The benefits of ayurvedic treatments during monsoon season

“Rainclouds come floating in, not to muddy my days ahead, but to make me calm, happy and joyful.”

(Rajuda)

Climate and Rational Factors

Ayurveda divides a year into six seasons (ritus): summer (grishma), monsoon (varsha), autumn (sharad), winter (hemant), late winter (shishir) and spring (vasant). This is the foundation for the slightly different splitting of the Doshas dominating at a special time, for example not as it is logic to our understanding one Dosha is dominant during all of spring, but probably from late autumn to late winter.

For the Lanka Princess only the South-West monsoon (May to August) is of interest and brings occasional heavy rainfalls. It needs to be said though that rainy season in Sri Lanka is nothing like monsoon in India where rain pours down uninterruptedly over weeks. The tropical pearl is being blessed with strong and lasting rainfalls, but in between the sun always shows its face and only very rarely does it rain throughout one whole day or even a few days.

When the sky gets gloomy and the weather turns humid, the air cools off and dust free. Less tourists come to Sri Lanka and rates in general become quite interesting. At the LPH for example there is no single room surcharge when booking a cure.

Since there are less guests at the hotel, the atmosphere is even more relaxed and the attentive staff can dedicate itself even more intensely to every customer and pamper him even more.

Further, a positive thing when doing Ayurveda treatments during summer season is that the body is less stressed due to extreme changes of temperature. One of the most extreme examples was probably a couple from Finland who came from minus 30° at home to plus 30° in Sri Lanka. But even simply arriving from winterly Europe – with an understandable desire for sun and warmth – usually succumbs to a different in temperature of at least 30°. This is not easy to digest for our metabolism. Coming from the cold winter, our body usually needs a few days to adjust to the new climate before starting the curative treaments. This would be the perfect situation.

Usually it does not occur to the European population to fly to Asia during the summer months. The before mentioned facts though favour a Panchakarma cure during monsoon time when the temperature between the country of origin and holiday does not differ much and one can profit from a faster adaptation and with that from the very interesting specials which more than often make you pay 2 weeks, but enjoy Ayurveda treatments for 2 weeks.

The Ayurvedic aspect

In Ayurveda, each season has its advantages and disadvantages, each season is determined by another dosha.

Have you ever experienced tropical rain? Whether it drizzles or comes down as a wall of water, the soft vibration over the green landscape that mutes the noises of daily life, reduces the intense speed of our usual activities. This extended quietness, which we perceive through the senses, makes the monsoon a time of introspection, a period which through nature’s support is ideal for mediation, studies and Ayurvedic treatments.

After the relatively hot months of April and May land and senses are allowed to cool off. A perfect time dedicate oneself to Ayurvedic treatments and things for which one normally never has time. The moderately hot massages, steam baths etc. produce pleasant warmth in the body, the pores are opened to a maximum and are therefore particularly receptive for herbal oils and therapy. Body and senses are opposite by the blurred environment receptive to the quality of therapies.

The outside world blurs and withdraws slightly from the senses, our attention turns to a bit of the constant external flow of energy to move towards an inner, more personal attention. This awareness shifts onto our cell level and we are not only through the mind, but also with our body open for the slow, caressing and healing influences of Ayurveda treatments.

The monsoon softens and ripens our seven major body tissues, the Saphta dhatu, during the pre-purification (Purvakarma). Toxins melt away quickly and get ready for elimination during the cleaning phase (Panchakarma). The client benefits from a more intensive cleaning by the longer treatment period of 3 weeks. The Ayurveda techniques completely and effortlessly clean out our over surplus Dosha energy, our body channels become clean and open, the natural balance is being restored – equal to nature.

The country refreshes after the many warm and dry months under the beneficent tropical rain, the human being goes through cleansing and strengthening treatments, which fortify particularly during this time the condition and the resistance of the body and features him for the coming summer heat and the subsequent fluctuating autumn and winter temperatures in Europe.

Yoga and meditation

Due to the above mentioned qualities rainy season is very suitable for yoga and meditation. Sometimes you will not want go outside since it is raining more heavily and since you can and should not sleep and rest all the time, it makes sense to participate in yoga and meditative practices. The body becomes more subtle and flexible and the cooler temperatures invite to the performance of a more powerful and dynamic yoga.

Accept those rain saturated days as a gift, let the body heal and do not fall into lethargy, but instead enjoy an inhalation or a steam bath even more consciously in those still, slow moments, concentrate even more on your breath while meditating, benefit from the aquarelle world to concentrate on yourself.

You might even want to go for a beach walk when it is drizzling, feel the drops on your head – naturally avoid this during Shirodhara days when the head has to be kept warm at all times – enjoy the fresh air, watch the rough ocean and just indulge in this refreshed world.

A plus of the high humidity is that the skin becomes young and fresh, toned and wrinkle free without the aid of cosmetics! Let everything flow, float and enjoy the transformation through the panchakarma process. Ayurveda teaches life in harmony with nature and benefitting from what the seasons have to offer. This is valid as well for the purifying monsoon season.