Extending roughly 80km like a skinny, lopsided paprika, at first glance Lake Balaton seems to simply be a happy, sunny expanse of opaque tourmaline-colored water in which to play. But step beyond the beaches of Europe’s biggest and shallowest body of water and you’ll encounter Calendula – Ayurvedic and Medical Clinic which is among the leading European medical centers combining Eastern therapeutic systems with modern Western medical technology.

Calendula - medical clinic

The reason why I went beyond to explore Calendula clinic was not only my curiosity to find out more successful cases they have treated but to find out on my own how they can help me to overcome my health problems; stress, back and neck pain, gas in stomach and etc. And what I found here was more than I could ever imagine. Five days past by so fast and I have left completely relaxed, with full of energy, new eating and lifestyle habits and long-time friends 😊

But let´s start from the beginning: most of the people come for here to start a program based on an Ayurveda therapeutic part called Panchakarma for cleansing the body at the cellular level. This consists of authentic Ayurvedic massages and procedures which are provided by therapists from India. Phytotherapy is an integral part of treatment. The clinic has its own laboratory, where medicines are made with the use of more than 2,500 herbs and minerals, according to the recipes of Ayurveda, traditional Chinese and Arabic medicine.

The first day I underwent a doctor´s visit to identify my problems. Doctor Pavel, Diana and Galina have examined my stomach, pulse, eyes and tongue to determine what kind of procedures fit me the most.  My program was called Rassayana which aims prevention of premature aging, rejuvenation of the body, restoration of depleted tissues, replenishment of vital energy, rehabilitation after operations, births, high loads and stresses.

Dr. Dmitrij Szkopincev - founder of Calendula

How my daily scheduled look like:

7.30 – an hour morning yoga with Ajith – after overcoming the fact I need to get up so early, I found myself completely indulge with a peacefulness and energy that comes from this therapeutant. First, we massaged gently our joints, followed by sun salutation, asanas in sitting and lying position and ended with pranayama. To follow this morning routine helps to maintain my balance in everyday life full of stress.

Ajith - yoga master

8.30 – 9.30 – healthy breakfast. My body type Pita Vata needs to follow certain diet; avoid dairy products, gluten, caffeine and reducing meat.  Breakfast buffet at Calendula Clinic gives you an option to choose what you prefer. My usually consisted of some vegetables, feta cheese, crackers, fruits etc. These is all supported by green tee or water.

10.00 – 10.45 – gymnastics or Tai chi – after breakfast, forget about the rest. Your program continues with more exercise to keep you active. Whether you have gymnastics with Sara or Tai chi with Hue, your body and mind will reward you accordingly. Sara shows you several exercise with you can practice at home to release the muscle pain in back, shoulders and neck. Khue Trinh – Tai chi teacher from Vietnam conducts you on the journey of traditional Chinese martial arts which is not only good from defense training but has several health benefits and is good for meditation.

11.00 – 12.30 – starts first Ayurvedic treatment. This could be either Abhyanga massage, Patra Potli, or Marma massage. All my therapeutants: Ajith, Agy and Bineesh were great and helped me a lot with a gas in my stomach. At the beginning, when the stomach was still full of the breakfast, it felt little uncomfortable but towards the end, we found the way how to overcome it.

13.00 – 14.00 – at lunch they served everyday a fresh soup (chickpeas, vegetable, potatoes) followed by main course and salad buffet. First day I was constantly thinking about the food, even on a massage table but throughout my stay it completely disappeared. I learned how to eat on a frequent basis (3 times a day), not to starve and eat snacks in between. The portion were enough to keep me full until the dinner time.

14.00 – 14.30 – acupuncture or bath time; acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. In my case doctor Pavel decided to clean the liver therefore inserted the needles in the ankles, wrist and knees. Some patients fall asleep for 25-30 minutes session, some may feel little dizzy afterward, but everyone feel great relief at the end.

14.45 – 16.15 – 2^nd Ayurvedic treatment consisting of either Svedana or Shirodara. Shirodara is a very popular Ayurvedic healing technique that involves pouring oil onto your forehead. It's often combined with a body, scalp, or head massage. On the other hand, Svedana is like a steam therapy. There are different types of swedana. Svedana is a pre procedure for Panchakarma.

18.00 – 19.00 – Dinner; compared to two previous meals, dinner is served and usually consist of main meal: risotto, rice nuddles, zuchini cake or some other creation by chef and complemented by some fruit. It´s the perfect icing on the cake to conclude your day. Afterwards you can just simply read book, lye down or enjoy some time with the other patients. 

One of the best things about Calendula clinic is that you can literally walk all day long in your bathrobe, going for a breakfast, then heading for the procedures or resting in your room. If you got some spare time in your busy schedule, then I can definetely recommend short walk to the Lake Balaton, rent a bike or simply rest a little bit by the pool and soak some sun. 

Throughout my time at Calendula I stayed in new Clinic in deluxe rooms which was decorated in light wooden style with modern bathroom and toiletries. In some free time, I enjoyed a lot the balcony which was facing the sun. It was perfect as anytime I felt thirsty I headed down to the restaurant to take some water or tea which was there all day long. 

The clinic provides an individual approach to each client therefore if you want to consult your own problem, just get in touch with them and they will for sure find you the right program. For more information visit their website https://calendula.hu/. They speak English, Russian and Hungarian.