What you see – Greenery greets you at the entrance of Red Cross Institute of Yoga and Nature Cure, giving you a kind of relief even before you enter it. The institute that was set up in around 1995 is a non-profit organization. It is an off-shoot of the Indian Red Cross Society. Red Cross has recently undergone renovation. So now you see a completely furnished yoga and nature cure center here.
What you get - A drugless and natural treatment to deal with your health woes is what this place offers. It specializes in naturopathy, which is basically a multi-disciplinary treatment system that uses natural resources to help heal the human body. Diet and yoga are vital aspects around which this treatment revolves.
The treatment at the institute is largely flexible. Initially, patients have to undergo dietary changes with detoxifying fasts to build up strength and immunity. Then depending upon the illness, the treatment may also include therapeutic diet and yogic exercises, stress relieving techniques, pranayama, meditation, body massages, saunas, steam baths, tub baths, enemas and mud applications.
Red Cross claims that the naturopathy treatment is particularly effective for curing disorders that are gastro-intestinal (indigestion, constipation, dysentery), cardiovascular (hypertension, paralysis etc), stress-related, skeleto-muscular (cervical and lumbar spondylitis, arthritis), skin-related (acne, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis), respiratory (sinusitis, asthma) and gynecological (disturbed uterine bleedings, infertility due to obesity) apart from obesity. Anybody above ten years of age can avail the benefit of these treatments.
Doctors here usually recommend a 2-3 week course and depending upon the intensity of the illness, they decide whether a patient should be admitted or not. For inpatients, the prescribed food is provided by the canteen itself. While a 10-day treatment (for outpatients) costs around Rs. 1,000, a 15-day treatment costs about Rs. 1,500. Food would cost about Rs. 50 for a day. The low-calorie, vegetarian food consists of vegetables, fruits, sprouts, cereals, soups and juices. The thirty-bed hospital with two doctors also has a physiotherapy unit. But it stocks limited equipment.
Apart from the nature cure treatments, the institute also offers a 3-month course in general yoga wherein asanas, pranayama and meditation techniques are taught. It also includes theory sessions of an hour each, for a week. The fees for the course in yoga are Rs. 300 for the first month and Rs. 200 for every month after that.
With a seating capacity of 35, the hall for yoga has tiled flooring. So if you do not like to practice on tiles make sure you carry along your mat. Batches are held from 6 to 7 and 7 to 8 in the morning and 5 to 6 in the evening. Exclusive classes for ladies are also held in the morning from 9 to10 and 10 to11.
Our verdict – Red Cross seems to be an economical, modest and hygienic place to get yourself treated in a natural way.
Drive to – Red Cross Institute of Yoga and Nature Cure,
L.V. Prasad Marg,
Jubilee Hills,
Hyderabad – 500 033.
Call at – 040-23608840
Anytime between - 6 AM – 5 PM (Weekdays)
6 AM – 12 PM (Sundays)
Posted on: Dec 22, 2006
