Retreats overlooking the waves at Bentota or nestled in the rumpled green hills at Ella welcome the dawn with yoga flows that untense every muscle. Sound baths hum, their notes penetrating deeply until the troubles slip away softly. Dip into the cool, ancient caves for guided meditations by the monks, their heavy incantations eerily lulling the mind into calm. Ayurveda, in its many healing forms, stands out, whether in oil massages, baths made from freshly dug roots, or steam huts that leave the skin feeling revitalised.