India’s classical science of balance between body, mind and daily routine. An Ayurvedic stay is set by a physician after an assessment, and combines therapies, diet, herbal preparations, rest and a routine to take home.
- Origin: Vedic India
- Classical texts: Charaka, Sushruta, Vagbhata
- Practitioner degree: BAMS
- Regulator: NCISM
On this page
What Ayurveda is
The word joins two Sanskrit roots: ayus, life, and veda, knowledge. Ayurveda looks at a person as a whole — body, senses, mind and the way they live — and aims to keep these in balance through routine, diet, therapies and herbal preparations.
Its foundations are set down in three classical works, known together as the Brihat Trayi (“the great three”): the Charaka Samhita, centred on internal medicine; the Sushruta Samhita, which includes one of the world’s earliest detailed accounts of surgical practice; and the Ashtanga Hridaya of Vagbhata, a later synthesis of both.
Today Ayurveda is one of the systems recognised by the Government of India under the Ministry of AYUSH. Practitioners train for a five-and-a-half-year degree (BAMS, Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and register with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) or a state board.
The core ideas
Everything, the body included, is described through five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.
Vata (movement), Pitta (transformation) and Kapha (structure) are the functional principles formed from those elements. Everyone has all three in their own proportion.
Your individual constitution — the balance of doshas you were born with. The physician considers it when shaping diet, routine and therapies.
The “digestive fire”: Ayurveda pays close attention to digestion and appetite, which is why diet is part of every programme.
Daily and seasonal routines — waking time, meals, activity and sleep matched to the day and the season.
Classical Ayurveda (Ashtanga Ayurveda) has eight branches, from internal medicine and paediatrics to rejuvenation (Rasayana).
What an Ayurvedic stay involves
Every stay begins with a consultation. The physician asks about your health, habits, sleep and digestion, and may read your pulse (nadi pariksha), look at your tongue and eyes, and review any medical reports you share. You should mention every medicine you take.
The physician then sets your plan: which therapies, in what order, the diet from the centre’s kitchen and any herbal preparations. Most guests have one or more therapy sessions a day, with time for rest, gentle yoga and walks. The plan is reviewed as the days go on.
At the end you receive take-home guidance — diet, routine and sometimes preparations to continue — and a follow-up call. Keep your own doctor informed, and do not stop any prescribed medicine without their advice.
Kerala’s Green Leaf and Olive Leaf
Kerala’s Department of Tourism runs its own classification for Ayurveda centres attached to hotels and resorts, known as Green Leaf and Olive Leaf. It looks at facilities, hygiene and qualified staff. We ask every Kerala centre for its current classification, alongside a state licence and NABH AYUSH accreditation where it has one.
Therapies you may meet
A full-body massage with warm herbal oil chosen for your constitution, often by two therapists in rhythm, followed by steam.
A continuous stream of warm oil poured across the forehead while you lie still. Takradhara (buttermilk) and Ksheeradhara (milk) are variations.
Warm medicated oil poured continuously over the body while therapists massage in rhythm. A Kerala speciality.
Cloth boluses of Njavara rice cooked in milk and herbal decoction, massaged over the body while warm.
Boluses of fresh herbal leaves, fried in oil and pressed rhythmically over the body.
A brisk, upward massage with dry herbal powders, often used in weight and metabolism programmes.
Warm oil held in a ring of dough over the lower back, knee or neck for a set time.
Herbal oils or preparations administered through the nose, after a face massage and steam. One of the five actions of Panchakarma.
Medicated ghee held over the eyes in a dough ring while you blink slowly.
Herbal steam, in a steam box or over parts of the body, usually after oil massage.
Therapeutic purgation with herbal preparations, planned by the physician within Panchakarma.
Herbal decoctions or oils given as an enema, usually as a course. Considered central to Panchakarma.
Some therapies are not suitable in pregnancy, after recent surgery or with certain conditions and medicines. That is why the physician consultation comes before anything is booked.
Official sources
- Ministry of Ayush, Government of India
- National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM)
- Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences
- National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)
- Kerala Tourism (official)
Rules, registrations and visa terms change. Where this page and an official source differ, the official source applies.
Questions guests ask
Do I need to know my dosha before I come?
No. The physician assesses your constitution at the first consultation. Online quizzes are fun, but they are not an assessment.
Is Ayurvedic food vegetarian?
Most centres serve vegetarian food prepared to the physician’s advice for each guest, often light and freshly cooked. Tell your concierge about allergies and any dietary needs, such as halal or Jain food, before you book.
Can I continue my regular medicines?
Yes — and never stop a prescribed medicine without the advice of the doctor who prescribed it. List every medicine for the Ayurvedic physician so the plan can take it into account.
How long should an Ayurvedic stay be?
Many guests stay one to three weeks. Classical programmes such as Panchakarma usually need two weeks or more, but the physician sets the length after assessing you.
