KOCHI: “Ayurveda is often termed the mother of healing and it is on the lap of this mother that I got relief from a chronic back pain. I have been visiting this place for years and when I decided to get married I thought this is the right place to make it memorable,” said Fabien Correch with a broad smile.Fabien, 45, who is a certified ayurveda practitioner in Paris, and Samiya, who works with an insurance company in France, will tie the knot at Sarathy Ayurvedic Hospital at Elookkara near Aluva at 11am on Sunday.
“I met Samiya during my visit to Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Thiruvananthapuram two years ago. We both are interested in Indian philosophy and it is the similarity in our thoughts that brought us closer. As both of us are interested in Vedic life, we decided to get married in traditional Kerala style. Samiya spent a whole day applying ‘mehendi’ on her hands and will be wearing a saree on the occasion. I will be wearing a Kerala dhoti. Around 20 friends and relatives have arrived to participate in the marriage. We have arranged a Kerala-style ‘sadhya’ for our guests,” he said.
Fabien first read about ayurveda in a newspaper article while serving in the army in French Guiana. From that moment, he was curious to know more about traditional medicine. This brought Fabien to India 20 years ago and he has been frequenting the country ever since, learning something new during each visit.
“Fabien came here seven years ago seeking treatment for back pain. He had developed acute lower back pain and strained vision due to continuous use of computer. Once he got relief through our treatment, he became a regular visitor. He learned ayurveda therapy and opened a therapy centre in Paris,” said T P Suku, owner of Sarathy Hospital.
Fabien started learning ayurveda at the European Institute of Vedic Studies in 2000 and he visited India to learn ‘panchakarma’, which helped him earn the status of a certified ayurveda practitioner in France.
“Ayurveda is relatively new to France and there are some misconceptions about it. In the beginning, only a few people evinced interest in ayurveda. Now, however, many schools have started offering awareness on ayurveda. People have slowly understood that it is a stream of medicine and not just wellness,” said Fabien Correch.
A difficult part of ayurveda is the change in food habits. “I realised how food habits can change a person. Three important things are food habits, good sleep and activity and every person on earth has to manage these three,” said Fabien, who has also written a few books on ayurveda in French.