Ayurvedic Wellness Retreat | Maiaveda

"A sacred space that honors the body, fills us with the wisdom to tend to ourselves and each other, and gives us rituals for connection and restoration." - Karen

Our practices are sacrosanct...

We love everyone who walks in the door. We understand that everyone deserves well-being. We understand and respect boundaries. We slow down to understand. We practice loving, mindful communication. We respect each client’s vulnerability. We practice compassion and empathy, especially when it’s most needed. We understand a client's true needs, and put those first. We are gentle and nourishing. We mother. We keep things personal, and where need be, emotionally intimate. We stay positive. We keep things enjoyable. We meet everyone as a friend.

In the rooms, we keep the space meditative, and sacred. We create an environment for spiritual experiences to just happen. We use treatments to create openings and healing and transformation. We approach each treatment with our own open hearts, and our own powerful desire to heal.

All our relationships mirror our philosophy. We love partnerships. We are generous in spirit. We can pivot within our ethos. We understand that easy, consistent discipline equals consistent results. We never compromise quality.

Maiaveda is a wellness sanctuary.

At the heart of Maiaveda are the profound treatment programs that help restore balance and reawaken the body’s natural healing mechanisms. But
the treatments are only a part of a comprehensive approach to creating health. Guests at Maiaveda also gain an understanding of how all the various aspects of their lives are interrelated and contribute either positively or negatively to overall well being.

Guests learn to understand how individual factors in their make-up affect physical tendencies, moods, cravings, motivation, and behaviour. Our guests also learn how simple shifts in diet, exercise, and daily and seasonal routines can enhance their progress toward increased strength, stability and vitality. Not only do our guests go home feeling renewed in body and spirit, they also report that the benefits from their visit grow long after they have returned home.

- Established in 2011
- Nominated for Macedon Ranges Business Excellence Award
in Wellness Services in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018.
- Finalist in 2015; Shortlisted in 2017.

Charities dear to us: Very Special Kids, St Edgars Mission, Beyond Blue, Macedon Ranges Suicide Prevention Action Group (MRSPAG)
our local CFA (Country Fire Authority).

We acknowledge the Taungurung, the Dja Dja Warring and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of these lands on which we live, work and collaborate upon. We pay our respects to all first nations people and elders, both past, present and future. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Maiaveda is committed to safe and inclusive workplaces, policies, and services for people of LGBTIQA+ communities and their families. We fundamentally support equal rights for everyone and work towards a world that is a better place for anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA+

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda - The Science of Life

Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of health and well-being, born in India over 10,000 years ago. Ayurveda covers practices such as yoga, meditation and natural medicine, all of which work together to create balance and health in body, mind and spirit.

Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medicinal texts dating back thousands of years.

More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realising their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behaviour and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.

Recognising that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure.

Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.

Maiaveda's approach to health and wellbeing fuses the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with modern spa rituals. We offer ayurvedic lifestyle consultations, and body rituals. We also teach the practical tools and techniques of Ayurveda at all of our programs, retreats and workshops. Bring Ayurveda into Your Life.

Unique Self

Ayurveda groups the five elements of Air, Ether (space), Fire, Water and Earth into three basic Ayurvedic Body
Types: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Our body and mind are a reflection of the predominant Ayurvedic Body Types.

Vata

When you think of the qualities of Air and Space, these are exactly the qualities that this dosha has. Vata is: Dry, Cold, Light, Moving, Changeable, Subtle, Rough, Quick. The main function of the Vata in the body is movement. Nothing moves without it.

People with a dominant Vata dosha tend to be slim, with small frame and prominent bones. They are fast, changeable and often love any kind of movement, change and travel. They get easily bored when they stay too long at one place, be it a job, apartment, hobby and sometimes even a partner.

They often work on multiple projects at once, but often don't finish them, as another, even more interesting, idea inspires them. Their skin and hair tend to be thin and dry. They often feel cold and prefer warmth - warm foods, drinks and climates. On the other hand, they are quite flexible (physically as well as in their minds), creative, and can easily adapt to change.

When out of balance, their moods change like the wind, they are unstable, fearful, worried, experience lack of energy, and feel exhausted. They can experience lower back pain, join pain or headaches. Gas, bloating, and constipation are also often present. When you have Vata in your constitution or currently have Vata imbalance (too much Vata), you will be experiencing many of these characteristics, but probably not all.

Pitta

When you think of the qualities of Fire and Water, these are exactly the qualities that Pitta has. Pitta is: Hot, Sharp, Light, Moist, Oily, Fluid, Sour smelling. The main function of the Pitta dosha in the body is metabolism. Pitta is responsible for transforming (metabolizing) one thing into another. Pitta digests everything that we take in - be it food, emotions, sensory impressions, etc.

People with a Pitta Ayurvedic Body Type tend to be of medium build with very sharp minds and intellect. They can be incredible leaders, scientists, lawyers, and teachers. However, they tend to push themselves too hard and can be over-ambitious. They often feel warm and prefer cool weather. They have a very strong digestive fire and seem to be always hungry.

When out of balance, they tend toward extra heat in the mind & body, which might show up as anger, excessive sweating, red rashes, eczemas, blisters, hyperacidity, or burning pain anywhere in the body.

When you have Pitta in your constitution or currently have a Pitta imbalance (too much Pitta), you will be experiencing many of these characteristics, but probably not all.

Kapha

When you think of the qualities of Water and Earth, these are exactly the qualities that this dosha has. Kapha is: Heavy, Oily, Cool, Static, Soft, Stable, Slow. The main function of the Kapha in the body, is stability and structure. Without Kapha (like without mud) things would not hold together, they would fall apart.

Kapha Ayurvedic Body Types have bigger builds and bones, and lubricated joints. Their skin is thick and oily with less wrinkles, but sometimes more acne. They often have luxurious, thick hair. They are strong and solid physically and emotionally, with great immunity. It takes a lot of effort to get Kaphas upset.

They tend to move slowly, but steady and are very reliable. It may take them a while to make a decision, but once the decision is made they are committed and steadfast.

When out of balance, Kapha tends towards accumulation (weight, water, possessions, clothes, etc.), congestion, dampness and lethargy. Kapha people often don't like to throw things away. Anytime you have a hard time of letting go - of emotion, a partner, an old pair of jeans you don't wear, etc. you are expressing a Kapha quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Ayurveda a form of holistic medicine?

A: Yes. Ayurveda is a healing system that treats the whole person - the integration of body, mind, and spirit - rather than simply treating individual symptoms. For instance, we know that ongoing stress damages our immune system, and when the immune system is weakened, we are more vulnerable to disease and illness. We also know that when our mind experiences pleasure, our brain releases healing chemicals to our entire body, creating feelings of happiness and well-being as well as promoting health.

Ayurveda takes holistic medicine a step further, treating people not as isolated individuals but as an inextricable part of the whole universe. In India's ancient Vedic tradition, there is an underlying intelligence that flows through and connects everyone and everything in the universe. Ayurveda sees life as the exchange of energy and information between individuals and their extended body - the environment. If our environment is nourishing, we thrive; if our environment is toxic; we may become sick. Therefore, learning how to eliminate toxicity and surround ourselves with a healing environment is the key to health.

Q: How is Ayurveda different from conventional Western medicine?

A: In contrast with conventional medicine, which has devoted a lot of effort to isolating the differences among various diseases, Ayurveda focuses on the unique qualities of individuals, pointing out that diseases differ mainly because people are so different.

Ayurveda teaches that all health-related measures -- whether an exercise program, dietary plan or herbal supplement --must be based on an understanding of an individual's unique mind-body constitution or dosha. By knowing a patient's dosha, an Ayurvedic doctor can tell which diet, physical activities, and medical therapies are most likely to help, and which might do no good or even cause harm.

In addition, while Western medicine has tended to treat the symptoms of disease, Ayurveda seeks to eliminate illness by treating the underlying cause. For example, for a patient suffering from depression, an allopathic physician would likely prescribe a standard course of antidepressants and, perhaps, therapy.

Q: What is the Ayurvedic perspective on health and illness?

A: The guiding principle of Ayurveda and the other Eastern healing arts is the interconnection of all things. We aren't simply an isolated collection of atoms and molecules, but are an inseparable part of the infinite field of intelligence. From this holistic perspective, health isn't merely the absence of illness or symptoms -- it is a higher state of consciousness that allows vitality, well-being, creativity, and joy to flow into our experience.

In contrast, illness is a disruption -- a blockage in the flow of energy and information that creates a sense of separation or alienation from the field. Symptoms and sickness are the body's signal that we need to restore balance, eliminate whatever is causing the blockages, and reestablish the healthy flow of energy and information.

Q: What are Ayurveda's guiding principles?

A: Ayurveda teaches that the mind has the greatest influence in directing the body toward sickness and health. Thousands of years before modern medicine "discovered" the mind-body connection; the ancient sages had mastered it. They developed Ayurveda as a system for contacting our own inner intelligence (or mind), bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body.

The Ayurvedic principles for restoring and maintaining mind-body balance are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago:

1) Take time each day to quiet your mind (meditate).
2) Eat a colourful, flavorful diet.
3) Engage in daily exercise that enhances flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular fitness.
4) Sleep soundly at night.
5) Eliminate what is not serving you.
6) Cultivate loving, nurturing relationships.
7) Perform work that awakens your passion.

Q: Can Ayurvedic medicine help with physical injuries?

A: Ayurveda has been used for thousands of years to alleviate every type of health issue, including physical injuries. Ayurveda contrasts with the mechanical allopathic approach to medicine in that it looks at the whole person--mind, body, and spirit-- but by including consciousness, it is not excluding the physical body. For virtually every physical ailment or injury, Ayurveda offers a healing protocol.