Press Release - Ayurvedic Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Cathy H. Husid, Media Relations
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
Ph: (617) 916-5523 Cell: (413) 822-4372
cathyh@kripalu.org
KRIPALU CENTER ADDS A COMPLETE LINE-UP OF
AYURVEDIC HEALTH AND HEALING SERVICES
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass., February 6, 2004 - The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, the largest yoga and holistic health retreat center in North America, announces that it is expanding its healing arts services with the addition of a comprehensive lineup of Ayurvedic programs and treatments.
Ayurveda means "the science of life". It is a 5,000-year-old system that identifies and works with the unique energies present in each person to enhance overall health. Ayurveda and yoga grew from the same ancient Indian traditions and their practice is intrinsically linked.
Kripalu’s new services will include more than a dozen Ayurvedic rejuvenation treatments that use traditionally prepared aromatic oils with herbs to aid in detoxification and relaxation. Also new to Kripalu will be a five-day program of Panchakarma. This cleansing and rejuvenation program with roots in ancient India features body type (dosha) analysis, pulse evaluation, lifestyle counseling, herbal recommendations, yoga exercises, diet assessment and meditation classes.
Kripalu is the largest center in North America where individuals can explore Ayurveda within the setting of an extended yoga retreat. Guests are supported in their focus on transformation, rejuvenation and self-discovery.
"Ayurvedic and Yogic practices work hand-in-hand, so this is a very natural move for Kripalu," says Sudhir Jonathan Foust, president of Kripalu Yoga Fellowship. "The practice of yoga has grown exponentially over the past five years. We believe that many people who have discovered yoga's benefits are eager to take them to a new level, and that's what Ayurveda offers."
Hilary Garivaltis, an Ayurvedic practitioner who studied in India and at the New England Institute for Ayurvedic Medicine, is leading the creation and introduction of Kripalu's Ayurvedic programs.
"Ayurveda, with its individualized focus, its ancient roots and its systematic approach to health will appeal to those interested in taking more control of all aspects of their physical, mental and spiritual well-being in an increasingly stressful world," says Garivaltis. "Ayurveda teaches that we all have the ability to heal ourselves, but it’s our job to find harmony - it’s our responsibility to pay attention to our lives."
Ayurvedic Consultations
A guest’s introduction to this science will usually begin with an Ayurvedic Consultation by Garivaltis. In fifty- or ninety-minute sessions, body type (dosha) and pulse analysis are used to identify imbalances in the body or to measure what the body is working to correct. Daily habits and how they connect to the natural rhythms of nature also are evaluated.
During this process, guests learn about their predominant dosha, roughly translated as ’body type,’ but also reflecting other traits such as appetite, stamina, temperament, even tolerance for climate. The three doshas - vata, pitta, and kapha - reflect the principal forces of nature - Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth - and how they are combined uniquely within each of us.
Guests are then evaluated and prescribed gentle changes that will help to alleviate longstanding problems. Changes to diet, establishing routine or adding activity, quiet time, or variety to one’s lifestyle are among the wide variety of recommendations possible. Ayurvedic treatments that address health problems and correct dosha imbalances are offered on-site.
Ayurvedic treatments
Ayurvedic deep cleansing and rejuvenation treatments are designed to help loosen and release toxins which helps to restore balance, calm and harmony. The treatments, which evolved in India over thousands of years, have a rhythm and flow that cover the entire body. They use herb-infused oils targeted to correct individual imbalances.
One of these ancient treatments, Abhyanga-Garshana, features a dry lymphatic massage with silk gloves, followed by a rhythmic massage of warm herb-infused oils. The body's subtle channels and systems are stimulated by the healing properties of the oils and by the massage of "marma points" (specific points on the body that enliven the body’s own awareness and healing).
Another treatment, Shiro-Abhyanga-Nasya, combines a head, neck and shoulder massage, a lymphatic facial massage, deep inhalation of aromatic eucalyptus oil steam and herb-infused nose drops that contain sesame oil and ginger to clear impurities from the head area and open the sinuses.
Shirodhara uses warm herb-infused oils poured in a gentle stream over the forehead. This procedure synchronizes brainwaves and profoundly calms the mind, body and spirit.
This is only a sampling of the thirteen Ayurvedic treatments now being offered at Kripalu Center. Members of Kripalu's healing arts staff are completing more than 200 hours each of study and practice, totaling about 1,200 total hours of training time.
By spring 2004, Kripalu also plans to offer a five-to-seven day Panchkarma cleansing program that will integrate a number of Ayurvedic practices and treatments in the tradition of ancient Indian cleansing retreats. Three more ’tandem’ treatments (in which two healing arts professionals work on one guest at the same time) will be introduced this fall during this retreat. In January 2005, Kripalu will be introducing The Kripalu Ayurvedic Institute, an 18-month program featuring some of the world’s most renowned teachers of Ayurveda.
For more information about treatments, costs, resources & tips visit: Ayurvedic Treatments
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is the largest retreat center for yoga and holistic living in the U.S., serving people of all backgrounds for nearly 30 years. Kripalu, a nonprofit education fellowship, offers more than 500 experiential yoga, self-discovery, holistic health and spiritual programs that present ancient yogic principles in a contemporary, accessible, yet profound way. Educational programs are designed to provide participants with tools they can apply in their daily lives.
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