A Ceylon Press Alternative Guide

It is a comfort to know that it is of little matter whether the glass is half full or half empty. For, thankfully, the glass is refillable. And fill it we do at The Flame Tree Estate & Hotel.

For should you want to do any restoring, resetting, rebooting or rebalancing of your mind or body, we are fortunate to have on hand five of the very best therapists in Kandy to help out. All can be booked in advance through the Hotel office to come to treat you here at the Hotel, either in your room or in Coco’s Pavillion, our therapy treatment centre built into a private amphitheatre with gorgeous views across the secluded jungle hills and valleys that surrounds the hotel.

In particularly, we have exceptionally good physiotherapy, courtesy of Roshan Silva, our on-call and certified physiotherapist.

Accredited by the Sri Lanka Foundation and the American Safety And Health Institute, Rohan works with many different types of clients, including athletes recovering from injuries. His work focuses on injury prevention, recovery and rehabilitation, and performance enhancement. One of his main clients is the Kandy Sports Club founded back in 1874 and today the leading multi discipline sports club in the country, known especially for its rugby.

Rohan will begin the 60 minute session with a 5 minute consultation to identify any special areas of treatment that are necessary, previous treatments and specific vulnerabilities to be mindful of.

The physiotherapy massage that lies at the heart of the session is done by hands-on treatment methods. It will first address pain, stiffness, muscular tension and any limited range of motion in the joints, muscles, and soft tissues.

It will also focus on longer seated pains in the spine and joints, shoulders, knees, elbows that are typically caused by strains or injuries to the muscles and soft tissue; and by postural imbalances.

The session may also include, as appropriate, two other classic therapies that are commonly used by trained physiotherapists:

Dry Cupping, to help improve drainage for inflamed areas of the body by encouraging the better drainage of excess blood and water to away from inflamed areas.

And K-Taping, to assist with musculoskeletal system damage by using thin, elastic tape to support muscles, joints, and tissues.

The full session lasts 60 minutes but its shape can be determined in advance at the consultation – for Rohan is also experienced in determining and teaching exercises based on aerobics, and yoga to help further strengthen areas of vulnerability that you can practice regularly in your own time. If you would like to make time for him to determine and teach you a bespoke set of exercises to best suit your specific needs, this can be either added to an extended session or
included within a shortened physiotherapy massage treatment.

A more traditional island massage is also available courtesy of our two fully qualified Ayurveda masseuse: Udaya Rajapaksha; and Yamuna Jayawickrama. Both are trained in a full range of Ayurveda practices including Panchakarma and Abhyanga; as well as Reflexology; and have been practicing for over 14 years each.

The classic ayurvedic abhyanga oil massage that they offer is focused on manipulating energy fields by applying itself more to the skin, rather than just to the underlying muscles. It helps detox the body, improve circulation, release muscle tension and reduce stress; and is especially good in nourishing the skin from head to toe as well.

Unlike a sport massage which primarily kneads the muscles and skin, the ayurvedic abhyanga oil massage involves long, gliding strokes. It can also involve rhythmic tapping, using the fingers or hands, to stimulates nerve endings and rejuvenate the skin; quicker back-and-forth movements to generate heat and enhance blood flow; and specific pressure movements to target muscles and joints.

Our fifth therapist is Noel Dharmajith – our on-call yoga teacher who for many years has run some of the most popular yoga classes in Kandy. He has been practicing yoga since he was eleven, training continually with yogic masters both in Sri Lanka and in India.

The Hatha Yoga that Noel offers is the sort of workout that nurtures both body and soul, stretching and rebalancing the muscles as much as it de-stresses the mind. It is much loved for its mellow and measured pace. It gains its name for its unification of all that the sun (“Ha”) as well as the moon (“tha”) embodies - active and passive, warming and cooling. It dates back to ancient and later medieval Indian traditions.

Two practices lie at its heart.

The first, the Asana physical postures, comprise a set of exercises that build strength and enhance flexibility. Each posture is held for a while, giving you the space to connect with your breath and develop a deeper awareness of your body – whilst also stretching the muscles with finite care. The second, the Pranayama - or Breath Control – is the other central part of the therapy. By extending, slowing, or intensifying your breathing you become much more conscious of the energy within your body between exercises.

Many practitioners of Hatha Yoga also follow four other routines; and these can be built into your yoga session with Noel if you would like to include them.

The first of these are the Shatkarma Purification Techniques - six cleansing practices that seek to purify the internal organs and set the stage for more advanced yogic techniques.

The second are the Mudras Energy Seals, the classic hand and finger gestures taught by Lord Buddha, that are believed to channel energy within the body.

The third are the Bandhas Energy Locks - a set of internal muscle contractions that help to lock and redirect vital energy within the body.

And the last is, of course, meditation, often done at the end or start of a session to quiet the mind.

“What a long time whoever lives here is answering this door,” said Winne-the-Poo as he knocked on the door again. “But Pooh,” said Piglet, “it’s your own house!” “Oh!” Said Pooh. “So it is,” he said. “Well, let’s go in.” And so you can, body and mind returned to the sort of unruffled and tranquil stillness that holidays are, in part, all about finding once more.