I have always wanted to visit Kerala in Southern India, so when an email landed in my inbox one cold and grey afternoon in February, advertising one space left on a yoga and ayurveda retreat at Cherai Beach, I jumped at the opportunity to go.
There are so many things to do in Kerala, and I can totally understand why it has been named God’s Own Country! It is calm and beautiful, with white sand beaches, lush forests and ancient temples.
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Ayurveda Cherai
The setting of Ayurveda Cherai is idyllic – nestled among palm trees overlooking the tranquil Kerala backwaters, with the long sandy beaches of the Arabian Sea just a few minutes’ walk away.
Our yoga teacher, Lara Stapleton, taught us Scaravelli Inspired yoga for two hours each morning, and another two hour session in the late afternoon. This style of yoga is based on the teachings of Italian yoga practitioner, Vanda Scaravelli. Vanda studied with the pioneer of modern yoga Krishnamacharya in the 1960s. The practice she developed is focussed on the breath, gravity and spine. This was my first experience of Scaravelli yoga, and I loved the fluid energy of the poses – it almost felt like a dancing form of yoga!
As soon as we arrived, we had a consultation with an ayurvedic doctor, followed by individually tailored daily treatments, including massage with hot oils, medicinal water and steam baths, along with herbal supplements.
The owner of Ayurveda Cherai, Shibu, was a fantastic host, organising all our individual treatments and outings to places of interest. Initially, I was concerned about visiting India, as I have a food allergy, which includes chickpeas and gram flour, which is extensively used in Indian cuisine. However, Shibu was so helpful with making sure that the kitchen provided me with simple food, which was still delicious. Plus, there was an endless supply of fresh fruit, watermelon, bananas and oranges.
As the days passed, I felt so much lighter and refreshed, and I was fascinated to find out more about the ayurvedic healing system, and whether it could help me overcome my food allergy. While Western medicine has been very good at diagnosing and treating it, I wondered if I could track down the root cause.
Ancient healing
Ayurveda originated in India more than 5,000 years ago, and it is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing system in the world. It stems from ancient Vedic culture, and in Sanskrit, Ayurveda means, “the science of life.”
Ayurveda teaches that there are three basic types of energy, known as doshas, that are present in everyone and everything. They are known in Sanskrit as Vata – the energy of movement, Pitta – the energy of metabolism, and Kapha – the energy of lubrication and structure. We all have the qualities of vata, pitta and kapha in our constitution, but one is usually primary. The cause of disease in Ayurveda is viewed as being an imbalance in these energies, and also the presence of toxins.
Many factors, both internal and external, act upon us to disturb this balance, including diet, seasons and weather, physical trauma, work and family relationships.The focus of Ayurvedic treatment is on restoring balance in the mind and body. This is achieved through a diagnosis of an individual’s specific body type (dosha), followed by a course of massage and cleansing treatments, natural remedies, including turmeric and ashwagandha, changes to diet and lifestyle, plus yoga and meditation.
Idyllic backwaters
One morning, we got up at 5.30am to go on a sunrise boat cruise along the tranquil backwaters. Kerala is famous for these waterways, a network of natural lagoons connected by manmade canals, which run for 560 miles parallel to the coast.
The backwaters were formed over millennia by waves and sea currents creating islands across the mouths of the rivers which flow down from the Western Ghats mountain range.
The fishermen still use the traditional technique of setting nets with a pulley system from wooden platforms. We climbed on to one to see the nets being pulled in, with a morning catch of small fish and an old flip flop.
On my next visit to Kerala, at the top of my list will be a cruise on a houseboat. These wooden boats with thatched rooves, called Kettuvallam, were traditionally used as grain barges to transport rice along the backwaters. Now many have been converted for tourists, with sleeping and dining areas, and a sit out deck.
Wetlands conservation
The backwaters form a unique ecosystem, with crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles living in and alongside the waterways.
Vembanad Lake, south of Kochi, is designated of international importance as a waterfowl habitat, under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The convention is an inter-governmental treaty set up for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It was named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where it was signed in 1971. One of the co-founders was Geoffrey Matthews of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. The UK has over 170 protected wetland sites, with the Somerset Levels being the largest.
Hindu festival
Our host Shibu at Ayurveda Cherai also organised an outing to a festival at Kodungallur Bagavathi Hindu temple, with elephants leading a procession with musicians. It was spectacular seeing these majestic animals close-up. However, the chains around their legs, which serve to stop them charging into the crowds, were also a timely reminder that the history of these domesticated elephants in India is a sad one.
Young elephant calves are often poached from the wild for use in circuses, weddings, and processions. In the process, mothers are usually killed attempting to protect their young. Many of these young elephants are forced to undergo a cruel process called “phajaan” or breaking of the spirit. The calf is kept in a confined space without food and water, and subjected to beatings until it starts following the orders of its keeper.
Animal rights groups have campaigned for many years against the use of elephants in religious festivals, due to the harsh training, often inadequate living conditions, and stress from loud music, fireworks and large crowds.
In February 2025, three people died and 35 were injured when two elephants were spooked by fireworks, and went on the rampage at a temple in Kozhikode, Kerala. The government is investigating whether there were violations of Kerala’s captive elephant management rules. There are now elephant sanctuaries across the state, where temple elephants are kept, when not used in festivals.
Elephant sanctuary
The population of wild elephants in Kerala is high compared to other states in India, due to the hill country and national parks. However, since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as endangered, and is on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s Red List, as the wild population has declined by at least 50% over the last three elephant generations.
According to the charity Wildlife SOS, the main issue is habitat loss due to industrialisation, with forests being cleared, pushing the elephants into less suitable environments. They are often forced to stray into human settlements in search of food and water, which creates conflict, and can lead to elephants being killed. Poaching is also a serious threat, with male elephants being killed for their tusks, which are sold in the international ivory trade.
The Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre located in Thiruvananthapuram was set up by the Keralan government for sick and injured elephants. It is currently being expanded across 176 hectares of forest, and will become the largest rehabilitation centre for elephants in the world.
European history
We also went on a trip to Fort Kochi – it was fascinating wandering through the streets of this historic port, where Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese explorer landed in 1498, opening the first direct sea route from Europe to India. The Rajah of Kochi granted the land to the Portuguese in a treaty in 1503, marking the beginning of the iniquitous history of European colonisation of the Indian sub-continent.
The Portuguese built their settlement behind the fort, including St Francis Church, where Vasco de Gama was buried. Fort Kochi remained in Portuguese possession for 160 years. In 1683 the Dutch captured the territory, and destroyed many Catholic churches and convents. They ruled Fort Kochi until 1795, when the British took control. Foreign control of Fort Kochi ended in 1947 with Indian Independence.
A mix of old houses built in colonial times still line the cobbled streets of Fort Kochi. We spent many hours exploring historic buildings, including the Mattancherry Palace, with its ancient murals, the Jewish Synagogue and the Santa Cruz Basilica. We also went to the Kerala Kathakali Centre, to see a traditional theatre show, and a Martial Arts performance. We ended the day with a meal at the Ginger House Museum Hotel, overlooking the harbour.
All too quickly my few weeks in Kerala came to an end. However, I am planning on returning, as there is so much more to see and do in this magical Indian state. I look forward to visiting an elephant sanctuary, and the forests and tea plantations at Munnar. I would also like to do the Sacred India Tour, which is organised by Ayurveda Cherai.
This was my first experience with YOAS Yoga Retreats, who organise retreats in the UK and Europe, as well as in India. They choose retreat centres in historic and beautiful settings, and receive rave reviews. I’m looking forward to going on another yoga holiday with them.
