The beautiful Himalayas feature in this eighth post in the panchakarma series. If you missed the previous seven posts you can catch up by following the links below:
- My Panchakarma healing journey begins
- Arrival at the Panchakarma Retreat
- Panchakarma – Snehana
- Pokhara Exploration
- Virecana
- Deeper Dive into Ayurveda
- Let the Basti begin!
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 – shame! 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 evening Basti, it’s shorter than the morning one which is a good thing. Two down, six to go!
Weakness Setting In
Up before sunrise I head down to the lakeside for a pleasant morning walk. I’m feeling quite weak and slow today so take it pretty easy. I’m back in time for a quick shower then my second morning Basti at 6.30am which goes well, now I’m used to it it doesn’t seem as daunting.
My blood pressure today is 100/60, no wonder I feel a bit weak. I have another nice long rest before breakfast and treatments.
Today is the first day, apart from my rest day, that I don’t have a whole body Abhyanga (hot oil massage). I feel quite hard done by – that is until I discover that instead I have a head and foot program in the morning and a spinal program plus a Chakra Basti in the afternoon.
Before my morning treatments I have a follow up consultation with Dr Rumee. She gives me an examination then takes my blood pressure which is 110/70, slightly higher since my morning Basti.
My weight has gone down and is now 52.3kg which seems very low, all that cleaning out I guess! I comment that I feel it is too low and she says after the Bastis I will start to gain it again with the food they prepare for me. She said around 55kg would be good for me.
We discuss how my overall health is and how I’ve been feeling with all the treatments. I ask if the massages can focus a bit more on my neck as it’s still feeling a bit sore and tight so she will pass that on to the therapists for all future treatments. We also go over some of the breathing and yoga practices that will further help the back pain which I’m very pleased to say is improving.
Head and Foot Program
Now onto the morning treatments. The head and foot program consists of a 30 minute Padabhyanga (foot massage), a 30 minute Siro-bhyanga (head massage) and a foot bath.
Padabhyanga
The foot massage stimulates all the organs of the body and increases the Ojas (life-giving cumulative essence of the body). It produces a state of deep relaxation and a sense of well being to the entire system.
Feet are the polar energy parts, which communicate with mother earth. Tiredness from a long day’s work and fatigue accumulates in the feet. Generally we neglect and disrespect our feet, failing to touch our feet with love. This leads to a further burden of negative energy and tiredness. In addition, the related organs become fatigued and consequently the productivity of our life is reduced.
Therefore, Padabhyanga (foot massage) is very important in providing a means of purification and rejuvenation of the whole body. In this relaxation massage you may experience the release of blocked energy and feel tranquil.
It treats the following conditions:
- Tiredness and fatigue.
- Individuals seeking relaxation.
- Rejuvenation effect.
- Siro-bhyanga
Siro-bhyanga
The head massage provides relaxation, releases stress, and rejuvenates. The Sira (head), where the brain lies, is an important part of the body. It is the master of all neurological, sensorial, mental, emotional and spiritual functions.
There are important special energy points located on the head. Siro-bhyanga massage incorporates specific Ayurveda oils and techniques to help release stress from the head and provide nutrition to the brain. Regular head massage is a routine practice in Ayurveda.
It treats the following conditions:
- For relaxation.
- To improve sleep.
- To improve concentration.
- To improve brain functions.
- Stress headache.
During the head massage, my feet are immersed in a bowl of hot water full of rose petals with my feet resting on hot stones.
After a pretty boring lunch of thin rice soup I enjoy my afternoon session of treatments.
Spinal Program
The spinal program consists of a 30 minute Relaxation Spinal Abhyanga and a 30 minute Picu treatment on my spine. The spinal abhyanga helps to improve the flow of energy, release stress, improve the movement of the spine, and allow a greater understanding from within.
The spine is the sheath of Chakras, from where all Nadis (nerves) are distributed to the periphery. Ayurveda recognises the significance and importance of maintaining and improving the function of the spine. This Abhyanga massage uses different applications of oils, herbs, and techniques.
It treats the following conditions:
- Tired and fatigued states.
- Simple blockages.
- Stress accumulated in the back.
- To provide relaxation and tranquility.
Both the spinal and the head massages I have today really zone in on my neck so by the evening it is feeling wonderful and pretty much pain free.
After the spinal program I am then treated with my all time favorite Chakra Basti and the chakra of focus today is the anahata or heart chakra. This is yet again an amazing experience and it is performed by Badri who is the brother of Dr Rishi and another co-founder of the Ayurveda Health Home.
Badri splits his time between here and Kathmandu and along with being Managing Director, he is also the Chief Therapist. With an extensive knowledge of Ayurveda and classical Ayurvedic therapies, Badri provides instruction and training in the Panchakarma therapies and also foundational courses in yoga. With an attention to detail and a caring heart, Badri oversees and maintains the quality control of all the therapies.
Tonight I am lucky enough to have a hot shower, the last two days we’ve had no hot water partly due to the cloud cover meaning the solar power hasn’t been topped up, and also due to the many power outages because of the heavy thunderstorms along with monsoonal rains.
When I arrived I noticed there were candles in the rooms which I thought was a lovely touch, little did I realise how handy they would become!
Sunrise over the 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 Suzukis and much of the road is potholes due to road construction so certainly a bumpy trip with three of us squeezed in the back.
Sarangkot sunrise
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.
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!