Healthy Wealthy Wise – Page 2 – Ayurveda adventures in body, mind, soul and senses

First glimpse of the Himalayas

April 20, 2017 by Rose

I’m feeling pretty good after my first Basti day and set off on a lovely long early walk along the lakeside after I’ve completed my daily routines. As I round the corner near where the boat goes over to the Barahi temple, I suddenly see the snow capped Himalayas peeping above the foothills. I’m so excited, apart from the plane journey this is the first time I see them. For some reason I had decided to not take my iPhone today so I rush back to the happy house to grab it but by the time I get back they’re mostly covered in cloud – bugger! Oh well, I still feel very excited that I got to see them.

I head back again in time for breakfast then after that I’m off again to see if they’ve appeared but to no avail. Instead I amuse myself in the shops and discover a great book shop along with some other interesting shops. There’s certainly no shortage and I could amuse myself for days – which I do!

My afternoon brings another Citz bath, another fantastic sychronised cleansing massage and a Picu.

That evening after my early dinner, I have my first afternoon Basti, it’s shorter than the morning one which is a good thing. Two down, six to go!

Let the Bastis begin!

April 19, 2017 by Rose

Today begins the second main procedure of my Panchakarma – Basti.

I am to be given two types of Basti, one early in the morning and another on the next day in the evening. During these Bastis, cleansing and rejuvenation work simultaneously to clean and habour the function of the colon. This is a deep healing procedure that works into the subtle cellular level.

The morning Basti, Asthapana Basti, is cleansing and is an irrigation of a medicated concoction of herbs into the colon. The procedure starts with Doctor Rumee taking my blood pressure and pulse. On this first day my blood pressure is 100/60 and pulse 62. She then gives me a stomach massage for around 10 minutes then places a couple of hot water bottles onto my abdomen (hot fomentation). These both stimulate the stomach to help the flow of energy.

While Dr Rumee prepares my individual herbal concoction, a therapist, Sarita today, gives me a foot massage, also lasting around 10 minutes. This is followed by the colon irrigation then I am to rest for 15 minutes on my right side before letting nature take it’s course!

After a while, I am sent to my room with a thermos of Cumin and Ginger tea which will help with any stomach cramps. The rest of the day I take it easy and relax with some more wonderful afternoon treatments.

The evening Basti, Anuvasana Basti, is the irrigation of special herbal oils into the colon. The goal of this evening Basti is rejuvenation. It helps to improve tissue health and give the necessary healing information to all the tissues.

For the next eight days I have four morning and four evening Bastis on alternate days. I also have a special diet on these days as my digestion is weak so the food that is prepared for me will restore my weak digestion and soothe the alimentary tract.

The morning Basti day is very similar food to the Virecana food I had previously. Soupy basmati rice that gets thicker as the days goes on. Breakfast is a very thin rice soup with no spices and lunch gets a bit thicker with the addition of ghee, ginger and rock salt. In the afternoon I get a bowl of boiled apples with spices then a couple of hours later I am allowed Kitchari (rice, lentils and vegetables with various spices). This is always very welcome!

On the evening Basti days I get a light to normal food diet. Boiled apples and porridge for breakfast and lunch is lentil soup, rice, some sort of vegetable dish and a raw chutney. Dinner is early so I have time to digest it, usually one hour before the Basti, and this is plain basmati rice with steamed carrots and zucchini. Later in the evening I then have a bowl of vegetable soup.

It’s not too bad but at the end of the eight days I’m very much looking forward to ‘normal’ food again!

The afternoon of my first Basti I enjoy more pampering of yet another 90 minute oil massage, then a Picu followed by the super relaxing Siro Dhara. This somehow makes the shock of my first ever Basti quite bearable.

More rest and relaxation

April 18, 2017 by Rose

My morning routines are now becoming a habit followed by my lakeside walk. I’m starting to see the same people walking each morning as the sun rises. I’m not sure if they recognise me but it’s an interesting assortment including a couple of young Nepalese girls in track suits, a mother and small son, an elderly gentleman with a topi (traditional hat), a group of young girls and boys practicing karate (seven days a week I might add), a group of ladies in their saris always deep in conversation and a couple of young guys hard at it jogging. There’s even a group of dogs I see every morning including the cutest wee puppy! This morning they’re playing tug of war with an old sock or something.

Today is my last normal food day for eight days so I’m stocking up inside – might be a bad idea with what’s to come however!

My treatments today include yet another wonderful 90 minute Abhyanga with Penu then a Chakra Basti with Penu and Dr Rumee.

The Chakra Basti is simply amazing! This process provides subtle nutrition to the Chakra, it helps to improve the function of the Chakra and alleviates the diseased or stressed organ associated with the particular Chakra. It is followed by a gentle massage of the energy points.

The Chakras are the energy fields in the subtle body and govern the subtle elements, sense organs and organs of action. They possess corresponding energy fields in the physical body and the nerve plexus to govern gross elements and to maintain life. In their heightened or spiritual function, they awaken the subtle sensory and motor organs to which they relate, giving us the experience of the subtle world and higher states of consciousness.

Physical diseases relate to imbalances in the outer Chakras which function through the various nerve plexus and endocrine organs. Psychological diseases involve imbalances in inner Chakra functioning.

There are five places for the application of Chakra Basti:

Mooladhra Chakra (Root Centre)
Swadhisthana Chakra (Pubic Centre)
Manipura Chakra (Naval or Solar plexus Centre)
Anahata Chakra (Heart Centre)
Vishuddhi Chakra (Throat Centre)

My Chakra Basti today focuses on my Manipura Chakra. I have four of these treatments during my stay so will cover most of them. I also have a Siro Basti in my program which is the crown chakra, on top of the head, so my chakras will be well taken care of by the time they’ve finished with me!

The treatment involves the shaping of flour dough into a ring and placing it around the desired Chakra area, in this case my naval. It is secured into a dam-like structure and warm medicated oil is gradually poured inside. While this is going on I have singing bowls placed on and around me and Dr Rumee ‘plays’ these while Penu pours the warm oil onto my belly.

As I said before, this treatment is simply amazing, I thought the Siro Dhara was the pinnacle but I think this tops it. I’m not really sure how to describe how I felt but it was almost like I was transported to somewhere and I seemed to be floating on a cloud. I guess you had to be there!!

The conditions it treats includes:

Improves and balances the function of the Chakras for subtle spiritual growth.
Helps to improve the function of neurons and the endocrine system.
Helps to pacify the disorders of those organs which correspond to the Chakras.

I’m so chilled out from the Chakra Basti that I spend the rest of the day lazing around reading but I do manage a short walk later in the afternoon before dinner.

Ahhh, the end of another fabulous day.

Week 2

April 17, 2017 by Rose

It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for a week already. Another great start to the day with a longer than usual morning walk further down lakeside. I discover even more new areas including the Barahi Temple, the Royal Palace and an army base (not that I can see over the walls of the latter two).

Seeing the army base reminds me of something interesting I read in the Lonely Planet about the Gurkha soldiers. It might seem like an odd leftover from the days of the empire, but the British army maintain a recruiting centre on the outskirts of Pokhara (not this particular army base I walked past this morning). Every year hundreds of young men from all over Nepal come here to go through a rigorous selection process to become a Gurkha soldier.

Prospective recruits must perform a series of backbreaking physical tasks, including a 5km uphill run carrying 25kg of rocks in a traditional doko basket. Only the most physically fit and mentally dedicated make it through and it’s not unheard of for recruits to keep on running with broken bones!

Gurkhas are still considered one of the toughest fighting forces in the world. They have carried out peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Sierra Leone. These soldiers form elite units of the Indian army, the Singapore Police Force and the personal bodyguard of the sultan of Brunei.

The primary motivation for most recruits is money. The average daily wage in Nepal is under $2, but Gurkha soldiers earn upwards of $1500 per month, with a commission lasting up to 16 years and a British Army pension for life, plus the option of settling in Britain on retirement.

Back to my day after that brief interlude into military trivia!

I’m very excited as I have two days ahead of a normal food diet which includes fresh fruit, porridge and pancakes for breakfast and dessert for dinner along with the all the other yummy food they always serve. Yay, no more rice soup – for two days anyway!

My treatments in the morning include another Citz bath, another 90 minute oil massage (Abhyang) and a Pinda Sveda.

A Pinda Sveda is a dry type of sweating. In this treatment, hot sand is prepared in boluses (soft, round balls wrapped in acloth), which are used to stamp on the desired body part after my oil massage. This is performed by two therapist and it treats the following conditions:

Swollen and inflamed joints.
Joint pain, arthritis and deformity.
Muscle aches, cramps and lethargy.

I only have one of these treatments during my stay which I’m quite pleased about, once was enough!

I have the afternoon free so I ask them to set me up a place to do yoga and the only free space is the rooftop. There’s a nice breeze and a pleasant view of the lake.

Later that afternoon, as if I’m not getting enough treatments here, I take myself off into town to get a pedicure. That was quite an experience, I must be used to the efficiency run ‘happy house’ and I have to say this was the worse pedicure I’ve ever had! Oh well, my toes look pretty, at least they do if you don’t look too close.

That evening we have a group meditation on roof top after dinner lead by Dr Samichha. A very pleasant way to end the day.

Easter Sunday

April 16, 2017 by Rose

It’s Easter Day at home but feels far from it here after just having celebrated the New Year. I start the morning with a lovely long walk around the lake to discover more new areas in this fascinating city.

I have a full day ahead with private Yoga and Ayurveda classes in the morning then almost 3 hours of treatments in the afternoon.

The Ayurveda class that Dr Rumee leads along with Dr Samichha is very good. Although I’ve been immersing myself in Ayurveda of late, with books, podcasts and other online resources, I learn many new things to further my knowledge in this absorbing field.

Aside from the history and what Ayurveda actually means (that I have already touched on in the About page), I learn about the five elements of space, air, fire, water and earth; how these five elements work with our five senses; the three biological humors also known as doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha); and their characteristics and functions as well as their relation to the five elements.

The marathon of treatments this afternoon starts with a Citz Bath. The purpose of this is to clean and rejuvenate the basic energy points by sitting in warm herbal liquid. This bath is both cleansing and therapeutic in nature. This is followed by another 90 minute oil massage of which I’m getting very accustomed to.

Next on the agenda is a Siro Dhara. My first ever and it is pure bliss where I spend half an hour drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness.

Siro Dhara helps to achieve a total sense of balance by using the flow of natural oil on to the forehead. This is a distinctive Ayurvedic treatment that calms the mind and relaxes the central nervous system. In Siro Dhara, a continuous flow of Ayurvedic herbal oils or therapeutic liquids are dripped onto the forehead. A metal vessel, the patra, is suspended directly above the forehead. The oil or therapeutic fluid is poured into the pot and seeps through a hole onto the centre of the forehead, also known as the ‘third eye’. This classical treatment is meant to be maintained at a certain rhythmic speed while awakening the third eye. This treatment can initiate miraculous healing.

Siro Dhara helps with the following conditions:

Helps to evoke deep cognitive memories and restore good health.
Enhances memory, clarity, comprehension, concentration and creativity.
Very good for relaxation.
Assists meditation and gaining benefits from meditation.
For headaches, migraines and sleep disorders.
For stress, and anxiety.
Rejuvenates the senses and mind, and improves brain functioning.

That evening at dinner I get to know my fellow guests a bit better and enjoy hearing more about their last week of travels. It certainly sounds like I made the best decision to come straight here and skip the sightseeing. After dinner we all enjoy another group meditation.

Rest Day

April 15, 2017 by Rose

Saturday is a rest day but I do have a consultation Dr Rishi who arrived that morning from Kathmandu. We sat down, along with Dr Rumee, for over an hour and he asked me many more questions about various health and other issues. It’s a very interesting discussion and he gives me some insights into why I have suffered so much back pain over the years and also why I have osteoporosis.

He believes that I have a certain amount of stress in my life (doesn’t everyone?) which compromises the circulation to my muscles, joints and bones and this is a contributing factor to my health issues. My poor sleep and poor digestion are another factor and all of this and more will be addressed during my stay here.

I have full confidence in him and his team and this Panchakarma process. I understand that this is a lifelong adjustment I need to make and once I’m back in the real world there are many practices I will continue to enhance my health and further my healing.

Dr Rishi Ram Koirala

Dr Rishi Ram Koirala is an M.D. Ayurveda physician and is Medical Director at the Ayurveda Health Home (AHH). He has more than three decades of professional experience as a practicing Ayurvedic physician following 12 years of university study in Ayurveda and Medicinal plants. Dr. Rishi has successfully treated a very large number of people in Nepal and abroad and has a devoted following amongst those interested in Ayurvedic Medicine. Dr. Rishi is also a spiritual healer with deep roots in Nepali traditional medicine which he inherited from his healer-family.

Dr Rishi has specialised in Panchakarma therapy management and is a skilled diagnostician providing in-depth health consultations, according to the principles of Ayurveda. Dr Rishi was an Executive Board Member of the Nepal Health Research Council and a member of the High Level Health Policy Advisor Committee of the Ministry of Health, Government of Nepal.

In addition, Dr Rishi is widely consulted as a resource person for many institutions, both public and private, in Nepal and abroad. I have also noticed some books in the library here that he has authored.

We have some new arrivals today to the happy house from Queensland. This is the group who were on the original trip that I had booked and they have spent the last week traveling from Kathmandu to Pokhara via Chitwain National Park and Bandipur. Their trip sounded interesting but they seemed very pleased to have arrived here at last. Due to landslides on the way their bus journeys were far longer and dustier than anticipated.

That evening after dinner, we have a group meditation led by Dr Rishi.