Planning a winter travel to India but don’t know your best options? We suggest Kerala, the land of glittering white beaches, coconut trees and a host of exquisite regional attractions. Of late, Kerala is also gaining acclaim worldwide as a center for Ayurvedic healing and Yoga. If the upcoming Christmas break is the only plausible time for you, come to Kerala and mix the joys of Yoga and Ayurveda with travel!

Here are five worthwhile things to do:

Follow Yoga Life:

Not many people know this, but Kerala is where you will find some of the best instructors and some of the most positively-rated yoga teacher training institutes in India. Belonging to the pure tradition, the yoga culture here is comprehensive. Not just a fitness program, the teacher training courses and retreat programs in yoga in Kerala cover an in-depth curriculum.

Come here on a month’s leave from regular life or attend a one week retreat this Christmas break to brush up your asana skills. Alongside, you will be educated in mantra chanting, meditation techniques and pranayama.

Experience Ayurvedic Wellness:

The medicinal science of Ayurveda originated in India and shares approach and ethics similar to Yoga. Today, it is a popular way of alternative medicine because of holistic diagnosis of mind and all bodily systems. Herbal medicine and natural cure methods of the Ayurvedic discipline is a great relief as it has no harmful side-effects. Ayurveda is a rare wisdom and not widely practiced in everyday life, except in Kerala.

On your month-long getaway to India, you can experience complete body purification with Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment, or any of the other naturopathic healing programs in Kerala. Refreshing spas and herbal massages too can be taken regularly during your retreat in Kerala.

Awaken Your Inner Fighter with Kalaripayattu:

If you want some action in your Christmas holidays, explore Kalaripayattu—one of the oldest forms of martial art. This technique is all about agility and reflexes. In Kerala, you can watch the greatest masters fight it out who also provide classes on systematic learning of the art. Kalaripayattu, according to tradition, is believed to have regenerative attributes which help you stay fit and feeling alive through the ages. You can easily combine this program with your body-mind wellness retreat in Kerala this Christmas.

Enjoy the Exquisite Backwaters:

Kerala is famous for its exquisite backwaters. As a worshipper of nature’s beauty and seeker of peace in India, you must visit the backwaters and spend a night or two in the gondola-style boats. Crisscrossing across the waters along the green forest lands, you can have the time of your life with your friends and loved ones. It is going to be a far cry from your other Christmas memories of chilling weather and snow, in this tropical heaven.

Have a Taste of Hot Spices:

There is absolutely no shortage of options when it comes to specialties of Kerala to take home to, but spices are perhaps the best choice. The Nilgiri Hills in this western coastal stretch of the country is a hotbed for spices. The rich assortment includes—cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, turmeric, curry leaves and more.

There are unique nutritional as well as medicinal properties to each spice group. On your stay here, you can learn about these medicinal qualities and Ayurvedic nutritional values of the spices. The most elite yoga schools in Kerala now offer exclusive Ayurvedic cooking classes where you can learn cooking methods for preservation of food values, healthy as well tasty Ayurvedic food preparations, and proper Ayurvedic ways of food consumption. Take a tour of Kerala’s colorful spice bazaars and collect condiments in bunches at incredibly cheap rates!