written by Bonny Lamar
At Sen Wellness Sanctuary, an Ayurvedic retreat in Sri Lanka, guests from around the world come to step away from daily pressures and reconnect with their health through Ayurveda, yoga, and mindful living.
We spoke with Dr Chamodi, Senior Ayurvedic Physician at Sen, about supporting women’s health across every stage, from menstrual years and fertility to perimenopause and menopause.
With more than seven years of clinical experience, Dr Chamodi blends classical Ayurvedic knowledge with modern insight to help women thrive naturally. Here’s what she had to say.
Why women’s health needs a lifelong approach
“Most people associate women’s health with menopause or reproductive issues,” explains Dr Chamodi. “But the choices we make in our 20s and 30s, from contraceptive use to stress management, have long-term effects on hormonal health.”
In Ayurveda, women’s health is not seen as a series of isolated concerns, but as a continuous process shaped by lifestyle, stress, digestion, and emotional wellbeing.
“Hormonal issues aren’t just about symptoms,” she says. “They’re about energy imbalances affecting the whole system.”
At Sen, this broader view allows practitioners to look beyond diagnosis and understand the full picture.
“We look beyond the diagnosis to understand the person: their stress, lifestyle, digestion, and constitution. That’s how we create treatments that really work.”
Menstrual years & PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome): more than “bad periods”
Painful or irregular cycles, acne, mood changes, and bloating are often early signs of imbalance, particularly in the teenage years and twenties.
“When a woman comes with PCOS, we don’t just treat the ovaries,” Dr Chamodi explains. “We observe mood changes, thyroid issues, hair loss, bloating—every detail helps us identify the root cause.”
In Ayurveda, these patterns are understood through the three doshas:
- Vata (nervous system, movement): irregular or painful cycles
- Pitta (heat, hormones): heavy bleeding, acne, inflammation
- Kapha (structure, metabolism): sluggishness, weight gain, cyst formation
Rather than treating symptoms individually, the focus is on restoring balance across the whole system through diet, herbal medicine, daily routines, and therapeutic treatments.
“Understanding how the body responds at this stage allows for more targeted and sustainable support over time. It’s not just about physical health, it’s about mental and emotional alignment too.”
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The role of stress in hormonal health
Modern life places ongoing demands on the body, often without enough time to recover.
“Chronic stress affects nearly every system in the body,” says Dr Chamodi. “It can disrupt hormones, digestion, immunity, and mental health. Many women don’t realise how deeply daily pressures and unresolved trauma influence their cycles and fertility.”
Research increasingly shows that chronic stress can disrupt the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, a key system involved in hormone regulation. This has been linked to irregular menstrual cycles, fatigue, insulin resistance, and a higher risk of mood disorders.
At Sen, supporting the nervous system is a central part of the approach. Daily practices such as yoga, meditation, breathwork, and guided rest are integrated into each retreat.
“At Sen, we focus on the mental and emotional aspects of health just as much as the physical,” Dr Chamodi says. “Yoga, meditation, breathwork, journaling, and personalised lifestyle adjustments help women release stored tension, balance their nervous system, and create the foundation for hormonal harmony.”
Fertility & pregnancy: building foundations
In Ayurveda, fertility is seen as a reflection of overall health, rather than a standalone issue.
“Couples often overlook emotional and relational alignment,” Dr Chamodi notes. “Stress, differences in constitution, and emotional strain can all affect conception, alongside physical factors.”
At Sen, fertility-focused Ayurvedic retreats aim to support the body holistically through nourishment, rest, and emotional balance.
During pregnancy, the focus shifts toward building ojas, or deep vitality, through gentle movement, supportive treatments, and a stable daily rhythm.
Dr Chamodi insists that “postpartum care is not just about bouncing back. It’s a critical preventive window to support long-term health.”
Perimenopause & menopause: embracing transition
Perimenopause and menopause are natural transitions, though without support they can bring physical and emotional challenges.
Ayurveda views this stage as Vata-dominant, where symptoms such as dryness, disrupted sleep, and sensitivity can become more noticeable.
At Sen, treatments are designed to ease this transition through:
- Rasayana therapies to support bones, cognition, and emotional balance
- Yoga, meditation, and breathwork to ease hot flashes, anxiety, and sleep disturbances
- Personalised herbal support for hormonal and genitourinary health
- Mind–body treatments such as Abhyanga and Shirodhara to promote calm
“For practitioners, menopause is a multi-system transition benefiting from integrative, individualised care rather than focusing on a single hormone or symptom,” she says.
Why an Ayurvedic retreat in Sri Lanka makes a difference
Stepping away from daily life can have a significant impact on how the body responds to treatment.
At Sen Wellness Sanctuary, the environment itself is part of the process. Located between the Indian Ocean and the Rekawa Nature Reserve, the sanctuary offers a setting where daily rhythms naturally slow down.
Without constant stimulation, the body is better able to regulate, rest, and reset.
“A retreat is like a living lab,” Dr Chamodi notes. “It’s an opportunity to practice alignment for a week or more and translate insights into sustainable home routines.”
How Sen Wellness Sanctuary supports women’s health
Each Ayurvedic women’s health retreat begins with an in-depth consultation, covering menstrual history, stress levels, fertility, and overall wellbeing.
From that assessment, Dr Chamodi and the clinical team design a personalised healing programme combining:
- Daily Ayurvedic therapies and herbal medicine
- Yoga, meditation, and breathwork suited to each phase of the cycle
- Wholesome, dosha-balancing cuisine made with organic local ingredients
- Nature immersion, rest, and emotional healing sessions
- Integration of Eastern and Western practices for complete wellbeing
Begin your healing journey in Sri Lanka
Whether you are navigating PCOS, fertility challenges, postpartum recovery, or menopause, a more integrated approach to women’s health can offer long-term support.
At Sen Wellness Sanctuary, each retreat is designed to help the body return to balance in a way that feels sustainable and deeply restorative.
“If a woman could focus on just one thing to protect her long-term health, it would be to spend time with herself, to prioritise self-care. That foundation underpins every other aspect of health” Dr Chamodi concludes.
Explore retreats at Sen Wellness Sanctuary and take time to reset in a way that feels both supported and sustainable
