Our group of 17 yogis all fell in love with this Hermitage. The setting is embracing, with the large land tract dotted with cottages and apartments, linked with winding pathways under palm trees and tropical vegetation all the way to the secluded beach. The Ayurvedic clinic is staffed with highly qualified and experienced doctors, several trained in Western as well as the Ayurvedic tradition. Never have I received such loving and expert care. It is said that India gives you what you need. Some of us came down with flu-like symptoms after the long flight, and we recovered so quickly with natural medications and massage type treatments. The dining hall offers a generous buffet style spread of dishes in the south India cuisine, yet carefully prepared under three headings of the three Ayurvedic doshas. This makes dining so easy and so delicious once your doctor visit has determined the best diet for your particular healing. The food becomes your medicine, For those not doing the Auryvedic track, there is an array of other dishes including fish, chicken and the best omelettes. Papayas, mangoes, water melons and pineapple, whichever are in seasons, are served every day in sheer luxurious abundance. The dining staff is extraordinarily attentive, helping with carrying your tray to your favorite table overlooking the balmy Malabar coast. The therapists who carry out the particular massages under doctor's supervision are so loving and respectful, and skilled. The garden is tended lovingly by locals, who greet you with enormous smiles. Bethsaida staff recognise and treat each guest as a God or Goddess. That's how it is run.
Best of all, the entire healing enterprise supports the local community, raising the standard of living for the village, bringing not only a better lifestyle, but also education and future possibilities. As a yoga teacher, I was so delighted to find the Bethsaida Hermitage. It was also a great honor to discover that we were the first group to come from USA, even though Europeans have been coming for 25 years already.