Week 3

After a week of learning ayurvedic massage techniques, things just got all kinds of weird in my Panchakarma class. More on that throughout the blog.

After a cold night last Sunday, I treated myself to a breakfast cappuccino (instead of my typical chai) and a cinnamon roll at the local bakery on Monday morning. Back at Swati's, there was a big celebration for the two new babies. I hadn't seen Manisha for a while as it is custom for new mothers to stay in the bedroom with their baby for 11 days after the birth, coming out only to use the bathroom. After the 11 days, it's time to celebrate. Extended family from both sides came in from near and far, showering the babies and parents with gifts. There was singing, drumming, dancing, and a big buffet of delicious food. After having lunch with them it was time to start week 2 of PK class, where I learned and practiced the shirodhara (stream of oil on the forehead) that I had received the day before (along with a full body massage). Back in my room after class, I was sitting on my bed going through my notes when a monkey's arm reaches into my room through the open window. I jump off the bed, the monkey pulls back, and I close the window. Gotta remember to keep doors and windows closed here! (I do have a screened window that I can use for fresh air.)

At Tuesday's PK class, Nasya was on the menu. This is the treatment I had done elsewhere at the end of my first week to help clear my sinuses. But this one wasn't just nose drops - I got oil poured into my ears as well. It just dribbles into my brain and stays there. A whole tablespoon or so of it. So bizarre. I followed my class with a delicious vegan cashew cheesecake from the bakery and some balcony reading. As I walked to dinner, the air was thick with stinky black smoke. Must be garbage burning night. There is so much trash in India that if it were just collected and piled up, it would cover the whole country. So it is burned (also due to lack of services). I ate dinner at Moondance by candlelight as there was a power outage - common occurance - and the boy who served me was Suraj, a student from Children of the Ganges. They are growing up fast!

My dreams were particularly vivid and easy to remember after my nose (gateway to the mind and consciousness) and ears got all oiled up. Wednesday afternoon, I couldn't resist heading back up to the roof for sun reading. But this time I closed the door. (On Swati's side they always leave their's open, so I must have just got really unlucky.) At PK class it was Basti day. First, we made dough with flour and water, and rolled it into a doughnut shape to place a mound over the recipient's chosen area (most commonly lower back, upper back, belly or chest), which we seal onto the body and pour warm oil into. Very soothing and ache-relieving. Had it done on my low back after learning and practicing the technique and felt immediate relief.

Thursday is when it really got weird. It was Netra time. So, we start by making a dough like yesterday, but make a much smaller doughnut to fit around the eyes. Seal it around the eyes, pour warm ghee (clarified butter) over closed eyelids, and then you open your eyes! Yep, right into the warm butter. I was a little weary as I practiced it, knowing my turn was next. While it was less unpleasant than I expected, I can't say it's among my favorites so far. Eyes felt uncomfortable and teary for two hours after (normal), but then the clarity of vision and brightness of the eyes is remarkable. And of course there are hosts of other benefits like migraine relief, improved concentration and memory, allergy relief... (Really not going into much depth here for each treatment in order to keep the blogs a reasonable length and not to bore you, but if some of you are curious just google the treatment names along with panchkarma and you'll find plenty of info and images. Oh, and I'm going to need some brave volunteers to practice on when I get back!)

After the first warm night (changed from wool to cotton shirt, and needed only sleeping bag, no wool blanket covering it), I headed to Satsang with Mooji (Jamaican "guru" I've been to before) Friday morning. Prem Baba is off on a 2-week silent retreat, and the day after he left, Mooji arrived. (I prefer PB, so I'll switch back when he returns from the retreat.) My PK class was cancelled that day, so I had a relaxed afternoon, laundry and rooftop reading. That night, the wind (which is always quite intense at night) was beyond intense. Loose doors were clanging, windows were rattling, things were breaking, and the howling sound was enough to require earplugs. It lasted for hours - didn't get much sleep.

Saturday it poured. Lots of reading in my room instead of on the roof. PK class was Pinda Swedana - hot herbal packs for muscle and joint pain relief. We prepared the fresh herbs, washing, cutting, cooking them with oil, lemon and salt, and making tight packs with cotton cloths. (Long process, I would receive the treatment the next day.) On my way to internet after class, I stopped at the best juice stall in town for a papaya, oats and honey smoothie topped with pomegranate seeds and coconut flakes. Delish. After web, another candlelight dinner served by Suraj at Moondance as it rained and thundered outside (hence the power outage).

Today, Sunday, the sun was shining again and I started my day with some Bhagavad Gita reading by the Ganga. Then I hopped on the scooter with Amit, Swati and Arna (her two month old baby that she just cradled in her arms for the ride) and we headed into Rishikesh city for a delicious lunch at Sawti's mom's followed by a little shopping at the market. Then back for PK class where I received the fantastic warm oiled herb pack treatment (tapping the hot packs all over the body, combined with full body massage and followed by a steam bath). I'm gonna turn into wobbly putty soon! The perks of learning all these crazy techniques: getting regular treatments to understand and experience what I'm learning! I know what's coming up for this third and final week of class, and it just gets weirder. Today's juice on my way to web: mango-mint-orange topped with pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Lots of ideas for the bistro part of our upcoming center back home! (Of course, still doing daily yoga, except for Sunday, and the intensity of the classes makes the PK treatments all the more yummy.)

Namaste from the Motherland.