LuxuryWellness

October 12018

www.luxurywellness.in

Beata Aleksandrowicz At the Huvafen Fushi Maldives the worlds first underwater spa.

India’s eminent Cardiac Surgeon Mohammed Rehan Sayeed shares his passion for Rowing

Mystic View

Global Wellness Summit special www.globalwellnesssummit.com

An introduction on the study of Panchapakshi Shastra by Living Guru Siddhar Shri Manikanda

India’s Top 10

Wellness Zones

Flow Sel like a Managing Editor Shakta Siddhar Shri Manikanda Swamigal

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he journey of every river is to join the sea. Any river that is born does not belong to that place, it flows through natures landscape knowing that its final destination is the sea. The river In its journey, attributes its existence to sustain the needs of every living being, as it flows it contributes in myriad ways in producing energy,serving industrial

needs and million others.. Human life is similar to this if we realize the fleeting nature of humankind .A conscious living human being,only contributes relentlessly for the cause of other fellow beings. We need to make our existence on this planet worthwhile and that my dear readers is the only way of experiencing our purpose.  A large population exists

lflessly a river wasting their potential and just living life without purpose. Just being born, living and dying is a way of the millenials,if inspired and the spirit of purpose is imbibed we can create a more loving, caring generation.

We must appreciate good deeds done among each other, we must positively

highlight and also lead by example .

All people who have lived for the good of mankind will earn the respect and fulfillment So flow naturally like a river that strides selflessly understanding that confluence with the sea is its natural destination.

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LuxuryWellness Team Managing Editor Shakta Siddhar Varahi Manikanda Swamiji Publisher and Editor Hareeni Vipin Contributing Editors Vipin Balakrishnan Harika.B Fashion Editor Roshini Green Living Editor Levine Lawrence Photo Editors Vidhya Thiagarajan Rajneesh Panwar Design Team Cinoey Thomas Arham Jain Subramanyan Koduvayur Publishers Note LuxuryWellnessTM is a trademarked property of Harvee Communications Information contained in our published works have been obtained by Harvee Communications from sources believed to be reliable. All rights reserved. No part of LuxuryWellness or any published work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise and if done is legally punishable.

Contents Note from Managing Editor

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Editorial - Hareeni Vipin

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Thought Leader - Beata

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Top 10 Wellness Zones

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Mystic View - Swamiji

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Catalyst - Gaurav Sinha

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Herb Pick - Shatavari

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Icon View - Dr. Sai Kaustav

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Inspiration - Mickey Mehta

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Wellness Trend - Sujit Sumitran

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Lensview Hornbill by Vidhya Thiagarajan

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Power Wellness - Dr Mohd. Rehan Sayeed

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Snapshot - Ladaakh

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Editorial

Wellness is the new Luxury Hareeni Vipin

Henry David Thoreau once said, “There are moments when anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.”

Today, in the millennial era where people are always running after one thing or the other, peace has become a hard thing to find and keep. We began to seek mountains, streams, brooks, rivers, shores, woods and other creations of nature – all this, just to soothe our stressed souls, calm our ruffled minds and rejuvenate burdened bodies. We develop this need to travel into the plains, plateaus, valleys and islands of wellness to recast ourselves back into the material world. But what most of us fail to realize is that this journey is best when it’s conscious.

This, was something I realized after a long stint as a PR professional, which lasted for decades. I happened to stumble upon the power of touch, massage and healing, and thus began my wellness sojourns , and also my practice of yoga. I also wanted to create dialogue for Wellness in Corporate houses, as employee mental and physical health is being underrated. This laid the foundation for LuxuryWellness, a platform that covers Wellness trends,

thought leaders in Fashion and Luxury, Travel and Green-living. I have been fortunate to have grace of my guru Siddhar Saktha Shri Varahi Manikanda Swamigal, who guides me further on this path.

LuxuryWellness will chronicle the wisdom of my Guru who is a Siddhar, he is a saint, doctor, alchemist and mystic all in one. In this issue we will acquaint you with the Panchapaskhi Shastra which is a unique art of time management and the use of Panchapakshi Shastra for holistic wellbeing which he propagates.

I acknowledge the support of Susie Ellis, Michelle Gamble and Kate Sorsnon from the Global Wellness Summit for making our debut momentous.

The Global Wellness Summit this year as it shapes the business of Wellness, I wish the team continued success in being the key influencer of the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy.

I believe Wellness itself is a Luxury – a luxury that many of us constantly crave for. Don’t you think?

WAKE UP TO THE NEWEST LUXURY, WELLNESS.

Thought Leader

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Interview with

Beata

Aleksandrowicz

Oct 2018

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Thought Leader

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uxuryWellness interviewed the world’s most iconic massage therapist, Beata Aleksandrowicz, to understand her journey from being a well-celebrated therapist to an influencer. Beata serves as a member on the Mental Wellness Initiative for The Global Wellness Institute, and is a judge for the World Spa & Wellness Awards.

She speaks at international spa conferences about massage, the power of touch and human connections. Beata regularly contributes articles to international spa magazines, and is the author of books on massage, which are translated into several languages and published worldwide by Duncan Baird. She is a former columnist for The Sunday Telegraph, Stella Magazine and main co-author of the Massage Guide created by The Guardian Magazine. She is currently working on her third book Beata recently trained the Spa team of Huvafen Fushi Spa in Maldives, which is the world’s first underwater spa . Beata shares that underwater dreams are beautiful as they balance body and soul.

Share with us the founding journey of Pure Massage I began working in the spa industry around 20 years ago. It was completely by chance. I went to an opening evening at a massage school that was recommended to me by a friend. My first reaction was: “What?! Me?! Massaging?

You must joking!” But I went there, it became a turning point in my life that not only gave me the most beloved profession but served as

a self-healing process too. I took my first massage course and was blown away not only with its power of touch, its healing properties, but also a tool of communication. This made me explore more through my travels, and work with indigenous tribes like the Kalahari Bushman in Namibia and Botswana. I was searching for the best techniques and healing modalities. In 2002, together with my partner, we opened our business in London.

Pure Massage was the first place solely dedicated to massage, and was recognised by the industry as one of the best. This led to the launch of Pure Massage Spa Training Method®, which today provides spas worldwide with

training on the concept of massage that offers effectiveness and consistency.

What has been your constant inspiration along this journey?

What could be more enticing for anyone to join an industry where you can really engage with customers, learn and promote selfcare, healthy ageing, become an advocate for sustainability, learn about transformative practices of mind and spirit, be at the forefront of the latest discoveries about heath, have the possibility to resort yourself, be a part of the community that does “well” for

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the planet, and makes the world a better place. The Spapreneurs infuse a sense of living, to the art of massage, to the art of being. They create spaces that are creative; my interactions with them are ever inspiring .The fact that I am able to make an impact on a person’s

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mental and physical wellbeing too, has been my constant inspiration.

I am continuously inspired and amazed at how touch can be used as a powerful tool to help us relate to each other as human beings – the fact that we communicate through touch and finally, how

we heal both emotionally and physically. As Bertrand Russell concluded, “it is a sense of touch that gives us a sense of reality.”

Your view on the global spa talent – the issues you face as a trainer

Thought Leader

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India is a revered as a mystical wellness giant among the healing traditions.

I can never stress enough on how important it is for therapists to continue developing their skills, especially those offering body work, which is in such a high demand at the moment. It’s vitally important to invest in them because only advanced training will keep them growing and help the, do their job passionately.

Massage is a very physical job that can be demanding and draining on the body, mind and spirit.

In my experience, not too many therapists are equipped with tools and skills to handle the demands of many massages per day. If they have not been educated on how to employ injury-free techniques, how to take care of their own emotional and physical wellbeing, they will experience a burnout very soon. These young people are our industry’s future and I fear

we are losing far too many because we are not educating or supporting them correctly.

Continuous training allows spa practitioners to stay abreast in the industry and the environment they operate in. Training interventions enable them to stay alert, curious and be passionate about the job.

This validates that they are doing something that makes them happy, and this happiness gets transferred to the clients. Spa entrepreneurs usually face the challenge of retaining therapists; I think the first step is to regard and respect the therapists as the professionals that they are. I always tell entrepreneurs that therapists are at the core of our business and

possibly our greatest asset, which, in many cases at the moment, are under-trained, under-paid, undervalued and often have no career perspectives. I feel we have come to this extraordinary paradox that what should have been a dream career for therapists, bodyworkers, or anyone involved in a spa has, in fact, turned out to be a work often as less gratifying, with little to no perks in many cases.

By acknowledging the necessity of these therapists and their role ,we help them to reignite their passion and future-proofing our businesses.

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Do share some of the best global training practices?

The best spas around the globe are fully aware that the wellness of their clients starts from the wellness of their staff who need to be taken care of, supported and acknowledged .Well performing and world class spas support not only the therapists, but also spa managers and the spa teams.

The best global practices are grooming these therapists and taking care of the wellness quotient of these therapists.

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Have you ever visited India?

India is a revered as a mystical wellness giant among the healing traditions. It’s a country I have always wanted to visit but haven’t manage yet. I had a great opportunity to work with practitioners of Ayurveda, some of them are my own students. But to explore the healing wisdom of the culture, which is one of the most powerful in the world and to experience Ayurveda in its true home, would definitely open new horizons for me.

What is your view of the Indian spa industry?

The wellness concept is known to Indians since ancient times.

It always embraced the three elements of health, nutrition and relaxation. Now, with the wellness

boom globally, there is a big interest in Ayurveda and yoga, and India has so much to offer regarding the same. It’s growing very fast and my concern is that there will be many investors building many spas simply with this growth because it’s a booming industry and not necessarily due to the passion they have for wellness.

I would be concerned about this kind of investment and building work as it may impact negatively the natural environment, quality of service and integrity of Indian healing traditions. We must also remember that is an intense job and therapists are under constant pressure of performance, . The Indian Industry has to align with global training platforms to nurture and protect against burnout, teach effective skills like self-care, postural awareness and effective communication.

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Thought Leader

What do you think of award and recognition platform for the industry?

Awards are crucial because the spa and wellness industry is become really huge in India. They provide both internal and external recognition. Such recognition of skills and certification, periodically monitored through awards, helps to raise the bar and to regulate the industry training and certifications .Awards are also important for credibility and motivation; it will motivate the spas and investors to take care of the quality that is needed. With that certainly will come more

Oct 2018

understanding of the need for better training, quality-oriented recruitment system, and training platform with highly recognised accreditations that would be a guaranty of excellence. Hopefully, it will eliminate the short cut approach to wellness and instead, will be awarded to those who fully embrace the concept which I have named “triple profit effect�.

I believe that we cannot define the profit as a simple monetary benefit, but also acknowledge that the way we operate our businesses can also profit our fellow humanbeings and the planet. These are the seeds for long lasting success, for being able to create a tribe of customers and employees.

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Thought Leader

18 Kindly share your experiences of your training at the worlds first underwater spa Huvafen Fushi means dream island. Because 60% of the Maldives beauty is under the sea, the hotel owners thought that it would be wonderful to give people access to this underwater world. They developed the spa 13 years ago and its still remains to be the only underwater spa in the world. The spa was recently re-imagined and is now called “The Pearl”.

I was asked to design the unique treatment that would complement this incredible location. It was a challenge as I wanted the rhythm and flow of outside underwater world to be mimicked by therapists’ movements and very specific techniques, giving a profound experience of relaxation and at the same time, be an effective remedy for any sleeping problems, which is an increasing health issue on the global scale. I wanted this treatment to complete the energy circuit in the body, re-balance the hormones and induce an advanced meditative state for the guests by elevating touch to another level. I named it the “Underwater Dream”.

This spa is surely a serendipitous escape – the pompous massage with indigenous island coconut oil and the incredible tunes of the ocean. Every massage stroke sends a ripple through the fabric of time. This spa is well-equipped,set in an alluring cocoon. The heavenly kaleidoscope of clown-fish,

stingrays and anemones are breathtaking, they make for a lucid dream song in the heart of Huvafen Fushi, making you attuned to joy and gratitude with every breath.”

What is your advice to the Spa entrepreneurs at large?

Human connection, dedicated teams and touch techniques determine the success of the spa in my opinion and I think that every spa entrepreneur should be aware of this (many are not, unfortunately).

It is the spa therapist who provides this experience. An experience that needs to consider the mind, body and soul as one. It addresses a deeper level of humanity within us and we are all craving it more than ever right now. Our clients want an authentic human connection in

the spa because, as a society we are increasingly disconnected from ourselves and one another.

Delivering this requires awareness and presence. You need to engage with clients, talk to them and truly connect. Done correctly, it makes people feel welcome, special, unique and valued. By creating a human connection, you facilitate true personalisation, thus taking it to another level. Spas are faced with the necessity of delivering a wellness concept but it’s not possible to deliver this without authenticity and connectivity.

Wellness requires guidance, advice, and education which has to be based on a personalised experience with the spa team.

“People are your assets, value them,” is my oft repeated advice.

19 Photo Courtesy: Khyber Resorts

WELLNESS SHOWCASE

India’s Top10 Luxury Wellness Zones India offers mystic wellness zones, all perched across the length and breadth of the country. The versatility India offers makes it ever mesmerizing .The mysticism with an aura of intrinsic wellness techniques propagated by the

living masters, spiritual masters, and demigods takes any wellness seeker on an ethereal journey.

So today, I take this exciting opportunity to list the top 10 Wellness zones. The list is so surreal that I am constantly

reminded to do justice to a country so diverse. India has so much to offer, and with living masters and deep-rooted healers. So come embark on your wellness journey with us.

Wellness Showcase

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Ananda in the Himalayas “An ecstatic and sensuous escape” “Great things are done when men and mountains meet; This is not done by jostling in the street.”

-William Blake Ananda is a place where you breathe in the stillness, and where you wake up to the scent

of the mist whilst nestled in the lap of the mighty Himalayas, surrounded by graceful Sal forests that overlooks the spiritual town of Rishikesh and the gorgeous Ganges river valley.

This experience in itself is mystical and soul stirring—in every mist that kisses your cheek, and the sun that rechristens your existence, there is healing for the mind, body, and soul. This holistic retreat is a choice of the wise, as you experience the ancient

wisdom of Ayurveda, Vedanta and Traditional Yoga, It surely is the Queen of the wellness retreats in India. LuxuryWellness truly celebrates the commitment of this retreat. Ananda in the Himalayas trains Spa professionals across the country and hence, is a thought leader. True to its name Ananda, which, in Hindi and all Indian languages mean Joy, this place surely has a huge impact on the state of being of its visitors. This explains why every treatment here is holistic and their integrated approach is beneficial.

GETTING THERE: Delhi International Airport to Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun.

Flight time is 45 minutes followed by a 40-minute picturesque drive to Ananda in the Himalayas.

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PEMA Wellness “Mesmerizing Surrender” This new age wellness zone royally is cradled between the breathtaking gaze of the Bay of Bengal and the mighty Eastern Ghats. It is spread over 28 acres on the Healing Hill, Beach road, Vizag. Surrounded by nature, it is an ideal prerequisite for relaxation and holistic wellbeing. The healing hub has a state-of-the-art fitness & therapeutic yoga studio and the resort offers Naturopathy in all its authenticity. Andhra Pradesh originally has been home to Naturopathy activism, for which, the famous Bhimavaram area is well recognized.

This resort fosters a symbiotic ambience of minimalism interspersed with an exquisitely crafted. Come immerse in the natural universe of healing, as the testimonials of this place are great enough to place India on the chart of every global healer. The resort offers 85 natural therapies, all bespoke and custom made specific to client needs. Naturopathy tops the chart in terms of responsive detox, and their yoga regimes are also tailor made to the needs of the visitor. Furthermore, the resort setting certainly evokes a sense of unexperienced calm in an individual seeking holistic well-being.

GETTING THERE: Vizag Airport is the nearest airport; the resort is an hour drive from the airport.

Niramaya “Nestling in Luxury discover an ardent You” Niramaya Surya Samudhram Kovalam is a must-visit among the wellness zones on the list. A Relais Châteaux property, this Kerala Ayurveda resort is dotted with traditional Kerala style heritage cottages. The property breathes luxury in every drop of its existence, and the Arabian sea inspired wellness packages help one savor sublime joys of life.

We as a human race have always experienced an intense relationship with the ocean.

At Niramaya, the wellness experiences are created in view of the mighty ocean, a truly humbling and soul nurturing place. You can stay in the continual miracle of the place, waking up to mesmerizing sunrises and resonating sunsets. The holistic approach

to Ayurveda, traditional yoga, meditation, and pranayama along with wellness cuisines guided by ayurvedic principles are the key take aways of the resort The Niramaya properties bring about a unique combination of local and cultural activities, complimented with the boutique Niramaya experience. The Surya Samudhra experiences at the resort are unexplainably blissful while the Niramaya Spa helps in revitalizing the mind, body and soul, thus creating small moments to pause and reflect, absorb and connect.

Niraamaya curates and offers personalized health; wellness experiences that navigate both sensory and spiritual dimensions.

GETTING THERE: The Nearest airport to Niramaya Surya Samudra is Trivandrum International Airport; from there, it’s approximately a 25-minute journey by road.

Wellness Showcase

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Serai Chickmangalur “Serendipity coffee cure calling” Located amidst the serene coffee plantations, The Serai Chickmangalur is one of the best resorts in the country. This place brews a warm, welcomed tread into a world of pure bliss and energy with its unique spa therapies, specialized by both western and eastern holistic techniques. Here you can relax on a deeper dimension altogether, as the therapists & dexterous fingers massage away the tension, cleanse the body, and rejuvenate the spirits of an individual. Their signature therapy is the coffee cure which is an experience worth cherishing.

A famed anti-oxidant which is terrific for your skin, coffee beans grinding into your back or feet, can trim you, tighten you, and send your senses a tingle.

One massage or one scrub - and you’re a coffee addict for life.

An establishment founded by Mr. Siddharth, the country’s coffee brewing icon Mr Siddharth is, this resort chain is sure a visionary creation. You can also find their properties in Bandipur, Kabini, and Andaman and Nicobar. With a soothing walk in the coffee estates or dip in the private villas’ pools, during the monsoon’s caress, this experience is nothing but serendipity.

Atmantan “Integrated Wellness Sublime escapade” Atmantan, which, in its physicality and presence, is the divine amalgamation of the atma (soul), mana (mind), and tann (body), is a new age wellness destination built on unique crystalline ountains that are known for their divine healing frequencies.Atmantan is located amidst the lush valley of Sahyadri Mountains and overlooks the magnificent Mulshi Lake. As you live and breathe here in this land of Prana (life giving force), you are energized and cleansed from the inside out . My choice of this integrated wellness resort is the brainchild of Nikhil and Sharmilee.

GETTING THERE:

Speaking about the reason behind establishing Atmantan, Nikhil says, “We wanted to create a place for integrated wellness, a body mind and soul experience.”

The nearest airport to the Serai Chickmangalur is Mangalore Airport; the resort is a three-hour drive from Mangalore.

The resort offers an array of holistic healing practices, ranging from acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Ajna light meditation

therapy and Pranic healing. The customized in-room mattresses used at Atmantan are patented and the only ones in the world certified by the American Chiropractic Association.

The founding couple have cared to care, and have proved that the devil is in the details, Atmantan is a Gold Leed certified project with stellar green initiatives, which also includes extensive usage of solar energy in the resort.

GETTING THERE: The nearest Airport to the Atmantan Resort is Pune airport; From Mumbai International airport, it’s a 3.5 hour drive.

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The Shreyas Yoga Resort, set in 25 acres of pristine countryside, is a one-hour drive from Bangalore city. This resort is a luxurious home away from home, and is undoubtedly one of the finest yoga retreats in the world.

seamless blend of the modern and the timeless, luxury and simplicity, indulgence and enlightenment. This retreat attempts to exemplify that it is the abundance in life and not indulgence, which, when redirected meaningfully can serve to transform our inner self and create a beautiful place for the body, mind and soul.

A stay at Shreyas promises to be a glorious journey to etch your inner self. The resort offers an authentic yoga holiday, where the yoga practitioners believe that yoga can belearnt and practiced by all— irrespective of age, health, and faith. At Shreyas Yoga, you will embark on a journey of selfdiscovery, as the retreat offers a

The owner of Shreyas, Mr. Pawan Malik, an investment banker, wanted to create a place that was not just a resort, but had ample opportunities for a contemporary and comfortable life style. As a result, the yoga retreat came into existence. The place helps to bring in teachings from Indian philosophy and

Shreyas Resort “Yogic mesmerism”

ancient texts into today’s living patterns and needs. The theme is minimalistic luxury and calmness, neutral colors throughout the property, with the trees and flowers providing vibrancy, simplicity, minimal intervention, and Zen like contemplative spirit.

The entire gamut of Ayurveda Panchakarma treatments, naturopathy, hydrotherapy are available and the resort, and not to forget the spa which is absolutely lovely.

GETTING THERE: It’s a 60 minute drive from Bangalore International Airport

Wellness Showcase

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experience is sure an icing on the cake. This resort in Summer is as beautiful as Provence, a unique restful place; the spa at the resort too is your “Piece of Paradise. It is a haven of tranquility where rejuvenating the body and soul is the prime focus of the welltrained staff. The Lemon Balm signature massage is my favorite.

It is a blend of Balinese, Swedish and acupressure massage techniques that rebalances the skin and revives the inner energy through the senses. For skiers, the Deep Tissue Intense Relief massage is an ideal recuperation after an exhilarating run on the slopes of Gulmarg.

Khyber Resort “Magically Memorably yours” A world away from the ordinary, this 85 key resort is framed in such a way that every vantage point by nature is at its most spectacular. Meadows and forests that have enchanted travelers for centuries are waiting to be

explored by trekking enthusiasts and undying romantics. Clad in locally sourced pine and slate, the resort nestled in the Himalayas at 8,825 feet above sea level and is ensconced amidst unspoiled acres of meadows and pristine nature.

THE KHYBER SPA by L’OCCITANE is one of India’s most luxurious and holistic wellbeing experiences; their spa

This resort is just a 10 min walk from the world’s highest Golf Course and a stone’s throw from Gulmarg’s famed Gondola, the highest ski lift in the world, making it a ski in - ski out resort.

Set out on a snow-kissed holiday while having an amazing stay at the resort.

GETTING THERE: The nearest airport is Srinagar, from where the resort is a 65-minute drive.

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Taj Bekal “Salubrious Paradise” Taj Bekal is one of Taj’s best-kept secrets. The beach resort is spread across 26 acres—a heaven that offers the much needed solitude, wellness and even adventure.

The Taj Bekal is a heavenly place tucked in the confluence of the

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backwaters and the sea, which makes it truly remarkable. This beach resort has 66 laterite villas with rooms inspired by the design of Ketuvallam houseboats beckoning you in. The place is adorned by Kerala’s famous palm leaf drawings called Chitra Pothi, which are recreated on Tussar silk; these drawings have mythological and spiritual themes. One of the most flaunted spas in the country, it is true

to its reputation. Galore of treatments, glorious private pools with pristine waters kissed by rainshowers, and an indulgence in the Taj Jiva spa at Bekal is Paradise calling.

GETTING THERE: Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport, and the resort is a two-hour drive from there.

Wellness Showcase

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CG Earth Swaswara “An ethereal Sanctuary” The CG Earth Swaswara is a getaway in Gokarna. Hugged by the ocean, it is an ethereal revelation in every sense. While the melodious sunsets help you embrace the inner self, the resort is grounded in the programs it offers. The transformative experience takes place the lap of the waves that celebrate and strike a chord with the ethos of traditional Indian healing. This resort offers authentic Ayurvedic massages, Art yoga, yoga and meditation. Art yoga, as an offering, is unique and helps us transcend. Art is a chronicled healer at Swaswara, where you

can take voyages of imagination and inner self through various art practices that enable you to embark upon the journey of self-discovery. The art studio at the sanctuary allows you to experiment with a wide range of creative activities that include tribal Warli painting, water colors on handmade paper, origami, and clay work on a traditional potter’s wheel. CG Earth is one of the finest group of eco-conscious resorts, which is unique and quenches the soul searchers’ thirst.

GETTING THERE: Goa airport is the nearest airport and the resort is a three-hour drive from there.

Oberoi Udaivilas “Regal Lure” The Oberoi Udaivilas is a unique one amongst the luxury hotels in Udaipur. A fifty-acre property that once belonged to the Maharana of Mewar, all the accommodation and dining spaces offer spectacular views of

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the hotel’s verdant gardens and the sparkling Lake Pichola. This, of course, is a unique twist to this wellness sojourn, being caressed by gardens and lakes.

The Oberoi Hotel has always been raising the bar of hospitality, with its royal touch, as well as a wellplanned spa and swimming pool.

This soak in pure regality is a

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healing experience, a toast raised

by Oberoi Udaivilas to the ruffled mind, body and soul.

The applauding sunsets over the lake with great food spreads and folklore music certainly redefine Luxury and Wellness. The Spa offerings are a blend of Western and Ayurvedic massages, and the restorative therapies are a

highlight. This sojourn to this royal space is an exuberant escape, and an absolute regal Wellness experience.

GETTING THERE: Udaipur Airport is the nearest; the hotel it is a forty-minute drive from there.

28 Photo Courtesy: John Rodden Castillo

MYSTIC VIEW

A Shastra for Lasting Success That’s High in the Pecking Order Speaking to Vipin Balakrishnan, Siddha Saktha Maha Sri Varahi Manikanda Swamiji shares about the ancient PanchaPakshi Shastra, pointing to us the relevance of it in today’s context.

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The rooster crows to announce the dawn

Photo Courtesy: Guillaume-de-germain

The peacock opens its plumage and dances to proclaim the rain All migratory birds know when to begin their journey Parrots mimic and boast a good vocabulary Weaver birds build intricate nests with knots and loops Seagulls guide fisher folk Pigeons have an astonishing memory Crows design tools Ravens plot the future The list is, indeed, long.

The remarkable cognitive skills of birds have provided them with such an important place in scriptures and fables that a Shastra based on them, in appreciation of the avian sense of time and space, was evolved by the revered sages of India.

As the twilight gathered to cast a golden hue on the Varahi Mantralaya and its tranquil surroundings, Sri Varahi Manikanda Swamiji dwelt on a Shastra that was gifted to humanity, primarily by Sri Agasthiyar, followed by Bogar, Kulipani, Naga Pusundar, and Romarishi.

Swamiji, who has compiled a comprehensive version drawn from the interpretations of these seers to make available the Shastra in a simplistic way, said that Pancha Pakshi is a Shastra that he wishes to take to the grassroots

level, empowering the deserving.

In this worldly affair, every living second of the human life is gifted by god. If he does not waste it and realizes that the time has to be utilized to its best, only then can he succeed. “Time does not sleep, we sleep,” he says, before delving into the meaning of the Shastra and its importance.

Q: How is the perception of time and activities by other forms of natural world useful to mankind?

A: The ant needs no weather forecast to store food in preparation for a rainy spell. It can sense the approaching downpour well in advance. If the crow is fed at 7 in the morning every day, the bird will not fail to arrive at the same time daily. When the rain clouds gather, peacocks will open their plumage and dance, in order to welcome the torrent.

Does this mean the peacock can ‘see’ the rain clouds? No, it simply comprehends it. The vulture that spots a snake, calculates with precision the distance to, and the time to reach its moving

prey as it needs to swoop down flying almost in a triangular angle to get a hold of it. The rooster is ready to welcome the morning rays of the sun, while we rely on an alarm clock to wake up. The owl can turn its head 360 degrees, perched in one place, and assimilate the nocturnal truths in alignment with nature to make use of its active night time. Every life form of the natural world is, in fact, a model for the man. And these life forms have the ability to decode time in alignment with nature.

Q: How can one who wants to achieve in life, start perceiving his activities and relate it to time?

A: Simply put, Crows build nests; we build houses. It’s just that they start by collecting twigs to build homes and we go to anks or loans.

The weaver bird (thookanakuruvi) builds not just an elaborate hanging nest with many rooms, but also a safe home with an entrance at the bottom, where predators like snakes and lizards cannot enter. The nest is even protected

Mystic View

30 from rain and sunshine. But when man builds a house, in most cases, the roof leaks and uninvited ‘guests’ like cockroaches and rats cannot be stopped.

Photo Courtesy: Lorenzo Nucci

Most of us do nothing new. We ride a bike or car invented by someone. Then, what have we done on our own? Nothing, as the inventing group is much smaller than the user groups. So how will the one who is inventing, achieving greater heights, and doing useful things for the fellow beings find time to increase the productivity?

For anyone who wants to achieve or contribute by utilizing the time to it best, learning Pancha Pakshi is a must. Pancha Pakshi lessons will help an individual with his goals, giving him an everlasting success.

Q: What is Pancha Paksha Shastra?

A: Pancha Pakshi (five birds Shastra is a science. It is not a research on birds; it’s a study in time management. The chosen birds for the Shastra are vulture, owl, crow, rooster and peacock.

The five gifted seers, Sri Agasthiyar, Bogar, Kulipani, Naga Pusundar and Romarishi have put their own individual stamp on the study of Pancha Pakshi, which resulted in a rich collection of guidelines that can help us seize time to our advantage and make success on our own.

Calculation of time in Pancha Pakshi Shastra

Each of the seers has presented this Shastra in their own dimensions. Even a practitioner may find it difficult to comprehend as each of it is different, even though the essence is the same. Many of them give up the study for the same reason. Elaborating the study and the details, Swamiji shares

A day is divided into two sets of jamams. 6 am to 6 pm comprises the first five jamams, while 6 pm to 6am the following day makes the second five jamams. The first set of jamams can be further broken down into a time structure of 5 components: 6 am to 8.24 am;

24 hours of a day is characterized by 10 jamams. One jamam is equal to 2 hours and 24 minutes, or 144 minutes, with the term nazhigai denoting a span of 24 minutes.

8.24 am to 10.48 am; 10.48 to 1.12 pm; 1.12 pm to 3.36 pm; and 3.36 pm to 6 pm. The next set of five is further calculated accordingly.

Pancha Pakshi Shastra helps us zero in on the most fruitful time in the 24-hour span, which we can make use of to advance/ achieve in life. For instance, a meeting with a district collector will only last few minutes. So in order to derive maximum benefit from this meeting, we have to break down the hours into minutes, and the minutes into seconds to, perhaps, get a signature approving a project.

Oct 2018

31 Photo Courtesy: Chris Knight

If we ‘employ’ the right time to get things done, say for example, getting a signature from a government official, starting a business, securing a job or a school admission, then we will not fail.

Time can also be broken down into fractions of seconds, or sutshumanazhigai, to utilize the time to our best advantage and guarantee success. These minute fractions of time make up the secret seconds andsecret powers, and the skill lies in extracting them from the jamam. Roma rishi specialised in the computation of the successful seconds in life.He said.“Accidents happen in split

seconds, but if either of the drivers or both brake at the right second or veer away the vehicle, the mishap is averted.” Disai (direction) pakshi determines the outcome of a seriously ill patient’s destiny. If we decide on the ‘right’ direction in which we can take the person to hospital, and when at hospital, if the medicine is administered in the ‘right’ second, everything will fall in place.

Division of activities in Pancha Pakshi Shastra

Based on time, the activities have been divided into five: food (oon), which is essential for sustaining

life; endeavour (nadai), when we are on our feet; royal powers (arasu); inertia or slow activity (thuyil); and dead time (saavu), no activity. The five birds are associated with one of these activities in a given period of time.

Oon, which falls in the first jamam of 6 am to 8.24 am, denotes flexible time. Nadai, between 8.24 am and 10.48 am, is better than the first because it’s activity time. Arasu, between 10.48 and 1.12 pm, is the ruling time, which, if used to our advantage, can help attain our goals.1.12 pm to 3.36 pm represents Thuyil, where we slow down our activity and 3.36 pm to 6.pm is Saavu, no activity time

Mystic View

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Our name association to the chosen bird in Pancha Pakshi Shastra Pancha Pakshi is a Shastra that categorizes people on the phonetic basis of their names, which are represented by the innate energy of five birds. These energies are engaged in five pertinent activities at a given time and day of the week, thus controlling the actions of the person they represent.

People are been assigned with one of the five birds based on the sound of the first vowel (a, e i, o, u) of their names.

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The name that starts with the sound ‘ah, aah, o, oh, ouh’ have vulture as their bird; For example,

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Rajan, with the sound ‘a’, will be a vulture.

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Owl is thebird for people whose name starts with the vowel sound ‘e, ee’;

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The sounds ‘u, uu’ is crow; for instance, Murughavel, with the sound ‘u’, will be a crow

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‘a,yeh’ sounds,as in ape, k, ‘ay’ in May, is a rooster;

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and lastly, ‘i’ or ‘ow’, is a peacock.

These calculations are best made on the basis of people’s birth star and rasi. But name is the most preferred and largely followed criteria, since many would not know their birth star and rasi.

The calculation holds good for all the regions in the world, irrespective of color, creed or religion.

Days of the week classification In Pancha Pakshi Shastra A: Five classifications have been made for days of the week based on PanchaPaksha. Sunday and Tuesday areclassed in one set as

they possess the same powers, Monday and Wednesday iaren one, and Thursday, Friday, andSaturday are classified in one category each.

Further, this calculation is divided to the influence of the waxing half (Poorva Paksham), or the waning half (Amara Paksham) cycles of the moon.The Shastra can also be used to compute and activate time favorably by correlating it with structured data of a person.

Pancha Pakshi shows the way to maneuver time. It is required that everyone, right from the employer to employees, intelligentsia to illiterates, those who run the society and the nation must learn this art. A reigning time for one, which is considered the most powerful, may not be the reigning time for the other.

Chosen Birds

Vulture

Owl

Crow

Rooster

Peacock

Calculating time

6am to 8.24am

8.24am to 10.48am

10.48am to 1.12pm

1.12 pm to 3.36 pm

3.36 pm to 6 pm

Division of Activities

Oon

Nadai

Arasu

Thuyil

Saavu

Associated Activities

Flexible

Better than the first Jamam

Best time for Success

Not very favorable

To be avoided completely

Name Sound Association

Aa, Aah

E, Ee

U, Uu

A, Yeh, K, Ay

I, Ow

Week day

Sunday & Tuesday

Monday & Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

(Vowel Sound)

Ashtami, Navami, Yamagandan and Rahu kaalam do not come into the picture here, and not even astrology.

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If the numbers don’t tally at the time of examination, then we must target the time of preparation for the exam, where we can summon the favorable minutes/ seconds to work for us. So the time, name, activity and the day culminate, with the help of precise calculations, to bestow success upon the person who persists with mastering the techniques of Pancha Pakshi, along with a strong mind to attain success in all walks of life.

Q: How long does it take to master Pancha Pakshi Shastra?

A person needs 12 years, on the basis of a few hours a day to master Pancha Pakshi Shastra.

But many give up midway. Out of the 3,000 who have attended Pancha Pakshi classes, only 200 have completed the course at the Mantralaya, which proves that learning this art is predestined, or depends on our karma.

The one who earns Pancha Pakshi never loses (Pancha Pakshi padithavan thortppathillai).

Also, do not make enemies of those who have mastered Pancha Pakshi (Pancha Pakshi padithavanai pahaikathe) (chuckles)

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But devotion did finally win.

When thousands of devotees rushed to see the idols ‘drinking’ milk with their offerings, the equilibrium got restored!

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Q: In a situation where one is not in a position to choose time, but has to make do with the given time, like for instance, an examination, how can one use the Pancha Pakshi Shastra?

Q: Where and how often are Pancha Pakshi classes conducted?

A: Varahi Mantralaya holds classes, for those aged 18 years and above, on the last Saturday and Sunday of the month. At the end of the 24 basic classes spread over 12 months, the student has the choice to opt for higher levels, which can take two to three more years.

Palmistry, herbal solutions, face reading, body language, and understanding the diseases and its cure are part of these lessons. Classes are also being held in Malaysia and Singapore once every two months.

Q: How can the Pancha Pakshi Shastra flourish?

The practice of Pancha Pakshi will flourish within the aura of the universe created by the peerless power of God. If he suspends the operations of the prabanjam even for a second, the earth will experience catastrophic disruptions.

For instance,the Earth revolves on its own path at a 23.5 degree

tilted axis, and at the same time, around the Sun in order to sustain life. This truth is beyond the consciousness of those who live in it. However, even a microscopic misstep can throw everything out of balance. Like in the 1990s, when man thought the idols of Lord Ganesha were slurping milk lovingly, when offered by the devotees at temples.

What actually happened was that the earth tilted by a small degree more than it should, a geographical upheaval occurred. As a result, the rocks started sucking up water; so anything made of stone/rock, including the statues of Lord Jesus started absorbing water. But devotion did finally win. When thousands of devotees rushed to see the idols ‘drinking’ milk with their offerings, the equilibrium got restored!

“But it’s a strange world,” says Swamiji, “we have no time to explore the treasures, for we only have time for fulfilling the standard objectives of life – like studying, working, building houses, buying a vehicle, etc, for which we spend 84 years of our lives. The material things we ordain as achievements can be washed away like in the floods that happened in Kerala recently.

So Instead, we must find time for feeding our spiritual needs, which will gift us a strong mind that’s ready to accept, accommodate and achieve, and Pancha Pakshi is a powerful tool to attain this.”

Under the watchful gaze of Sri Varahi Amman, the Varahi Mantralaya is doing just this endowing enthusiastic learners with the intricacies of a winning Shastra.

Catalyst

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Gaurav Sinha

An empathetic thought leader for luxury hospitality Travel and hospitality is an industry that appeals to human emotions and Gaurav Sinha understands it to the core. He is considered the doyen of brand strategy and marketing by some of the most revered brands in the world of luxury hospitality. If there is a need for a philosopher who foresees the future of hospitality industry, it is Gaurav Sinha.

Being a vibrant thought leader, Gaurav is renowned for his expertise in brand strategy. As an anthropologist, author and activist, he works at the intersections of strategy and storytelling, curating cultures and creating destination brands that resonate with distinction. In his book Compassion Inc. he discusses about the intersection of life philosophy and business strategy, providing insights about unleashing the power of empathy in life and business.

Q: What is the founding philosophy of your company?

A: Insignia’s higher purpose is to make the whole world worthy of travel. We do this at the intersections of strategy and storytelling, as we make people fall in love with places.

We create, curate and communicate brand narratives for some of world’s most revered names in travel and luxury hospitality. We focus on sustainability, ethics and compassion as the core drivers of our brand culture and our agency supports a charity in India.

Q: Share a little about what actually is the USP of Insignia?

A: It’s our people and our views on the world as we decode human aspirations and code brand strategy. Our fluency in the language and business of travel and hospitality is our biggest differentiator and our standards in creative excellence are celebrated in the industry.

Q: What is the trend you see as future of brand enrichment in destination brands?

A: Destination brands need to focus on content programming; not the what or how, but the why. Travelers are now activists and seek proof of promises being made and deceitful marketing can be highly detrimental for a destination brand. Honest narratives and human stories are what people seek when they travel.

Q: Does your company have a CSR policy?

A: We are proud of our charity Harmony House – a day-shelter for street children in India, where we have 500 children for whom we provide free education, food, clothing and medical care. It was started by my wife Lucy in 2009, and initially we thought we would have 12-20 children but now we have two shelters with over 500 children. It gives us immense pride to be able to do good and any employee

at Insignia can volunteer their time at the charity – we pay for their flights and time in India and don’t deduct any leave allocations.

Q: Please give us some glimpses of your outstanding work with client references.

A: Our best work is yet to come but we are proud of everything we do on behalf of our clients. We have worked with over 200 hotels across 20 countries, along with numerous leisure, entertainment and retail destinations as well as tourism boards.

Q: Being a visionary of brand enrichment in the hospitality industry, please share a few trends that will dominate the Wellness Industry.

A: Wellness as a term will need to evolve in its definition as it has limited cognitive resonance. It means different things to different people and that is a challenge in the industry. I do think that Wellness will become more and more important as people seek experiences that allow them to reconnect to more meaningful aspects of life. Hotels need to step out of the predictable world of spas and therapeutic treatments and start ‘unlocking’ wellness, so it is agnostic to space. The demand for mindfulness, yoga, nutrition, group retreats and unique experiences will drive new concepts in wellness.

Q: As a key influencer share your favorite Wellness destinations A: I think Bali sums it up for me when it comes to wellness. The island has something for everyone and someone for everything. If you wanted me to name a resort then I think Soneva Fushi is my favorite and I hear good things about Vana in India.

Q: Have you done any of the Indian destination projects?

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A: We work with numerous hotel chains across 20 countries. We are planning to build our own hotel in India in the coming years.

Q: As we debut with a vision of Inspiring Wellness, Luxury and Green-living, we feel Insignia is a catalyst .

Please share your views on this.

A: We are definitely the catalysts of change. We’re protagonists within the industry and challenge conventional thinking about what I call ‘industrialized wellness and hospitality’.

There are many things wrong with hospitality in its current form and the way consumers demand gratification and mindful travelers and seeking souls need more than just a story about great design – they need to know of a philosophy that is kind to both the planet and its people. This is what I have presented as the future of business and living a good life, in my book Compassion Inc. that talks about the power of empathy in a capitalist world.

Q: What would be your message to the Global Wellness Summit team?

A: Make an effort to ignite meaningful conversations that create positive impact in the world of hospitality and wellness. Do things better; do better things!

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We are definitely the catalysts of change.

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HERB PICK

Shatavari Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is perhaps the most important herb for women in the Ayurvedic herbal apothecary. The word shatavari means “a woman with one thousand husbands,” this actually helps one to understand the traditional use of this herb to support and tonify the female reproductive system. Shatavari has long been used to support women at the end of menses by encouraging circulation, as well as healthy nervous system and hormonal function

• Promotes a healthy female reproductive system • Helps produce healthy levels of breast milk • Supports balanced female hormones • Sooths the digestive tract • Healthy movement of bowels • Moisturizes the respiratory tract • Promotes healthy energy and strength levels • Supports the immune system • Has natural antioxidant • Helps during menopause by balancing hormones, reducing effects like hot flashes and night sweats • Helps treat Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Herb Pick

Oct 2018

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Herb pick recipes

Classic Asparagus Root Fried Rice Ingredients

Method

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I cup cooked Basmati Rice

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Vegetable Stock

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1 cup asparagus spear chopped

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Half a cup onion chopped

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8 garlic cloves finely chopped

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1 tablespoon red chili

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Himalayan Pink Salt

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Black pepper (optional)

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3 tablespoons

Stir-fry onion, garlic and asparagus in oil or butter over high heat until asparagus is crisp-tender.

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Sprinkle Himalayan Salt wait for the salt to dissolve

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Let it cool and then add the rice cooked in vegetable stock

Herb Pick

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Herb pick recipes

Classic Asparagus Root Stir Fry Ingredients •

1 bunch of asparagus, approx. 1 pound

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2 tablespoons sesame oil

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1 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)

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1 tablespoon minced ginger

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2 teaspoon lemon juice

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1/2 teaspoon salt

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1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method •

Holding the stalk at both ends, bend gently until it breaks on its own. Discard the hard portion of the stalk.

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Cut the remaining asparagus spears diagonally into 2 inch pieces.

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Bring oil to medium heat in a large frying pan that can hold all the asparagus.

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Add cumin seeds and wait till they crack. Then add asparagus, ginger, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

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Stir-fry for about 4 to 5 minutes until asparagus are tender but still crunch.

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Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serving Options: •

Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on cooked asparagus, just prior to serving. If the asparagus is warm enough, the cheese will melt and be delicious.

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Add 1 tablespoon sliced almonds half way through cooking the asparagus (step 5 of Method). This will make a beautiful presentation and taste great.

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Dr. Sai Kaustav LuxuryWellness interviews Sai Kaustuv A happiness coach on wheels. Its an inspiring story for everyone of us to read and realize how blessed we are. Here is an excerpt of an interview we had with him.

HE IS A TEDEX SPEAKER, HAPPINESS COACH MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER | AUTHOR INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGNER | SINGER, COMPOSER,FOURTH GLOBAL ICON IN DISABLE LEADERSHIP 2017LIMCA BOOK, INDIA BOOK, ASIA BOOK OF RECORDS HOLDER 2018

Icon View

42 What is your advice as a Happiness Coach to the younger generation and as a specially disabled person?

My advice is based on my real life experiences, I believe the idea of gratitude is missing in the millennial generation, be greatful for what you have rather than pine for what you don’t.

There are thousands of things to complain and whine about but there are millions of things to be grateful for. Let us be grateful and accept everyone as they are.

Please, do not compare yourself with others. We all are special and we are unique,be positive, be inspirational and no matter who you are, what you are, please believe in your own potential. As a Happiness Coach, I can tell you that everything is about a journey within, so seek within. Happiness lies in acceptance, happiness lies in your effort to make others smile.

So think out of the box and do

something extraordinary to inspire, a soul that inspires others never falters.

For all the specially abled people out there, I would like to say that, please have faith that you too could fly high on the wings of self confidence and courage. Life is too

short to celebrate it fully. Please value every moment, spend time to know who you are and know that you are worthy of reaching your dreams. It is never too late to start creating that life which you have always dreamt of.Find your creative skills and capabilities.

Invest on yourself to find your true Self. If I can smile after all these life threatening hurdles, then you too can march forward with smile.

Being a 90% differently able guy, I have turned my disability into my speciality to make you all SMILE! So throw challenges towards life and enjoy the ups & downs. Always be happy and grateful because life is a unique story. Everything is possible,conquer the world with your positivity, smile and the world smiles on.

Who is your constant inspiration?

My constant support has been from my parents and hence they are my inspirations Mr Kausik Dasgupta and Ms Shila Dasgupta.

They are like living God forms for me, they are extraordinary

Oct 2018 parents they assist me from morning to night in every chore of mine. Without their help, I can’t move an inch their support and commitment to my life is the reason of my existence. They have sacrificed a lot for my well-being and happiness. They were very supportive from the beginning when I was diagnosed with this rare disease of brittle bones (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) They never broke down or complained about their fate, their acceptance of my disability was my greatest gift. Beside them my younger brother Kushal too motivates me a lot and is of constant support. I am a big fan of Stephen Hawking he is someone who lived his life on a wheelchair his writings have also inspired me. Being a spiritual person I believe in miracles and know my very own existence is a miracle

What are your hobbies?

I feel what we take as our hobbies, become our passion.. I am having a multi faceted career.

Beside singing, designing and motivational speaking, I love to read books, watch good movies and very fond of spirituality. I also love to eat and have great interest in cooking. I’m an author too. I have penned down a book in English titled ‘My Life, My Love, My Dear Swami’ published in 2015, where I have expressed myself and has delivered a message, by reflecting upon my life, the struggles and my learnings from it. I wrote the full book in two months through mouse by clicking letters in on-screen keyboard. The book has been translated into 9 India Languages.

Even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi loved and appreciated the

43 book upon receiving a copy of it.

Please share a small note that describes your journey.

I originally belong from Siliguri, West Bengal but from past 14 years I’m residing in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. I was three months old when I incurred my first fracture.

Since then, I have had my bones fractured for more than 50 times. An ailment called brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) makes my bones highly vulnerable to fractures. I went into depression for 6 long years and today, I am finally out of it and have become a Wheelchair Warrior of India.

I do international designs with just one finger of my left hand but thousands of hands benefit from my inspiring designs today. I might be in an Electric wheelchair today but I turned my disability into a greatest gift. I had this desire to never let my 90% disability hinder my growth. As I took the challenges, I am now a singer, a graphic designer, an author and a motivational speaker on a mission to spread smiles.

My work took me places and the tales of my fortitude have travelled the world.

I am a Happiness Coach and have delivered sessions for thousands of people.

My audience ranges from

PhDs, Doctors, Corporates and Students. The reason I choose this unique option as the art of my life is because Happiness itself is the main essence of life. I have conducted sessions for PhD scholars of various institutes in different states of India, as well as those in countries like the US, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal to name a few.

I’m currently researching on accessibility and I hope to bring positive awareness to transform India to a wheelchair friendly country. It is said that disabled people are not here to celebrate their lives, they have no right to dream big, but trust me, if you have determination, then sky is the limit.. So the next time you lack the motivation to fight your problems and feel like giving up, remember me as a young man with 90 percent disability , and understand that life is too little to be whining.

Inspiration

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Mickey Mehta Mickey Mehta is a renowned fitness and wellness guru, who is known for his holistic health concepts and equipment free workouts. He has coached and transformed many people over the years, including Bollywood celebrities, models and even common people. Advocating the five mantras of Physical, Physiological, Psychological, Emotional and Spiritual wellness as a key to a healthy living, he has become not only a trainer or a guru, but a philosopher to many. He has gained immense recognition with his fitness ideologies and a new

revolution in fitness regimes, known as YO Workouts. Today, we at LuxuryWellness got into a conversation with him where he speaks about YO Workouts, his passions and philosophies behind what he does, and also shares a few workout and diet tips with our readers also with some women specific diet and wellness tips.

What is the founding philosophy of your company?

With an initiative to lead towards a disease-free world, the company’s foundation was laid. With a vision to let wellness become ‘religion number one. The aim is to support human evolution through wellness revolution, with an objective to go green, natural.

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Why are you passionate about creating workouts for celebrities?

It’s not about celebrities. I am passionate about creating workouts that are more constitution-specific than status-specific. My own tool for transformation is compassion and my proximity should be extremely personalized, peering into both emotional and mental makeup of a human being for them to evolve with the attributes of a fine human.

What are your thoughts on creating a wellness movement in the country?

I think people should get away from aesthetics and instead focus on ethical choices for health. It’s important for people to be independent and healthy till their last breath than to develop a six-pack. I want to fuel our nation in such a way that our citizens don’t end up on hospital beds, but instead look at non-aggressive means to heal themselves.

Can you share your top celebrity list with us and how you have transformed them?

Priyanka Chopra, Priety Zinta, Lara Dutta, Aamir Khan and Gul Panag are some of the celebrities I’ve worked with. When I coach someone, I don’t just focus on the way they look but also to transform the way they think, behave and even their overall attitude towards life. Meaningful existence is always the ultimate goal and the whole idea behind the transformation is to make sure that they remain healthy and disease free for life.

What are the details of your YO workouts?

Be lean, don’t be mean Plug out from the machine

Plug into your heart Go green.

The term ‘YO’ is derived from the word ‘Yoga’ and YO workouts are Yoga in poetry. That’s why the whole philosophy is written in verse. Our workouts are kind of exercise format targeting overall wellness, with its core principle being intermittent intensity, and sub-maximal capacity and resistance offered to the body.

This means, the maximum muscle groups deliver a superior workout by allowing one muscle group to rest, while you work on the other.

There is also a blend of several yoga postures and breathing techniques to align the physical body with spiritual body, to give a holistic exercise experience.

The primary focus of these workouts is to address the subtle body and to use it as a trigger point for physical transformation. Here, we conserve and preserve energy through

intermittent exercises as opposed to that of regular workouts where there’s over expending energy.

In many senses, it’s like a culture than just a workout routine. Our workouts are equipment free and environmentally friendly’, what we fondly call the ‘Go Green’ principle and then, there’s the something called ‘HI’ (Human Intelligence), which involves the human body being trained by the human mind.

Our workouts emphasize the fact that exercise should be a celebration and not a punishment or chore. It is something that ignites the creative potential within each one of us through the release of hormones in the body. It helps annihilate our ego and leads us on the path of self-discovery.YO workouts are the Holy Communion between the mind, body and soul through the orchestration of all the systems, functions and cells in the body. It addresses organ health, enhances

Inspiration

46 immune function, augments cognitive capacity, improves psychoneural functioning as well as neuralmuscular coordination. Another great thing about our workouts is its recreational value. They are designed in the form of graceful symphony of fun, energetic and creative movements, which aren’t too specialized to be limiting. Yet, innovative enough to make working out fun for our clients. The exercise routines gradually increase in the degree of difficulty therein recruiting more muscle fibers, engaging the core and getting the entire body to work cohesively. And the recovery, it happens in slow movements. The whole program is categorized into different workouts based on the target areas or the desired result.

These workouts include: 1. Stretch YO, which includes postures and asanas to purify the body, regulate breathing and improve flexibility.

2. Flow YO, a series of synchronized rhythmic movements which awaken and energize the body.

3. Card YO, for imoroving cardio vascular and muscular endurance by boosting metabolism and encouraging weight loss.

4. Cross YO, a combination of moderate intensity exercises to strengthen and tone the body.

5. Strength YO, to strengthen muscular and skeletal health and to improve bone density.

6. Ab YO strengthens the core and creates a superior constitution.

7. And lastly, Cool YO, which includes exercises that allow the body to gradually transition back to a nearresting state, thereby improving recovery.

In addition to this, we also have Nutri YO as a part of the program. which is a personalized nutritional program, designed by our qualified in-house

nutritionist for heightened immunity and lifestyle counseling.

What are a few of your upcoming workshops?

I do a lot of personal and corporate workshops within the country and abroad. In the near future, there are a few workshops on the calendar, which include: 1. Grow taller program for kids 2. 5-day rejuvenation Retreat 3. Learn swimming in 24 hours 4. Change your fate in 28 days

Could we have a workout for our women readers who experience changing hormonal patterns along with the nutrition plan?

Women naturally experience several periods of hormonal imbalance throughout their lifetime, especially during stages like puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding, perimenopause, menopause and post menopause.

These hormonal changes can cause several medical conditions like Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS), early menopause and Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). Then there’s like hormone replacement and birth control medication. All these create a considerable amount of discomfort

in the daily life, and proper care must be taken before things turn ugly. For this, one must first understand if they have hormonal imbalances. You should suspect the same if you experience heavy, irregular, or painful periods, osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones), vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, uterine bleeding that’s not associated with menstruation, increased hair growth on the face, neck, chest, or back, weight gain, thinning of hair or deepening of the voice.

If you happen to observe any of these symptoms, it’s better to get a checkup done, and work on making changes to diet and lifestyle.

You can start with including the certain foods like coconut oil, avocado, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, ashwagandha and tulsi in your diet.

They can help combat hormonal imbalance naturally, reduce stress levels, and boost the immune system, while practicing meditation and deep breathing exercises, spending time outdoors and exercising every day can aid the cause by improving the blood flow. Regular exercising increases your daily calorie usage and when combined with a low-calorie diet, will help burn off stored fat. Doing cardiovascular exercises, on the other hand boost the production of hormones to help you feel good. In addition to these, you can even turn to weight training and dietary supplements, such as calcium and vitamin D to help improve the density of your bones, and keeping many a medical condition at bay.

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Sujith Sumitran

Sourdough Bread

Wellness Trend

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Sujit Sumitran talks to our LuxuryWellness Team on his passion for sourdough bread making and how it is an art as well as a Science.

I am a self-taught baker who has benefited immensely from the generosity of the universe.

He shares how slow-fermenting whole-grain bread making will be a Wellness trend globally. One Sourdough baker in every family is what this bread whisperer envisions.

What is Sourdough bread making?

Sourdough bread in its simplest form is just flour, water and salt. The leavening is done by a fermented mixture of flour and water. It’s hard to pinpoint the origins of this kind of bread making but most historians seem to converge on the hypothesis that our ancestors must have accidentally left behind a grain porridge of sorts that got fermented and transformed into bread on exposure to heat. That’s how, the earliest versions of bread emerged.

Recent discoveries seem to suggest that agriculture came much later.

So, bread preceded agriculture and was, in many ways, responsible for agriculture.

Share a little more about how your passion has become a celebrated profession I am a self-taught baker who has benefited immensely from the generosity of the universe. When I started, there was no one else in the Indian social media who spoke about sourdough. So in many ways, I was the proverbial one-eyed

man in the kingdom of the blind (smiles); that head start did serve as an advantage. I also think that anyone who consumes sourdough will find it impossible to go back to the ubiquitous industrial bread that most of us are used to. So, I was naturally very evangelical about sourdough. I wanted to infect anyone and everyone who I met with it. I was in love and doesn’t love make one child-like and naive and throw caution to the wind? I am passionate about sourdough, but it isn’t really a profession. I don’t sell bread. I only teach, because it’s far more fulfilling.

Please share why Sourdough bread should be a Wellness choice?

Not all sourdough bread is created equal. Having mentioned that the advantages of good, slow fermented sourdough bread are several, I must say that digestibility is a key issue,

followed by bio-availability, which is the capacity of our body to absorb the minerals and nutrients present in food. And of course, there is the lowered glycemic index (the relative ranking of carbohydrates in food and their impact on blood sugar levels) that causes a far lower sugar spike in the blood stream. Further, good sourdough bread eliminates the usage of additives that could have a long-term impact on health and wellness and when you combine this with the texture and flavor, it is an unbeatable combination.

When you make bread yourself, you’re completely in control of what goes in. That’s hard to beat.

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Is sourdough baking an art or a science Like life, it is what you want it to be. There are enough examples of people who’ve made it an art form as well as those who look at it from a scientific perspective.

I think, it doesn’t have to be either. Sourdough bread is simple, not easy. It isn’t about following a recipe. It’s more about understanding the interdependencies of the ingredients and the universe. It calls for slowing down and understanding the dough. It calls for enjoying the process and being one with the dough. If one bakes enough sourdough, there will be a point when the dough becomes an extension of oneself – where you become the dough and the dough becomes you. Is that art or is it science? While it is important to understand fundamentals, I think

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there is a lot of magic in not slicing and dicing everything and letting the wonder of the universe get diluted. I find sourdough deeply spiritual. A journey that never ends. A journey where you never arrive. One in which the journey is the destination.

What do you think is the need for this movement?

With more and more people prioritizing wellness and nutrition over calorie intake and more and more home bakers joining the sourdough fray, more and more people will have access to good sourdough bread. And like I always say, once you get hooked onto to good sourdough bread, you can’t go back.

Do share details of your upcoming workshops?

I do workshops across the country, and also in Goa where I live. The announcements are often made on Instagram and Facebook.

What do you see will be a trend in the sourdough making space, globally?

A lot of sourdough that is available globally isn’t pure sourdough.

Most are hybrid breads that also use commercial yeast for quick results. Also, most of the commercial bread prioritizes optics over wellness. I see a trend of more and more people demanding the real stuff – slow fermented, whole grain breads.

Share your vision on Sourdough bread making?

A sourdough bread baker in every family (smiles).

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LENS VIEW - NAGALAND

HORNBILL FESTIVAL

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agaland is a land of many tribes, each rich in its own culture of festivals, indigenous dance/ music forms, crafts and food. The ten-day cultural grandeur and splendour, Hornbill Festival, is organised by the Departments of Tourism and Art & Culture of the State of Nagaland. The festival happens every year during the first ten days of December in Kisama village and is aimed

at showcasing, promoting and protecting the rich cultural heritages of the tribes of Nagaland. The festival is named after the Indian Hornbill bird which is a common thread in the local culture and folklore of the tribes of the state. The week long festivities bring together all the tribes, offering the visitors an opportunity to understand and experience the Naga way of life.

The tribes are known to have

great respect for their culture and participate enthusiastically in the festival. It is popularly referred to as The Festival of Festivals as it brings together a multitude of indigenous festivals of local tribes of Nagaland.

The whole village of Kisama transforms into a huge fair.

Each tribe is offered a separate section in the village with its

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Lens View own Morung, a replica of the local dormitory for the male members of the tribe where their local youngsters get their initial education.

Each Morung is created with the indigenous architecture of each tribe, with its own unique decorations. The tribesmen and women are dressed in their exotic attires accessorised with plumes, head-gears, and ornaments.

The tribes perform their local dance/music in their respective Morungs and also at the arena on specific days. The dances/song performances enthral the audience who are usually found spending long time in each Morung, sometimes even participating in the dances along with the tribes. The ten day carnival also includes craft markets, food festivals, music events, fashion shows, kids fairs and games.

Though the festival has been celebrated since 2000, its prominence and popularity has grown immensely in the last few years. What started as an event for the tribes of Nagaland has now grown to include all the North East Indian states who participate enthusiastically representing their indigenous culture and heritage. The festival now draws visitors not just from India but from various parts of the globe. The festival transports the visitor to a different, unseen, unknown world of the Naga tribes and is a great opportunity for someone looking for a much needed de-stressing break at the end of the year.

Photography by - Vidhya Thiagarajan

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Photography by - Vidhya Thiagarajan

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Power Wellness

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Interview with

Dr Mohammed Rehan Sayed Dr. Mohammed Rehan Sayeed is an eminent cardiac surgeon who has practiced extensively in India and abroad and has performed more than 14,000 surgeries. Being a pioneer in the field of hybrid cardiac surgery in India, Rehan Sayeed has extensive experience in both adult and paediatric cardiac surgery.

He was nominated to the “Robert Emory Young Innovator Award� by the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.

However, that is not the reason we interacted with Rehan Sayeed for our magazine! He is a passionate sportsman who competes in international rowing competitions and is also an entrepreneur who has launched a wellness brand!

Q: What would your advice to fellow doctors on fitness be, doctors and people in healthcare fraternity are the most stressed lot?

A: I would strongly advice everyone to get into some sort of a regular regime. It is ideal to start the day with walking a 30min brisk walk and as one gets comfortable, they can increase the time or switch to a slow jog too. A 30 min swim is also a good alternative for those who can. The often missed out portion is strength training; as we age we lose muscle mass and it is important for us to do light weights and keep our muscle mass stable.

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Q: Who is your greatest inspiration, as you hail from a luminous family and surrounded by all kinds of accomplishments?

A: There is no one single inspiration for me as such; I have been motivated by various people as life evolved. Sports had Sir Steven Redgrave, a 5-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing.

Great innovators and awesome personalities Dr. Cosgrove and Dr. Denton Cooley inspired me when it came to cardiac surgery. Basically I

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draw inspiration from people who have risen against all odds and set the standards in their chosen fields.

Q: Your own accomplishments are spanning from being India’s top cardiac surgeon to being a successful entrepreneur and now as a sports person. How has been the journey?

A: God has been kind to me and guided me all along my journey

in life. Cardiac surgery has been my passion and it will always be.

I love to keep challenging myself and that’s how I started doing keyhole surgery in India when no one ever dared. I just never learnt and never will learn to sell myself and my skills; I feel that time and class will do it anyway.

As for my entrepreneurial journey is concerned, it has been a huge learning for me and I enjoy every bit of it. Seeing Motherhood Hospitals achieve what it has makes me feel proud of the brand I created. Now I have set out on

Power Wellness

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I have also launched a line of wellness products to help augment our system and add to our immunity. This is just an offshoot of our wellness side. We have launched our own range of Organic cosmetics called “Aevalona”.

Q: What is your recipe of success that you recommend to the younger generation?

A: Honesty, hard-work, humility, willingness to learn from everyone.

You must have passion to follow your dream. I used to be very upset with people when they criticized my actions and were condescending for whatever reason. Then I learnt to ignore that and make them realize they were wrong by just winning. I don’t think there is better answer to your critics than your success.

This something sports teaches you especially at an elite level.

Q: Please share your journey into rowing and how the sports landscape has also matured along the years?

A: I started rowing in 1987 at the erstwhile Madras Boat Club when I was in my 12th grade and the sport just kept growing on me. One thing led to another and soon I was rowing 8 hours a day and winning national and international medals.

Rowing taught me the importance

of hard-work, discipline, commitment to oneself and the team, and how to conquer pain, and how to be humble, which was my biggest learning.

Over the years, the rowing sport has grown in India and today India is winning medals at the Asian level and we have qualified for the Olympics now, which at one point looked a distant dream. The

training methods have evolved and are more robust, creating faster athletes and better results.

Q: Please do share your fitness schedule and how rowing helps you keep yourself fit?

A: I row three days a week for most part of the year at the Ulsoor

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lake and when the weather doesn’t permit, I use my indoor rower to make up for the lack of water work.

When I train for competitions like the Masters Championships, then I do 5 days a week and overall 8 sessions of about an hour and half. This coupled with intensive metabolic conditioning with the help of Cross-fit makes me stay fit and capable of handling the high stress levels of competitive rowing.

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Rowing is one of the most challenging sports. In a race of 2000m in distance, the entire race is a sprint making it just 6 mins of intense anaerobic exercise, which requires significant muscle and cardiovascular endurance.

Q: Do you also participate in rowing competitions in international terrains?

A: Yes I do make it a point to row one international regatta per year, mostly the World Masters Rowing Championships, if the schedule looks possible, otherwise I pick an exotic location to go rowing in Europe.

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SNAPSHOT - RAJNEESH PANWAR

HIGH ON LAD Rajneesh Panwar is a visionary Fine Art & Fashion Photographer who sees images with his mind’s eye. For him photography is an art where one captures a brief moment in time , which speaks volumes through a complex interplay between subject, light, color, texture and contrast.

Rajneesh is a panelist light master at light chasers (www.lightchasers.in) conducting their specialized workshops and photo tours across India.

See more of his work at : www.rajneeshpanwar.com

DAKH

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Editor’s Choice

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ndian Skin care is taking a center stage with some committed and new breed entrepreneurs. My interactions with these entrepreneurs have been intense, owing to our award and recognition platform indiaspaawards. Being a part of the country where Ayurveda took birth and all the benefits and usage of botanicals have been recorded in the various scriptures, many women have come to embrace home remedy hacks. Interestingly, the cultural diversity also helps in various new off-the-kitchen shelf

formula. The Indian women use a lot of turmeric, sandalwood, rosewater, chickpea flour, multani mitti, honey, milk ,curd, saffron – all of which have a scientific dimension too. This rich tradition and knowledge have led to the mushrooming of a lot of bespoke, natural skincare brands.

I have been an extensively no makeup, natural skin person, which helped me find my picks along with my awards jury who are experts in skincare The High altitude Himalayan sea

buckathorn, pomegranate seeds, grapeseed oil, red sandalwood turmeric forest honey, and kumkumadi, are some of the power packed botanicals used in Indian skincare these days, but most of them are prescribed 6000 years ago in Ayurveda and are native botanicals. As for the products in use, sheet masks, serums, distilled water toners, cold pressed oils are the hot picks of the season. These are some of my favorite brands based on the ingredients that go into making their products.

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Kama Ayurveda Kama Ayurveda has been a top pick of mine, for this recognizable brand certainly stands for authentic result-based Ayurveda. I love their Kumkumadi Night Cream, which rejuvenates your skin, tightens and brightens it as you sleep. This cream is just perfect – be it the amazing absorption or the sumptuous smell of fresh ground kumkumadi. Not just within the home country, the brand has become an international favorite too.

Today, Kama Ayurveda has a whole spa range which is used by some of the world’s best spas.

Their distilled water, face packs, soaps, and skin brightening oils are all revolutionary picks. Kama is available in 36 countries across the globe. Their Kumkumadi oil is highly perceived as a natural pigmentation, anti-ageing oil and is high demand, they have cold pressed serum and a Kumkumadi scrub, which is a signature product that rules the roost. I am a die-hard fan of Kama and my personal prurience with this brand continues to this date. www.kamaayurveda.com

Forest Essentials Forest Essentials is an authentic, traditional Skin Care Brand, with its foundations in the ancient science of Ayurveda. A pioneer in the Luxury Ayurvedic segment, it has become the quintessential Indian Beauty Brand today.The Dosha Science is sealed in these products, creating the Panchabutha appealing beauty food for both men and women.

Their spa range have given the brand a classy edge.

The Saffron and Sandalwood Night Cream is another must-try product by Forest Essentials. It really appeals to all the senses, as the user treads the trails of new dreams in their sleep.

Their range of silk soaps is a luxury worth indulging in. Every now and then, I indulge in the luxury of Ayurveda, as I sensuously bond with the Forest Essentials products. www.Forestessentials.com

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Love Organically Deepshikha Deshmukh is one of India’s promising skincare entrepreneurs. Having studied Botanical formulations, she started her own skin nutrition brand, Love Organically. A new kid on the block, this brand has some great body washes, body butters, moisturizers and hair oils.

We at LuxuryWellness reviewed their Neem and Calendula Body Wash, a shower drench with a heavenly scent. The product, as it’s being applied on the skin, showcases the sanctity of the ingredients.Deepshikha herself is a role model who set out to balance her accomplishments as a Bollywood producer and entrepreneur. She is on the path to transforming the ways moms look at skin care in India. Her tenderly crafted formulations are mild for babies and adults alike.

This promising brand will soon spread its wings globally. As the brand’s credibility is fortified within the ingredients of the product, this will be a stalwart pick of mine. www.loveorganically.in

Daughter Earth Another young entrepreneur to watch out for is Prasanthy, the founder of Daughter Earth. She is truly a visionary and all her expertise is chronicled in her well-researched ‘Ministry of Ayush’ certified skincare product. It’s a native online brand, and has garnered good reviews and recognition from most users.

We reviewed their Eternal Youth Rejuvinating Serum, which is 100 percent natural. The product has an amazingly natural scent of botanicals and actually is a power packed food for the skin.

The users are overwhelmed by the performance of the serum.

Sharing a small beauty tip, Prasanthy has suggested a twist to the use of this serum, of how, applying the serum before makeup can leave the skin feeling naturally plump and fresh. Being lightweight, the serum spreads evenly and absorbs into the skin quickly, and is non-greasy. It is made with non-comedogenic (non-pore clogging) oils and hence, directly delivers nutrients to the deeper layers of skin due to its lower molecular sizes. The 21 active botanicals included in this intense concentration certainly makes it one of the revolutionary skincare products. This product, which is formulated for overall skin health is a must try elixir, and is certainly worth the keep. And with the make-up hack given by Prasanthy herself, this product will be an international favorite too. Daughter Earth products include face wash, moisturizers, lip balm and an anti-aging serum. Their lip balm and serum are in my forever makeup kit list.

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Neemli A vegan, artisanal skincare brand, this handcrafted skin brand is sure young, but very promising. They have a promising platter too, with all those toners, body oils, face scrubs, and cold pressed soaps, each of which boasts sustainable product compositions. And not to forget their creative packing, which involves paper boxes wrapped in brown, and little glass bottles, is surprisingly sustainable too.

Their facial scrub is packed with grapeseed oil, coconut meat grates, matcha, organic coconut oil, and organic

olive oil. The scrub smells of matcha, coconut oil and effectively exfoliates the skin, and remove the dead cells –all the while staying gentle on your skin. The product is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, along with the goodness of vitamins C, D and E. For all the softness, radiance and the way my skin feels moisturized, this scrub is something that I just can’t stop using.

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Ras Luxury Oils With an idea of bringing out nothing but the ‘ras’ of nature, Shubika Jain founded Ras Oils, a luxury skincare brand that has a range of beauty regime products, promising to give your body an everlasting glow.

Ras Luxury Oils offer you different skincare products like Face and Body Spritz, Body Polish, Face Elixir, Liquid Luxury, Essential Oils and Plant Oils, all of which are made from 100% natural ingredients.

One of the products to try from their range of face elixirs, the Luminous Skin Clearing Face Elixir. Like all of the other products of Ras Oils, even this one is completely natural, and has a blend of essential oils like juniper berry, tea tree, frankinscence, lemon, lavendar, jojoba and grapeseed, many of which are highly anti-oxidant in nature. They not only cleanse the skin from deep within, but also detoxes it

completely, in order to give an acne-free face that glows with sheer radiance.This elixir, especially in its cute miniature packing is something I’d often like to carry in my makeup bag. With more and more beauty-conscious women rooting for chemical free, organic and natural ways to care for their skin these days, it’s no surprise that the age-old Indian skincare tips, techniques and traditions are widely embraced these days. Taking into consideration the need for having products that don’t affect your skin with nasty chemicals, these brands came up with products which received love, care and recognition that are well-deserved.

If you’re looking into moving towards a healthier skincare regime, or looking for Indian alternatives, give these products a try, and see how they work for you. www.rasluxuryoils.com

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Juicy Chemistry Pritish and Megha Asher have founded this venture, a brand certified organic according to COSMOS Standards by the ECOCERT GREENLIFE. Juicy Chemistry is one of the few brands in India which comply to the global norms of organic skincare.

The LuxuryWellness team reviewed the Juicy Chemistry Organic Lavender, Myrrh and Wild Forest Honey. This night cream is a must try for people in all age groups. It’s a luscious mixture of myrrh, wild forest honey and organic lavender. The natural fragrance of the product comes with a strong tinge of wild forest honey. The use of pomegranate seed, which has punicic acid, helps reduce the breakdown of collagen fibers, thereby preventing the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of ageing on the skin. The powerful blend of vitamin E, argan and shea butter is

suited for use in summer for those with normal skin and for regular use for those with dry skin. This cream is a source of retinoic acid that protects cell damage.

It has a natural infusion of fatty acids. The color of the cream is a deep golden yellow with a luxurious texture.

The oil fends off free radicals to keep skin-ageing at bay. It also provides protection against sun damage.

A radical mix of ingredients that are both fresh and organic makes this product a top pick amongst the night creams available in the market, especially for people with dry skin.

The brand also has a luxurious offering of products ranging from pressed soaps, serums, conditioners, shampoos, to facepacks, nightcreams, bath and body oils and essential oils. www. juicychemistry.com

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