Ayurveda for beginners: our simple tips before going on retreat
Ayurveda is at the heart of Mandala Project retreats, especially when we settle in Kerala. This ancestral art of living can seem complex at first. Yet a few notions are enough to feel its effects. This article offers an accessible introduction: understanding the doshas, adopting a gentle morning routine, adjusting your food, and preparing your mind before the retreat.
Understanding the doshas
Ayurveda describes three main energies: Vata (air), Pitta (fire), and Kapha (earth/water). Everyone has a unique combination of these doshas. Identifying your dominant tendency helps you choose practices that balance you. Vata types appreciate slow movement, warmth, and nourishing foods; Pitta needs freshness, pauses, and gentle nutrition; Kapha is energized by stimulating activities and spicy flavors.
Before the retreat, we provide a dosha questionnaire to get to know you better. This allows us to adapt the cuisine, treatments, and breathwork offered. It’s not a label but a compass. The goal is to observe how certain habits influence your energy.
Establishing a morning routine
Ayurveda recommends a morning routine, dinacharya, to prepare the day: wake up before 7 a.m., drink warm water, practice gentle breathing, massage the body with warm oil. We suggest starting with Abhyanga self‑massage. Warm a small amount of sesame or almond oil, apply it in circular motions on the body, then take a warm shower. This ritual nourishes the skin, calms the nervous system, and circulates lymph.
Add three minutes of alternate‑nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) to balance the hemispheres of the brain. You’ll arrive at the retreat already connected to your sensations, ready to go deeper.
Adjusting your diet
No need to revolutionize your plate: favor fresh foods, mild spices, and warm, digestible dishes. Avoid excess coffee, alcohol, and sugar the week before the retreat. Choose seasonal vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. We like to start the day with spiced porridge, homemade chutney, and green juice. The idea is to relieve the digestive system so it can receive new experiences without fatigue.
Preparing your mind
Taking a few moments to set an intention before leaving changes the quality of the stay. What do you want to explore? What emotions do you want to welcome? Write a letter to the version of yourself who will return from the retreat. This small gesture creates a bridge between your present and your future.
Breathe, drink water, rest. Ayurveda reminds us that transformation is easier when the body feels safe. By taking care of yourself before the retreat, you give your organism fertile ground to integrate Mandala Project teachings.