A health retreat in the Himalayas

Ravinder Sood

Kayakalp, a naturopathy centre being run by the Vivekananda Medical Research Trust in Palampur, is proving a boon for people of the northern region in the country. 

It has emerged as a major medical tourism centre of the state, where thousands of people, including foreigners, come for naturopathy and yoga treatment every year. Citizens from 45 countries have visited Kayakalp for different treatments so far. 

In Sanskrit, kaya means the body in its physical and sublime state and kalp means transformation. Kayakalp aims at turning the clock around by arresting the ageing process. It aims to arrest the degeneration of the body by detoxifying, immunising, rejuvenating and regeneration of the body cells and tissues through a holistic transformation of the body, mind and soul. 

Pawan Mishra from Delhi was admitted last week and after a few therapies only, his diabetes and BP came under control. He said he would stay here for another fortnight. 

Prem Singh, a patient from Kangra, said he came on wheels because of stiffness in joints, but after 10 days of treatment, he was able to walk now. He hopes to recover fully in a couple of months. He is not taking any medicines except some therapies being conducted at Kayakalap, he said. There are other patients, who have been suffering from acute backache, which is very common not only among the aged, but youth as well, said Dr Shalani. 

Leena Kalra, a relationship manager in a multinational company, said this was her third visit to Kayakalp as her job is quite demanding, which causes stress and fatigue. Here since March 10, she said she was feeling much better after the treatment. Hardik from Patiala came here for weight loss as he was suffering from obesity. In the past four days, he said he has reduced 4 kg and was hopeful of reducing 10 kg in a few days. 

“We provide individual attention to each and every client beyond any apprehensions. Our prime aim is to bring the best out of drugless therapies. We have one of the best physiotherapy units with most advanced equipment to restore body movements. We understand that physical treatments of the body have minimum result unless mind is restless. Keeping this in view, we provide a dedicated meditation hall with a facility of individual meditation unit,” says Shanta Kumar, chairman, VMRT.

“You can rest your mind not only in guided sessions, but also your spiritual quest may end sitting under the mighty pine trees which we offer you as a part of open meditation in the lap of mother nature. Panchkarma, nature cure, yoga, meditation and physiotherapy is just the right blend it offers for bringing back the balance of the mind, body and soul,” he said. 

He said the institution is ISO 9000 certified and is among the top naturopathy institutes of India. It offers 25 per cent discount to senior citizens, while there are no charges for Antodaya families. BPL families also get 25 per cent discount.

Dr Ashutosh, director of the institute, said treatment facilities of Kayakalp would be incomplete without an appropriate residential facility. We offer our services to out-patients as well, but for a true health seeker, we provide residential facility from well-maintained dormitories to high-end individual cottages, suiting best to one’s budgetary needs. 

“Your soul will find solace at Kayakalp, which is nestled in the lap of the Himalayas. Kayakalp is carefully knitted around Basera (dormitory), Nilay (standard double bedrooms), Niket (deluxe double bedrooms) and Ketan (A/C and non-A/C cottages) as per everybody’s need. Dedicated dining hall – Annapoorna offers natural and hygienic food as per the state of your body and requirements,” he said. 

Healthcare unit – dubbed the Himalayan Research Institute for Yoga and Naturopathy – is a popular naturopathy treatment and has several offerings including yoga, pranayam, meditation, naturopathy, panchkarma, acupressure, magneto therapy, chromo therapy and diet therapy. It also has a gymnasium. Kayakalp offers state-of-the-art modern and luxurious facilities in the lap of natural beauty, where the rejuvenation treatment is traditional and natural. It provides holistic and drugless therapies under one roof.

It features a well-designed meditation centre for learning the art and practicing it. Kayakalp helps banish chronic ailments related to the digestive system, joint pains, arthritis, rheumatism, paralysis, allergy, skin diseases, asthma, migraine and depression by utilising the holistic treatment that is available there. Eight kinds of special herbal ayurvedic massages are available at the facility. These help in proper circulation of blood throughout the body and toxins are filtered out.

About naturopathy

Naturopathy is a traditional healing science that helps the body in restoring its order using natural elements. Depending upon the disorder and level of toxins present in the body, naturopathy comprises various therapeutic treatments that suit varying needs of patients. 

Naturopathy is often a better solution than the rest not only because it uses complete natural, drug-free elements, but also because its technique focuses on the root cause behind the disorder, than simply removing symptoms of the disease.

Due to these properties, naturopathy is equally suitable for adults as well as children. Naturopathy techniques and treatments vary in sync with the school and skills of the naturopath one has chosen.