Take advantage of your stay to discover Ayurveda

The Moulin de Salazar's wellness activities include Ayurveda consultations and Ayurvedic massages offered by our partner Salomé. An opportunity to discover this age-old wellness practice, which Salomé introduces in this interview:

Ayurveda, an age-old tradition of well-being

It's no coincidence that Salomé studied anthropology before turning to well-being and Ayurveda. This traditional practice originated in India 4000 years ago: conceived as a global health system, Ayurveda was officially recognized by the WHO as a traditional medicine in 1982.

Salomé, could you define Ayurveda in a few words?

It would take a lot of words to say exactly what Ayurveda is, but to sum up, it's a traditional medicine that considers the whole person, guiding him or her towardsbalance between body, mind and spirit. In Sanskrit, Ayur means "life" and Veda means knowledge: Ayurveda is therefore the science of life.

What are the fundamental principles of Ayurveda?

Ayurveda considers that the 5 elements of water, earth, fire, air and ether have given rise to 3 biological intelligences called Dosha :

• Pitta (composed of fire and a little water)
• Vata (composed of ether and wind)
• Kapha (composed of water and earth)

These 3 biological intelligences are present in varying proportions in all living things, including each individual. Every person therefore has his or her own Ayurvedic profile, generally characterized by a Pitta, Vata or Kapha dominant. This dominant often translates into particular physical or psychological characteristics. In simple terms, a Vata dominant is often found in people who are rather thin, nervous and have difficulty settling down, while a Pitta dominant may be characterized by heartburn problems or a tendency to anger. The role of Ayurveda is to (re-)balance these 3 doshas.

What can Ayurveda do to balance these 3 doshas?

Ayurveda is based on a holistic understanding of the individual and his or her lifestyle: the way he or she eats, the quality of his or her sleep, his or her level of physical activity, his or her ability to manage - or not to manage - his or her emotions, his or her mental functioning, and so on.
Once these elements have been established, we define thepersonalized approach that will enable us to maintain or re-establish balance: nutrition, biological rhythm, physical exercise, massage, breath control...
The methods are numerous and always complementary, as working on one of these aspects always has an impact on the whole person.

How does an Ayurveda consultation work in practice?

It all begins with an assessment, based on a fairly detailed questionnaire which allows us to take stock of the various systems in the body (digestion, blood circulation, breathing...), to define the person's unique Ayurvedic profile, and of course their dominant dosha.
This assessment is an important step, as it also allows the person to learn to know themselves better, and above all tolearn to consciously observe themselves. Each person then leaves with personalized advice on how to improve his or her lifestyle: which points to watch out for, which foods to choose or avoid, which practices will be beneficial (for example, specific breathing exercises). It all varies from person to person... In some cases, I encourage further observation, for example by giving instructions to analyze the state of the tongue, which can reveal an enormous amount of information.

You're also a massage practitioner, are you talking about Ayurvedic massages?

Yes, of course: I originally trained in wellness massages, and specialize in Ayurvedic massages. These are massages performed with heated oil: the oil in question is chosen according to the person's dominant dosha, and the gestures are also adapted. So, depending on the case, the massage may be more or less soothing, relaxing or energizing.

So ayurvedic consultation and ayurvedic massage are complementary?

These are two different ways of benefiting from Ayurveda. Consultations enable you to become a conscious actor in your own well-being, by initiating changes in your lifestyle. Massage, on the other hand, is different: you rely on the other to experience a deep sense of harmony and balance in the moment.
Of course, the ideal is to combine the two, but you don't have to do everything at once... after all, it can also be a good excuse to return to the mill on a regular basis!