A week of self-discovery with the hosts of Casita Ayurveda
Cécile was able to welcome the host couple Fabienne Scheu and Tobias Spindler in the Ayurveda Resort in Tenerife. During her one-week stay, she was able to get a taste of the vast and impressive world of the Ayurveda philosophy of life and gain an impression of the spa treatments offered at the Casita.
Arriving at Casita Ayurveda
On the plane to Tenerife South, I literally devoured “The Little Book of Ayurveda” because I wanted to get in the mood for what was to await me in the Casita Ayurveda – Ayurveda par excellence: peace and relaxation, vegan (light) food, oil massages and body treatments, intensive conversations, yoga and exercise and coming to terms with oneself.
The nice driver, José, picked me up at the airport and we drove north for a good hour. The volcanic landscape impressed me immediately and the wind in the sunshine made the arrival perfect. As we round the last bend, the driver shows me the bright blue house and says "es la Casita". So I have arrived. In the north of Tenerife, in the countryside near Icod de los Vinos, in the Casita Ayurveda.
Host Tobias welcomed me warmly and immediately explored the beautiful grounds with me.
You can imagine the accommodation like this: the house is inconspicuous apart from the striking paintwork, the door opens and a few stairs await you. Along the stairs, to the left, there are doors that lead to the main house, which houses the three guest rooms, kitchen, dining room and the practice on the ground floor; to the right, you reach individual garden terraces. The garden terraces are very different: from a barefoot path with a trampoline, to a terrace with a slackline, various seating areas in the sun and under the shade of various trees, until you find the yoga house further up. From all terraces, guests enjoy a breathtaking view of the Atlantic. There is even a pool and an outdoor shower under a tree with a wide sea view. The top terrace consists of a newly planted permaculture garden, which already has numerous plants, shrubs and, above all, exotic fruit trees.
My current status
My stay began with a shared lunch with Fabienne and Tobias and another guest who had already reached the end of her first week of treatment. A delicious salad was served and after a brief introduction, it was time for my anamnesis interview. I had this with Tobias, who took over an hour. I was able to answer numerous questions about my lifestyle, eating habits and body. This enabled him to get a good impression of my current situation. I also discussed my personal goals with him in terms of body, fitness and health.
My treatment plan consisted of a mix of different massages and body treatments that were chosen to suit my type and my initial situation and aimed to balance the different doshas.
What exactly is Ayurveda?
Translated, Ayurveda means the “science of life” (ouch Life and Veda complete knowledge) and originally comes from India. Ayurveda is about harmonizing and aligning body and mind with the help of various principles. Ayurveda is considered one of the oldest healing arts in the world, which we can still integrate into our fast-paced everyday lives to regain our strength and at the same time not lose sight of ourselves and our well-being.
Ayurveda distinguishes between three different body, consciousness and personality types, the so-called doshas. The three doshas are Pitta (fire), Vata (air) and Kapha (earth). For most people, one of the doshas dominates, but two can also be more pronounced at the same time. Based on their natural nature, the Prakriti, people do not have to change anything, they can only consciously choose diet, cleansing and exercise methods for their type. The doshas become important when they are out of balance.
Fabienne and Tobias' intention is to offer guests individually tailored Ayurvedic cleansing treatments, according to Pancha Karma (the five paths of cleansing), which last seven or fourteen days depending on their needs and time. The two accompany the guests every day, practically from morning to night, and are available to answer questions about the treatment plan. I asked them a lot of questions because I am really enthusiastic about Ayurveda and I noticed how good this form of nutrition and the exercise that goes with it is for me.
Harmonious daily routine in the Casita
My morning began at 6.45:5 a.m. with the ringing of my alarm clock. And then my new morning routine began: scrape my tongue and then do oil pulling for 10-XNUMX minutes to loosen the bacteria in the mouth. Then drink two glasses of warm water to gently wake up the body (if you like, you can add lemon and/or ginger). While I was drinking the water, I collected my thoughts and wrote them down.
At eight o'clock we started in the yoga house with a 1,5-hour (sometimes two-hour) yoga session. Tobias led the classes and divided them into three parts each time:
- Arrival and meditation
- Breathing exercises, i.e. Prana Yama
- Asanas, the yoga poses and physical exercises.
The session was concluded with a Shavasana, a final relaxation completed.
At ten o'clock, brunch was waiting for us. In the Casita Ayurveda, this always consists of a sweet and warm part such as cooked oat flakes, spelt semolina or something similar and a warm, hearty dish with a few carbohydrates such as quinoa. There was always a portion of seasonal salad with an olive oil and lemon dressing. After the meal, there was a short digestive walk on the barefoot path.
I spent the rest of the morning either reading a book on one of the many terraces in the garden, with a liver wrap in my room, on an excursion (more on that below) or in a treatment. At 14 p.m. it was time for a fantastic fruit plate filled with regional delicacies such as mangos, passion fruit, melons and papaya. The afternoons were similar to the mornings: rest, treatment or free time.
My treatments included:
- Ayurvedic Abhyanga massages, in which the whole body was massaged with oil.
- A healing touch/Reiki energy massage to feel deeply connected to yourself.
- Sessions in infrared sweat cabins with color light therapy to boost metabolism.
- Alkaline foot baths and liver wraps that promote detoxification.
- Sitting on a Yoni box, a steam bath for women for care and healing.
- Shirodhara, a forehead pouring of warm oil, which has a relaxing and sleep-inducing effect. The two halves of the brain are harmonized, with the entire nervous system being positively influenced.
At 18 p.m. the last meal was waiting for us: a warm, light dish like cooked vegetables with a healthy sauce and a little rice. To help digest the food, we went for a long walk around the village every evening; the paths went up and down hills and we covered almost 5.000 steps.
Believe it or not, by 19.30:XNUMX p.m. it was almost bedtime. There was no more program, much more time to enjoy warm tea, hang out in the garden, read more, or just go to bed early.
Vegan Ayurvedic dishes to enjoy
Fabienne and Tobias and their cooks prepare the ingredients fresh for every meal. They buy them in organic shops and, above all, at a weekly market, where several ecological and organic-certified suppliers offer their fresh fruit and vegetables. I was able to accompany Fabienne to the weekly market and there I got to know mangos as well as various passion fruit varieties. Mangas are similar to mangos not only in appearance but also in taste, but they have the advantage that their flesh is very fine or without strings, which means they melt gently on the tongue.
A wide variety of fruits and vegetables, herbs and trees are planted in our own permaculture garden. The first manga will soon be harvested. Pretty much everything that can thrive in subtropical soil grows there, from lemons, passion fruit, strawberry guavas to curry leaves (from India) and pomegranates.
The different dishes inspired me to rethink my cooking and eating habits at home and I go home with a handful of tips:
- You can gently fry vegetables in coconut oil and ghee (organic clarified butter), it doesn't always have to be oil.
- Organic spices are everything and ensure excellent taste. Almost every savory dish contains onions, ginger and turmeric as well as cumin and coriander.
- Cooking vegetables in the evening is much more digestible.
- It is best not to drink anything with meals so that the stomach acid can do its full job.
- Fruit with dairy products and raw fruit with grains: What is part of many people's daily breakfast - milk and fruit - is one of the most common miscombinations in Ayurveda. This combination can lead to strong fermentation and putrefaction processes, which manifest themselves in flatulence and a feeling of fullness. According to Ayurveda, raw fruit should only be eaten as a snack and it is best not to eat any other meals 2 hours before and after consumption. Fermentation processes also occur when raw fruit and grains are combined. Steamed or cooked fruit can also be combined wonderfully.
- It is better to eat salad and raw vegetables at lunchtime rather than in the evening, because between 10 a.m. and 14 p.m. the body has the most energy for digestion.
- Drink warm teas instead of water and avoid chilled drinks.
- Sugar, coffee and alcohol are considered equal in Ayurveda and are not good for the body, so they should be avoided.
- Onions are good for digestion and are simmered for about 30 minutes in the Casita Ayurveda after frying.
- In general, you should take time to cook and see it as a kind of meditation.
Tenerife – subtropical, dry and fertile at the same time
In addition to the spa treatments, I was able to go on a few trips. Firstly, we went up the Pico del Teide, the highest mountain on Tenerife. The dry, rocky lunar landscape was more than impressive, as were lots of moss and dry bushes. In early summer, hundreds of pink viper's buglosses bloom there. We spent the time there doing some outdoor meditation, among other things.
Another highlight are the sea pools in Garachico. A short walk through the cute little town, across the market square and the small alleys is a must. I also loved the town of Icod de los Vinos: with its famous, several hundred year old Canarian dragon tree (Millennial Dragon Tree), which is considered a Canarian monument. There are pretty cafes and small boutiques to stroll through. One morning we headed to the volcanic beach of El Socorro to spend the morning doing yoga and then watching the busy bay with surfers.
Why Casita Ayurveda and not India or Sri Lanka?
Many people fly to India and Sri Lanka to have their first experience with Ayurveda. This not only requires more time for the flight, but if you are already travelling thousands of kilometres, you should also stay there for several weeks. At the same time, a language barrier can arise if you have to express yourself and your private concerns in a foreign language. Tobias and Fabienne also recommend that you first find access to Ayurveda in your own language and get to know the extensive treatment areas. You can always travel further afield later to expand your Ayurveda experience.
“It is not enough to know the way, you must also walk it.”
This quote is in the garden of Casita Ayurveda. I walked past it several times every day. My stay with Fabienne and Tobias allowed me to deepen my understanding of the path to a healthy, conscious life and I am going home with a suitcase full of new knowledge and a few resolutions. Now it's time to walk the path with love and mindfulness. My path.
© Photos: Cecile Meier
Cecile Meier
Cécile is a freelance author and sustainability strategist. She enjoys traveling to the fullest: getting to know different cultures, listening to other languages and discovering new things either by the sea or in a (big) city always fascinates her. The stories and intentions of the Good Travel hosts are particularly important to her.
Stephanie
Hello Cecile,
I was there in a group of 6 people this year and most of us had yoga and Ayurveda experiences and can say from our point of view that this place neither deals with these topics professionally nor caters to the guests individually. In addition, the price-performance ratio is not right at all. The heart of this accommodation is the cook, who unfortunately is kept very short and is not really appreciated there. None of us participants would book there again. The fact that there are no negative Google reviews does raise questions.