Man Behind Healthacation

Holidays are common knowledge, vacations are much awaited, and staycations are getting to be common. Now, thanks to Dr. Anish Kurias, a well-known Ayurveda doctor, we have a new term – Healthacation.

“Healthacation is a habitat where health is on a constant date with vacation,” says Dr. Anish – the brain behind project Healthacation. An Ayurveda doctor for the past 18 years, this doc proudly upholds the rich legacy of Ayurveda passed on to him from over the last 118 years.

One would think all vacations are healthy – the very reason people plunge in for a vacation is to spring back with zeal and vigor, right?

J“Yes, they do. But, do they really get what they are looking for or is it superficial?” quizzes Dr. Anish. “In today’s world, people book fancy places for vacations, fly down and watch TV. Or, they gather around and often read each other forwarded messages or worse, continue browsing their phones. The corporate giants pay for team outings and lunches just to get out of one concrete space to another. Birthday parties have become an excuse to consume unhealthy, junk food – quite in contrast of what you should be planning to celebrate the completion of a precious year, isn’t it? In short, there probably is a handful of a person out there, actually taking vacations for it really means.”

“Vacation should celebrate life. It should be a rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit,” points out Dr. Anish.

Healthacation is more than just about driving uphill, feeling the moist air and getting back simply feeling rejuvenated – you actually get rejuvenated.

“I like to describe it as nature’s channel of information,” says the doctor. “At Healthacation, we have charted a healthy holiday in pristine natural surroundings,” explains Anish.

When quizzed if that meant mud packs and raw veggies, he laughs his heart out and clarifies, “On the contrary, Healthacation promotes living your life to the fullest. Splashing in the rain, showering beneath waterfalls, getting an adrenaline rush going on off-road trips, cycling up-hill and down into the valleys, eating sumptuous, good and healthy food to your fill. Just that it doesn’t end there.”

Healthacation offers layers of insight to living a healthy life without compromising on fun. Here, you get tips on how to grow your own organic farm, come face-to-face with rare farm animals like the Punganur cattle and learn about their specialties. You get to learn basic stuff that will go with you a long way. For example, you learn to breathe, sleep and walk correctly. If you think you know how to do that already, you may want to check it out here. Chances are that you will get surprised at the extent to which you may have taken blessings for granted.

Dr. Kurias arrived at this concept watching, with alarm, the increase in the number of young patients taking trips to hospitals. “People in their 20s and 30s are now seeking treatment for diabetes and hypertension. This is so depressing. Research has shown my team of doctors that rampant diabetes, cancer and heart diseases can be kept away by spreading the word on how to live healthy - what to eat, get back in touch with your sources of food, etc. It is high time that people don’t just get alarmed and make a mental note about pesticide-coated food and pray that nothing adverse happens. They need to learn how to be independent of it,” says Anish.

He and his doctors began collating knowledge and brainstorming on how the same could be simplified and transferred to the common man.

Dr. Anish says that a lot of this knowledge is inherited. Secrets to a holistic lifestyle have been held by his family for five generations. He remembers his grandfather terming them as health secrets and his advice to treasure and cherish them. “I am glad I got the treasure trove passed on to me and I also choose to share it as much as I can. Today, I have 700 students across India. But, it’s not just doctors who need to know these secrets. I believe, everyone has a right to a great life,” he says.

The four-acre farm houses cottages made on the principles of Indian architecture, “the Vashista model”, which offers peace and comfort. Healthacationers are briefed on the Punganur cow and its wonder milk. They get to see the black Attapadi goat and the kadaknath black hen. You get to know of different types of farming.

Did you know that honey from stingless bee is not sweet but astringent?

Anish speaks strongly about an unholy nexus between doctors and pharma companies and of a marketing ploy that has made people dependent on medicines. “I see fear and panic among people about falling ill. This is an artificially-created chaos. If we live in accordance to the Indian way of life, we can live a healthy life. Healthy living is already made in India. We just need to stop aping and take the plunge to believe in our tradition,” beams the doc.

Healthacation is about learning to do it the right way. One may think these principles are just for adults to imbibe. Dr. Kurias begs to differ. He believes that it’s easier to rear healthy children than repair broken men. Healthacation offers an amazing program for school trips. Children get a feast of the outdoors, which in itself is a treat for today’s gen. Through many activities, kids imbibe fascinating facts, acquire gardening skills, experience the fun of farming and take back with them memories that go a long way.

It’s the right time for kids but never too late for the adults either. Dr. Kurias saw how comical it is for corporates to take a break by moving from a concrete jungle filled with gadgets to another with an artificial set up. Anish understands that the intention behind such outing is to revive employees, incentivize them for the hard work and motivate them. He recognizes that practically, this hardly ever takes place. And so, he came up with the Corp-Day-Outs program at Healthacation, where the corporate giants get to break it big in the most effective manner!

Dr. Anish Kurias strongly recommends producing one’s own food and shows how to do it effectively. “The biggest challenge is to undo the damage done by the current lifestyle and Healthacation is all about that.”

To put it in a nutshell opening the gates of Healthacation is like opening a book of wisdom, designed and peppered with a lot of fun, love and warmth!