I’m in a consultation room at Park am See Nattika, an Ayurvedic retreat in a nature reserve of nearly 25,000 acres just 80 miles away from Berlin.
And I’m on a steep learning curve about this ancient holistic healing system, or ‘science of life’, believed to have begun over 5,000 years ago in India.
There are three doshas, Dr Shahina explains, gesturing to the chart laid before us: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
These, she says, are the body’s primary energy types, and when they fall out of balance, physical and emotional symptoms can follow.
The aim, the chief doctor adds simply, is to restore that balance.
It is a concept that feels, at first, slightly elusive to me. Under the practice, each person is thought to embody their own blend of doshas, drawing on the elements of air, fire and water.
Followers have long embraced its tailored diets and treatments in pursuit of greater balance. Yet the appeal stretches far beyond India these days – and is now well and truly part of the mainstream.
Hollywood celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts have begun championing Ayurvedic practices, while Made in Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh recently shared her own retreat experience in India, seeking solace after the breakdown of her seven-year marriage to Hugo Taylor.
With that in mind – and, admittedly, a flicker of hope for my own moment of celebrity-style serenity – I find myself at Park am See Nattika.
Made in Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh tried out an Ayurvedic retreat for herself
Yoga practice in the retreat’s expansive yoga hall is a core component
The 35-bedroom sanctuary is spread across 160 acres of woodland, offering personalised treatment programmes shaped by both local experts and staff from its sister wellness centre in Kerala, India.
Yet, unlike its Indian counterpart, the German outpost carries a more complex past.
Owner Gabriele Wahl-Multerer, who sold her family business to buy the property, is intent on turning the page on the history of both the site and adjacent village Alt Rehse – which was established as a Nazi model settlement in 1934.
The retreat later became home to the Institute of Genetics, where medical professionals underwent ideological training until 1941.
Today, former institutional buildings house a wellness centre, bedrooms and restaurant, where specially trained Indian chefs work in tandem with doctors to create meals designed to recalibrate each guest.
Waking on my first morning in Park am See Nattika, I am struck first by silence – a dense stillness that feels worlds away from London’s relentless hum.
There are no sirens, no hurried steps nor shoving from commuters attempting to squeeze into a non-existent space on public transport. Instead, there’s the sound of birdsong, with sunlight playing on the branches of trees in the woodland outside, casting flickering shadows – and days that are, at first, uncomfortably slow.
I make my way to the expansive yoga hall as the rising sun spills golden light through the windows behind yogi Raptha onto a circle of vibrantly coloured orange mats.
Park am See Nattika, an Ayurvedic retreat, is tucked 80 miles away from Berlin in a nature reserve of nearly 25,000 acres
Guests are put on their own personalised diet in efforts to ‘balance their doshas’
The practice begins at a gentle pace before flowing into a sequence that coaxes both body – perhaps less willingly and gracefully – and mind into submission.
By the time we slip into meditation, there is a palpable sense of release as I strive to let everyday thoughts – and tension from the never-ending ping of texts and emails – fall into the background by focusing on my breathing pattern.
I soon fall into the rhythm of Park am See Nattika. There is little else to do than just ‘be’ as days revolve around yoga, meditation, meals and treatments – all meticulously planned by the doctors.
In attempts to appease the Vata in me, I am put on a diet that leans towards grounded, heavy food: warming stews, softly spiced lentils, slow-cooked vegetables and rice dishes designed to ‘anchor’ rather than energise, I am told.
All dishes are served in their own little brass pots, accompanied by warm water or herbal tea made specifically for each dosha. There is, notably, no coffee, caffeinated tea or fizzy drinks.
The retreat’s unhurried nature is mirrored by other guests, as solo travellers, couples and even a father and son flop into their seats.
Some follow their own treatments, while others choose to join groups for peace and quiet by hiking trails together or filling days with water activities on nearby Lake Tollensesee.
Water infused with gooseberry is poured on to Isabella’s head – otherwise known as the Kashayadhara treatment
Guests can hike nearby trails or enjoy water activities on Lake Tollenesse
Meals are accompanied by warm water or herbal tea made specifically for each dosha
Later, drifting towards the wellness centre, I meet Sandra, my practitioner for the duration of my stay.
Aged 24, she travelled to the retreat from Kerala, and tells me: ‘I just love nursing people.’
This quickly becomes apparent during a full body massage with a yellow coconut oil-based concoction named Nalapamaradi Kera Thailam, infused with ficus tree bark and turmeric.
Next up, Sandra pours water infused with gooseberry on my head – known as the Kashayadhara treatment.
Used to release stress by calming the mind, a dhara pot is then swung in a pendulum rhythm over my brow.
Afterwards, somewhat dazed, I amble out of the wellness centre and around the trees towards the lake, where guests can access the lake’s jetty or use one of the private saunas dotted by the waterfront.
Ayurvedic treatments have me, by now, in a lulled state of relaxation – feeling floaty.
I have found it easy to submit to the programme of treatments – even when I have milk methodically poured across me (known as Ksheera Dhara).
Paltrow, Aniston and Roberts et al were clearly on to something – and so, now, am I.
TRAVEL FACTS
Isabella Machin was hosted by Park am See Nattika Ayurveda.
Prices start from €1,200 (£1,045) for a Comfort Single Room for three days and €2,800 (£2,438) for seven (parkamseenattika.com).
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