In Lakeside since 2014
An Ayurveda clinic that happens to feel like a spa
Prakritik was opened by Dr. Sushmita Bhattarai after six years in a hospital Ayurveda department, on a simple premise: Pokhara had plenty of oil massage and very little actual Ayurveda.
Why we exist
Walk down Barahi Path and you will pass thirty spas offering Ayurvedic massage. Almost none of them will ask you a question before deciding what to do. The oil comes from a five-litre jerrycan, the technique is Swedish, and the word Ayurveda is doing marketing work rather than clinical work.
That is not a scandal — a good oil massage is a fine thing to sell. But it is not what the tradition is, and travellers who come to Nepal specifically for Ayurveda deserve to know the difference before they pay for it.
What we do differently
A physician designs every treatment plan. Our senior therapists trained in Kerala rather than on a two-week hotel course. The oils are classical formulations from licensed pharmacies, not scented base oil. And the consultation is a genuine assessment that sometimes ends with us telling you to see a doctor instead.
We are also a small building rather than a hotel wing. There are four treatment rooms, one Shirodhara room, a sound room and a garden terrace. At any moment there are at most six guests in the place.
Our relationship with medicine
Ayurveda is complementary care. It manages symptoms, supports recovery and improves how people sleep, digest and move. It does not cure cancer, replace insulin or fix a torn ligament, and any centre that implies otherwise should worry you.
We ask about your medication because herbs interact with drugs. We refer out when something needs imaging or bloodwork. And we would rather lose a booking than take money for a treatment that is wrong for you.
Our standards
- Diagnosis before treatment. Nobody is touched before an assessment. The consultation is free and never used as a sales step.
- Licensed pharmacy oils. All classical formulations arrive from licensed Nepali and Kerala pharmacies with batch certificates, stored dated and decanted per guest.
- Single-use where it matters. Fresh linen, disposable underwear, poultices tied fresh per guest and discarded after.
- Consent and draping. You choose how much you undress; only the area being worked on is uncovered; therapist gender is confirmed in writing when you book.
- Published pricing. No haggling, no on-the-table upsell, service charge included.
- We decline. Roughly one in seven Panchakarma enquiries is turned away at screening, with a full refund of any deposit.
Registered with the Department of Ayurveda, Government of Nepal, and inspected annually. Our clinical director is registered with the Nepal Ayurveda Medical Council. Registration numbers are displayed in reception and available on request.
The team
Who will actually treat you
Four practitioners, named, with their training and years on the table. You can request any of them by name.
Dr. Sushmita Bhattarai
Clinical Director
Sushmita designs and supervises every Panchakarma programme we run, and personally conducts the day-0 screening — including the consultations that end with us declining to treat someone. She spent six years in a hospital Ayurveda department before opening Prakritik in 2014, and still teaches a module on Purvakarma at her old campus.
16 years · BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery), NAMC registered
Anjana Shrestha
Senior Ayurvedic Therapist
Anjana trained for two years in Kerala in the classical Kizhi and Dhara techniques and has performed more than nine thousand Shirodhara sessions since. She leads our prenatal training and is the therapist most guests ask for by name.
11 years · Certified Panchakarma Technician, Kerala Ayurveda Academy
Bikash Tamang
Sports & Recovery Therapist
Bikash worked four seasons guiding on the Annapurna trails before retraining, which is why he can usually tell from your gait whether you came down from ABC, Mardi or Poon Hill. He built our trekker's recovery protocol and handles most of the October–November rush.
9 years · Diploma in Sports Massage; Ayurvedic Therapy Level 3
Priya Maharjan
Skin & Beauty Therapist
Priya grinds every lepam mask fresh on the morning it is used and refuses to keep a pre-mixed jar in the building. She specialises in sensitive skin that reacts badly to chemical treatment.
7 years · Ayurvedic Cosmetology Certificate; CIDESCO Beauty Therapy
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings everywhere be happy and free
Come and see the difference
Start with a half-day retreat or just a consultation. We will tell you honestly what is worth booking.