Walking into Naturals Ayur felt different. The place was not filled with the aroma of shampoos or conditioners, but instead with the strong scent of oils. The newly-opened Ayurvedic clinic, their first in India, is a collaboration between Naturals Salon and Arya Vaidya Pharmacy.
Ayurvedic doctors from different hospitals offer consultations. Today, I get to meet Arya S. Menon, who after listening to my long list of worries including weight gain, hair fall and lack of sleep, just smiles and says, “It’s mostly a lifestyle disorder. Crash diets never help. Try to do regular exercise, practise yoga and have a balanced diet. Substitute the carbohydrates in the meal with pulses. And, say no to pizzas and burgers.”
Arya believes in a holistic approach to health. Poonthottam Ayurvedashram, Cherpulassery, where she worked, also stresses equally on physical and spiritual rejuvenation. That’s why she believes the aim of yoga is not just to lose weight. “I would suggest you do yoga for well-being; not as an exercise,” she says. Most of her clients have issues like hair loss, skin pigmentation, weight gain, PCOD and pregnancy-related issues.
She suggests that I take the Abhyangam package, the full body relaxation massage. “It removes stress and fatigue, prevents ageing and enhances body metabolism. It also improves skin tone, flexibility of muscles and relives muscle pain.”
Inside the massage room, therapist Ramya has begun to heat the Dhanwanthari oil. First I get a head massage. The oil is Ksheerabala thailam, which has cooling properties. After this, the body massage begins. Ramya has magic on her fingers. She press all the right nodes. The feet massage especially is stress-relieving. After almost one hour, I am asked to sit in a steam room. Fifteen minutes of steaming opens up all those closed skin pores.
They have a host of other services for arthritis (Ela kizhi and Podi Kizhi) and nervous disorders (Takradhaara and Shirodhaara). There are also services for facial massages and neck and back pain. For the facial packages, they use a mix of navara rice, milk and badam along with rakthachandanam powder.
The salon has four professionally trained and certified Ayurvedic therapists: Aneesh, Babu, Deepthi and Ramya who trained in Vaidyagramam, Chavadi.
“We have intensive training. We are asked to massage our doctors first, who will then decide how good we are.” The steaming technique is an old purifying process, says Arya. “It helps expel the waste from the body. It is one of the methods of panchakarma, otherwise called the rejuvenation process.”
Ayurveda is all about maintaining your health, says Arya, “You are expected to have an oil bath every day. That’s why during certain seasons in our regional calendars, we are supposed to take an oil bath everyday as a norm. An oil massage is stress-relieving.” I blink, as she recites an entire Sanskrit sloka on the benefits of oil massage. “It helps in Drishti Prasadam (better vision), Pushti (strength) and Swapnam (good sleep).”
The salon also sells organic soaps and body oil, along with Ayurvedic oils, supplied by AVP.
Naturals Ayur
It also has a regular salon on the top floor for services such as pedicure, haircut, hair styling, manicure and body, hair and facial massages
Location:Cooperative Colony, Perks School Arch Road, next to GV Residency, Uppilipalayam Post.
Time:From 7.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Contact:0422-4366222/4377222
