Ayurvedic Aromatherapy Trip
Feb 1st –16th, 2009
David Crow of Floracopeia & Niika Quistgard of MayaShakti Ayurveda came together for a 16-day immersion in classical Ayurvedic aromatherapy at Rasa Ayurveda. Women and men were welcome.
Men and women enjoyed this opportunity to:
benefit from the knowledge and energies of two great teachers, plus the Rasa Ayurveda staff
experience the effectiveness and delight of aromatic Ayurvedic therapies
observe traditional distillation in a Tribal area (This is a rare chance!)
observe modern distillation in an Essential Oils Factory
learn the healing and culinary secrets of Kerala’s aromatic herbs and spices
trek and spend the night in the sandalwood forests of Kerala
Schedule of Activities
Written and Designed by David Crow,
Niika Quistgard and Sanjeev Kumar S.
Note: All scheduled activities are subject to change of content and timing. Changes are usually improvements. Expect to experience the delightfully unexpected!
Day 1 – Sunday, February 1st
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 9:00 am | Welcome: Logistics, Cultural awareness, Rules | |
| 10:00 am | Walk thru neighborhood | |
| 11:00 am | Lecture: Aromatherapy in Ayurveda/ Program Overview | |
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | |
| 3:00 pm | Lecture: Principles of Aromatherapy | |
| 5:30 pm | Aromatic cuisine: Spiced Drinking Waters | |
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |
| 7:30 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Yoga of Olfaction | |
Day 2 – Monday, February 2nd
| 7:15 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Therapies – Abhyanga & Svedhana | ||
| 9 – 11 [2 persons] 11:30 -1:30pm [2 persons] 3 – 5 pm [2 persons] |
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| Track Two: Morning Workshops | |||
| Medicinal Oil Making (workstations with several types of oils) |
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| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 3:00 pm | Track One – Afternoon Workshops | ||
| Medicinal Oil Making (workstations with several types of oils) |
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| Track Two: Therapies – Abhyanga & Svedhana | |||
| 3 – 5 pm [2 persons] | |||
| 5:30 pm | Lecture: Carrier oils | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 8 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Agarwood | ||
Day 3 – Tuesday, February 3rd
| 7:30 am | Yoga | |
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |
| 9:00 am | Lecture: Floral oils | |
| 10:30 am | Spice market and bazaar shopping | |
| 1:00 pm | Lunch in Bazaar | |
| 2:30 pm | Return to Rasa | |
| 3:00 pm | Lecture/workshop: Mythology of Flowers Pookkalum (mandala of flowers) |
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| 5:30 pm | Aromatic cuisine: Agni & Digestive Pitta Fresh dipanas |
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| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |
| 8:00 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Rose | |
Day 4 – Wednesday, February 4th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Track One: Therapies – Abhyanga & Svedhana | ||
| 9 – 11 [2 persons] 11:30 -1:30pm [2 persons] 3 – 5 pm [2 persons] |
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| Track Two – Morning Workshops | |||
| Gulkand Preparation | |||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 3:00 pm | Track One – Afternoon Workshops | ||
| Gulkand Preparation | |||
| Track Two :Therapies – Abhyanga & Svedhana | |||
| 3 – 5 pm [2 persons] | |||
| 5:30 pm | Aromatic Cuisine: Cinnamon, Clove, Star Anise | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 8:00 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Survey of Indian Oils | ||
Day 5 – Thursday, February 5th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Tending Oils and Gulkand | ||
| 9:30 am | Lecture: Attars | ||
| 12:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 1:00 pm | Travel to Kanyakumari | ||
| 3:00 pm | Arrive Kanyakumari: Ferry to Vivekananda’s rock, Meditation in Cave, 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
Day 6 – Friday, February 6th
| 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 | ||
| 10:00 pm | Drive to Thulasi fields, presentation by farmer | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch | ||
| 2:00 pm | Flower fields: Jasmine, Tuberose, Marigold | ||
| 4:30 pm | Travel to Rasa Ayurveda | ||
| 6:30 pm | Arrive at Rasa Ayurveda | ||
| 7:00 pm | Dinner | ||
| 8:00 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Jasmine | ||
Day 7 – Saturday, February 7th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Tending Oils and Gulkand | ||
| 9:30 am | Lecture: Antimicrobial effects of essential oils | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 3:00 pm | Lecture: Community Immunity Workshop: Make Traditional formula fumigant incense Prepare freshly ground Mylangi for henna evening |
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| 5:30 pm | Aromatic cuisine (antimicrobial) : Five turmerics, chilis | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 7:30 pm | Mehendi applications | ||
| 8:15 pm | Aromatic Meditation – Frankincense / Kirtan | ||
Day 8 – Sunday, February 8th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Tending Oils and Gulkand | ||
| 10:00 pm | Travel to Ernakalam (230 kms) 4-5 hours | ||
| 3:00 pm | Check into hotel on Fort Cochin Island | ||
| 4:00 pm | Explore Fort Cochin, Dinner | ||
| 8:00 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Indian oils | ||
Spend Night Double Occupancy in Fort Cochin
Day 9 – Monday, February 9th
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:30 am | Visit Commercial Scale Essential Oils Factory employing steam distillation, solvent extraction and fractional distillation, possibly C02 distillation | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch | ||
| 2:00 pm | Travel to Munnar (150kms) 3-4 hours Enjoy lovely hill station |
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| 8:30 pm | Lecture: Sacred Scents | ||
Spend Night Double Occupancy in Munnar
Day 10 – Tuesday, February 10th
| 7:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Travel thru tea-planted hills to Marayoor (62 kms) 2 hours | ||
| 12:00 pm | Check into lodging and lunch | ||
| 1:00 pm | Enter Tribal Forest Area for Observation of and Participation in Traditional Lemongrass Distillation Lecture: Sandalwood – commerce, ecology, politics |
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| 6:00 pm | Return to Marayoor Village | ||
| 7:00 pm | Dinner | ||
| 8:00 pm | Lecture: Sandalwood – mythology, religious use, paste, oil Aromatic Meditation: Sandalwood |
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Spend Night Double Occupancy in Marayoor
Day 11 – Wednesday, February 11th
| 6:30 am | Rise, Take Tea and Light Breakfast | ||
| 7:30 am | Trek into the Sandalwood Forest, for a lucky look at wild animals like bison, sambar deer, spotted deer, wild boar, jungle cat, maybe wild elephants… | ||
| 11:00 am | Breakfast at Marayoor Junction | ||
| 11:30 pm | Travel to Munnar | ||
| 1:30 pm | Arrive Munnar – shopping | ||
| 3:00 pm | Travel to Kumily (a beautiful drive, with stops along the way) |
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| 7:00 pm | Arrive Kumily. Check into lodging, shopping | ||
Spend Night Double Occupancy in Kumily
Day 12 – Thursday, February 12th
| 8:00 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 am | Travel to Chottupara | ||
| 9:30 am | Guided Plantation Tour to observe vanilla, cardamom, pepper, clove and nutmeg, discussion of plant cultivation, pollination, harvesting, etc. | ||
| 12:30 pm | Lunch | ||
| 2:00 pm | Observe and participate in essential oil distillation; hydrosols | ||
| 4:30 pm | Travel to Rasa Ayurveda Healing Centre | ||
| 9:30 pm | Arrive at Rasa Ayurveda Healing Centre | ||
Day 13 – Friday, February 13th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | |||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |||
| 9:00 am | Intro to Bathi: tradition, quality control | |||
| 9:30 am | Track One: Therapies – Shirodara | |||
| 9:30 – 10:30 [2 persons] 10:45 – 11:45 pm [2 persons] 12:00 – 1:00 [2 persons] |
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| Track Two – Morning Workshops | ||||
| Steam inhalation | ||||
| Introduction and theory Traditional way done in India (fresh herbs) Steam therapy experience |
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| Bathi making | ||||
| Introduction to ingredients Hand making of sticks |
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| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | |||
| 3:00 pm | Lecture: Prana, Prana Vata, Fragrance and Consciousness; Shirodhara | |||
| 5:00 pm | Aromatic Cuisine: Karivepella (curry leaf) | |||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |||
| 8:00 pm | Aromatic Meditation: Indian oils | |||
Day 14 – Saturday, February 14th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | |||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | |||
| 9:00 am | Track One – Morning Workshops | |||
| Steam inhalation | ||||
| Introduction and theory Traditional way done in India (fresh herbs) Steam therapy experience |
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| Bathi making | ||||
| Introduction to ingredients Hand making of sticks |
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| Track Two: Therapies – Shirodara | ||||
| 9:30 – 10:30 [2 persons] 10:45 – 11:45 pm [2 persons] 12:00 – 1:00 [2 persons] |
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| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | |||
| 3:00 pm | Using Essential Oils According to Ayurvedic Principles | |||
| 5:30 pm | Aromatic Cuisine – Tulasi, Ginger & Black Pepper | |||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | |||
| 8:00 pm | Evening entertainment in town | |||
Day 15 – Sunday, February 15th
| 7:30 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:30 am | Lecture – Fragrance and consciousness: Aromatherapy for specific mental and emotional applications | ||
| 1:00 pm | Lunch & Rest | ||
| 3:00 pm | Lecture: Nasya | ||
| Introduction and theory Formulas and applications |
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| 4:15 pm | Group Nasya | ||
| 5:30 pm | Aromatic Cuisine: Saffron | ||
| 6:30 pm | Dinner | ||
| 8:00 pm | Aromatic meditation: Indian oils | ||
Day 16 – Monday, February 16th
(last class day)
| 7:30 am | Yoga | ||
| 8:30 am | Breakfast | ||
| 9:30 am | Free time: Relax, pack, or hire a car for shopping or a trip to the beach | ||
| 1:30 pm | Lunch – Special Kerala Sadhya | ||
| 3:30 pm | Goodbyes all around (good bye to staff, tip distribution) | ||
| 4:00 pm | Lecture: Global Benefits of Medicinal Plants | ||
| (Replanting the Global Garden) | |||
| 5:30 pm | Aromatic Cuisine: Coconut | ||
| 8:00 pm | Special Aromatic Closing Session | ||
Tuesday, February 17th
Departures
Trip Fee:
Single Occupancy (single room with bath) $3,450
Double Occupancy (shared room with bath) $3,150
Fee includes airport pickup and drop-off, accommodations, All participants stay in double occupancy accommodations when the group travels away from Rasa Ayurveda.)
Registrations are accepted with a completed registration application and a 50% deposit.
Special Note:
We welcome you to stay on at Rasa Ayurveda Traditional Healing Centre for personal Panchakarma or other personal therapeutic programme, please inquire about availability. Special discount applies to trip participants.
