The Raj Ayurveda Health Center & Wellness Spa — Fairfield, United States

Purpose-built Panchakarma retreat on 100 acres in Fairfield, Iowa

Outside Fairfield, Iowa, a 36,000-square-foot health center sits on 100 acres of rolling meadows and woodlands. The Raj Ayurveda Health Center was built, in the words of its own pages, so that every element of a stay supports Panchakarma, Ayurveda's program of purification and rejuvenation. That includes the design of the building, the dedicated treatment spaces, the organic vegetarian kitchen and the quiet land around it. The Raj was established in 1993 by co-owners and directors Candace and Rogers Badgett. They describe working under the direct guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Maharishi's Ayurveda Council. The center calls itself the first in-residence Panchakarma facility designed in accord with Ayurveda building principles, and says it was among the first to introduce traditional Panchakarma treatment in the United States. Guests stay for 5, 7, 14 or 21 days. Seven days is the recommended minimum for a fuller program, and it is the most popular. Each stay begins with an Ayurvedic consultation and a personalized treatment plan. The center keeps to no more than 15 guests, schedules frequent consults with its Ayurvedic doctors (vaidyas), and gives treatments with two therapists. Massage oils are organic, herbs are prepared fresh in house to suit each person's constitution, and meals are locally sourced and organic. Transcendental Meditation is part of the program. The Raj also points to published research. In one longitudinal investigation of a comparable Ayurvedic purification program, the persistent fat-soluble toxicants PCBs fell by 46% and beta-HCH by 58%. The center's own research pages caution that the studies were separate and do not prove the programs prevent or treat any disease.

Traditions: Ayurveda, Panchakarma, Maharishi Ayurveda, Transcendental Meditation, Shirodhara, Yoga

Programs: 5 Day Ayurveda Retreat, 7 Day Ayurveda Retreat, 14 Day Ayurveda Retreat, 21 Day Ayurveda Retreat, Ayurvedic Consultation, Day Spa Treatments, Ayurvedic Treatment for Chronic Disorders, Weight Management