With stress a mainstay in our busy lives, health and wellness vacations have surged in popularity for the benefits they offer in renewal of mind, body, and spirit. Sacred Earth Journeys takes this vacation concept a step further with a March, 2009 excursion that not only immerses you in the wellness practice of ayurveda, but offers the opportunity to learn from leading scholars in the discipline while exploring the spiritual region of Nepal.
Ayurveda originated in India over 5,000 years ago, and is the oldest-known form of preventative health care in the world. It works to restore balance between our environment, body, mind, and spirit through changes in lifestyle routine, diet, exercise, and the proper use of our senses.
In the last decade, the Western world has increasingly gravitated to Ayurveda as people search for healing solutions that limit the intake of drugs and chemicals. Ayurvedic colleges are opening throughout the United States and Europe. In a 2004 survey, the International Spa Association found that 12 percent of spas added Ayurvedic services in the past year, and that an additional 7 percent were about to introduce them. The Institute for Alternative Futures projects that by the year 2010 at least two-thirds of the American population will be engaged in such preventative health practices.
Guests who travel on Sacred Earth Journeys Ayurveda and Holi in the Himalayas will engage in Ayurveda methods and obtain a wealth of information about the discipline through fascinating lectures and visits to Ayurvedic clinics, healing centers, and herbal pharmacies. They will observe authentic Ayurvedic treatments and the preparation of time-honored Ayurvedic herbal remedies.
Todd Caldecott, who has been in practice as a clinical herbalist and Ayurvedic practitioner for over a decade, will lead the tour. Special Guest Teacher Vaidya Madhu Bajra Bajracharya will deliver insightful lectures, including a field study in the Kathmandu Valley. Bajarchayra was born into Ayurvedic traditions and is a highly regarded Ayurvedic physician with patients across the world.
Tour guests will also explore the sacred sites and temples of the Kathmandu Valley and experience the spring Hindu Holi Festival, with its vibrant colors, folk songs, dances, and general sense of abandoned vitality.
This 10-day Nepalese experience is scheduled for March 3 ? 13, 2009 and costs US $2,225. An optional 9-day extension to India is available for an additional US $1,995. Bookings include 4-star accommodations, daily breakfast and 2 dinners, airport transfers, admissions to all sites, and veteran guides. Gratuities and taxes not included. Please call (604) 874-7922 or e-mail info@sacredearthjourneys.ca for more information.
Sacred Earth Journeys was founded in 2003 by Helen Tomei, an experienced travel industry professional and veteran traveler, and is dedicated to providing a more meaningful and rewarding travel experience with visits to the most important sacred sites and culturally rich destinations of the world. The company is committed to small groups, carefully crafted itineraries, and trained professional leaders who are experts in their fields.