Hi, it’s me Stacy! I recently took my first trip to India with my husband and it turned out to be quite the wellness destination! We stayed at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai and I was delighted to discover their wellness center, the J Wellness Circle. They have both a gorgeous spa and a wellness center with an array of treatments all geared towards holistic wellbeing, and many inspired by Ayurveda, a system of natural medicine that has been practiced in India for thousands of years.
Read on to see what I thought of my first experience with ayurveda, what I thought of my physician consultation, my personalized protocol, and the treatment I had!
*Disclaimer – my wellness experience was at my own expense and I’m sharing my personal opinions! This is in no way to be interpreted as medical advice. It’s also not a partnership (yet!).
The OG Lifestyle Medicine
Full disclosure, I didn’t really know very much about Ayurveda, but when I saw the wellness offerings at the J Wellness Circle, I was instantly intrigued. Many of them seemed familiar, such as different types of massages and scrubs with various oils to promote relaxation. Reading about their holistic approach made me feel at home given my experience with holistic nursing and coaching. Beyond the spa and wellness treatments, which of course sounded fantastic, there is a heavy emphasis on lifestyle and that being the foundation of your health and wellness.
I particularly like how there is no standard prescription or treatment, but rather you begin with a personalized consultation with the physician. And after a thorough assessment of your medical history and lifestyle, then you receive recommendations. Although, as mentioned, they offer a variety of spa-like treatments, the real game changer is what you do daily. So diet, digestion, movement, sleep, and stress management are carefully assessed and the focus of the protocol is optimizing each of these.
As we all know, and as we love to remind you, the inner work is what creates the outer results, and this is true in every area of your life. Being regulated and balanced in your mind and body, your emotions, and keeping your stress levels in check is so important to your overall health and wellbeing. And of course, your sleep plays such an important role too! We’ll talk more about this, but it’s why we created this system so you can assess and optimize sleep in a holistic way for yourself.
A Refreshing Contrast to the Conventional
If you’re from the United States, you know that healthcare is expensive and for the most part, your doctor is not going to talk much with you about your lifestyle, beyond the casual suggestion that it be healthy. Gee thanks!
So I was excited to see that this was the exact opposite of that. A 30 minute consultation with the ayurvedic physician at The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai costs 1800 Indian Rupees, which in today’s exchange rate is 21.55 US dollars. Not only that, if you have a treatment, the cost of the consultation is *included* in your treatment. Pinch me! More on my treatment later, but in total, my treatment and included consultation cost just over 100 US dollars.
Scheduling was easy and the wellness center is a truly relaxing and beautiful place. Talk about an experience!
The Appointment
The doctor was kind and professional, and even offered me a delicious herbal tea. Even though this was a new experience, as we talked about lifestyle and holistic wellbeing, I had the distinct sensation of being in a familiar place. Like when you sit in a comfy chair, fully supported and relaxed, like a deep exhale.
He asked about my health history, including medications. I have a long history of skin issues, sensitivities, and allergies, and I’ve had a complicated and enduring relationship with meds like antibiotics and topical steroids. Although I’ve seen a dermatologist for much of my life, including currently, I was eager to get a different perspective. I already know that stress plays a role, but I was curious to see what he might have to say.
He was knowledgeable, a good listener, and he really took his time in getting to know me and asking a lot of questions, especially in regards to my lifestyle. We talked about what I usually eat in a day, how I sleep, bathroom habits, work, environmental stuff – all. the. things. Finally!
He explained that it’s really important for me to focus on optimizing my digestion, as well as improving my sleep. I have to admit that part of me was hoping for some really off the wall recommendations. But what I got instead was a practical, reasonable, and well-rounded protocol.
Even though I have a lot of experience in the holistic space, I was eager to hear a new perspective and he shared recommendations that I hadn’t ever considered!
My Personal Lifestyle Protocol
I’ll keep this brief, and keep in mind that this is what was recommended for me and is in no way medical advice for you! However, what I really appreciate is how accessible it is. The doctor had sound explanations for everything. To be honest I don’t remember them all, so I’m not going to explain in much detail haha. But if this inspires you, feel free to do further research!
To improve sleep:
- Practice good sleep hygiene. Although I already do a pretty good job in this area, like for most of us, there is room for improvement.
- Massage the soles of the feet with room temp or lukewarm sesame oil in a circular motion for about 10 minutes before bed. Wipe off excess with a warm towel.
To improve digestion:
- Eat meals at regular times each day.
- Eat mostly fresh and in-season fruits and vegetables, and avoid preservatives.
- Eat heaviest at breakfast, moderately at lunch, and lighter at dinner. For example, consider eating a vegetarian meal at dinner.
- If you’re eating dessert, try to ensure the rest of your meal is lighter.
- Drink plain warm water 20-30 min after meals. It’s okay to take sips of room temperature water during meals, especially if you’re eating spicy food. But overall try to drink the bulk of your water intake afterwards.
- Continue with regular exercise – I currently do strength training with Evlo Fitness three times per week, as well as restorative movement and stretching with Alo Moves and the Feel Better app by Deliciously Ella
- Massage the abdomen with 2-3 tsp warm sesame oil in a circular motion abdomen on an empty stomach and lying down (and probably before a bath or shower!).
Breathing:
- Practice alternate nostril breathing once daily – morning or evening – start with a few minutes and work your way up to 10 minutes per day
- I also do regular breathwork class with Alo Moves on the Feel Better app
For dry skin:
- Combine *milk cream plus a pinch of turmeric, mix well, and use it like a face wash, or on the body on areas of dryness.
- *In order to get milk cream, gently boil raw milk and scrape the cream off the top
- This one is going to be a bit more of a challenge, but I’m open to trying it!
My Ayurvedic Inspired Treatment
I got a treatment called Shirodhara which I would describe like a medium pressure massage with warm oil. It began with a foot soak in a basin of warm water and flower petals. Next, the therapist poured warm oil on my head and did a massage. Then she continued with a series of pouring warm oil on my body, and it was essentially a full body massage. The treatment ended with a light saffron oil massage to my face. It was extremely relaxing.
The whole atmosphere was relaxing and included soft music, and I could even hear the rain falling outside during my treatment! After the treatment was over, I had a steam and then took a shower to remove the oil.
How I Felt Overall
I loved the experience, start to finish! It was beyond refreshing to have a doctor focus on my lifestyle and have lifestyle recommendations be the “prescription.” The treatment was wonderfully relaxing and felt like a truly luxurious experience. I also truly loved the spaces at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel. In my book, it’s a 10/10!
What’s Next
It’s been a short time since my appointment and I’ve happily implemented everything except the raw milk while I figure out where to find it! Getting a fresh perspective and learning new ways to optimize my digestion and sleep has been highly welcome. Although I already felt like I had a good handle on these, there is also room for improvement!
And while I will always enjoy a spa experience, we truly believe that it’s the inner work and focusing on regulation of your mind, body, and emotions in your daily life that’s going to help you become your best self. So my plan is to continue with my protocol and of course, keep at it with my own personal inner work, getting coached myself, and regulating my nervous system!
I’d love to hear from you! What did you think of this experience? Would you try it? Are you curious to see more Wellness Across the World?
Sara and Stacy are holistic nurses and transformative mindset coaches working with clients around the world! They believe that the inner work creates your outer results and that you can truly be Well and Whole every day.
Thank you for sharing your experience in depth! I need to try saffron oil and focus on my sleep hygiene, as usual thanks for the inspiration! The photos are absolutely gorgeous too.
You’re so so welcome Ariana!! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Let me know how it goes! -Stacy