Healthy Wealthy Wise – Ayurveda adventures in body, mind, soul and senses

The Grande Finale

May 2, 2017 by Rose

It’s my last day here and I’m treated like a queen! My three hour treatment starts with my final final whole body Abhyanga – yesterday I said I had the final 90 minute one but today I had my final 75 minute one. This is then followed by the most amazing treatment of the last few weeks – a whole body oil bath. I have seven therapists in the treatment room to administer this!

Tail Dhara – Pizhichil (Whole body oil bath)

This bath gives the feeling of completeness and totality. The culture of oil baths is very ancient in Ayurveda and is highly regarded in the classics. We can still find this practice in traditional families and especially in South India. In this process a silent and calm environment is created with a relaxation massage being given first. A group of therapists then enters the room, maintaining silence, and bringing collective peace and a meditative energy with them. The environment thus harmonises with the therapy procedure. Two therapists, working with the same rhythm and healing energy, pour a stream of warm Ayurveda oil from the feet to the neck and vice versa along with massage. The soft, smooth, slippery and gentle touch with oil and therapists’ love continues for one hour. It gives a feeling like being in a mother’s womb – smooth, soft and free deep inside. The prime energy of healing (remove) is gently nurtured and stimulated throughout the treatment, resulting in a feeling of wholeness, self and transcendent love, and happiness.

It treats the following conditions:

People who desire the growth of inner healing potential source
To cleanse and rejuvenate their system

Avagahana Sveda (Herbal tub bath)

To finish off, I am immersed into a herbal bath filled with rose and other flower petals both in the bath and decorated around the bathroom. I relax here for about half an hour, soaking up the wonderful feeling of having successfully completed my first Panchakarma and knowing how healthy all my insides must be right now. I’m feeling pretty blissed out!

This bath treats the following conditions:

Muscles pain, cramps, stiffness.
Joint swelling, deformity, and pain.
To induce sleep.
To cleanse the body and improve circulation.
To calm the mind and body.

In the afternoon I have my final hour long consultation with Dr Rumee and I also speak to Dr Rishi on Skype later that evening. My blood pressure is now 100/70 and weight 53.7kg and my ama (toxins) are pretty much clear now. I do still have some issues with my agni (digestive fire) but am told this will calm down in a week or so as long as I take things easy and continue on a good diet. They both offer me very good advice on where to go from here with my diet and lifestyle which I take copious notes on. Dr Rumee also gives me a written sheet of instructions and said she will be in contact in a few months to follow up on how I am going with everything.

I have a few goodies to take home including a six month supply of herbal tablets for my bones that will slowly increase the density now that my body is receptive to healing and will easily absorb the herbs. This will also help with my skeletal issues.

I’m now feeling very ready to come home and after three and a half weeks of wonderful treatments and total body cleansing I’m feeling fabulous. I wonder if I can sneak a therapist and a homelady into my luggage!!

Thank you to everyone who has been following along on my journey and for showing such an interest in all I’ve been going through.

Namaste 🙂

Near The End

May 1, 2017 by Rose

On the final day of my Sirovirecana, I enjoy my usual early morning walk on the lakeside. This morning is looking particularly grey and stormy so I’m pleased when the heaven’s open up after I get back. I’m also pleased to see the wee puppy this morning as I haven’t seen him for a few days and was starting to get worried! I wonder if my fellow walkers/joggers will notice I’m gone after Wednesday.

Preparing to leave I think about the last few weeks and all that I’ve been through. It’s been quite an amazing experience and something I’m really happy to have done. I can definitely see myself doing a Panchakarma every one or two years. Dr Rumee said for a one week Panchakarma it is recommended to do one yearly and for a three or four week one then every two years is sufficient.

I would love to come back to Nepal, specifically Pokhara. Badri told me, when he was here, they have bought a large piece of land higher on the hill above lakeside, about a 20 minute drive from here. They plan to build a new centre there within 4 or 5 years. They are also building a new centre in Kathmandu in a forest area which sounds a lot nicer than the city itself where their current centre is. He said they are getting more and more popular and need to expand to cater for the demand.

What has impressed me most about the Ayurvedic Health Home is the attention to detail, the cleanliness and the efficiency of how everything is run. All of the doctors and the staff are very caring by nature and no one ever seems in a hurry to finish a treatment, consultation or class.

Something that I also really appreciate here is that the therapists always wash their hands before doing the facial massage. When I did my Aromatherapy training this was always so important and really drilled into us and I hardly come across a massage therapist these days who ever does this.

I mentioned earlier in the blog that two of the founders are Dr Rishi and his brother Badri. The third founder is a German lady, Marlies Foerster. She has been responsible for the training and professional guidance for developing organisational systems, quality-control and staff-management. This side of it certainly shows as the centre is run like a tight ship.

With a background in professional health care since 1962, she worked as the Head of Nursing at a large hospital in Dusseldorf, Germany. She managed the continuing education programs for health care professionals and worked for many years as Chairperson of the Federal Working Party of Head Nurses.

Since August 2000 Marlies has been living in Nepal, working with Dr. Rishi and Badri Koirala to establish the Ayurveda Health Home, the pioneer and first professional Panchakarma Centre in Nepal and has helped to bridge the traditional culture of Nepal with the European and foreign guests.

Since I have been here for the past three weeks or so, I have met guests from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, England and the US so it certainly attracts people from far and wide!

My last Sirovirecana is administered by Dr Rumee who is now back from Kathmandu. Before that to prepare, I have my last 90 minute whole body Abhyanga given by Sarita which is fitting as she performed my first one the day I arrived.

It’s a full house that evening at the dinner table with four guests from the US, two from Germany, one from England and me.

Tomorrow I have my ‘grand finale’ to look forward to which, according to previous guests is quite something – stay tuned!

Sirovirecana

April 28, 2017 by Rose

Today begins the last step in my Panchakarma process – Sirovirecana. During the next four days I will get the subtle therapies that focus on my sensory organs. The basic aim is to provide relaxation, cleansing and rejuvenating effects to these sensory organs and also to the brain, nervous system, perceptions and inner intuition.

The Sirovirecana program includes the following three therapies:

Karnapurana (ear irrigation).
Herbal nasal smoke and Nasya (deep nasal and sinus irrigation).
Netratarpana (eye irrigation).

I am given all three therapies for four days in a row and it takes one hour to complete each day. Before each daily session I have my normal massages to prepare for them.

They are administered by Dr Kristina who starts off massaging my ear areas and the sides of my neck before adding a warm herbal oil into each ear then massaging it further all while lying on the massage table on my back.

I then turn on to my stomach with my face in the massage table hole, while a fire is set below sending the medicated smoke into my nostrils. First cumin seeds are added to the fire, then ajwain seeds (this one burns slightly), coriander seeds, black pepper powder (another burner) and finally medicated ghee with artemesia leaves. It’s not unpleasant but also not something I’d make a habit of doing regularly.

Turning again to my back, Dr Kristina gently massages my nasal area and sinuses before adding a special nasal drop preparation, about 7 drops to each nostril. She massages again after the drops then shakes my head to jiggle it around inside – that feels a bit weird.

The Library on the treatment room floor. Guest rooms upstairs and dining and reception downstairs

Finally the eye irrigation and this is definitely not pleasant. After the gentle eye massage, small ‘glasses’ are made around my eyes by shaping flour dough into small rings, this is to form ‘dams’ in my eyes to keep the liquid in place. A mixture of triphala ghee and medicated oils is then slowly dropped into each eye and I am then instructed to open my eyes and perform various eye exercises, with breaks in between each one. This can be quite painful and I feel a burning sensation in my eyes. It doesn’t last too long and before I know it the ‘glasses’ are removed and my eyes are bathed in a calming warm solution.

After the Sirovirecana therapies are complete, I then rest for about 10 minutes in the treatment room then am told to rest my eyes for two hours, wearing dark sunglasses. I’m not allowed to expose them to bright lights, hot sun, cold air or polluted areas or look at any mobile devices, computers or books.

The outcome of these therapies is to feel a deeper silence, tranquility and expansion of happiness within.

During these four days all the yummy treatments and yummy foods continue along with my daily routines and long lakeside walk.

The Final Bastis

April 27, 2017 by Rose

The last two and a half weeks have flown by and I can’t believe I’ve only got a week to go, I could easily stay longer. I’m getting far too used to having daily massages, not having to cook or do any chores and basically just being spoilt rotten.

For a change of scenery I ask to move rooms on the second week. A couple of the rooms are empty now and I spy a room I like the look of. It still has a lovely view over the lake and it has a bath which is a bonus. Fingers crossed the hot water sticks around.

My new room is called Dhanvantari, meaning the God of Ayurveda, wisdom and love of life. I’m going to love this room! Not that I didn’t like Ganesh, just nice to have a change.

My last morning Basti goes well and I’m very happy it’s the final one. My blood pressure on the last day is 85/60 and pulse is still 62. That day I have yet another whole body massage, a Picu, Siro Dhara plus another Ayurvedic class, this time with Dr Kristina. This class is on food which again I find very interesting.

The next day I have my last evening Basti, it’s quite a relief to have both morning and evening ones all done and dusted. I’m feeling really great and extremely clean inside! I still feel a bit weak but my blood pressure is on the rise at 90/70 the following day then 100/60 the day after that with my pulse increasing to 72 and weight now at 53kg. I’m back on the normal diet and Dr Rishi has also instructed the home ladies to make me a toasted banana every day now for afternoon tea. This is extremely yummy and cooked with butter, brown sugar and toasted almonds.

Each day I complete my morning routines along with my early lakeside walk then I have various treatments throughout the day. One day I have a whole body massage, a Picu, head and foot program, a Chakra Basti and a Siro Dhara all in one day – talk about spoilt! This Chakra Basti focuses on my Swadhisthana chakra which is located at the coccyx.

I have a rest day scheduled for the Thursday however I ask Dr Kristina if I can move some of the treatments from later in the week to the morning of my rest day as other days are very full. So on my rest day I have a private Yoga session, a follow up consultation, a spinal program and a Chakra Basti – this one focuses on my Vishuddhi Chakra (throat centre).

Tonight I sadly say goodbye to a lovely lady I’ve got to know the last two weeks from Denmark. We were planning on spending the afternoon walking up to the Peace Stupa however some big rains hit then later on a thunder storm – so pleased we didn’t get caught half way up.

We get a beautiful view of the Peace Stupa from the happy house. Balanced on a narrow ridge high above Lake Fewa, the brilliant white World Peace Pagoda was constructed by Buddhist monks from the Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji organisation to promote world peace.

I may try and fit this in before I leave otherwise I have a feeling I’ll be back.

Sunrise over the Himalayas

April 24, 2017 by Rose

The next few days I get into the routine of having my morning and evening Bastis on alternate days. They get easier each time and the beautiful treatments I continue to have every day more than make up for any discomfort.

My daily routines have become, well routine! I have it down pat starting with the the eye exercises, eye wash, oil pulling, tongue scraping, pranayama, neti, meditation, yoga then the lovely lakeside walk. Sometimes I mix it up, if my morning Basti is at 6.30am, I do my yoga later in the day. I also have three more private sessions with Dr Kristina on Foundation 2 yoga which I very much enjoy.

On the Monday, four of us get up at 4.15am to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas in Sarangkot. We’ve been waiting for a clear day and two of the ladies leave on Tuesday so it’s great timing for them. We share a taxi that takes around 30 minutes to wind up the steep 1592m mountain to Sarangkot. Not the most comfortable trip. Most of the taxis here are very small Suzikis and much of the road was pot holes due to road construction so certainly a bumpy trip with three of us squeezed in the back.

Once we get there we climb a set of steps leading further uphill to the dramatic viewpoint in the ruins of an ancient fort. When we get there we’re greeted with a panoramic sweep of Himalayan peaks, from Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the west to the perfect pyramid that is Machhapuchhare (6997m) and the rounded peak of Annapurna II (7937m) in the east.

We’re there for over an hour as the sun rises, transforming the peaks from a purple-pink to a celestial gold. A truly amazing experience and one I feel very privileged to have witnessed.

Sarangkot is also the launching place for paragliding over the Pokhara Valley and the Lake Fewa. There is also a zip-line down to the Tibetan settlement at Hemja. Maybe I’ll save that one for another trip!

We’re back ‘home’ just after 7am and the rest of the day is filled with shopping and treatments. I have another spinal program and Picu in the morning and a head and foot program in the afternoon following by a Siro Basti.

This basti is more like it! It improves the flow of prana (energy) for the better functioning of the brain/ senses. It is a medicated oil treatment for the head. The crown of the head is encased within a special type of material which is secured around the forehead and entire scalp. By doing this a small basin is created on top of the head. Warm, medicated oil is then poured gently inside and is left for some time to penetrate the scalp while Dr Kristina does her thing with the singing bowls – awesome!

It treats the following conditions:

For Vata disorders (my dominant constitution).
To improve eye conditions and diseases.
Facial paralysis.
Diseases of the head.
Brain haemorrhage and clots.
Tremors.
Insomnia.
Migraine.
For the improvement of brain function and in degenerative conditions of the brain.

That day is finished off with an evening Basti – six down, two to go!

What no whole body Abhyanga?

April 21, 2017 by Rose

Up before sunrise I head down to the lakeside for a pleasant morning walk. I’m feeling quite weak and slow today so take it pretty easy. I’m back in time for a quick shower then my second morning Basti at 6.30am which goes well, now I’m used to it it doesn’t seem as daunting. My blood pressure today is 100/60, no wonder I feel a bit weak. I have another nice long rest before breakfast and treatments.

Today is the first day, apart from my rest day, that I don’t have a whole body Abhyanga (hot oil massage). I feel quite hard done by – that is until I discover that instead I have a head and foot program in the morning and a spinal program plus a Chakra Basti in the afternoon.

Before my morning treatments I have a follow up consultation with Dr Rumee. She gives me an examination then takes my blood pressure which is 110/70, slightly higher since my morning Basti. My weight has gone down and is now 52.3kg which seems very low, all that cleaning out I guess! I comment that I feel it is too low and she says after the Bastis I will start to gain it again with the food they prepare for me. She said around 55kg would be good for me.

We discuss how my overall health is and how I’ve been feeling with all the treatments. I ask if the massages can focus a bit more on my neck as it’s still feeling a bit sore and tight so she will pass that on to the therapists for all future treatments. We also go over some of the breathing and yoga practices that will further help my back pain which I’m very pleased to say is improving.

Now onto the morning treatments. The head and foot program consists of a 30 minute Padabhyanga (foot massage), a 30 minute Siro-bhyanga (head massage) and a foot bath.

Padabhyanga

The foot massage stimulates all the organs of the body and increases the Ojas (life-giving cumulative essence of the body). It produces a state of deep relaxation and a sense of well being to the entire system.

Feet are the polar energy parts, which communicate with mother earth. Tiredness from a long day’s work and fatigue accumulates in the feet. Generally we neglect and disrespect our feet, failing to touch our feet with love. This leads to a further burden of negative energy and tiredness. In addition, the related organs become fatigued and consequently the productivity of our life is reduced.

Therefore, Padabhyanga (foot massage) is very important in providing a means of purification and rejuvenation of the whole body. In this relaxation massage you may experience the release of blocked energy and feel tranquil.

It treats the following conditions:

Tiredness and fatigue.
Individuals seeking relaxation.
Rejuvenation effect.

Siro-bhyanga

The head massage provides relaxation, releases stress, and rejuvenates. The Sira (head), where the brain lies, is an important part of the body. It is the master of all neurological, sensorial, mental, emotional and spiritual functions.

There are important special energy points located on the head. Siro-bhyanga massage incorporates specific Ayurveda oils and techniques to help release stress from the head and provide nutrition to the brain. Regular head massage is a routine practice in Ayurveda.

It treats the following conditions:

For relaxation.
To improve sleep.
To improve concentration.
To improve brain functions.
Stress headache.

During the head massage, my feet are immersed in a bowl of hot water full of rose petals with my feet resting on hot stones.

After a pretty boring lunch of thin rice soup I enjoy my afternoon session of treatments.

The spinal program consists of a 30 minute Relaxation Spinal Abhyanga and a 30 minute Picu treatment on my spine. The spinal abhyanga helps to improve the flow of energy, release stress, improve the movement of the spine, and allow a greater understanding from within.

The spine is the sheath of Chakras, from where all Nadis (nerves) are distributed to the periphery. Ayurveda recognises the significance and importance of maintaining and improving the function of the spine. This Abhyanga massage uses different applications of oils, herbs, and techniques.

It treats the following conditions:

Tired and fatigued states.
Simple blockages.
Stress accumulated in the back.
To provide relaxation and tranquility.

Both the spinal and the head massages I have today really zone in on my neck so by the evening it is feeling wonderful and pretty much pain free.

After the spinal program I am then treated with my all time favorite Chakra Basti and the chakra of focus today is the anahata or heart chakra. This is yet again an amazing experience and it is performed by Badri who is the brother of Dr Rishi and another co-founder of the Ayurveda Health Home.

Badri splits his time between here and Kathmandu and along with being Managing Director, he is also the Chief Therapist. With an extensive knowledge of Ayurveda and classical Ayurvedic therapies, Badri provides instruction and training in the Panchakarma therapies and also foundational courses in yoga. With an attention to detail and a caring heart, Badri oversees and maintains the quality control of all the therapies.

Tonight I am lucky enough to have a hot shower, the last two days we’ve had no hot water partly due to the cloud cover meaning the solar power hasn’t been topped up, and also due to the many power outages because of the heavy thunder storms along with monsoonal rains. When I arrived I noticed there were candles in the rooms which I thought was a lovely touch, little did I realise how handy they would become!