland | Feb 17, 2022 | Experiences

A Holistic Healing Travel to India

A story about ayurvedic treatment for long-term ailments by an ASHA Warrior……

There is a wonderful saying “It’s when we start working together that healing takes place” With that note we want to introduce Felix.

Meet our ASHA hero Felix from Switzerland and his positive outlook is what we all look up to.

There was a recurring and severe health challenge that Felix was facing for quite some time, for which he was undergoing various conventional treatments for quite a long time with no convincing results. That is when his wife suggested, he try Ayurveda. Ayurveda is an ancient and sustainable healing process, which is the most integrative and complementary healing system along with modern day healing practices.

Ayurvedic Treatment for long-term ailments from Ayurveda Doctor at ASHAexperience

Felix then met with our ASHA team doctor in Switzerland, Dr Neela. After his diagnosis an ayurvedic treatment protocol was suggested by Dr Neela. She suggested Felix for a 21 days Panchakarma treatment, for which he would have to travel to India.

It was a very difficult decision for him and his family, especially with all the travel restrictions going around the world due to the global pandemic. Traveling to a new place can prove to be quite daunting, but Felix’s strong and positive outlook made it all possible. He did not think twice about his journey to India with all the restrictions and quarantine as his convictions towards Ayurveda turned out to be quite convincing after talking to our Asha Doctor and our advising team members.

Dr. Neela, Switzerland

He then got in touch with us to arrange his healing journey to India. ASHA team was not only excited to offer this wonderful journey to but also super careful to plan his trip so that he would not encounter any challenges during his trip in India. Every request made by Felix was met, ensuring that the recovery process was more like a delightful journey than a difficult one.

It goes without doubt that Felix is an ASHA warrior, as he ensured that every hurdle that came his way strengthened his drive and will to heal. His unwavering determination made the entire recovery process feasible.

There is a beautiful line by Stephen Levine, an American poet -”To heal is to touch with love that which we previously touched with fear”

Hence even after the initial healing process, on his return to his hometown ,our team of professionals will be there to guide Felix to continue the ayurvedic healing process, right lifestyle and other holistic ways to compliment his healing tailored just for his needs. Best wishes to him from team Asha.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

My Ayurvedic Experience Online with ASHA

by Donna Willium | Switzerland | Jan 26, 2022 | Experiences

My Ayurvedic Experience Online with ASHA

I didn’t always use my body much or walk the planet for miles and miles, eat well, or feel gratitude for each day, each moment, each sunrise. But I did have the great fortune to grow up in Australia which is a place where almost everyone lives outside to some degree. And because life 40+ years ago in Australia for a child was pure freedom with promises to parents early in the morning that I’d be home by dinner before heading off on my bike to whatever farm, beach, or bush adventure awaited me. Because of this, the earth, the water, and the vast Australian skies have always been etched deep in my soul. A childhood spent trampling Mother Earth and being watched over and protected by Father Sky can only lead to an adulthood of curiosity and exploration about the world we live in and the myriad of systems that support it and us.

Sri Lanka was one of my earliest big adventures and I traveled there on my first mission with the Red Cross after the devastating Asian tsunami. It was also my first dipping of toes into the ancient science of Ayurveda and my stay on this beautiful island left me with an explosion of tastes, feelings, new recipes, and more. Many years later and still living my humanitarian life, still practicing and teaching yoga wherever I went, I traveled to Kerala in India to learn to cook dhal (lentil preparation) in a bazillion ways. I returned to Sri Lanka and dove back into Ayurveda, yoga, and more, and finally, I arrived in Switzerland where I now have the chance to be back walking the planet and heading out for days of freedom and adventure, just as I did as a child growing up in Australia.

My Ayurvedic Experience Online with ASHA – The Ayurvedic Healing Platform

One thing nature has taught me is that life arrives over and over again in cycles. Sometimes you’re in the dip and sometimes you’re riding the high but nothing ever stays the same. And it’s often in those highs that incredible people and wonderful experiences surprise us in the most beautiful ways. And it was on one of those highs in the middle of a global pandemic that I met Bijoya, Co-Founder of ASHA Experience, right as I was starting my studies in Ayurvedic yoga. Given my long-time fascination with Ayurveda and Yoga, both sister sciences, it seemed like a miracle connection. I began joining the ASHA Experience online wellness sessions which were such a much-needed offering when so many people were experiencing lockdown and major health challenges due to the pandemic. One of the incredible things about Ayurveda is it honors where we come from and where we are right now including both our internal and external environments and how they impact us deeply. Over the years I’d had the occasional consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, always incredibly useful and revealing and recently I was lucky enough to consult with one of ASHA’s amazing Ayurvedic doctors. I always feel like this experience gives me two things:
1) an important acknowledgment that I’m investing in me and my own health and
2) an objective reset on my health.

I had a great connection with Dr Anoosha who I can only describe as highly experienced, deeply insightful and full of compassion. What I loved about her approach is that she really honoured my own lived experiences and built her advice and recommendations upon that. She asked a myriad of questions about my life, work, lifestyle and health but she did it in a way that just felt like we were having a conversation rather than a medical consultation. She offered me some simple ideas to integrate into my daily routine or dinacharya, things to help me relax more and calm down the vivid dreams I was having at night time. Ideas like bathing and / or massaging my feet before bed and tips to let stressful thoughts release at night time.

Ayurvedic Doctor at ASHAexperience

Dr. Anoosha gave a sense of normalcy to my issues which gave me a feeling of confidence that things would change for the better. Because her suggestions weren’t complicated it also made it easy and fun to try them, and I felt like I was in control of myself and could take positive action for my own health. There was also an offer of different herbal prescriptions if I wanted to try them. I decided to test the non-herbal recommendations first and have found them to be really helpful.

What I like a lot about ASHA is that there is a vast array of different experts and so you can choose someone with who you feel you’ll be a good match rather than be connected randomly. And without doubt, the doctors, nutritionists, and yoga experts are all highly experienced, many having studied in India, the ancient home of Ayurveda. Bijoya who is so much the driving force behind ASHA once told me that she spent weeks visiting a multitude of Ayurvedic experiences and hotels in India only to realize that she had to create her own Ayurvedic experiences to really be able to offer something deeply meaningful to people. That level of commitment and research gives me huge confidence in ASHA and everything it offers. Before the pandemic, I had planned to head to India to really immerse myself in one of ASHA’s multi-week Ayurvedic retreats so I’m very much hoping that 2022 will be the year I’m able to dive deep into my own health and wellbeing in this way and learn first-hand some of the more traditional aspects of Ayurveda. For me, I feel like Ayurveda offers me a way to be the absolute truest version of myself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I call it being the ‘Youest version of You’. And when we strip off all the layers and are just ourselves, well this is when we find freedom, and who doesn’t want some of that?

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

Journeys with ASHA

by ASHA Team, Switzerland | Nov 25, 2021 | Experiences

Journeys with ASHA

Travel With Us to Travel within

A pandemic. Financial uncertainties. The world changed forever. These are just some of the reasons that most people today lead stressful, unfulfilling, and unhappy lives. Now more than ever, there is a desire for holistic, authentic and mindful solutions for physical, mental and emotional well being. And aligning the mind and body are the first steps for leading an ailment-free, healthy life.

We, at ASHA, decided to introduce a travel program to India, the birthplace of both Yoga & Ayurveda. We put together the programme with the aim to re-introduce self discovery and care into the lives of our patrons.

Is there any better way to lead a mindful, healthy life than by practising Yoga and Ayurveda daily? We think not. To help our patrons on this journey, we have introduced the ASHA Ayurvedic Wellness and Yogic Journeys.

Journeys with ASHA is a truly unique travel program, with healing and wellness at its core. Our program doesn’t just offer a visit to India; it promises an introduction to a lifestyle which is centered around healing, mental wellness and treatments. We have designed the program to ensure our patrons not only experience the Ayurvedic way of life but imbibe it continue to practice it, well after they go back home.

ASHA Ayurvedic Wellness and Yogic Journeys

JINA

Meaning: To Live

JINA is an authentic Ayurvedic Retreat in Kerala, India. Curated for each individual according to their health and needs, it’s designed by ASHA Ayurvedic Doctors to help our patrons regain their health. The program also offers our patrons a chance to learn medically healing Ayurvedic practices and rituals from handpicked experts to continue on their journey, even after the end of the journey.
Location: Kerala, India
Duration: 10 days or more
Price: Euro 2,600 onwards

RAGA

Meaning: Rhythm
In the Raga Program, we take you to Rishikesh, the cradle of Indian civilization, for an immersive, intense Yoga retreat like none other. This retreat will help our travellers get in touch with unspoilt Yogic life, apart from learning how to continue their Yogic journey after they go back to their daily lives.
Location: Rishikesh, India
Duration: 9 days or more
Price: Euro 1,500 onwards

Why should you opt for ASHA Journeys?

The core of ASHA Journeys lies in the desire to introduce a program which isn’t only experiential but also helps our patrons imbibe the healing practices and rituals into their daily life.
Jina and Raga are both designed and curated for each individual traveller, keeping their unique needs in mind.
Jina and Raga are exclusive and intimate journeys, offered only to 4-6 individuals at a time.
Each guest will be assisted by an experienced study guide to help them navigate the journey and take care of every need, however big or small.
Every single detail is taken care of and curated by ASHA.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

Yoga in my life

by Yashica Dalal | Switzerland | Nov 12, 2021 | Experiences

Yoga for Physical and Emotional Wellbeing

Yoga in my life

“In the body and mind, lies the power to self-heal….”

I come from a family of athletes and was brought up with the philosophy that nothing is more important than your own physical & emotional well-being. As a child, I had a very active lifestyle and some of my favorite activities included swimming and football. Yoga and I go way back when I was 14 and my mom’s friend introduced me to it. Physical or mental discipline did not come naturally to me at that time and hence yoga didn’t instantly fit in, especially with my outdoor activities and energy levels. I was not very regular with yoga until a few years later.

Fast forward to student life in Switzerland, everything was awesome, new people, beautiful culture, and food, until one day I experienced very sharp lower back pain due to a 5 year old injury, which not only caused movement restrictions but also caused immense pain even for the simplest of tasks, such as sitting or leaning forward. Initially it was just a back pain, until not so soon after, it started radiating down my legs. Not only was I facing physical imbalance, but it also reflected on my emotional state of mind. Pain medications were prescribed which would only block the pain and help relieve temporary inflammation, but as soon as I stopped having them, the pain would return back with full intensity. Then I recalled my family’s words, “your body has the strength to rewire itself, just support it as it supports you”.

Yoga Increased my Metabolism

That brings us to a few weeks back when I started with basic yoga stretches for mobility, and then I realized not only did the pain go away, but I also got better at swimming, my breathing gained a rhythm better than before even while swimming and I was in charge of my fitness. Along with all that, my digestion was better than ever before, my metabolism increased and I could even see the change in my skin for the better.

My Wellness Experience with ASHAexperience

“Wellness” is a wholesome term that cannot be simply described by exercising alone. In order to be physically and emotionally balanced, not only do we require physical activity, but we also need the right nutrition that helps us balance the activity and promotes healing. This is where “the ayurvedic way of life” became an integral part of my life and I would like to thank Dr. Chitra V. Menon (Ayurvedic doctor) and Bijoya Mohanty (Co-founder) of ASHAexperience, for helping me take my healing experience even further. With the help of Dr. Chitra, I was able to identify my body type, identify the imbalances, and how simply by certain modifications, they can be corrected.

Ayurveda is more than 5000 years old ancient healing science, which works on the root cause of imbalance in our bodies, promoting a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Recently, during my first ayurvedic consultation, I got to know about my body type for the first time and how simply altering certain eating habits combined with yoga and pranayama, can create a huge positive impact in my life. Ayurveda says no food is bad food, but according to one’s body type, certain foods are better suited than others. This promotes a better functioning environment for our bodies, which in the long run, also promotes great emotional well-being.

Ayurvedic Diet Advantage

An ayurvedic diet is also known to be extremely gut-friendly. Personally, I’ve experienced when my gut is happy, my day goes happy. Some of the benefits of good gut health include clear skin, anti-aging, no indigestion which in turn leads to a satisfied mind and a healthy neurological function, also eliminating the possibilities of hormonal imbalances and stress, anxiety, depression. The benefits are a chain reaction to promoting a great sustainable environment for our wholesome wellness.

ASHA platform has a very experienced panel of doctors, yoga therapists, and nutritionists, who work together to design a customized plan for you and help you identify and rectify the imbalances in your body, for a sustainable lifestyle.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.