The doshas. Through pulse diagnosis the Ayurvedic doctor evaluates your prakriti/strength and vikriti/weak doshas: Vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water) or kapha (water and earth).
My experience with Ayurveda had been limited to two shirodhara treatments where oil is poured in a continuous steam from a suspended clay pot, onto the forehead. Neither of them had been memorable for good reasons. The first was disorienting and weird followed by a nauseating headache, which may have been a combined effect of a liver detox yoga retreat. The second began well with a choice of peppermint essential oil, but was followed by a broken ankle when I stepped backwards into a rice paddy drain. Again this may have been something other than the treatment, but you can see why I perhaps wasn't keen to go for number three. Brian, however, was more than ready, presenting me with the three clinics he'd investigated, explaining the costs, benefits and timetable, and how this was going to fit in with my yoga ashram schedule. And so it was that my Ayurvedic journey began anew.
Visit number 1 began with the consultation and a fairly standard case history. This is strange in itself, as Ayurvedic is not about illness, but wellness. Presenting with no problem is no problem. The Ayervedic doctor is not looking to find a reason to prescribe drugs, but rather to identify your predominant dosha nature and provide strategies for health maintenance.
So let's talk about women's health ... yes, menopause. Not something I really want to think about, but it's inevitable. To my surprise this was the subject and tone of my conversation with the doctor. It was the first thing he zeroed in on while taking my pulse (in three places) and asking my age! Far from being all doom and gloom, drugs and demise, he offered information, strategies and explanation for whole of body health as we women age. Yes, he made a recommendation, Shatavari, one of the most powerful rejuvenating herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. Commonly used for conditions affecting the female reproductive system, mood swings, irritation and hot flushes, it has nourishing, soothing and cooling properties that help in many conditions. Conditions where the body and mind are overheated, depleted or out of balance. In conjunction with this he was also able to tell me how my vata dosha nature was travelling and where and how I could work with it. For me this involved preventing drying out! Sounds gruesome, but translated into:
* a fortnightly sesame oil massage (I think I could manage that.),
* yoga, very specifically 11 sun salutations a day (Well, need I say more?),
* my diet was given the tick, and then
* 1 teaspoon of ghee per day for the nervous system (The best I can find is it is an equivalent to fish oil. Also for joint health. It is taken poured over dal, rice, porridge... Really? That's why they were offering it from a bucket at the ashram. Putting aside, almost, my fat beliefs, I gave it a try, even two, on rice. Won't be doing that again.)
He outlined three treatments for starting me off, giving me a cleansed and prepared body to gain maximum Ayurvedic benefits.
Treatment 1- Himalayan Abhayanga Massage with Ayurvedic oil, presumably something that matched my dosha, although it just smelled like the base of sesame oil. I skipped the shirodhara, claiming limited time (We had to be back at the ashram for lunch at 12.30pm!), and went straight to the steam bath, which is a one person sized timber box that steam is pumped into, while you sit sealed inside, with just your head sticking out. Not for the claustrophobic!
Treatment 2 - Pind Swedana was described on the treatment menu as dry/fresh. Dry what and fresh what I had no idea but my therapist assured it was a full body massage. It turned out to be hot compresses of herbs, patted sometimes firmly over and over my whole body. A word here, that 'hot' was at times uncomfortably so, but patting never became too severe, and there was in fact the full body massage, again with lashings of sesame oil, in and around the compresses. I imagine the patting stimulates the blood flow to the surface of the skin, and the mystery herbs aid in extracting toxins with the heat. Next it was the shirodhara pot tracing neverending figure eights across my forehead to perhaps open my third eye, or just to relax my vata disposition. Either way, the copious amounts of oil that ended up in my hair, plus what was already on my body,had me smelling like a dressed salad. Even the steam bath and towel off didn't shift much of it, and my hair literally dripped oil for the next two days.
Treatment 3 - This one started out well, offering an Himalayan Aroma Massage. The only aroma I could discern was lemongrass. I now smelled like a Thai salad. Again the steam bath and I was just about at the finish line and feeling relieved, until ... the Senses Cleanse; nasayam, karna pooran and kawala. Perhaps best not to be forewarned about this, but in the interest of full disclosure ... Nasayam is nose clean and inhalation. I expected it to be something akin to a neti pot or nasal flush, so was starting to panic and fear drowning when my therapist, Shikha, had me lie face up. Just a couple of drops of some foul smelling liquid were administered into each of my nostrils, and I could still breathe, but didn't know if I wanted to. I could feel the fumes burning down the back of my throat. Shikha, gave me a couple of paper napkins, but instructed me not to blow. Instead she kept insisting I should be spitting in the basin of water she'd placed beside my head. The whole Indian back snorting, throat clearing, projectile spitting is not a practice I intend adopting, so to her dismay, I passed. Next came karna pooran where my ears were filled with warm oil and plugged with cotton wool. By now I was feeling this treatment was more sense deprivation than sense cleanse, but it wasn't over yet. Next was Kawala, a procedure where a glob of brown mush is given to you with instuctions to chew, but not swallow, for a minute. All I need to say here is that it is a very long minute. Treatment number three over and Shikta produced sweet herbal tea. At this point anything would have been welcome but two cups later I was sure my tastebuds had suffered permanent damage. The best of part the treatment was watching a similarly unsuspecting Brian experience the same joy.
Walking back after this final treatment, just glad it was over, Brian tells me he feels great and will make the two week program an annual event. Me? I'll stick with the recommendation of a fortnightly massage with sesame oil, for my dry vata self ... but I will be mixing in my Reiki essential oils of cypress, lime, peppermint and frankincense. My decision is still hanging about the supplements. Three were recommended. The first, Ashwagandha, Brian bought, but googling told me it would ensure a 3-5kg weight gain in a month, so I'm unlikely to be taking that! I'm definitely going to go with the Shatawari, for women's hormonal balance. The third, Jeevan Kalp Rasayan, is just a general immunity boost - not sure on that one.
Vata - Part 2
At Bahadrabad near Haridwar, we visited Patanjali Yogpeeth, an Institute of Medical Science and Research in Yoga and Ayurveda. Patanjali wrote his treatise, The Yog Sutra to impart practical knowledge of the eight fold path - Ashtanga - yoga to the world. K. Pattabhi Jois derived and founded Vinyasa yoga, the modern day form of the classic Ashtanga. Total 'yoga groupie' experience for me. Every hour free yoga classes and free Ayurvedic consultations.
But remember this is India so the yoga was all about Pranayam, to support the Ayurvedic diagnoses. Brian was interested to triangulate with a second opinion, so we duly registered and waited at door number 24. This time we had a joint consultation, which was confronting in itself. Brian went first to give me time to get my vata energy amping up to provide borderline high blood pressure. This was in contrast to my pulse, diet and exercise but it was hard to explain 'white coat syndrome' here. Recommended treatment was perhaps not surprising; the same Ashwagandha, which I think is the standard vata balancing herb, which is stress relieving, calming and rejuvenating, good for strength and vigour.
Pranayam is integral to the diagnosis and treatment. Brian had been sent to Room 8 to learn nearly all the breathing techniques on the list; Bhastriki, Kapalbhati, Bahya, Bhramari (his favourite 'humming bee) - all good chest clearing practices. To his amusement or envy I was given ones not even on the list: Yoga Nidra and Savasana.
"Obviously!" he says.
My experience with Ayurveda had been limited to two shirodhara treatments where oil is poured in a continuous steam from a suspended clay pot, onto the forehead. Neither of them had been memorable for good reasons. The first was disorienting and weird followed by a nauseating headache, which may have been a combined effect of a liver detox yoga retreat. The second began well with a choice of peppermint essential oil, but was followed by a broken ankle when I stepped backwards into a rice paddy drain. Again this may have been something other than the treatment, but you can see why I perhaps wasn't keen to go for number three. Brian, however, was more than ready, presenting me with the three clinics he'd investigated, explaining the costs, benefits and timetable, and how this was going to fit in with my yoga ashram schedule. And so it was that my Ayurvedic journey began anew.
Visit number 1 began with the consultation and a fairly standard case history. This is strange in itself, as Ayurvedic is not about illness, but wellness. Presenting with no problem is no problem. The Ayervedic doctor is not looking to find a reason to prescribe drugs, but rather to identify your predominant dosha nature and provide strategies for health maintenance.
So let's talk about women's health ... yes, menopause. Not something I really want to think about, but it's inevitable. To my surprise this was the subject and tone of my conversation with the doctor. It was the first thing he zeroed in on while taking my pulse (in three places) and asking my age! Far from being all doom and gloom, drugs and demise, he offered information, strategies and explanation for whole of body health as we women age. Yes, he made a recommendation, Shatavari, one of the most powerful rejuvenating herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. Commonly used for conditions affecting the female reproductive system, mood swings, irritation and hot flushes, it has nourishing, soothing and cooling properties that help in many conditions. Conditions where the body and mind are overheated, depleted or out of balance. In conjunction with this he was also able to tell me how my vata dosha nature was travelling and where and how I could work with it. For me this involved preventing drying out! Sounds gruesome, but translated into:
* a fortnightly sesame oil massage (I think I could manage that.),
* yoga, very specifically 11 sun salutations a day (Well, need I say more?),
* my diet was given the tick, and then
* 1 teaspoon of ghee per day for the nervous system (The best I can find is it is an equivalent to fish oil. Also for joint health. It is taken poured over dal, rice, porridge... Really? That's why they were offering it from a bucket at the ashram. Putting aside, almost, my fat beliefs, I gave it a try, even two, on rice. Won't be doing that again.)
He outlined three treatments for starting me off, giving me a cleansed and prepared body to gain maximum Ayurvedic benefits.
Treatment 1- Himalayan Abhayanga Massage with Ayurvedic oil, presumably something that matched my dosha, although it just smelled like the base of sesame oil. I skipped the shirodhara, claiming limited time (We had to be back at the ashram for lunch at 12.30pm!), and went straight to the steam bath, which is a one person sized timber box that steam is pumped into, while you sit sealed inside, with just your head sticking out. Not for the claustrophobic!
Treatment 2 - Pind Swedana was described on the treatment menu as dry/fresh. Dry what and fresh what I had no idea but my therapist assured it was a full body massage. It turned out to be hot compresses of herbs, patted sometimes firmly over and over my whole body. A word here, that 'hot' was at times uncomfortably so, but patting never became too severe, and there was in fact the full body massage, again with lashings of sesame oil, in and around the compresses. I imagine the patting stimulates the blood flow to the surface of the skin, and the mystery herbs aid in extracting toxins with the heat. Next it was the shirodhara pot tracing neverending figure eights across my forehead to perhaps open my third eye, or just to relax my vata disposition. Either way, the copious amounts of oil that ended up in my hair, plus what was already on my body,had me smelling like a dressed salad. Even the steam bath and towel off didn't shift much of it, and my hair literally dripped oil for the next two days.
Treatment 3 - This one started out well, offering an Himalayan Aroma Massage. The only aroma I could discern was lemongrass. I now smelled like a Thai salad. Again the steam bath and I was just about at the finish line and feeling relieved, until ... the Senses Cleanse; nasayam, karna pooran and kawala. Perhaps best not to be forewarned about this, but in the interest of full disclosure ... Nasayam is nose clean and inhalation. I expected it to be something akin to a neti pot or nasal flush, so was starting to panic and fear drowning when my therapist, Shikha, had me lie face up. Just a couple of drops of some foul smelling liquid were administered into each of my nostrils, and I could still breathe, but didn't know if I wanted to. I could feel the fumes burning down the back of my throat. Shikha, gave me a couple of paper napkins, but instructed me not to blow. Instead she kept insisting I should be spitting in the basin of water she'd placed beside my head. The whole Indian back snorting, throat clearing, projectile spitting is not a practice I intend adopting, so to her dismay, I passed. Next came karna pooran where my ears were filled with warm oil and plugged with cotton wool. By now I was feeling this treatment was more sense deprivation than sense cleanse, but it wasn't over yet. Next was Kawala, a procedure where a glob of brown mush is given to you with instuctions to chew, but not swallow, for a minute. All I need to say here is that it is a very long minute. Treatment number three over and Shikta produced sweet herbal tea. At this point anything would have been welcome but two cups later I was sure my tastebuds had suffered permanent damage. The best of part the treatment was watching a similarly unsuspecting Brian experience the same joy.
Walking back after this final treatment, just glad it was over, Brian tells me he feels great and will make the two week program an annual event. Me? I'll stick with the recommendation of a fortnightly massage with sesame oil, for my dry vata self ... but I will be mixing in my Reiki essential oils of cypress, lime, peppermint and frankincense. My decision is still hanging about the supplements. Three were recommended. The first, Ashwagandha, Brian bought, but googling told me it would ensure a 3-5kg weight gain in a month, so I'm unlikely to be taking that! I'm definitely going to go with the Shatawari, for women's hormonal balance. The third, Jeevan Kalp Rasayan, is just a general immunity boost - not sure on that one.
Vata - Part 2
At Bahadrabad near Haridwar, we visited Patanjali Yogpeeth, an Institute of Medical Science and Research in Yoga and Ayurveda. Patanjali wrote his treatise, The Yog Sutra to impart practical knowledge of the eight fold path - Ashtanga - yoga to the world. K. Pattabhi Jois derived and founded Vinyasa yoga, the modern day form of the classic Ashtanga. Total 'yoga groupie' experience for me. Every hour free yoga classes and free Ayurvedic consultations.
But remember this is India so the yoga was all about Pranayam, to support the Ayurvedic diagnoses. Brian was interested to triangulate with a second opinion, so we duly registered and waited at door number 24. This time we had a joint consultation, which was confronting in itself. Brian went first to give me time to get my vata energy amping up to provide borderline high blood pressure. This was in contrast to my pulse, diet and exercise but it was hard to explain 'white coat syndrome' here. Recommended treatment was perhaps not surprising; the same Ashwagandha, which I think is the standard vata balancing herb, which is stress relieving, calming and rejuvenating, good for strength and vigour.
Pranayam is integral to the diagnosis and treatment. Brian had been sent to Room 8 to learn nearly all the breathing techniques on the list; Bhastriki, Kapalbhati, Bahya, Bhramari (his favourite 'humming bee) - all good chest clearing practices. To his amusement or envy I was given ones not even on the list: Yoga Nidra and Savasana.
"Obviously!" he says.
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