Himalayas

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!

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!

Sunrise over the Himalayas

First glimpse of the Himalayas