Ayurvedic Daily Journal – Day 19

Feb 21 (Day 19)
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
I’m learning to accept the things I can’t control, like my weight. I’m starting to feel stronger and calmer — just better overall. I’m less worried about my health…or weight…or politics. I’m less worried about everything.

The only thing that is really still a bit of an issue is my hunger. Since I am eating about 1/3 to 1/4 of what I usually eat, I’m hungry pretty much all the time. When I tell that to Dr. Sankar, he smiles and starts teaching. He tells me that we must train our bodies that they don’t need that much food. He tells me that my emotions are hungry, not my stomach. At least that’s what I think  he said…My stomach is growling so loud I can barely hear him talk.

He explains that people just get used to eating a lot of food, so they THINK they need it. They MISS it when they don’t get it, but the need isn’t coming from the body, but the mind. I’m trying to roll with it, but I am so hungry I could eat my own foot (…and I’m sure it would taste delicious. After all, I’ve been marinating in butter for over two weeks!)

THE TREATMENTS:
You are not going to get any real details about yesterday’s ghee enema. I will only say that it didn’t “kick in” until about 4 o’clock this morning, and I’ve been dealing with its effects all day. Dr. Sankar said this is absolutely normal. They even have adult diapers for the patients who need them. (Yikes…I am not going to do that, I can assure you!)

I had another new treatment this afternoon that was so relaxing. It’s called “Kadeevasthi” and it is extremely helpful for back pain. You lie face down on Cleopatra’s treatment table and the therapist makes a ring of bread dough on your lower back. She makes sure the seal is very tight to your skin and then they pour hot, medicated oil inside the dough ring. For about 10 minutes, while the warm oil does its work on your lower back, the therapists massage the rest of your body. Once that oil has cooled off, they drain it and repeat the procedure, refilling the ring with a new round of fresh, hot oil. The do three rounds of the hot oil for a total of around 30 minutes. Once they’re finished, they wipe your back with a hot, damp towel…It feels like heaven.

THE DOCTOR:
Dr. Sankar was asking how I was feeling today. As usual he went point by point. “How is your nausea? How are your ulcers? The acid in your stomach? The cramping? Have you fainted any more? How is your back? Is your knee still hurting? Are you sleeping well? How is your stress level?” After each question, I replied, “I’m great. It’s great.” Once we had been through the whole list, I told him I thought all the problems were gone. His reply was typically cautious. “Well, I think of each of these issues as your children. So…all your children are sleeping?” I said, “Yes, all my children are sleeping.” Then he said, “Well, occasionally, one of them will wake up; that is what children do. But, do not worry when that happens. They sleep, they wake up, they sleep…just like children. But, for now, they are all sleeping — Good.”   (I love this guy.)

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius