It's been almost a month since my last post... so much to say!
I left Goa on Jan 5th for my 28 days of panchakarma and was quite happy, I was getting a bit bored with the place. It's beautiful but it's a tourist destination for people that are looking to be lazy and/or party. I can only do so much of those.
I did get a chance to go to dinner on New Years Day with the family of the couple that run the place where I was staying. It was very sweet, the women were very shy around me... I was shy myself to tell the truth! The food was delicious as one would expect of a home cooked meal, it was different then the food in the restaurants which was nice. Something different. People are very connected to their families in India and are very warm.
I left Goa on the train. I was very excited about this event: I love travelling by train and this time I was going 1st class! Note to reader: 1st class train tickets in India are not all it's cracked up to be. I don't know why I get myself into these situations every time I travel... 1st class cars have compartments that are 2 people each. I got on the train late and the only compartment that had an open door had a short plump Indian man inside in his late 40s. Ok, no problem, I can handle this. I sit and politely start talking with this man who could speak perfect English and is seeming nice... like one's uncle Bob. It turns out that he has been to Canada dozens of times and he is telling me the truth because he knows all the streets and businesses of downtown Ottawa. I'm thinking fantastic, I can relax and have someone nice to talk to for the next 18 hours. I don't lie very well so I'm being completely myself... you know, an open book.
Let me take a pause here to explain something: women that travel alone often wear "wedding rings" and they are always on their way to meet their "spouse". Like an experienced traveler I brought my "wedding ring" to India and it was safely packed deep into my luggage where I wouldn't loose it in case I needed it. So smart am I.
Yeah, the man was harmless, there was no doubt, and I think that's what always trips me: somewhere in that gullible head of mine I always assume that if a person can utter an intelligent sentence and presents a sweet disposition that there is no chance of getting unwelcomed advances. Besides who in his right mind would corner me like that and give me a reason to take out my claws? Isn't it obvious by hearing me go on about my endeavours that I have no issues smashing an opportunist's ego like a jack-o-lantern on Nov 1st? Apparently not because after some chatting he started that oh-so-familiar spiel about my needing to be more open and worldly and, btw, did I happen to believe in destiny? Oh f*** me. I did make sure I wasn't imagining things and let him get to the "I find you attractive" but I made thing quite crystal clear: "Just so you know, I turn VERY aggressive if someone step out of line and crosses my boundary that happens to be right HERE and NO, I'm not attracted to you". I didn't volunteer a single word to him after that. I slept on the top buck, as they say in Poland, with my "ass against the wall". Actually I didn't sleep, I kept the light on and read the whole night. 1st class... yeah right. This is unfortunately not the first time this has happened to me while travelling. Maybe one day my "wedding ring" will see the day of light.
Ok, I got to Trivandrum in the province of Kerala in one piece but I was tired. Fortunately Dr. Sibi George, my Panchakarma guide, was picking me up himself. As soon as we started driving I felt like I was in funky India again: it was 6am and the chanting of mantras was being broadcasted at a deafening volume from bullhorns installed on telephone posts along the streets from the local Hindu temple... something that would get you fined, and judging from the volume, possibly arrested in Canada. If you can't handle noise don't come to India. After about 15 minutes the sounds dissipated. We drove for about an hour before getting to the Ayurvedic centre and guess what? There is a brand new Hindu temple across the street from the centre with state-of-the-art bullhorns that definitely can go up to full volume for those 4:30am to 6:30am wake up mantra calls. Yay!!!
Dr. Sibi shows me the 2 options for rooms. Being so tired and anxious from my uncomfortable train ride I was trilled to find out that not only do I get my very own room, it is clean and the bathrooms are nice... and OMG there are TVs in the rooms! At that point I hadn't watch TV in a couple of months and that's completely 100% fine with me but knowing that I had the option of that distraction for the next 4 weeks, during which I could feel quite tired, cranky, sick and dazed made me feel quite happy. I felt kind of guilty for being so happy about it... like I was about to commit all forms of yogic sin :P TV rots your mind right? Oh well!
I chose this smallest of the rooms that is actually a little building on it's own, I have my own little house. I went to bed and slept for about 4 hours. I got up and took stock of my surroundings... it turns out to be beautiful grounds: tropical potted plants everywhere around the outside of my house, the buildings are all made of rich rust coloured bricks, I have a little shaded porch and the sun was shinning bright through tall health tropical trees. You know it's a good sign when you get to your destination and your room doesn't actually have glass window panes, just screens for the bugs. I've been here now for almost 3 weeks and the temperature here has been incredible: 25 to 30 degrees C mid-day and about 18 degrees C in the dead of night... everyday. It's rained twice that I've noticed: once for about 30 min during the day and once for about 30 during the night. It's definitely the best weather I've ever seen in my life... knock on wood... tropical storms here are possible.
Later that day I had a session with Dr. Sibi and we reviewed my options. I told him that I wanted the maximum of treatment for my condition. As I was already aware rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that is viewed as curable in the east. The immune system actions are not believed to be the main issue as it is in western medicine, in a R.A. sufferer the immune system behaviour is an indication that the body has accumulated too many toxins in the joints to be able to eliminate them in the usual manner so it compensates, unfortunately by doing damage. I do believe in western medicine in certain respects but in this case western doctors don't work on the cause of this condition, they just tell you that your body is broken for unknown reasons and the pills are being prescribed because they worked effectively enough on 40% (or less) of the test subjects with side affects that are acceptable on paper. That is not good enough for me and I am here doing this because I have gotten real explanations of the workings of the body through yoga and Ayurveda that were logical and whole. The body doesn't get treated with statistical data. Ayurveda take all aspect of the whole individual being, physical, spiritual, emotional, look at every significant moment of the past, from birth to present (and even look at genetics) and determine the path of the condition. Dr. Sibi explained to me that medical conditions often start in the early stages of life but we only suffer the symptoms in stage 4 of an illness. With minor pieces of information about the condition as it is now and when it started he could tell me the ages of traumatic events and/or destructive behaviours that would have triggered the stages of my condition which resulted in symptoms that started at 33 y/o. It was impressive! What he proceeded to tell me are the areas of the body that have been taxed and need attention. What was incredibly inspiring is that everything he told me were in-line with many other informations that I've been given by a naturopathic doctor, an acupuncturist, a massage therapist, and even amateurs of the holistic path. I knew I was in the right place and decided to do an added therapy and stay for 5 weeks instead of 4.
Cleanses are nothing new to me but this one is different. I have a professional to monitor everything that happens and I have staff to support me. It will reach much deeper in all respect then I could have ever done on my own.
I must go now but next will be my experience during the Panchakarma, it's been almost 3 weeks and it is still a mystery to me how it will turn out.
I left Goa on the train. I was very excited about this event: I love travelling by train and this time I was going 1st class! Note to reader: 1st class train tickets in India are not all it's cracked up to be. I don't know why I get myself into these situations every time I travel... 1st class cars have compartments that are 2 people each. I got on the train late and the only compartment that had an open door had a short plump Indian man inside in his late 40s. Ok, no problem, I can handle this. I sit and politely start talking with this man who could speak perfect English and is seeming nice... like one's uncle Bob. It turns out that he has been to Canada dozens of times and he is telling me the truth because he knows all the streets and businesses of downtown Ottawa. I'm thinking fantastic, I can relax and have someone nice to talk to for the next 18 hours. I don't lie very well so I'm being completely myself... you know, an open book.
Let me take a pause here to explain something: women that travel alone often wear "wedding rings" and they are always on their way to meet their "spouse". Like an experienced traveler I brought my "wedding ring" to India and it was safely packed deep into my luggage where I wouldn't loose it in case I needed it. So smart am I.
Yeah, the man was harmless, there was no doubt, and I think that's what always trips me: somewhere in that gullible head of mine I always assume that if a person can utter an intelligent sentence and presents a sweet disposition that there is no chance of getting unwelcomed advances. Besides who in his right mind would corner me like that and give me a reason to take out my claws? Isn't it obvious by hearing me go on about my endeavours that I have no issues smashing an opportunist's ego like a jack-o-lantern on Nov 1st? Apparently not because after some chatting he started that oh-so-familiar spiel about my needing to be more open and worldly and, btw, did I happen to believe in destiny? Oh f*** me. I did make sure I wasn't imagining things and let him get to the "I find you attractive" but I made thing quite crystal clear: "Just so you know, I turn VERY aggressive if someone step out of line and crosses my boundary that happens to be right HERE and NO, I'm not attracted to you". I didn't volunteer a single word to him after that. I slept on the top buck, as they say in Poland, with my "ass against the wall". Actually I didn't sleep, I kept the light on and read the whole night. 1st class... yeah right. This is unfortunately not the first time this has happened to me while travelling. Maybe one day my "wedding ring" will see the day of light.
Ok, I got to Trivandrum in the province of Kerala in one piece but I was tired. Fortunately Dr. Sibi George, my Panchakarma guide, was picking me up himself. As soon as we started driving I felt like I was in funky India again: it was 6am and the chanting of mantras was being broadcasted at a deafening volume from bullhorns installed on telephone posts along the streets from the local Hindu temple... something that would get you fined, and judging from the volume, possibly arrested in Canada. If you can't handle noise don't come to India. After about 15 minutes the sounds dissipated. We drove for about an hour before getting to the Ayurvedic centre and guess what? There is a brand new Hindu temple across the street from the centre with state-of-the-art bullhorns that definitely can go up to full volume for those 4:30am to 6:30am wake up mantra calls. Yay!!!
Dr. Sibi shows me the 2 options for rooms. Being so tired and anxious from my uncomfortable train ride I was trilled to find out that not only do I get my very own room, it is clean and the bathrooms are nice... and OMG there are TVs in the rooms! At that point I hadn't watch TV in a couple of months and that's completely 100% fine with me but knowing that I had the option of that distraction for the next 4 weeks, during which I could feel quite tired, cranky, sick and dazed made me feel quite happy. I felt kind of guilty for being so happy about it... like I was about to commit all forms of yogic sin :P TV rots your mind right? Oh well!
I chose this smallest of the rooms that is actually a little building on it's own, I have my own little house. I went to bed and slept for about 4 hours. I got up and took stock of my surroundings... it turns out to be beautiful grounds: tropical potted plants everywhere around the outside of my house, the buildings are all made of rich rust coloured bricks, I have a little shaded porch and the sun was shinning bright through tall health tropical trees. You know it's a good sign when you get to your destination and your room doesn't actually have glass window panes, just screens for the bugs. I've been here now for almost 3 weeks and the temperature here has been incredible: 25 to 30 degrees C mid-day and about 18 degrees C in the dead of night... everyday. It's rained twice that I've noticed: once for about 30 min during the day and once for about 30 during the night. It's definitely the best weather I've ever seen in my life... knock on wood... tropical storms here are possible.
Later that day I had a session with Dr. Sibi and we reviewed my options. I told him that I wanted the maximum of treatment for my condition. As I was already aware rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that is viewed as curable in the east. The immune system actions are not believed to be the main issue as it is in western medicine, in a R.A. sufferer the immune system behaviour is an indication that the body has accumulated too many toxins in the joints to be able to eliminate them in the usual manner so it compensates, unfortunately by doing damage. I do believe in western medicine in certain respects but in this case western doctors don't work on the cause of this condition, they just tell you that your body is broken for unknown reasons and the pills are being prescribed because they worked effectively enough on 40% (or less) of the test subjects with side affects that are acceptable on paper. That is not good enough for me and I am here doing this because I have gotten real explanations of the workings of the body through yoga and Ayurveda that were logical and whole. The body doesn't get treated with statistical data. Ayurveda take all aspect of the whole individual being, physical, spiritual, emotional, look at every significant moment of the past, from birth to present (and even look at genetics) and determine the path of the condition. Dr. Sibi explained to me that medical conditions often start in the early stages of life but we only suffer the symptoms in stage 4 of an illness. With minor pieces of information about the condition as it is now and when it started he could tell me the ages of traumatic events and/or destructive behaviours that would have triggered the stages of my condition which resulted in symptoms that started at 33 y/o. It was impressive! What he proceeded to tell me are the areas of the body that have been taxed and need attention. What was incredibly inspiring is that everything he told me were in-line with many other informations that I've been given by a naturopathic doctor, an acupuncturist, a massage therapist, and even amateurs of the holistic path. I knew I was in the right place and decided to do an added therapy and stay for 5 weeks instead of 4.
Cleanses are nothing new to me but this one is different. I have a professional to monitor everything that happens and I have staff to support me. It will reach much deeper in all respect then I could have ever done on my own.
I must go now but next will be my experience during the Panchakarma, it's been almost 3 weeks and it is still a mystery to me how it will turn out.
