Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 9

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized5 Comments

Feb 11 (Day 9):
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
All morning long, I have been exhausted, impatient and incredibly hungry — so hungry in fact, that I find myself obsessing about food. I’ve even started planning my first dinner as a free woman. I’m thinking dinner at Romano’s, our favorite restaurant in Bombay. I’ll start with a glass of cold champagne and a caprese salad, follow it with Tagliolini San Marzano and wrap things up with their special branzino steamed in parchment paper. I fantasized about this meal all morning; in fact, I even made the reservation!  Don’t judge me…The hunger is getting harder and harder to handle.  All in all, it’s not my best day.

THE TREATMENT:
This is my second day on the ghee, so they doubled my dose today. The doctor said the calories in this dose should really help with the hunger. (Frankly, I’d rather have a steak.)

I know to some people this Ayurvedic journey of mine seems crazy…especially since I’ve started talking about drinking clarified butter. But when you have serious health issues that make every day a struggle, you are willing to do almost anything to push through them and get to the other side. There has to be a reason this form of medicine has endured over 5,000 years, so I’m more than willing to step outside my comfort zone and be open to what it has to offer. Bear that in mind please, as you read my posts for the next few days when things get rougher — or whenever you are tempted to dismiss this place as just a silly resort for tree-hugging hippies out for adventure.

This place is serious about making people better. Ayurveda has been successful at treating a myriad of illnesses. People come to these top centers in Kerala to cure diabetes, high blood pressure, lupus, cancer…all sorts of things. Everyone I’ve spoken with, who has either been here themselves or known someone who has gone through the process, swears that Ayurveda changes your health for the rest of your life.  Dear Lord, I pray that’s true!

THE DOCTOR:
Dr. Sankar doubled my dose of bitter ghee today and then weighed me. I’ll admit, I was frustrated that my weight hadn’t gone down much since I’ve been here, considering how drastically all my eating habits have changed. The doctor commented that I am special — most people just naturally drop weight here much more quickly than I have. He attributes this to my general lack of health. Grrr…

Trying to keep me from being so impatient, Dr. Sankar used the analogy of renovating a house. “You want us to rebuild your house where it sits, but the terrain there is very bad. The house will never last if we build there, so we must pick up your house and move it to better terrain. That takes time. Be patient. Once we have moved your house to a stronger terrain that supports it, we can start to work on giving you all the things you want.”  That made me feel better. Much better, actually.

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” — Colin Powell

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 8

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized13 Comments

Feb 10 (Day 8):
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
I am nervous…I’ll cop to that right up front. This is the beginning of the phase of the treatment that almost kept me from coming here in the first place. As I describe this part of the treatment process, I urge you again, to remember that people come here from all over the world to do the same basic program I am doing. Ayurveda has existed for over 5,000 years. The simple reason?  It works for many people…enough said.

THE TREATMENT:
I started the “Ghee Phase” of the detox today. This is the beginning of the hardest part of the treatment. Basically, what they are trying to do is 1) lubricate all the organs inside my body and 2) flood them with the medicinal herbs as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Ayurvedic medicine believes that the most efficient way to do that is to use ghee (clarified butter) as a delivery method.  So…

Every morning for the next 3-7 days, I will drink my daily dose of warm, medicated ghee. Today, I only had to drink about an inch of this incredibly bitter oil, but every day the dose will increase, possibly up to a half a glass by the end of the treatment. (I know!) I will continue to do this until I show saturation signs (i.e. nausea and vomiting). Lucky me.

THE DOCTOR:
Doctor Sankar held the cup of medicated ghee and prayed over me while I sat in a chair facing east. (because India considers East to be the most auspicious direction of the compass.) Then that adorable doctor flashed me his best George Clooney-smile and said, “OK…Vodka shot!” I slammed it down, hoping it would taste like grilled lobster when I dip it into clarified butter, but no — instead it was the nastiest stuff you can imagine. The doctor lets most people suck a slice of lemon afterwards to get the taste out of their mouth, but because I have issues with my stomach…no lemon for me.

They delivered a bucket to my room and placed it next to my bed in case I need it later. (That’s never a good sign.)  Now I will rest in my room until late afternoon, drinking hot, ginger water to help digest the ghee.

I will be allowed a bowl of rice gruel whenever I get hungry in the late afternoon (doesn’t that sound delicious?) I’ll also be allowed a normal dinner each evening.  For the first part of the day though, nothing but the medicated ghee. I’m interested to see how this goes. (But man, I’m hoping it’s only three days, not seven. This bucket freaks me out.)

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“The first step of getting what you want is having the courage to get rid of what you don’t.” — Unknown

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 7

Ayurveda, India, Uncategorized6 Comments

Feb 9 (Day 7):
General Impressions:
Rough day today. Had a dizzy spell going into lunch. I didn’t even realize it, but one of the men who gives out medications noticed I was circling and weaving a bit. It got worse while I was at the table, so they called the doctors…pretty embarrassing. They both came running upstairs and helped me to my room to lie down. Rested a bit and a couple of hours later went to the consultation room to wait for the therapist to take me to my treatment…felt weird while talking with the doctor and he had me lie down on the sofa. Long story short, I had another little fainting spell this afternoon as well. It got better after they gave me some coconut water so they think my potassium or sodium might be out of whack. Either way, they’re keeping an eye on it. They may not let me do the ghee treatments tomorrow if we can’t solve this. That’s upsetting; I won’t lie.

THE DOCTOR:
Another crazy twist: In an attempt to test the source of my stomach pain, Dr. Sankar gave me a new medication last night. As the medication was a test for ulcers, he didn’t want to tell me what might happen in advance.

He explained to me later (this morning) that pain and burning in your stomach and esophagus is almost always caused from one of three things: 1) Inflammation or ulcers in the stomach lining itself 2) Indigestion as a reaction to food or 3) Stress. The medication was his way of testing whether my main issue was inflammation and ulcers in the stomach lining itself or something else.

Anyway, I had such a severe response to the “test” medication that I pain all night and on through this morning — couldn’t sleep at all. It felt like my heart was on fire. So I guess…inflammation and ulcers, it is!  Dr. Sankar has been adjusting my meds and treatments all day today, trying to dial back my pain in case I start the ghee tomorrow. Wish me luck.

THE TREATMENTS:
To help ease the burning and pain in my stomach I got a special treatment today. Since coconut oil is evidently great at cooling down parts of the body that are too hot, they massaged it into my stomach and my hair this morning. No french fries today! Today, I feel like I’m wearing perfume…Love it!

WORDS OF WISDOM:
Four Aspects of Ayurveda – All are required, for proper treatment
1. Doctor
2. Delivery of medicine
3. Therapist & nursing staff
4. An receptive patient who accepts the process

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 6

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized6 Comments

Feb. 8 (Day 6):
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
It’s misty this morning which makes the place feel like another world entirely. The fog hanging over the lake like wispy clouds makes this place look like heaven. I sit here in my wrought-iron chair, listening to the birds twitter and the staff softly chanting their morning prayers. As I watch the little white heron playing in the grass at my feet, it occurs to me that maybe this is heaven. Or at least a version of it.

Yoga is something we are encouraged to do whenever we feel well enough. The yoga class begins at 5:30 each morning, which is crazy-early, but when you’re doing yoga outdoors in India, you have to make some adjustments for the heat. I seem to wake up automatically every morning at around 4:30 anyway. When I told Dr. Sankar that, he just smiled and said it was normal.

The yoga here is more restorative which is right up my alley, and the teachers are careful and thorough. One funny thing though: Both teachers kept referring to our hands and legs as “Buddha hands” and “Buddha legs.” “Please place your Buddha hands over your eyes.” “Please straighten your Buddha legs behind you as you lie on your stomach.” FINALLY, today I figured out that they were saying, “Please place your BOTH hands over your eyes.” Ah…both hands…both legs. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. I guess I need to tell Dr. Sankar that I have a problem with my hearing as well.

THE TREATMENTS:
Kalari Uzhichil is the new treatment for today. It was another oily massage, but this one was much deeper and more aggressive. They really “dig in” on this one — working through all those knots. I LOVED it, even though it felt like I was a piece of meat being tenderized.

In fact, while they were slinging me all over the table, a funny thought struck me. With all this organic food they feed us, all these massages and the ingestion of ghee, I’ll bet all of us would be tastier and more tender. So…what if this place is just one big, organic farm for giants and we’re the veal? I may be delirious from lack of protein, but I couldn’t stop giggling.

THE DOCTOR:
Dr. Sankar is going to start me on the ghee in two days. I’ll go more into detail on what this involves later once the process begins, but for now all you need to know is that the ghee is the start of what everybody here considers the worst phase of the detox. It’s crazy; the first time anyone on the staff meets you they ask, “Have you done the ghee yet?” When you say “No, that’s later,” they make a face and then say, “Well, it will be over soon.” It cracks me up.

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“Remember that life is created moment by moment. Even if you are off the road, you can create a new road.” — Dr. Sreelal Sankar

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 5

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized12 Comments

image

Feb. 7 (Day 5):
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
Wow. Has it really been five days already? It’s weird; the days sort of melt together here. I have absolutely no idea what day of the week it is.

It occurs to me that I haven’t told you about the dining experience here at Kalari Rasayana. When you enter the dining room for the first time, you might be thrown at first as it looks more like a classroom than a restaurant. Each of us has our own wooden table, one that looks quite a bit like an old-fashioned school desk. Add to this that everyone is facing the same direction…towards the lake. This is all by design, in order to help you adhere to the strict rule of silence in the dining room at all times.

Additionally, computers, books, and cell phones are forbidden in this room in order to focus on and appreciate every bite of your food. Even more importantly, there is nothing will distract you from actually feeling that moment when you are no longer hungry — instead of simply eating until you are full. It’s a subtle change, but there is a difference.

THE TREATMENTS:
The symptoms of the detox are starting to show up for me today: headaches, light sensitivity, nausea, pain. The doctor warned me that as the Ayurvedic medicines were increased, the symptoms would intensify. Since I knew to expect this, it’s been totally manageable.

Yoga was at 5:30 this morning. The heat and the exercise combined with the shakiness and nausea almost did me in. Did not want to eat breakfast at all, but did it anyway because I needed something in my stomach when I took the medicines. Good news is it’s 7:30 now, so I get to rest until my doctor’s appointment at 9:45.

On a happier note, I’m feeling very clean and soft. (In all fairness, that’s only partially due to the treatments — and partially due to the three showers a day where I spend what feels like hours scrubbing my body and hair to get all that sticky oil off of me.) By the time I leave here I will either have the most beautiful hair and skin of my life…or I will have scrubbed it all off.

THE DOCTOR:
Dr. Sankar taught me something interesting today.
In Ayurveda, there are three bio-elements that make up a person’s constitution. They are called doshas.
Vata = air and space
Pitta – fire
Kapha – earth and water

Dr. Sankar explained that these three bio-elements have influence over different hours of the day as well as our physical bodies. The hours of the night are believed to be ruled by vata (air and space). Just like the air flows through and around everything with no limitations — during the night, our minds are full of endless possibilities as well. There are no boundaries to reign in our minds at night; that’s why dreams can take you anywhere. The flip side of this, however, is that when you are awake during the night, you can’t focus your thoughts…everything past, present and future floods into your head. As a result, once you wake up, it’s difficult to focus your mind enough to fall back asleep.

Pitta (fire) is also present at night, helping your body rejuvenate. But once you wake up during those nighttime hours, the excess of pitta energy feeds anxiety and stress. Pitta spins that worry around and around in your head when you’re lying awake in the middle of the night. It focuses you, not on the 10 things you got done that day, but the 20 things you didn’t.

The morning hours are ruled by kapha (earth and water). Kapha is a much more grounded and stable energy. As a result, morning hours are always the best for thinking clearly. As such, the Ayurvedic belief is that the early hours of the day are the most productive. Those morning hours are when you think the most clearly and make your best decisions overall.

Dr. Sankar’s advice for those of us who have trouble sleeping? “If you wake up in the middle of the night, what you must do is tell yourself, ‘This will become clear to me in the morning.’ Then get back to sleep so you may dream some more.” I thought that was pretty great.

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“Do not swim in the troubles…surf in the troubles.”
— Dr. Sreelal Sankar

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 4

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized10 Comments

Feb. 6 (Day 4):
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
I made a new friend here; his name is Emil. What a sweetheart! He is always smiling. I’m guessing he’s about 70, with curly, white hair, and kind, blue eyes that peek out at you from behind his glasses. We started chatting in the waiting room of the doctor’s office and hit it off immediately. Emil asked me why I was here, and when I said I was trying to reboot my immune system, he told me his story. He’s flew here from Zurich. He was married for forty five years until six months ago, when the love of his life died from a long illness. From what he’s told me, his wife, Maria, was a very talented woman. She had been an Expressionist painter, a singer, even a lawyer. The joy it brings him to talk about her is beautiful to see. Once though, for just a moment, the corners of his mouth fell a bit. There was a pause, and he whispered “It’s harder than you think.” Then, he flashed that big smile again and said, “So, I guess I’m here for a heart reboot!”  I love Emil. He’s a keeper.

THE TREATMENTS:
I have two new treatments to tell you about today. The first one is called Lekhaneeyam (meaning scrubbing). I really like this treatment because it makes me feel so light and clean when it’s over. They take this herbal paste (like warm mud) and scrub it into your legs, tush and stomach until the paste is really embedded in your tissues. Then they give you a muslin cloth to cover you (Hallelujah!) while the mud-paste dries. As it does, it feels like all the toxins are getting sucked right out of your body. (I love it!) I have to admit…THIS is when I feel the most like Cleopatra.

Sirodhara (siras means “head” and dhara means “continuous flow”). This treatment is done in conjunction with Lekhaneeyam. They say it is used to relieve mental tension among other things, but it had the opposite effect on me. It was literally ALL I could do to stay on the table. They lay you face up with a strip of muslin tied around your eyebrows to protect your eyes. Then for an hour, they slowly pour warm oil all over your forehead and scalp. (I have to concentrate on my breathing the entire time just to get through it.) You are supposed to leave this thick oil on your hair for at least three hours afterwards, so they wrap your head in a turban, and you walk around all afternoon that way — like Professor Quirrell from the second Harry Potter book. Every time I see someone in that turban, I laugh.  In all fairness though, I will say that after only two of these treatments, my hair feels soft and gorgeous as a result. Maybe it’s not so bad after all?

THE DOCTOR:
The doctor ramped up the medications again…They are getting more frequent, more bitter and more disgusting. The doctor’s goal with all of these bitter drinks, pastes and pills is to clean out my body’s entire system and strengthen my stomach for the next phase of treatment. Once that’s done, we can begin rebuilding my health from the ground up. I have been assured on multiple occasions, this entire process is very challenging, and will get much worse as we go along. (Silver lining: I’m guessing that will make for some pretty funny articles in the future.)

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“Anything that happens, positive or negative, is designed to help you move forward.” — Dr. Sreelal Sankar

Notes:
In case you’re interested in learning more about where I’m staying, here’s the link for Kalari Rasayana, my temporary home away from home: http://www.cghearth.com/kalari-rasayana

Here’s my friend Emil’s late wife’s website. It still displays her Expressionist paintings. The link is http://www.mariakern.com

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 3

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Vacation Spots in India6 Comments

Feb. 5 (Day 3):

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
I can hardly describe how peaceful it is here. The lake reflects everything around it. Close to the shore, the water is a deep green, reflecting the color of the thousand coconut trees that edge the property. Farther out towards the center, there’s a low, flat bridge where lazy trains seem to glide their way across the water. Near that bridge, the water reflects the pale blue of the sky, so it looks like a swimming pool more than a lake. But at sunset, the lake is surreal. In the setting sun the sky turns the lightest shade of pink. When it does, this crazy, magical lake turns pink as well. If it were a painting, I wouldn’t believe it.

THE TREATMENTS:
Pokikizhi is the new treatment I had for the first time today. (Podi means “powder’ and kizhi means “pouch.”) So…You are lying on a table in your paper loincloth again. A third, new therapist (an apprentice) heats four muslin bags filled with medicated powder in a big, cast iron skillet. Then the two regular therapists, Greeshma and Reshma, take the pouches and begin the work. One takes your left side and one takes your right, and they sort of punch you with them all over, top to bottom, for an hour. Heat and punch…heat and punch. It hurts a bit, but also feels kind of good; the heated pouches feel great when they rub them on your spine. (No punching there.) Another bonus? No stinky oil this time…Hallelujah! The purpose of all this pounding is to relieve joint pain, reduce inflammation, increase metabolism, ease symptoms of prolapsed discs and even paralysis. Maybe I’m vain, but the best part for me, honestly? My skin felt like silk afterwards. I mean it…I kept petting my arms all night because they were so soft.

THE DOCTOR:
In my meeting with Dr. Sankar this afternoon, he said I was doing so well that he is going to start me on the more aggressive Ayurvedic medicines tonight. When he explained that these are all extremely bitter and unpleasant, he just smiled and said, “Welcome to Ayurveda.” I didn’t know whether to laugh…or punch him in the head.

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“First we try something, and we learn a bit. Then we try something else, and we learn a bit more. We try…we try…we try. And then…we know.” — Poornima Sreelal

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 2

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized9 Comments

Feb. 4 (Day 2):

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
It’s 8am, and I am sitting by the lake, in my little wrought iron, garden chair and writing. The magic of this place is undeniable. The Muslim “Call to Prayer” is piped over loudspeakers from a couple of miles away, and the quiet sound is hauntingly beautiful. Since the musical chanting whispers into my ear all day and into the evening, it makes this place feel like it’s constantly being blessed. With all the patients abiding by the rule of silence, the only thing to disturb the constant prayers is the peaceful sound of the birds. Herons poke around the grass and chase each other in the shade of the palm trees all around me. This place feels as timeless as Venice; I just love it.

I should clarify one thing about the rule of silence. There is a strict rule of silence in the dining room, and they are very serious about it. It turns out, however, that you can speak (in quiet tones) in the waiting room of the doctor’s office or in the reception area of the facility (even when walking the grounds as well, if you are respectful and quiet).

It’s strange how quickly you get used to navigating the heat. I’ve learned the reason the day starts so early is that you can enjoy hours of time outside before it gets too warm. Yoga is at 5:30 each morning, and all appointments and treatments are all over by about 3:30 in the afternoon. As a result, you can rest in your room when the sun is at its peak. There’s also a nice breeze that comes off the water until about 2 o’clock in the afternoon which also helps. And, I would never have believed it, but drinking warm water helps keep your temperature constant so you feel better in general. They’ve added cumin to mine which gives it a nice taste and is supposed to ease my stomach as well.

THE TREATMENTS:
Dhathupushti Uzhichil was the very first Ayurvedic treatment I had here at Karlari Rasayana. (dhathu means “tissues” and pushti means “rejuvenation.” Uzhichil means “oil massage.”) Let me tell you…they aren’t kidding. This is the oiliest you will ever feel in your life.

The procedure: After you get your tiny paper loincloth, they sit you in a chair to massage both your front and back at the same time. This is designed to coax the toxins out of your body through the lymphatic system. So, they untie your paper panties letting them fall onto the chair. Then one of these sweet, little ladies massages ALL of your chest and stomach, and the other massages ALL of your back. (This, I must admit, made me really uncomfortable. I’m hoping I get used to it.)

Anyway, after the chair massage, you lie face up on the treatment table and pray for a towel to cover up with — which of course, never comes. (Modesty left the building a long time ago.) After pouring what feels like pints of this warm Ayurvedic oil all over your body, (in your hair, on your face, all over your feet) they start mashing it into your tissues. The purpose of this is to allow the medicinal herbs to enter your body through your pores. At one point when they start pounding you to relax your muscles, the oil flies all over the room. (This must be what a turkey feels like when it’s being smashed with butter before making its way to the oven for Thanksgiving.)

The massage itself is amazing. The pressure is great; they are basically squeezing your arms and legs as they slather on the oil. After it’s done, you feel like you’ve had a workout, but you’re incredibly relaxed at the same time.

THE DOCTOR:
I spent another hour with Dr. Sankar today, and I’m starting to notice his sense of humor more. His tone of voice never changes so you really have to pay attention, but then you’ll realize he’s said something really funny. Usually, it’s about how bad the ghee treatments will be. Whenever he mentions them, he just gets this devilish, little smile on his face. He cracks me up.

Also, I have a bit of a headache but the doctor said that’s normal. He said that I can expect everything to feel worse for the next five days while the first stage of detox kicks in. I can hardly wait.

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“Even when you are multi-tasking, you are still only doing one thing at a time. When you spear the lotus with a thread, the needle still only goes through one petal at a time.” — Dr. Sreelal Sankar

Ayurveda Daily Journal – Day 1

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Yoga13 Comments

Feb 3 (Day 1)

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:
It is so hot here!  I know, I know…What did I expect in India?  They encourage you to be out enjoying the grounds as much of the day as possible, but the heat sort of sucks the life out of you, and it’s only February 3. Even more difficult to get used to, they’ll only let me have hot water, not cold or even room temperature. They say that when water is room-temperature (or worse, cold) it puts more stress on your stomach. Since my stomach is my issue, I’m drinking glass after glass of hot water. Thanks a lot, gut.

The food is a different story, however. When I was told that the food here was very light vegetarian, with fresh herbs but no oil, no salt, and no spices to speak of, I was afraid I’d be eating baby food for a month. Thankfully, I was wrong. Overall, the food is delicious. The only exception to this is breakfast, which for me consists of five skinless almonds and a small bowl of runny porridge that looks like the gray goop Keanu Reeves had to eat in the movie The Matrix.

The rest of the meals are great though. It’s all prepared perfectly and presented beautifully. Everything has its own unique flavor. Who knew I would LOVE Ayurvedic food this much? I wish I could eat this way all the time (except for the porridge, of course).

THE TREATMENTS:  Man, you really have to be ok with being naked when you sign on for Ayurvedic treatments. Here at Kalari Rasayana, which I’ll abbreviate and call KR from now on, you have them twice a day, every day. They are varied, depending on the specific issues that need to be addressed, but you’re pretty much naked as a jaybird for all of them. Fortunately, the rule with Ayurveda is that only women work on women, and only men work on men. Otherwise, I’d have died of embarrassment already.

The treatments always start the same way. You remove all of your clothes, (and I do mean everything). Then you stand in front of the therapists while one of them ties a teeny-tiny, paper loincloth between your legs. (Think kleenex tied with shoe strings.)

Something else you should know about the treatments: Ayurvedic oil is used to one degree or another in virtually all of the treatments, and it isn’t regular massage oil. It has been simmered for hours along with medicinal herbs and roots. The heat helps infuse the oil with the medicine in the herbs, which in turn, maximizes their effectiveness in healing your body from the inside out. The oil, you see, helps the medicine sort of glide into your body through the pores of your skin. The upshot of all this simmering? The oil smells horrible — like the worst, day-old, burned garlic and onions you can possibly imagine. After every treatment, I smell like one of those bio-diesel cars that runs on old, french fry grease.

The texture of the oil is thick — sort of like motor oil. I’ll be honest; the greasiness is a drag. After each treatment, you scrub yourself in the shower for at least 10 minutes with a coconut husk and Ayurvedic pumice soap, but the oil is still there…like wax on a car. This is just something you have to get past if you want to give Ayurvedic medicine a fair shot. It’s a small price to pay when you think about the results.

The treatments themselves are the stuff of legend. The two therapists that will do most of my treatments while I’m here are named Greeshma (pronounced with a long “e,” as in the word “green”) and Reshma.These two women do almost every one of my treatments together as a team — their movements completely synchronized. They rub me, scrub me and pamper me…in general, beating me into a better, healthier, happier version of myself.

As I’m lying there on the table I feel a little like Cleopatra. Ayurveda is over 5,000 years old, so I have no trouble picturing her lying on an identical, wooden treatment table, inlayed with brass just like mine, and getting these treatments every day in order to keep herself beautiful and glowing. No wonder every man who came near her fell all over themselves. We’ll see if I transform after two of these treatments a day for 28 days. Over the past few years, my strut has turned into a bit of a hobble somehow. Lord knows, I could use a little more “Cleo” in my attitude.

THE DOCTOR:
The Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Sankar, is movie star-handsome and a very gentle man. He is the lead doctor here, and his sweet wife, Poornima, is the nutritionist. (Poornima means “Full Moon.” How beautiful is that?!?) With so many patients to supervise, I was a little surprised that he was able to spend almost two hours with me on my first day, asking questions and patiently explaining procedures. Funny note though, he’s a mumbler, and as all Keralans, he ties two words together with an “ooh” sound in the middle which makes it even harder to understand him at first. He’s so kind and careful with me though that I hang on his every word. I’ll have follow-up appointments with him every day of my stay — to allow him to learn what is working for me and what is not. I’m guessing those will probably be about 15 minutes or so, just to touch base. We’ll see.

Dr. Sankar describes you, the patient, as the driver of your treatment with him as the navigator. As such, he points out any trouble spots that might be obstacles to your health. So far, his opinion is that I am a perfectionist and not nearly kind enough to myself which is what he believes is making my stomach ulcers worse. (I can practically feel Leon’s head nodding in agreement.)

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“All this thought that you are a failure…Those voices do not belong to you. They are other voices from long ago, and they are no longer relevant.” — Dr. Sreelal Sankar

My 28-Day Ayurvedic Adventure

Ayurveda, India, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Vacation Spots in India, Yoga14 Comments

Anyone who knows me, knows my varied health issues, and how often they rear their heads complicating my everyday life. As a result of the problems I’ve had with my stomach since moving to India, Leon and I decided I should go to an Ayurvedic hospital in Kerala for a 28-day stay to see if they could reboot my immune system.

First, a little bit about Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurveda is the oldest medicine in the world. The Ayurvedic approach to health is rooted in the belief that IF the entire body is in balance, it will heal itself. The underlying philosophy of that belief is that the body, mind and spirit must work together toward that goal. Once those are all working together in harmony, optimal health is achieved.

“Ayurveda” is actually a combination of two sanskrit words that put together mean “science of life.” (The sanskrit root ayur means “longevity” or “life” and veda means “science.”) The knowledge of Ayurveda was passed down orally through a lineage of sages until it was finally collated into a text around 5,000 years ago. That text is the basis for the Ayurvedic medicine practiced today. I chose Kerala, India for this experience because it is the birthplace of Ayurveda, and it is still home to most of the very best Ayurvedic centers and hospitals on the planet.

So which Ayurvedic center did I choose? After much research and a couple of referrals from friends here in India that I trust, I chose Kalari Rasayana. It is one of the top Ayurvedic hospital-retreats in the entire world. The doctors are top notch, skilled in both western medicine and Ayurvedic. It would be impossible to do justice to this place or to the 28-day process of my Ayurvedic program in just one article. So instead, this first piece will be sort of an introduction to the resort and Ayurvedic medicine in general. Then, I’ll simply write my daily impressions into a journal, and try to post once a week. For now though, let me tell you a little bit about Kalari Rasayana.

People fly to Kalari Rasayana from every country in the world in an attempt to cure everything from cancer to diabetes, ulcers, lupus, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, even obesity. It is also popular with people who have undergone the ravages of chemotherapy in order to regain their stregth and overall health. Kalari Rasayana is a bit like a private club. It succeeds on word of mouth alone (although they do have a website). It’s a sort of combination between a boutique hospital and resort — very exclusive and private. In fact, right now I think there are only about 20 people here. The staff itself is around double that number. A testament to the center’s dedication to healing is that once anyone has been here, they always talk about wanting to come back. Why wouldn’t they? This beautiful little Garden of Eden is nestled up against a pristine lake surrounded by thousands of towering coconut trees, making you feel as if you’re actually inside a safe Jurassic Park. Another uniquely beautiful thing about this place is that every moment of every day, every person working here is focused on three things only: your health, your happiness and your well being.

You pay for your stay at Kalari Rasayana in full at the time you make your reservation. Remember to book months in advance in order to assure yourself a spot. That one payment covers all expenses: daily consultations with the doctor as well as the dietician, all medicines and herbal remedies, meals, snacks, room service, thermoses of herbal tea, laundry, clothing, cultural performances and lectures, and all massages and treatments. Tipping is not allowed until the end of your stay, when, if you choose, you may leave a lump sum to be divided up amongst the staff. This means you never have to think about money or feel the need to dig into a wallet while you’re here. I love that system.  I won’t mislead you: this place is pricey, and insurance probably won’t cover it, but if you’re searching for a legitimate health reboot, it’s worth a closer look.

I should probably mention the rules here. Rule 1: They give you white cotton drawstring pajamas to wear. No other clothing is allowed. This might strike you as a little “Indian cult,” but it is so nice not to think about clothes. And since you’re staying for a month, not having to pack clothing makes a big difference. The pajamas are comfortable too and extremely light weight which is perfect for the heat here. You just throw on the outfit every day and forget about it. They even do your laundry. Again…nothing to think about.

The second major rule is silence. Patients are urged to remain silent in all common areas at all times — except when communicating directly with a doctor or to make a request of members of the staff. Light conversations are allowed in whispered tones in the doctor’s waiting room or on the grounds, but gab-fests are a strict no-no. And there is absolute silence in the dining room at all times. This was weird for about five minutes, but I find that it is such a relief. Everyone is at a different stage of the treatment and some of them are exhausting and stressful. The reflection and introspection are a comfort, not an imposition. And without the constant chatter present in any other resort or hotel, you find that a feeling of quiet, and ultimately calm surrounds you here everywhere you go. I love it.

Rule 3: Electronics are frowned upon, so prepare to unplug. There are no televisions in the rooms. They also strongly discourage phones as well as computers. This is supposed to be a place of introspection, and they take that very seriously. Most people do bring their iPads or laptops however in order to communicate with family and friends.

After changing into my mandatory, white cotton pajamas, I set out to get the lay of the land. My first day’s schedule was very full as you can see, but it will change day by day, depending upon my needs — and my reaction to the medications and treatments.

5:30 am – Yoga
6:45 am – Breakfast (eaten in silence)
8:45 am – First Ayurvedic treatment of the day.
9:45 am – Yoga Consultation
10:30 am – Juice / Fruit
11:30 am – Meditation with Yoga Nidra
12:30 – Lunch
1:45 – Daily consultation with doctor
2:15 – Daily consultation with dietician
2:30 – Ayurvedic session
4:15 – Juice / Fruit
5:30 – Karma Yoga: Feeding the fish in the pond
6pm – Free time to walk, read a book or meditate
6:30 – Dinner
7:30 – Satsangs (Usually some form of discourse on yoga, Ayurveda, mantra chanting or candlelight meditation)
9:30-ish Bedtime (early as the day begins roughly at 5am.)

During my daily meeting with the doctor, he will assess my health and my body’s response to the treatments from the day before. As a result of that meeting, he will fine-tune my specific program for the following day in order to maximize my progress. Additionally, I have a consultation with the dietician each day in order to plan my individual menu for the following day based upon the reactions I’ve had to my food, and also in order to keep giving me dishes that I love while eliminating those I dislike.

The treatments here are not for the faint of heart. You need to be VERY dedicated to your health in order to do what is required of you here. I’ll go more into detail later. For now, let’s just say that I am still intimidated, and praying I will be able to make it through some of the scarier parts of this adventure. I think if I had to pick one word that best described India overall, THAT would be India’s word…ADVENTURE. (It’s a good thing I like them!)

All in all, there are few places simultaneously as pampering and challenging as Kalari Rasayana. But all things considered, I think I’m going to like it here.