What does the Ayurveda Resort really mean?

These days more and more hotels, guest houses and other places especially in Sri Lanka in some way or another include the terms Ayurveda, Ayurveda resort, Ayurveda Spa to their names or descriptions.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, Resort means a place where many people go for rest, sport, or another stated purpose such as a tourist resort, a holiday resort, a seaside/beach resort etc.

Therefore if you wish to go to a place for an Ayurvedic treatment you have to go to Ayurveda resort.

Another widely used term by many hotels is “Retreat”.

According to Cambridge dictionary, Retreat means a private and safe place. Usually retreat has more of a spiritual meaning. The meaning of spiritual retreats can be different for different religious or cultural communities but in general it means having a solitude or a community spiritual experience.

Talking about hotels or other holiday places Retreat is used more to describe the place where yoga or meditation is being practiced as a part of a daily routine.

So let’s get back to Ayurveda in Sri Lanka.  

How to recognize which hotel offers a real and authentic Ayurveda treatment and which of them offer only the accommodation including some Ayurveda massages as additional service to their guests?

What to expect from real Ayurveda places providing traditional and authentic Ayurveda treatments (I shall refer to them as Ayurveda Resorts) and from those which offer only some Ayurveda massages or packages and cannot be considered as providing proper Ayurveda treatment (I shall refer to them as Ayurveda Spa hotels)?

I will try to showcase some differences between Ayurveda Resorts and Ayurveda Spa hotels.

Ayurveda Resort   Ayurveda Spa hotel

At Ayurveda resort the guest is consulted by professional Ayurveda doctor and only after the consultation personalized treatment program is created depending on the guest’s state of health.

You will be given a price list with various massages or procedures. You can order any massage irrespective of your medical condition.

It is recommended to stay at Ayurveda resort at least for 14 days. The reason is – traditional Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy is a therapy which needs particular time to be properly executed.  The minimum period is 14 days.

You can stay at Spa hotel even for 1 night and you can have your selected procedure or massage.

Ayurvedic treatment and procedures that meet the individual’s physical and mental needs are prescribed by professionally trained doctor.

The guests can select procedures and treatments by themselves without doctor’s prescription.

There is a certain day schedule which intensifies the effect of Ayurvedic treatment.

There is no particular day schedule.

 

Only Ayurvedic (vegetarian) meals are provided

You can eat whatever you like.

Special ayurvedic medicine is prescribed and given to improve health condition if it is necessary.

There are no medicine given.

The treatment program is continuously followed by doctor, the program of treatment is being adopted constantly according to Ayurveda healing system and client’s medical condition.

There is no follow up.

Peacock Ayurveda Garden is an Ayurveda Resort in Sri Lanka and invites you to experience authentic Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy. You can book your stay here.