Travel

YO1 – The Secret to Living Forever – Almost!

Yoga, Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Vegan, Vegetarian, Health, Longevity

 Have you ever set the punishing alarm clock to alert yourself for a one-on-one meeting with yourself?

Well, I did. At 4.30 am!

The alarm woke me up when it was still pitch-dark as the time had just changed. The rewards, however, were great: I experienced a soothing morning meditation at 5 am where I witnessed the night sky change from murky black to the rosy pink of dawn. That day I also did many things for myself that I had never done before – I had an Abhyangam full body oil massage, tried the Neti pot for cleansing of the nasal passages and even had an Ayurveda dosha reading  – and I was nowhere near India!

All this happened in the Catskill Mountains, just a two hour drive from New York. We actually reached there in one and a half hours. There was light snow on the trees and the lake was frozen. But imagine this – a wonderful getaway in our own backyard, an Indian-inspired luxury resort focused on health and wellness with ancient Indian therapies.

The Yo1 Longevity and Health Resort in Monticello offers Yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy treatments and reflexology.  It is the hidden treasure that major international lifestyle magazines have written about. This weekend I trekked out to Monticello – hosted by Yo1 to experience the resort. So I am the proverbial fly on the wall to tell you everything I saw and did which may help in living longer and happier.

This state-of-the-art resort has all the luxuries – and the expert personnel to guide you through these experiences. If you’re a novice you’ll learn all about breath awareness, surya namaskar (sun salutations) and standing and seating asanas or postures. Group yoga is an activity which makes you a part of a larger community but there are also private lessons if you prefer to learn one-on-one.

I had the Abhyangam full body oil massage which lasts for 50 minutes and is done with 100 percent herbal oils. As my massage therapist told me, “It doesn’t have any side effects but what is special about this massage is that it relieves all kinds of physical and mental stress. You will have an amazing experience.  I’m pretty sure when you leave the room, you’ll be totally light – physically and mentally.”

She was right – I did feel like a new woman after 50 minutes of Ayurvedic massage with different blends of herb oils. It is actually a massage therapy which is recommended daily as it relieves fatigue and encourages stamina and perfect sleep.

There are several massages to choose from to help your body recover: Podikizh, which is a full body poultice massage; vasti which is oil pooling which alleviates pain and reduces stiffness and swelling in the joints; Shiroabhyangam is a soothing head massage and Padabhayangam is a leg massage from the knees to the feet.

Before making your reservations it might be a good idea to explore the offerings on the YO1 website and choose the ones your body needs. The plan should be to treat the forgotten parts of the body and truly have a full mind-body experience. So you can choose from Swedish massage to hot stone massage, salt glow therapy and even acupuncture. If you’re an asthma sufferer or have arthritis and other ailments, there are immersion baths and even an underwater massage.

Yoga is very much a feature of Y01 with both private and group classes throughout the day. I did not know this but even yoga nidra or yogic sleep is an art to be mastered! It is intended to induce physical, mental and emotional relaxation and you just lie very still. Some of my friends did this 60 minute class and they were sleeping like babies! It might be a good practice for people to master so that they can fall asleep easily, especially in times of stress.

Are we eating right and giving our bodies the masterfoods it deserves? Our bodies can’t  talk so they cannot tell us what they need – so an Ayurvedic Dosha consultation might be just the ticket to find out what’s going on with your body. In this fascinating session,   the Counselor primed me about the basics of Ayurveda and the concept of dosha or the body type. She explained my dosha to me through pulse assessment, and suggested the foods I should be eating for optimum health.

 

Being a vegetarian, I was delighted to see YO1 offered only vegan and vegetarian meals, with lots of creative options from international cuisines. It is all organic cooking with locally sourced ingredients. The daily breakfast is a diverse and widespread buffet with everything you could think of to start your day.  There is also a showcase kitchen where noted visiting chefs share their recipes of vegetarian and vegan cuisine and guests to the resort get to learn as well as taste the chef’s recipes.

The rooms are luxurious with king-sized beds and living rooms, so it’s easy to concentrate on the body’s wellbeing. Each of the rooms has a lake view and some plus points like rain shower/steam shower combinations in the bathrooms, besides scores of steam and sauna rooms and a huge pool in the resort.

If you want to manage anxiety, pain, insomnia, hypertension, weight or diabetes, a visit to YO1 may be the ticket, for it is more than a spa – it is a longevity center with experienced doctors.

Even when in optimum health, our bodies do struggle and work hard in facing the stresses of everyday life and getting us through ups and downs. So YO1 is about being good to your body and rewarding it for all the hard work it does!