{"id":32649,"date":"2026-04-08T10:03:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/ayurveda-explained-yoga-makes-us-feel-interview-with-ayurveda-specialist-mangal-gress-from-munich\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T15:48:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:48:58","slug":"ayurveda-explained-yoga-makes-us-feel-interview-with-ayurveda-specialist-mangal-gress-from-munich","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/ayurveda-explained-yoga-makes-us-feel-interview-with-ayurveda-specialist-mangal-gress-from-munich\/","title":{"rendered":"“Ayurveda explained – yoga makes us feel.”
Interview with Ayurveda specialist Mangal Gress from Munich"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h4>\n\n

Mangal Gress will be at Giardino Ascona from May 7 to 10, 2026<\/strong> – with her “Essence of Balance” retreat<\/a>, which creates space for new clarity, regeneration and a conscious connection to yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

You combine Ayurveda and yoga… What do these two traditions have in common?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

For me, Ayurveda and yoga belong inseparably together because they come from the same philosophical root.<\/p>\n\n

Both are millennia-old teachings from India and can be understood as sister disciplines.<\/p>\n\n

Ayurveda describes the principles of life and health – yoga is the practical way to experience these principles in your own body.<\/p>\n\n

In other words: Ayurveda explains what we need – yoga lets us feel whether it is really true.<\/p>\n\n

Today we live in a society in which many people have lost touch with their own bodies, even though they are constantly sending us signals.<\/p>\n\n

In everyday life, we are often driven – by deadlines, expectations and external demands – and thus distance ourselves more and more from our inner perception.<\/p>\n\n

This is precisely where Ayurveda and yoga come together:<\/p>\n\n

They bring us back into contact with ourselves and restore access to a quiet, clear form of self-awareness.<\/p>\n\n

“Essence of Balance” – what does balance mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

For me, balance is not a state that you achieve once and then maintain.<\/p>\n\n

It is an ongoing dialog with oneself.<\/p>\n\n

Ayurveda is not about renunciation, but about awareness and enrichment.<\/p>\n\n

It’s not about taking things away, but about using them in such a way that they really do us good.<\/p>\n\n

Many people seek balance on the outside – through fixed routines or supposedly “right” nutrition.<\/p>\n\n

But real balance comes when we start to understand what we need individually.<\/p>\n\n

I have experienced for myself how quickly you can lose yourself in doing things – even “healthy” things.<\/p>\n\n

For me today, balance means recognizing when structure helps me and when I can let go.<\/p>\n\n

And for me, this is precisely the essence of Ayurveda:<\/p>\n\n

not to live more strictly, but more consciously – and therefore often more easily.<\/p>\n\n

How does knowing about doshas change the way you look at your own body?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

For me, looking at the doshas takes away one thing above all: pressure. Suddenly it’s no longer about doing everything ‘right’, but about understanding that we are all different – and that what is good for one person is not necessarily right for another. <\/p>\n\n

The doshas give us a kind of map for our own body. They help us to understand why we react sensitively to certain things, why we have certain needs and why our body sometimes behaves the way it does. <\/p>\n\n

Many of my participants experience for the first time that their body is not complicated, but logical.<\/p>\n\n

That symptoms are not a disorder, but a form of communication.<\/p>\n\n

And that is precisely where something very relieving lies:<\/p>\n\n

You start to understand yourself better rather than judging yourself.<\/p>\n\n

This understanding often leads to a very loving acceptance of one’s own nature.<\/p>\n\n

Not in the sense of “that’s just the way I am”, but rather:<\/p>\n\n

“Now I understand what I need – and can act accordingly.”<\/p>\n\n

Many people arrive at the retreat exhausted… How do you make the transition?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The transition does not happen through a concept, but through experience.<\/p>\n\n

Many people arrive at my retreat and are initially still completely preoccupied with deadlines, responsibilities and inner pressure.<\/p>\n\n

Even when the body is already tired, the system often continues to run.<\/p>\n\n

And then something very simple begins:<\/p>\n\n

We go into movement, into the breath, into stillness.<\/p>\n\n

There is no need to “arrive at the push of a button”.<\/p>\n\n

I don’t force anyone to let go – but I hold a space in which it becomes possible.<\/p>\n\n

The structure of the day, the time spent together in the group and the recurring rituals gradually create something very natural:<\/p>\n\n

The body begins to feel safe.<\/p>\n\n

And this feeling of security is where the real change happens.<\/p>\n\n

The breath becomes calmer, thoughts become clearer, the body becomes perceptible again.<\/p>\n\n

It is often not a sudden moment, but a quiet transition.<\/p>\n\n

And at some point, this feeling arises all by itself:<\/p>\n\n

I can slow down.<\/p>\n\n

I don’t have to do anything right now.<\/p>\n\n

I can just be.<\/p>\n\n

What role does yoga play compared to treatments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Ayurvedic treatments work from the outside – yoga works from the inside.<\/p>\n\n

Yoga gives people something back that they can keep:<\/p>\n\n

a direct connection to yourself.<\/p>\n\n

Understanding the doshas also plays an important role here.<\/p>\n\n

Because not every form of exercise has the same effect on every person.<\/p>\n\n

Some people immediately feel comfortable in calm, closing postures, others need more opening, activating sequences.<\/p>\n\n

For some, forward bends are calming, for others they can feel constricting – just as backbends are liberating for some and initially unfamiliar for others.When we begin to understand our own dosha better, a new clarity also emerges in yoga:<\/p>\n\n

We no longer practise according to a fixed concept, but are guided by what is really good for us at that moment.<\/p>\n\n

For me, this is precisely where the power of this combination lies:<\/p>\n\n

Treatments can provide impulses – yoga makes it possible to continue these impulses in your own everyday life.<\/p>\n\n

This not only provides short-term relief, but also a lasting understanding of your own body.<\/p>\n\n

A simple routine for everyday life?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Go for a walk. Without distraction. <\/p>\n\n

It sounds simple, but it is incredibly effective.<\/p>\n\n

Many people underestimate how much our nervous system benefits from simplicity.<\/p>\n\n

And perhaps something else very important:<\/p>\n\n

Pause for a moment in everyday life and ask yourself whether your decisions are really right.<\/p>\n\n

Not every decision can be a decision from the heart – and it doesn’t have to be.<\/p>\n\n

But developing mindfulness often changes a lot.<\/p>\n\n

Ayurveda does not begin in the kitchen – but precisely in moments like these.<\/p>\n\n

The most important nutritional insight?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Not every “healthy” food is healthy for everyone.<\/p>\n\n

It sounds simple, but it changes a lot.<\/p>\n\n

For example, we’ve all learned that an apple is healthy – and that’s basically true.<\/p>\n\n

But one person tolerates a raw apple very well, while another may find it difficult to digest.<\/p>\n\n

For him, a steamed apple would often be a much more digestible option.<\/p>\n\n

And this reveals something very fundamental:<\/p>\n\n

Food does not have the same effect on everyone.<\/p>\n\n

In Ayurveda, digestion plays a central role.<\/p>\n\n

It’s not just about what we eat, but what we can actually process.<\/p>\n\n

Or to put it another way:<\/p>\n\n

We are not just what we eat – we are what we digest, and when we begin to understand this, a completely different approach to our own bodies emerges.<\/p>\n\n

We learn to better understand our digestion and to classify our body’s reactions.<\/p>\n\n

For me, nutrition is therefore not about rules or prohibitions, but about understanding and awareness.<\/p>\n\n

Not to eat dogmatically, but in a way that really suits us.<\/p>\n\n

What changes after a few days of retreat?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

It doesn’t just become calmer – it becomes clearer.<\/p>\n\n

Many of my participants and clients begin to perceive themselves better again.<\/p>\n\n

Not in the sense of “I have to change something”, but rather:<\/p>\n\n

“I understand what’s happening inside me.”<\/p>\n\n

The body becomes more perceptible, needs become clearer and decisions are made less out of stress or pressure and more out of a more harmonious feeling for oneself.<\/p>\n\n

We also often notice how much we are influenced by external expectations in our everyday lives.<\/p>\n\n

The retreat creates a space in which this pressure becomes quieter for the first time – and a different understanding of oneself becomes possible as a result.<\/p>\n\n

This also manifests itself physically:<\/p>\n\n

Many sleep better, feel more balanced and generally more stable.<\/p>\n\n

And something very natural emerges from this understanding:<\/p>\n\n

a form of lightness that is not made, but simply arises.<\/p>\n\n

Why Giardino Ascona?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The Giardino Ascona is a very special place for me, because here you can feel that health is not just offered, but consciously shaped.<\/p>\n\n

The combination of the Mediterranean garden, the immediate proximity to Lake Maggiore and the very clear, aesthetic architecture creates an atmosphere that immediately slows you down without appearing artificial.<\/p>\n\n

What I particularly appreciate is the attitude of the house:<\/p>\n\n

It is not about renunciation or austerity, but about enjoyment, quality and awareness – a philosophy that is also reflected in the cuisine and spa area.<\/p>\n\n

It is precisely this connection that fits very well with my approach to Ayurveda:<\/p>\n\n

not dogmatic, but suitable for everyday use, enjoyable and at the same time profound.<\/p>\n\n

This is crucial for my work because the space always plays a part –<\/p>\n\n

and in the Giardino, the feeling of coming to rest comes naturally, without having to make any effort.<\/p>\n\n

Ayurveda & Longevity – why now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The term longevity is on everyone’s lips today – but at its core it describes something that has been anchored in Ayurveda for thousands of years.<\/p>\n\n

The question of how we can lead a long, healthy and fulfilling life was already addressed in classical texts such as the Charaka Samhita.<\/p>\n\n

In this sense, longevity is not a new approach, but a modern term for very old knowledge.<\/p>\n\n

Ayurveda understands health not as optimization, but as a relationship.<\/p>\n\n

A relationship with yourself, your own body and your own mind.<\/p>\n\n

It’s not about constantly improving the body, but about understanding it.<\/p>\n\n

To recognize what strengthens it, what brings it out of balance – and how we deal with it in everyday life.<\/p>\n\n

The fact that new terms such as longevity are emerging today is not a contradiction for me, but rather a sign that we are beginning to deal with precisely these questions again.<\/p>\n\n

And perhaps that is precisely the crucial point:<\/p>\n\n

Not how long we live – but how consciously we do it.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mangal Gress will be at Giardino Ascona from May 7 to 10, 2026 – with her “Essence of Balance” retreat, which creates space for new clarity, regeneration and a conscious connection to yourself. You combine Ayurveda and yoga… What do these two traditions have in common? For me, Ayurveda and yoga belong inseparably together because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20542,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1196,1194,1195],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-giardino-magazine","category-ascona","category-interview"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-25 15:38:58","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32650,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32649\/revisions\/32650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/giardinohotels.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}