Individual therapies and packages
Alongside the residential programmes, individual Ayurvedic treatments and packages can be booked during any stay. Every treatment is given by therapists trained in Kerala, using herbal oils and preparations made for the purpose. A consultation with the doctor is recommended before your first treatment so that what you receive actually suits your constitution.
Every therapy described here is prescribed, not chosen, written for one body, by a physician who has examined it. What follows is offered for your understanding, so that you arrive knowing what the hands will do and why. It is not a menu.
Consultation comes first
Nothing of consequence is administered until a physician has seen you. The consultation establishes two things: your prakriti, the constitution you were born with, and your vikriti, the state you are in now. Treatment is the distance between them.
Consultation · 20–30 minutes · INR 1,500. Includes pulse diagnosis, reading of body constitution, and lifestyle and diet advice with our Ayurvedic physician. Recommended before any treatment.
This is why the same complaint in two people may call for opposite therapies, why one is given heat and another cooling, why one is oiled and another scrubbed. The therapies below are grouped as our physicians group them: those that may be taken without consultation, and those that should not.
Durations and prices are given so that you can plan. They are typical. Your own protocol may combine several therapies, extend across weeks, or omit most of them entirely.
Pre-consultation therapies, without prescription
These treatments are restorative rather than corrective. They may be taken by anyone, at any time, without a physician’s prescription, though we would still rather you saw one.
Relaxation Massage
Warm oil applied over the body, concentrating on the shoulders, neck, lower back and calf muscles, the places the day collects.
45 minutes · INR 1,500
Rejuvenation Massage
A full-body massage with scented oil, for the body and the mind together.
45 minutes · INR 1,500
Hand and Feet Reflexology
Work upon the pressure points of the hands and feet. Improves the circulation of energy and settles the whole body from its extremities.
45 minutes · INR 1,000
Shirodhara शिरोधारा
The third-eye therapy. Warm oil is poured upon the forehead in a continuous, unbroken stream, in the manner the texts prescribe. Nothing about it is dramatic; its effect is cumulative and quiet. Helpful in insomnia and disordered sleep, in the relief of stress, and in the settling of an overactive mind.
45 minutes · INR 2,000
Twacha, skin nourishing treatments
Ayurveda reads the skin as an organ of the body’s inner state, not a surface to be decorated. These treatments nourish it accordingly.
Royal Massage
Massage with a special skin-nourishing oil, which rejuvenates the senses as it feeds the tissue.
45 minutes · INR 1,800
Ayurveda Face Pack
Cleansing and massage of the face with pure Ayurvedic medicinal herbs and oils.
45 minutes · INR 1,700
Ayurvedic Fruit Massage
A full-body massage with a blend of fruits and milk, prepared for the nourishment of the skin.
45 minutes · INR 1,700
Post-consultation therapies, by prescription
These are the classical therapies proper. They act upon the doshas and the tissues, and they are given only after the physician has read your constitution and named what is to be corrected.
Abhyanga अभ्यङ्ग
The traditional full-body Ayurvedic oil massage. Good for the circulation of blood and for the settling of the whole body. It is the foundation of most protocols at SWAN, and the preparation for everything deeper.
45 minutes · INR 2,000
Marma Massage मर्म
Work upon the vital points of the body, the marma, where flesh, vessel, ligament, bone and joint meet. Tones the body; good for energy and for the circulation of blood.
45 minutes · INR 2,000
Udvartan & Svedana उद्वर्तन · स्वेदन
Massage with herbal powders, worked against the grain, followed by fomentation. Traditionally used for the cleansing of the skin and for invigoration. Where the oil therapies soothe, this one scours.
60 minutes · INR 2,200
Kizhi कीझि
Massage with a bolus bag of assorted herbs, applied warm. Very useful in back pain, joint pain, and the stiffness of accumulated cold.
45 minutes · INR 2,000
Njavarakizhi नवरकीझि
Tissue-nourishing fomentation with a bolus of cooked navara rice, milk and herbs. The rice both heats and feeds, fomentation that nourishes rather than depletes. For wasted tissue and recovery from long illness.
45 minutes · INR 2,000
Basti बस्ति, basti and localised therapy
Medical advice required. The enema therapies below are administered only under proper medical advice, after consultation with the resident physician.
Matra Basti · Oil Enema
Enema with medicated oil, useful in the cleansing of the intestines.
INR 700
Kashaya Basti · Decoction Enema
Enema with a special Ayurvedic herbal decoction, likewise for the cleansing process.
INR 1,000
Local Basti
A dam is built of flour upon a chosen part of the body, and a suitable warm oil is poured within it and retained: at the neck (Manya Basti), the lower back (Kati Basti), the heart (Hrid Basti), the knees (Janu Basti), or the chest (Uro Basti).
45 minutes · INR 700
Urdhvanga, the head and the senses
Ayurveda treats the head as the seat of the senses and of prana. Disorders above the collarbone are approached through the openings of the head itself.
Nasyam नस्य
Nose treatment, performed by instilling medicated drops into both nostrils. A very useful process in sinusitis, in blockage of the nose, in cold, and in the various disorders of the head. Nasya is also one of the five actions of Panchakarma.
30 minutes · INR 700
Karnapooranam कर्ण पूरण
Warm oil poured into the ears and retained, a part of the classical Indian daily routine. Clears the ear pathway, softens the wax, and allows the smooth functioning of the ears.
20 minutes · INR 700
Tarpanam तर्पण
A reservoir of specific ghee is held over the eyes. Helpful in the relaxation of the eyes and in the various eye disorders, and in the fatigue of long hours before screens.
30 minutes · INR 1,000
Indian Head Massage
The traditional head massage, which relaxes the head, the neck and what they carry.
20 minutes · INR 700
SWAN Yoga Retreat special packages
Where several therapies are indicated together, they are combined into a single session and given in sequence.
Sensory Bliss
A combination assembled for the senses: Abhyanga, Nasya, Shirodhara, herbal scrub and Manjishtadhara.
120 minutes · INR 3,000
Saundarya Vardhini सौन्दर्य वर्धिनी
A complete package for the beauty of body and mind: milk cleansing, Abhyangam, papaya pack, Thalapotichil and Ksheeradhara.
120 minutes · INR 3,500
SWAN Bliss
Our own combination: Abhyangam, Kizhi upon the joints, hand and feet reflexology, and foot massage.
150 minutes · INR 4,000
Also used within the packages and Panchakarma
These therapies are not booked on their own. They appear inside the packages above and inside a prescribed Panchakarma course, where the doctor has chosen them.
Ksheeradhara
Like Shirodhara, but with medicated milk in place of oil, cooling, and used where heat needs to be drawn down.
Thalapotichil
A herbal paste applied to the scalp and left to work. Traditionally used for the head and for the mind.
Manjishtadhara
A pouring therapy using a manjishta decoction, known for its work on the blood and on the skin.
Swedana
Herbal steam, given after oleation to open the channels and move loosened toxins toward elimination.
Shodhan, Panchakarma, purification पञ्चकर्म
Every therapy above is, in the classical scheme, either Shaman, pacification, subduing the disturbance where it stands, or a preparatory stage of something deeper.
When the doshas are vitiated beyond the reach of pacification, they generate toxins that lodge in the minute channels. These cannot be subdued. They must be removed. That removal is Panchakarma: five actions, undertaken in sequence, after the body has been prepared by oleation and fomentation.
The five main actions are Vamana (induced emesis), Virechan (induced purgation), Basti (medicated enema), Nasya (nasal medicine) and Rakta Mokshan (bloodletting). Which are indicated, in what order, and for how long, is decided by the physician and by no one else.
Panchakarma is residential work, conducted in stages across a fortnight or more, with a graduated diet on either side of it. Done properly it resets the ground on which health stands. Done carelessly it harms. See the residential Panchakarma programmes.
Ritucharya, seasonal Panchakarma ऋतुचर्या
Panchakarma may be administered at any time of the year. But the scriptures suggest which treatments are best taken in which season, for those who wish to keep their health rather than repair it, because each season aggravates its own dosha.
| Season | Weather | Dosha aggravated | Panchakarma | Diet & behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Cool | Pitta | Internal and external oleation (Snehapan, Abhyanga), powders for Kapha, oil for Vata. Induced emesis (Vamana) and purgation (Virechan). Strong nasal therapy (Nasya). | Light food; more pungent, astringent and bitter in taste. Avoid cold weather. |
| Summer | Hot | Kapha | Internal oleation (Snehapan). Diaphoresis (Swedana), less hot. Shirodhara with cooling herbs. Medicated enema (Kshira Basti, Netra Basti, Kati Basti). Bloodletting (Rakta Mokshan) and purgation (Virechan). | Warm food and drink; more sweet, bitter and astringent. Avoid excessive heat and hot baths. |
| Fall | Windy, cool and dry | Vata | More emphasis on medicated enema (Basti Chikitsa). Diaphoresis (Nadi Sweda, Pottali Sweda). Nasal therapy (Nasya). | Heavier food may be taken, if digestion is strong. More sweet, sour and salty. |
| Winter | Cold and dry | Vata and / or Kapha | External oleation (Abhyanga) with medicated oil. Diaphoresis (Swedana). Purgation (Virechan). Nasal therapy (Nasya). | Hot food and drink; more sour, salty and pungent. |
For the healthy, not the ill. The table above is suggested for people in normal health. Where there is disease, or any particular condition of the body, the treatments are prescribed by the physician after a detailed examination, season notwithstanding.
Full price list
All prices in Indian Rupees.
| Treatment | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | 20–30 min | 1,500 |
| Relaxation Massage | 45 min | 1,500 |
| Rejuvenation Massage | 45 min | 1,500 |
| Hand & Feet Reflexology | 45 min | 1,000 |
| Shirodhara | 45 min | 2,000 |
| Royal Massage | 45 min | 1,800 |
| Ayurveda Face Pack | 45 min | 1,700 |
| Ayurvedic Fruit Massage | 45 min | 1,700 |
| Treatment | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Abhyanga | 45 min | 2,000 |
| Marma Massage | 45 min | 2,000 |
| Udvartan & Svedana | 60 min | 2,200 |
| Kizhi | 45 min | 2,000 |
| Njavarakizhi | 45 min | 2,000 |
| Nasyam | 30 min | 700 |
| Karnapooranam | 20 min | 700 |
| Tarpanam | 30 min | 1,000 |
| Indian Head Massage | 20 min | 700 |
| Local Basti | 45 min | 700 |
| Matra Basti (oil enema), | 700 | |
| Kashaya Basti (decoction enema), | 1,000 |
| Package | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sensory Bliss | 120 min | 3,000 |
| Saundarya Vardhini | 120 min | 3,500 |
| SWAN Bliss | 150 min | 4,000 |
Prices are indicative. They may change, and a prescribed course of treatment is quoted as a whole rather than by the session. Write to us and describe what brings you, and we will tell you plainly what is likely to be needed.
What to expect
Treatment is not an appointment you keep between other appointments. It occupies the day, and the day is arranged around it.
Therapies are given in the morning and again in the afternoon, at the hours the texts prescribe. Between them the day holds asana, breath, silence, study and food cooked for your constitution. Yoga runs alongside the treatment because the two address the same person.
Most protocols ask for a minimum of seven days. Panchakarma proper asks for fourteen to twenty-eight. Shorter visits are possible, and useful, but there is a limit to what the body will do in three days, and we would rather say so than sell you the difference.
What we do not claim. Ayurveda is not a substitute for emergency medicine, nor for the treatment of acute or life-threatening disease. Our physicians will tell you plainly when a complaint belongs elsewhere. Continue any prescribed medication unless your own doctor advises otherwise.
Important health information
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes and describes Ayurveda and its therapies as set out in the classical texts. It is not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis, a prescription, or an offer to treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Ayurvedic therapy at SWAN is undertaken as a supportive practice alongside, never as a replacement for, the care of your own doctor. Please do not stop, reduce or alter any prescribed medication except on the advice of your treating physician.
Every guest is assessed individually before any procedure begins, and suitability is determined by the resident physician. Responses vary from individual to individual, and no particular outcome or result is promised or implied.
If you live with a diagnosed medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take regular medication, please consult your doctor before booking and tell us in your consultation so your programme can be planned safely.
What people say after their treatments.
Written reviews from past guests.
“If you’re looking for an authentic ashram experience without too strict rules Swan is the place! Nestled in the lush Goan jungle, this place is like Mother Nature decided to create the ultimate chillout zone. The setting alone does half the relaxation work for you – think green canopy, bird song, blossom - the kind of peace that makes you forget your western busy life. My cottage was ridiculously spacious with a firm mattress that I personally loved. The food? Vegetarian buffet style that somehow makes you excited about eating healthy. I’m talking properly delicious, not just “good for ashram food” – genuinely YUM. Upon arrival, you meet with an Ayurvedic doctor who doesn’t just hand you a generic treatment plan – they actually figure out your dosha and customize your treatments. The massages and treatments that followed were excellent. The daily schedule flows beautifully: 6am meditation ( the best way to start a day!) , hatha yoga, yoga philosophy sessions, yoga nidra and fire ceremonies Saturday and Sunday in the evening. It’s structured but never rigid – there’s space to breathe and be. I was lucky enough to spend Christmas and New Year’s here (3.5 week in total ) with a lovely international crew. Long dinners filled with stories, deep conversations, and bonding over the slightly intense (but weirdly fun?) kriya cleanse experience. The staff are absolute sweethearts. Time moves differently here – days pass slowly in the best possible way, you sink deeper into relaxation without even trying. This is authentic ashram life with a gentle touch. No harsh rules, no judgment, just genuine yogic wisdom wrapped in warmth and hospitality. I left feeling true bliss and calm – honestly, what better way to start a new year? If you’re craving a reset that actually works, Swan is the place!”
“My wife and I had a wonderful experience at Swan Yoga in April. This was a thoroughly authentic place with dedicated yoga , meditation and philosophy sessions. The teachers and all the staff were dedicated and knowledgeable. If you want a genuine yoga experience, Swan is the place. My wife was also very happy with her Ayurvedic treatments”
“Got the best Ayurveda treatments I ever had! The therapists are very skilled. They certainly know their profession. The food is delicious! 100% recommended. Will come back”
Start with the consultation.
Treatments work best when they are chosen rather than picked. Write to us and describe what brings you, and our physicians will arrange your therapies after consultation.