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Shanti Maurice, set on a wedge of exclusive coastline in Mauritius, has recently reopened as a nira resort with a nira spa following the success of the ayurvedic approach of the original Shanti Ananda Maurice. It offers 25 treatment rooms and 61 junior suites and villas.

Volcanic rock as black as coal is set against the turquoise sea and once enveloped by the softest kurta (Indian pyjamas), one feels quite at home wafting around in this tropical paradise.

Shanti Maurice is where one goes to become whole again. Previously little sister to the award-winning destination spa Shanti Ananda Himalaya and having hosted the likes of Kylie, what I like most about Shanti Maurice is the realistic approach of Ayurveda. It offers all the benefits of a retreat, cushioned by the comforts and pleasures of an island holiday. There also isn't a policy of denying, but rather a gentle reminder that 'anything in excess should be avoided'.

The four cornerstone personas who encourage and guide guests to renewal are Dr Mane (the Ayurvedic physician), Sumit Kumar (the Ayurvedic chef), Rakesh Thapliyal from Rishikesh (the yoga teacher) and Swapnil Gupte (the Vedanta teacher from the Vedanta Institute in Pune).

The Treatments

Dr Pramod Mane is a walking ad campaign for Ayurveda. Wearing a wholesome wool sweater the colour of oatmeal, his glossy black hair in a neat cut, he radiates good health, and a calm but clear sense of self and he smiles whenever he makes a point, as if my dawning enlightenment is a joy.

As he escorts me to his office he has already begun observing my build, my posture, my skin and the thickness of my eyebrows (chef Sam later told me my sparse brows were one of the clues betraying my Vata-Pitta status), before proceeding with the official questionnaire that will establish my dosha.

'Ayurvedic teachings tell us that each human being has their own unique combination of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) formed at the precise moment of conception,' explains Dr Mane, 'and this combination determines our physical, mental and spiritual behaviour and our body composition.' According to Ayurveda we need to balance our dosha through complementary diet, yoga and Ayurvedic treatments in order to maintain good health. 'Ayurveda helps you understand what you are,' says Dr Mane, smiling.

We discussed my particular combination and I received my take-home print-out of Vata-Pitta do's and don'ts. Then I went in for the Abhyanga massage administered by two youthful Keralan therapists with oils selected to suit my dosha. It's more of a gentle stroking movement than a get-in-there-with-your-elbow style. And far removed from the primping and pummelling of peach-coloured beauty salons, the treatment has a natural and earthy appeal and a sense of ritual.

It is initiated with a prayer chanted by the therapists and a pinch of rasnadi churnam pressed into your scalp – this is a powder which is 'hot' in properties to prevent a headache or cold when you leave the comfort of the treatment room and head into the air outside. The massage table is also made from the wood of a Jackfruit tree, to aid the balancing of the doshas whereas a mattress is believed to stifle this process.

The session is concluded by washing off the massage oils with Ayurvedic gram flour pastes - these are dosha dependent and will only remove the excess oil on your skin, leaving enough for optimum functioning. Soap doesn't fall in with Ayurvedic principles, that aim for the optimum equilibrium in the skin, as it's believed to strip away too many of the skin's natural oils. The predominant feeling afterwards was that of feeling nurtured and I would have happily put on a set of white cotton PJs and spent an afternoon in contemplation.

Dr Mane's recommended reading if you'd like to find out more about Ayurveda: Ayurveda – The Life of Balance by Maya Tiwari.