It's no secret that Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is a spiritual royal. But send her to India, and she'll go wild. Together with her Soulspring Academy partner Elisabeth Nordeng, Märtha Louise traveled to India for a retreat/study trip at the Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village. And it looks like things weren't all that spartan:

The autumn mirror is the cruelest. The holiday feeling has long since faded, and normal life—with its grip of stress, fatigue, and intoxicating habits—is taking its toll. It's the perfect time for a rejuvenating escape. I've chosen the natural path of Ayurveda, the planet's oldest form of medicine, which, as far back as 5,000 years ago, recognized holistic detox as the solution to disease and aging. To experience its regenerating effects, I chose Somatheeram, the first Ayurvedic clinic transformed thirty years ago into a wellness resort, an award-winning destination for stressed Westerners and celebrities from around the world (from Madonna to the Queen of Norway, from Bollywood actors to Italian singers, most recently Alessandra Amoroso).

The first thing you should do when you wake up, around five, is go for a walk. Stroll for 40-45 minutes, then come back and brush your teeth (with an Ayurvedic toothpaste: mine contains blackberry bark, plus a dozen other ingredients with impossible names), then take a coconut bath. After the bath, you can meditate, if you can; otherwise, just sit there thinking about nothing for half an hour. Personally, I'm thinking that, when you get home, the problem with the routine that keeps you so happy will be coconut milk: the bottle at the health food store is a meager glass, so how can you find enough to soak in like the Empress Poppaea every morning?

I am lying on a wooden table with warm oil steadily dripping onto my forehead. My body is covered only in a white sheet and two women are gently directing the stream of oil onto my ‘mind’s eye’ just above my eyebrow. Slowly, the deep-rooted tension I’ve become accustomed to for years starts to dissipate and I feel my forehead relax in a way I didn’t know was possible.

Somatheeram, located by the sea in South India, welcomes you to the world of Ayurveda. Here, you can benefit from traditional Ayurvedic therapies as well as yoga in a pleasantly peaceful environment. Somatheeram, the world's first Ayurvedic resort, is one of the best tourist spots in Kerala. Located on Chowara Beach on a hill 9km south of the famous Kovalam Beach, Trivandrum, Kerala with over 15 acres of greenery all around.

Don’t let the palatial setting fool you, this CGH Earth property in Palakkad has been certified by NABH and takes Ayurveda very seriously. The retreat is set within the palace grounds of the seat of the Vengunad kingdom. It has 18 suites and a clinic with 12 treatment rooms where multiple therapies are offered after the initial diagnosis. You can choose from various packages – Cleansing and Rejuvenation, Anti Stress, Weight Reduction and Healthy Aging. All treatments are a combination of healthy food, medicines and yoga and last from 14 to 28 days. Website; single occupancy from Rs4,89,860 for a 14 day package.

A warm escape. And, under the guise of a detox, a detox for ourselves too. Winter, for those who can, is the best time to treat yourself to ten days in Southern India, in Kerala. At the end of the monsoon season, the weather is perfect for a total remise en forme. And the body can nourish itself with the beauty of nature, made up of beaches and lush vegetation; let yourself be intoxicated by the scent of spices, which color the foods, and be tamed under the safe hands of therapists.

This ancient science has been recognized by the WHO (World Health Organization) since 1982. According to Ayurveda, every living and non-living being is composed of five basic elements, called Pancha Maha Bhoothas: ether, air, fire, water, and earth, all present in the human body. They combine to form three dynamic forces called DOSHA: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, which govern all biological, psychological, and pathophysiological functions of the body, mind, and consciousness.

The warm, almost hot drip of essential oils (from sesame to almond to coconut) continuously falls onto the patient's forehead, lying on a massage table, as the physiotherapist tilts the bronze bowl marked with a hole. In this case, the masseuse is a woman named Sara Lasi, who works at the Somatheeram resort in Kerala, India, the world's first (and best) Ayurvedic resort, a traditional medicine with a 5,000-year history that aims to unify the body and mind to eradicate a thousand and one ailments.

There’s a Chinese lady sitting at lunch slavered in a red face pack. Fabric is wound around her crown, like bandages, and she’s wearing a green overall and sipping fresh pineapple juice. Nearby a Russian man wanders around the garden sporting banana, egg white and mango painted on his face. He has also just enjoyed a Thalapothichil treatment, in which the head is covered with herbal paste and topped off with a lotus leaf — a procedure that’s said to be good for depression and stress.

Article about Somatheeram Ayurveda Village in latest issue of Petit Fute Mag

Article about Somatheeram Ayurveda Village in latest issue of Petit Fute Mag

Somatheeram Ayurveda Group Wins for the 4th consecutive Time the National Tourism Award including ‘HALL OF FAME’ Award. Mrs. Sarah Baby Mathew, Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group is rec eiving the National Tourism Award including ‘HALL OF FAME’ Award for the fourth time ‘Best Ayurveda Wellness Centre’ from honourable Union Minister of State for Tourism & Information Technology, Shri. K.J. Alphons Kannanthanam

Somatheeram Research Institute and Ayurveda Hospital of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has bagged again the prestigious National Tourism Award 2015-16 instituted by Government of India for the “Best Ayurvedic Wellness Centre”. Mr. Baby Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director and Mrs. Sarah Baby Mathew, Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has received this prestigious Award from Honorable Tourism Minister of India Sri. Alphons Kannanthanam. The awards ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 27th September 2017. Somatheeram has fetched the coveted award three times by considering its performance of excellence towards the Quality & Standard Assurance, Hospital Hygiene and Safe Management policies, Corporate Social Responsibility, Eco-Friendly Concept, Innovative ideas in Ayurveda, Environmental Preservation and Customer satisfaction among the Ayurveda Hospitals and Wellness Centers in tourism sector of India. “Somatheeram” is the winner of twenty five National and International Awards for excellence in Ayurveda which includes Kerala Government Tourism Award for “Best Approved and Classified Ayurveda Centre” consecutively.

Somatheeram Ayurveda Group emerged again as the winner for Best Ayurveda & Wellness Centre Award 2015. The award ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhawan in New D elhi on 30th July 2016. Lok Sabha Speaker Ms. Sumitra Mahajan and Minister of State for Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma presented the award to Mr. Baby Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director and Mrs. Sarah Baby Mathew, Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group. Best Ayurveda & Wellness Centre Award by the Tourism Ministry of India is a covetous feat in the Ayurvedic arena. The new feather in the cap is in addition to the numerous international and national accolades that the group has been presented with since its inception. Somatheeram group is widely recognized for its excellence and quality in treatment, care and environmental responsibility.

Manaltheeram Ayurveda Hospital and Research Center of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has bagged the prestigious National Tourism Award 2017-2018 instituted by Government of India for the “Best Ayurvedic Wellness Center”.

Mr. Baby Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director and Mrs. Sarah Baby Mathew, Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group gas received this prestigious Award from Honorable Tourism Minister of India Sri.Prahlad Sing Patel. The award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 27th September 2019.

Manaltheeram Ayurveda Hospital has fetched this coveted award by considering its performance of excellence towards the Quality & Standard Assurance, Hospital Hygiene and Safe Management policies, Corporate Social Responsibility, eco-Friendly Concept, Innovative ideas in Ayurveda,Envirnmental Preservation and Customer satisfaction among the Ayurveda Hospitals and Wellness Centers in Tourism Sectors of India.

Soma Manaltheeram Ayurveda Hospital and Research Center of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has bagged again (02nd time) the prestigious National Tourism Award instituted by the Government of India for the “Best Ayurvedic Wellness Center”. Honorable Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the National Tourism Awards on World Tourism Day, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 27th September 2022.

Mr. Baby Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director, and Mrs. Sarah Baby Mathew, Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group received this prestigious Award from Honorable Union Minister of Tourism Shri G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Tourism Shri Ajay Bhatt.

Soma Manaltheeram has fetched this coveted award by considering its performance of excellence towards the Quality & Standard Assurance, Hospital Hygiene and Safe Management policies, Corporate Social Responsibility, Eco-Friendly Concept, Innovative ideas in Ayurveda, Environmental Preservation, and Customer satisfaction among the Ayurveda Hospitals and Wellness Centers in Tourism Sectors of South India for the year 2018-19.

Soma Manaltheeram is accredited by NABH-National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers - Quality Control, Government of India, Ayur Diamond by Government of Kerala & European Audit Institute Wellness and SPA .

Somatheeram Research Institute and Ayurveda Hospital the sister concern of Soma Manaltheeram wins the same award 04 times consecutively including the HALL of FAME honor instituted by the Government of India for the BEST AYURVEDIC WELLNESS CENTRE.