Natural healthcare in the true traditions of Ayurveda at Purnagram
Dr Raakhee Mehra BAMS, MD, PhD*
On the banks of Kerala’s longest and most sacred river - the Periyar – an ideally located, authentic and scientific ayurvedic treatment centre becomes a point of attraction
A beautiful natural ambience inspires us towards healing, by supporting the body, mind and spirit, and providing healthy and positive distractions.
It is essential that the environment and nature remain as key components in health promotion. Since ancient times, Ayurveda has advocated and incorporated ecological perspectives into health management.
Particularly during the last 200 years, people have been moving from rural areas to urban environments across the world. This has resulted in their disengagement from their natural surroundings.. We do not experience the range of natural environmental stimuli of our ancestors - a built environment of steel and mortar, fast cars, fast food, noise, high-rise apartments and pollution has replaced it. Nature’s protective properties for health promotion, improvement and sustainability have been largely lost to people in the modern world due to their inadequate contact with nature.
Located at Mulamkuzhy, just 25 km from the Cochin International Airport and 56 km from Cochin city, Purnagram is set on 8 acres of lush vegetation, flowering plants, fruit-bearing trees, medicinal herbs with large open spaces. Along one side of Purnagram flows the Periyar (Purna River), which greatly adds to the restorative ambience and exceptional charm of the Village.
Kerala’s tradition
Kerala’s long and illustrious tradition in ayurveda has been acclaimed worldwide for its authenticity. An equable climate, ready access to a large variety of naturally growing medicinal plants and herbs, centuries of rigorously following classical ayurvedic principles and practices ... all these make ayurvedic treatments in Kerala highly reliable and effective.
The Kerala-specific disease prevention methods, including Panchakarma therapies, have a unique history of evolution and offer many exceptional techniques for complete and lasting health. Panchakarma is the paramount part of Ayurveda treatments with both preventive and curative applications for ensuring the normalcy of Thridoshas
(the three functional humours of the body), with emphasis on detoxification of the body by eliminating the imbalanced Doshas through different therapeutic methodologies, strict dietary regimen and lifestyle changes to ensure total health.
A natural health village
Purnagrarn is a natural health village, and not a ‘resort’. While providing all modem resort-class amenities and services, it is a complete holistic healing centre, strictly following the treatment protocols developed by Nagarjuria Ayurvedic Group, based on the time-tested ayurvedic scriptures and the ancient wisdom they embody.
Dietary discipline is basic to sound health. By offering food that promotes health and wellbeing, the Village encourages patients to make diet control an indispensible part of their everyday life.
Holistic healthcare, in its true sense, must address not just bodily ailments, but must also ensure mental, spiritual, emotional, social and psychological wellbeing of each individual.
Concept of Ayurjeevanam
Purnagram follows the concept of Ayurjeevanam which views each individual as a unique personality, with his own physical, mental and social traits. This implies that no two persons are exactly alike in their constitution (Prakruti).
Components of Ayurjeevanam
- Constitution Analysis
- Disease Identification
- Therapy (internal / external)
- Dietary Regimen (daily / seasonal)
- Complementary Therapies
- Lifelong Follow-up Counseling
Ayurjeevanam, as conceived by Purnagram, strives to enrich the life of every patient with a holistic, comprehensive and integrated approach to healthcare.
Highlights of Purnagram
- Perfect location, enhanced by a natural healing environment
- Green Leaf Certified Centre, approved by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala.
- Comprehensive holistic health evaluation and individualised treatment programmes.
- Fully stocked pharmacy with a wide range of high-quality medicines made from virgin plants and herbs from the rich basins of the Sahya mountains.
- Modern sewage treatment plant.
- Organic fruit and vegetable farm whose products are used for preparation of food.
- Well-maintained herbal garden.
- Knowledge centre and library, with focus on Indian and modern medical science, Indian philosophy, art and culture.
- Warm Kerala hospitality with genuine, personalised attention to each patient.
- Medical need-based programmes for specific diseases and chronic conditions.
- Wellness programmes to relax, rejuvenate and improve health.
- Life management programmes to improve the quality of life.
- Medical monitoring by qualified doctors and implementation by well-trained, friendly, caring therapists.
- Constant review of programmes and follow-ups by email, fax and telephone.
- Lady doctors and lady therapists for female patients.
- Common TV room, Internet, email, fax and telecommunication facilities
Dietary regimen
‘You are what you eat!’ says ancient Indian wisdom. There is no ‘one-fits-all’ diet in ayurveda. Every person has unique needs for balance. Since diet is a major healthcare tool for achieving balance, the dieticians at Purnagram design customised diets for each patient, based on various factors such as age, gender, the Doshic tendencies that need to be balanced at a given time, the strength of body tissues and digestive fires, and the level of toxins in the body. The place where a person lives and the season are also factors that affect dietary do’s and don’ts.
The Dining Hall at Purnagram serves two types of food, prepared at its own clean, well-equipped kitchen:
- Principal meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - that address all three Doshas.
- Treatment-specific food (drinking water, herbal tea, fruits, salads, soups, etc), related to the Dosha constitution of the patient. These foods will also be based on Naturopathy principles.
True to genuine Ayurvedic traditions, only vegetarian foods are served - prepared from organically produced grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Dedicated medical faculty
Purnagram has a deep commitment to the time-honored values and principles of ayurveda and fulfills the requirements of contemporary ethos with a constant effort to explore treatment modalities of ayurveda. It focuses on speciality treatments of Kerala to answer the current health needs of the modern world.
Besides ready to access to the knowledge, expertise and experience of some of the most eminent ayurvedic minds, Purnagram also has a talented team of qualified, skilled and dedicated physicians, therapists and support staff, specially trained in specific disease-wise treatment protocols developed by the Research and Development Division of NAGARJUNA with the help of nearly 12,000 unique treatment methodologies and formulations from the rich traditions of Kerala, with the intervention of modern diagnostic tools.
The faculty also includes a physician specializing in modern medicine for providing medical care in case of exceptional requirements.
Yoga and meditation
Yoga and meditation are fundamental to the Indian system of holistic healing. The activities at Purnagram have been conceived as a way of life and extend far beyond the conventional concepts of yoga and meditation.
Purnagram has its own fully stocked pharmacy with high-quality medicines manufactured strictly according to traditional ayurvedic principles and methods.
Purnagram offers a wide range of treatment packages including preventive, curative, immunity building, detoxification and rejuvenative therapies.
Specialty treatments
The scientific treatment protocols developed by Nagarjuna for a core group of diseases which are a major threat to the modern world, are offered by Purnagram. These specialty treatments can effectively handle the following diseases: Joint disorders,male infertility, psoriassis, diabetes mellitus and obesity
Other treatments :
Neuromuscular disorders like paralysis, Allergic conditions, Hyper cholestrolaemia, Lifestyle-related problems, Age-related ailments, Vision disorders, Irritable bowel syndrome,Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoidarthritis, Migraine, Asthma, Bronchitis, Hyperacidity, Piles, Sciatica, Chronic sinusitis,Hair loss, acne, pimples
Infrastructure, amenities and services
Accommodation: Purnagram provides elegant accommodation consisting of 30 rooms and independent cottages of four different categories:
- Rooms Cottages
- River-facing cottages
- River-facing cottages with their own attached treatment rooms
Spacious and well-furnished, the cottages and rooms incorporate traditional Kerala style of architecture.
Treatment Complex: Generally, treatments are carried out in separate blocks. The complex houses 11 fully equipped, well-manned, superbly maintained treatment rooms.
Knowledge Centre: The Knowledge Centre contains authoritative books on Indian and modern medical science. The Centre also offers a unique opportunity for patients and visitors to understand the finer aspects of Indian philosophy, the timeless cultural heritage of the country and its vast variety of musical and visual art forms - classical, folk and ritual. Cultural shows, seminars, workshops and special lecture sessions are a regular feature at Purnagram.
The Knowledge Centre will be commissioned shortly.
Local Sightseeing: Purnagram permits local sightseeing if it does not interfere with the treatment protocols and subject to physician’s advice. Some of the interesting sights closeby are Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, Kodanad Elephant Training Centre, Bhoothathankettu, Sree Adi Sankara Keerthisthambam at Kalady and the International Pilgrim Centre (St Thomas Church) at Malayattoor.
For details contact :
Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Retreat Ltd.
Mulamkuzhi, Malayattoor,
Cochin - 683 587, India
Tel: +91 484 2469012, 2468839, 2468837
E-mail: mail@purnagram.com
Web: www.purnagram.com
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