Women’s Ayurveda Retreat
Dec 2nd – Dec 18th, 2008
Guests joined Niika Quistgard, CAS on an Ayurvedic adventure that transformed their lives in Kerala — the birthplace of Ayurveda.
You will be guided to understand and connect with your nature and your needs thru wisdom of Ayurveda, while forging relationship with women from East and West. With Niika Quistgard as your guide, you will:
· receive personal Ayurvedic diagnosis
· take traditional therapies and herbal medicines for your specific needs
· enjoy guided personal retreat to recreate your Life in Balance
· connect with Western and Indian women in the spirit of sisterhood
· delve into understanding South Indian spiritual traditions
· enjoy morning yoga and meditation
· enjoy evening sacred music and storytelling
· visit temples
· be introduced to the kitchen and healing uses of Kerala’s medicinal plants
· learn to cook Kerala-style Ayurvedic cuisine
· wrap and wear a beautiful Indian Sari, if you choose
· take a trip to Kanyakumari—the sacred Triveni Sangham—at the precisely southern tip of India
· return home with the personal Ayurvedic knowledge and experience to live in harmony with your true nature, and with Mother Nature
Schedule of Activities
Written and Designed by Niika Quistgard and Sanjeev Kumar S.
All participants will receive personal Ayurvedic diagnosis, treatment plans, therapies and medicines.
The first half of our time together is spent essentially in retreat, a time to take therapies, heal and unwind your inner self. The second week is filled with more outer engagement.
If you are wondering, yes – we plan to spend some time with an elephant!
Note: All scheduled activities are subject to change of content and timing. Changes are usually improvements. Expect to experience the delightfully unexpected!
Day 1 – Tuesday, December 2nd
| 3:00 pm | Welcome and Staff Introductions | |
| Logistics at Rasa Ayurvedic Diagnosis sessions as time allows |
||
| 6:00 pm | Dinner | |
| 7:30 pm | Introduction to Kerala Culture | |
Day 2 –Wednesday, December 3rd
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Group Gathering – How we can benefit from Retreat | ||
| 9:30 am | Track One: Vighneshwara Temple | ||
| Shopping | |||
| Track Two: Ayurvedic Diagnosis Sessions | |||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch – learning to Eat, Indian style | ||
| Rest | |||
| 2:30 pm | Track One: Ayurvedic Diagnosis Sessions | ||
| Track Two: Vighneshwara Temple | |||
| Shopping | |||
| 5:30 pm | Introduction to Temple Protocol & Storytelling with Sanju | ||
| 6:15 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7 pm | Evening Temple Visit | ||
Day 3 –Thursday, December 4th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | |
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day One | |
| 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] | ||
| Track Two: Introduction to Rasa’s Medicinal Plants | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | |
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Introduction to Rasa’s Medicinal Plants | |
| Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day One | ||
| 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] | ||
| 5:30 pm | Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine: Spice & Herbal Waters | |
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |
| 8:00 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – Svastha & Prakruti: The Spirituality of Health in Ayurveda |
|
Day 4 –Friday, December 5th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | |
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Two | |
| 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] | ||
| Track Two: Sacred Flowers | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | |
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Sacred Flowers Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Two 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] |
|
| 5:30 pm | Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine: Agni, Fresh Dipanas & Digestives |
|
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |
| 8:00 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – Living Rhythm: Understanding a Woman’s Traditional Life of Balance |
|
Day 5 –Saturday, December 6th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Three 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] Track Two: Herbal Bead Making |
||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Herbal Bead Making Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Three 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] |
||
| 5:30 pm | Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine: Coconut | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:30 pm | House Concert – Female Musician | ||
Day 6 –Sunday, December 7th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Four 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] Track Two: Traditional Hair Care |
||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Traditional Hair Care Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Four 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] |
||
| 5:30 pm | Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine – What to Eat, When | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:30 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – Elements and Energies of Life: Pancha MahaBhuta & the Three Doshas |
||
Day 7 –Monday, December 8th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Six 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] Track Two: |
||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Six 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] |
||
| 5:30 pm | The Six Rasas – The Tastes in Ayurvedic Cooking | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:30 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – Bhakti: How to Experience Natural Devotion |
||
Day 8 –Tuesday, December 9th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Five 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] Track Two: Walk to Devi Temple |
||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Walk to Devi Temple Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Five 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons |
||
| 5:30 pm | Kerala Cuisine Cooking Class | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 8:00 pm | Group Gathering with Niika– Prakruti & Dinacharya: Living in Harmony with your own Nature and with Mother Nature |
||
Day 9 –Wednesday, December 10th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Seven 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] Track Two: Hands-on Medicinal Oil-Making |
||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Hands-on Medicinal Oil-Making Track Two: Ayurvedic Therapies Day Seven 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] |
||
| 5:30 pm | Traditional Preparation of fresh henna leaves for Mehendi | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:00 pm | Neighborhood Temple Visit – Kirtan with the Community |
||
| 8:00 pm | Mehendi – Traditional Decorating of Hands using fresh Henna |
||
Day 10 – Thursday, December 11th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Travel to Kanyakumari | ||
| 11:30 am | Arrive Kanyakumari | ||
| 12:00 pm | Lunch Out | ||
| 1:30 pm | Ferry to Vivekananda Rock Memorial - Sripadaparai Mandapam: natural stone footprint of the virgin goddess Devi Kumari - Dhyana Mandapam – Meditation Cave thick with shakti - Bookstore |
||
| 4:00 pm | Ferry back to mainland | ||
| 4:30 pm | Visit Gandhi’s Memorial | ||
| 5:30 pm | Sunset on the Beach at the Triveni Sangham | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:30 pm | Free time at Kanyakumari | ||
Spend Night at Kanyakumari – All stay Double Occupancy
Day 11 –Friday, December 12th
| 6:00 am | Sunrise on Beach | ||
| 6:30 am | Drive to Flower Market, Survey of Flower Market | ||
| 8:00 am | Breakfast out | ||
| 9:00 am | Local Women making Maala and all things with Flowers | ||
| 9:45 pm | Drive to Padmanabapuram Palace OR Maruthua Mala (Medicine Mountain) |
||
| 12:00 pm | Lunch out or purchase picnic | ||
| 1:30 pm | Leave for Rasa Ayurveda | ||
| 3:30 pm | Arrive at Rasa Ayurveda Herbal Bathing & Rest |
||
| 5:30 pm | Kitchen Medicine: Tulasi | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:00 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – Understanding the Devi Goddess in Hindu Culture and in ourselves |
||
Day 12 –Saturday, December 13th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:30 am | Preparation of Gulkand – Rosepetal Jam | ||
| 11:00 am | History of the Sari Sari Wrapping & Wearing with assistance from local friends |
||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 3:00 pm | Workshop with Art Curator Latha Kurien Rajeev & a Local Artist “Sita in Women’s Consciousness” Introduction to temple mural painting Hands-on Experience with mural painting techniques, joined by local lady friends |
||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:00 pm | Celebration of Thrikarthika to honor the Devi This agrarian-based festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Vrichikom (November-December). At sandhya, the evening lamp-lighting time, women and children place many lamps of all sizes in front of , inside and all around the house to light up the night. We’ll celebrate with friends and neighbors… |
||
Day 13 –Sunday, December 14th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | |||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |||
| 9:15 am | Tending Gulkand | |||
| 9:30 am | Guided Exploration of Chalai Bazaar: Vegetable & Spice Markets |
|||
| 12:30 pm | World Famous Kovalam Beach for Lunch Out, Shopping and possibly swimming | |||
| 4:00 pm | Home visit to learn kitchen medicines from a Grandmother | |||
| 5:15 pm | Visit the famous Attukal Devi Temple in Trivandrum | |||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner at Rasa Ayurveda | |||
| 7:30 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – The Power of Neutral in Health & Happiness: Exploring Mudras (Hand positions) for balanced neutrality |
|||
Day 14 –Monday, December 15th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | |
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 9:15 am | Tending Gulkand | |
| 9:30 am | Track One: Therapies: Head & Shoulder Massage & Thalam 9 – 10:30 [2 persons]; 11:00 -12:30 [2 persons] Track Two: Thalam Making |
|
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | |
| 2:15 pm | Track One: Thalam Making Track Two: Therapies: Head & Shoulder Massage & 2:15 – 3:45 [2 persons]; 4 – 5:30 [2 persons] |
|
| 5:30 pm | Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine: Ginger, Cinnamon & Saffron | |
| 7:30 pm | We’ll have a chance to take a voice lesson from a teacher of India Karnataka singing style | |
Day 15 –Tuesday, December 16th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | |
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 9:15 am | Tending Gulkand | |
| 9:30 am | Spend the day at: Ponmudi Tea Hillstation and Meetmutti Waterfall OR Kottoor Tribal Area and Neyyar Dam |
|
| 5:30 pm | Return to Rasa Ayurveda | |
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |
| 7:30 pm | Group Gathering with Niika – Self Care with Ayurveda: Taking Abhyanga, Jala Neti and Netra Basti home with you |
|
Day 16 –Wednesday, December 17th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:45 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:30 am | Visit to Girls’ School to Promote Healthy Traditional Diet & Living in Modern Times | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch: Traditional Sadhya Meal | ||
| 3:00 pm | Packing, Preparations for Travel | ||
| 4:00 pm | Staff Goodbyes, Tip Distribution | ||
| 5:30 pm | Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine: Dosha Balancing Kitcharee | ||
| 7:30 pm | Evening Kirtan with Niika | ||
DAY 17 – Thursday, December 18th
| 7:30 am | Yoga & Meditation | ||
| 8:45 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:30 am | Final Group Gathering with Niika - Sharing What We’ve Learned |
||
| 11:00 am | Departures (from 11 am onward) | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch | ||
