My first experience with Viva Mayr was a couple of years ago when I visited the clinic on Lake Worth, Austria. Then struggling with glandular fever and being pumped full of an array of antibiotics, it felt life changing. After only four days I was restored to health, had lost four kilos, slept more than I had in the previous 10 years and had a new zest for life! So when I heard the devotees (including an array of celebrities) had a new destination to choose from, I was one of the first on a plane.
The new Viva Mayr resort is situated on the crystal clear Lake Altaussee, surrounded by majestic mountains and is perfectly… well, quiet. The kind of quiet we simply do not get in Dubai - making it the ideal place for recuperation, relaxation and restoring health.
The Mayr philosophy
You’ve heard the old adage “you are what you eat” - well Viva Mayr take that one step further. They add: you are what you digest, and that the way we eat can either keep us healthy or encourage the development of diseases. Modern Mayr Medicine is based on the famous detoxification programme developed by Dr Franz Xaver Mayr in Austria almost 100 years ago. Yes, the Mayr Cure is renowned for being hard core, but it will change the way you eat, calm your digestive system and make it more efficient thus sorting out a myriad of health problems with its strict diet programme, a combination of naturopathic and medical procedures and of course, the famous salts!
At Altaussee, salt is the central theme: there is the lovely salt water swimming pool, salt steam bath, salt mud wraps, Watsu body therapy treatments performed while you are floating in… yes you guessed it - salt water, and the not so lovely salt water drink in the morning. What you hear about most when people talk about Viva Mayr are the frequent bathroom trips due to the cleansing and detoxifying salts! But I’m not going to dwell, you get over it and more importantly you do feel cleaner, lighter and more energetic.
What to expect
Every stay starts with a consultation with one of the medical doctors who use applied kinesiology alongside conventional medical tests to determine any health problems, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and food intolerances. Your programme for your stay is then based on this and your treatments tailored to suit your needs. Be warned - the restaurant, while providing some absolutely beautiful dishes, are aware of your diet programme and arguing with the little card on your table with the unintelligible hieroglyphics will get you nowhere! You will learn to chew while you are there or you will be hungry, and suddenly surviving on about a third (depending on how much you eat!) of what you normally eat becomes easy. So while they do not promote themselves as a weight loss clinic, a result of all the detoxing, relaxing and healthy eating is that the weight drops off - not a bad side effect!
Between myself and fellow guests there were a variety of health complaints from IBS and insomnia to repeated illness and injury. Everyone reacts differently to the detox and I actually did not feel too bad but simply couldn’t seem to sleep, which was a common moan round the table every morning, while others had crushing headaches and dizzy spells.
Mornings were spent waking up slowly with some gentle yoga - yogis may prefer a one on one class particularly as they have aerial yoga. After breakfast we were found wandering in our dressing gowns from appointment to appointment with doctors, vitamin infusions, IHT (high altitude training), mud wraps, hydrotherapy and detox foot baths. My walking buddy and I spent our afternoons walking round the lake (7.5kms a day!), which I found the most relaxing despite all the chatting!
I returned a week later feeling healthy, refreshed and relaxed. Plus I managed to lose 2 kilos and gain some fabulous new friends!
Prices start from Euro 220 per night for single occupancy and Euro 175 for double occupancy. The price includes individually devised or medically prescribed dietary cuisine based on the principles of Modern Mayr Medicine. Mineral water, all teas and the daily programme are included in the price.
Contact Viva Mayr Altaussee on +43-362271450 email reservations@vivamayr.com or visit www.vivamayr.com.