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.
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!