February 28, 2011 – Day After Panchakarma, Final Checkup, “What Do I Want to Eat First??” – and a Really Weird “Coincidence”

February 28, 2011 – Day After Panchakarma, Final Checkup, “What Do I Want to Eat First??” – and a Really Weird “Coincidence”

Ram Jhula from the distance on a busy sunny morning

The weather has shifted and I am finally wearing my summer suits! I am now sitting at Flavour’s restaurant having just ordered my first breakfast after panchakarma:  Aloo Parantha and Masala Chai! (I was not disappointed when the food was served to me J)))))

I sit at an open window, a lovely breeze on my face, looking out at the sunlight dancing on the Ganga below. Tears of joy and gratitude flowing.  I have a very short time left and will be “being” completely in every moment.

Before coming down for breakfast, I went into Dr. Arora for my final checkup.  My pulse was excellent, as was the balance of my doshas.  My “emotional” pulse was very high, but there is good reason for that.  Otherwise, there was a definite improvement in my condition from when I began…and the full benefits are usually felt only 2-3 weeks later anyway.  And during this entire panchakarma, I did not loose any weight – which is a first for me.  Lovely!

After finishing my breakfast, began getting together my final parcel home at my favorite ayurveda chemist shop in Ram Jhula, and then took a rickshaw back up to Tapovan.  Stocked up on a few things I needed in my room, walked home, chatted with some friends on the way up and then found my way up to my warm, sunny rooftop.  I spent most of the day up here, enjoying the sun and warmth, doing needlepoint, reading, and relaxing.  Eventually went down for lunch, which in the end was pasta with vegetable sauce (very similar to steamed veggies and chapatti, no?), and it was again, not disappointing.  I’ve just finished drinking a glass of hot spiced milk with my chawanprash ( tonic taken after panchakarma to continue the rejuvenation process and restore energy levels) together with a cinnamon roll.  It is 5 PM and I am still outside in my short sleeve cotton suit, barefoot, and quite comfortable!!  Life is indeed wonderful.

I have been approached by a couple of people to teach them Reiki, I could really use the money, but have a definite feeling that I should NOT be doing anything over the next couple of weeks but enjoying myself and my freedom before coming home.

Tomorrow I hope to take care of a couple of more errands I have, the next day go into the market and develop some photos for people here and visit Papu Lassi for the best lassi in India, and that will leave me plenty of time for just “being” until I leave for Delhi and home.

The place is swarming with tourist, especially young Israelis, and VERY noisy.  I had become so accustomed to the quiet here, I have having difficulty adjusting.  But just a week ago, there were just three occupied rooms here, and now there are NO free rooms and this guesthouse alone has about 25 rooms.  All the other guesthouses in the area here are also at full capacity.  Motorbikes galore, noise until the wee hours of the morning, thank goodness for my ear plugs.  For the local people, it is a big boon after the last couple of really difficult, cold months and I am happy for them.  But for me it is strange seeing so many people all of sudden.  Like being forced out of a quiet, almost silent retreat without proper preparation.

I was also lucky to do my panchakarma when I did, where I was almost always the only person there and got full and generous attention.  Now the place is “jumpin’” and I am also happy for them, but glad I am not doing my treatments now.

A couple of days ago I pulled a Tarot card for myself:  “easy does it” – “There is no need to hurry or force things to happen.  Everything is occurring in perfect timing!”  This has certainly been true until now, and trust it will continue to be true as I return home to my “other” reality.

A REALLY funny thing happened today as well.  About 6 weeks ago, someone back home asked me to help him put together a parcel of Ayurvedic remedies for him from my chemist here.  I preferred not getting involved for certain reasons and wrote back to him, telling him it would be better if he did it directly with the chemist, rather than me as a middle man…I gave him the chemist’s e-mail and forgot about the whole thing.

Today, when I went into the chemist to prepare my OWN parcel to ship home, what did I see laying on his counter?  A neatly labeled parcel ready to be shipped to…you guessed it…that same person who had asked me to it for him 6 weeks ago!  So even though I wanted nothing to do with it, the whole issue still wound up as part of my life, perhaps on a less intrusive level, but no less jolting and intense in its impact on me.  When the chemist saw me looking at the parcel, he asked “are you ok?”.  When I told him I know this person, he was astounded…what are the chances???

And now, I will continue to enjoy the lovely outdoors, as the sky has completely clouded over and have a feeling there will not be the same brilliant sunshiny day tomorrow as there was for past couple of days.  At least however, it is no longer cold.

Namaste

Jane

February 26, 2011 – Further Blessings and Lessons from Being Ill – Panchakarma Days 24-26

February 26, 2011 – Further Blessings and Lessons from Being Ill –  Panchakarma Days 24-26

Rainy Day Rooftop

Waking up to a dreary, grey, rainy morning, with no electricity.  Today I should have been celebrating having finishedpanchakarma, but following the events of the last few days, I won’t be finished until tomorrow.  So, let’s go back and fill in the blanks as quickly as possible.

The last time I posted, it was about surrendering to my illness and accepting it joyfully and thankfully, relaxing into it…which I proceeded to do!  First thing I did was call Dr. Arora and tell him I would not be coming down to the clinic, and after a few questions, he realized I was truly sick – definitely not something to do with the panchakarma and its effects – and immediately agreed that I stay in bed, and he would send someone up with appropriate medicines for me!

I was really miserable by then, and the pain in my head and eyes was so intense I could hardly keep my eyes open…I don’t believe I have ever experienced this type of pain in this intense way, and there was nothing I could do to relieve it!  I felt like I had hot pokers rotating in various spots of my head, forehead and right eye area.  Really excruciating.  So I pretty much tried to sleep some more, but this was impossible, couldn’t read, but was able to play a few computer games, which I did.  The sun was out so after that I made myself a kind of lounge chair using two chairs and went outside to let the warmth of the sun help in some way.  It was nice sitting out there after being inside for a few days, but after a short time I felt overwhelmed by weakness and got back into bed.  I was feeling soooooooooo sorry for myself at this point!

And just then, my neighbor in the next room, knocked on my door and said Dr. Arora sent medicine with her.  Seems she had gone down for a consultation and he asked her to bring the meds up to me, instead of my waiting another couple of hours until his girls finished work.  (I felt better also knowing that neither of them would have to make a special trip up here…they work so hard as it is!).  So, this was also part of the “plan”, and I called him, thanked him, and got directions for using them.

There were some little round brown pills and some other stuff which looked like brown sludge…(turns out the taste was so vile, it could literally have BEEN sludge!!).  He didn’t tell me what each was for, just told me how to take them, one with warm water, the other with warm milk, and I immediately did that.  Well, less than half an hour later, my pain had receded to almost nothing!!  That was the first sign that something was working.  I was then able to relax into reading, which made the time go by much faster (especially with the weird but very well written book I was reading – “Kafka on the Shore”).  Shortly after that, I had to blow my nose (not because it was dripping clear fluid like a faucet as it had been for the past days, but because it really needed to be blown…and you cannot imagine what began to come out!  The less I describe it the better, but needless to say, my sinuses began clearing themselves out…and to my surprised, and grateful relief, I was able to breath through my nose again for the first time in 3 days!!

I was still very weak, but had soup to eat which I had prepared the evening before, which lasted until supper as well, and not having much of an appetite, it was enough.

I went to sleep that night, slept soundly, with no pain, no stuffiness, etc, and woke up feeling much better.  At least my eyes were fully open, and I could breathe, and was almost completely painfree.

I was still weak, but DID go down for a treatment.  The doctor agreed that just a massage would be enough, anything else would be too much, and to go back and rest for the remainder of the day, which I happily did.  The sun was still out so enjoyed sitting outdoors, after a nap for a couple of hours.  By this time, I had no more pain, my sinuses were almost completely cleared and the weakness was residing. I even changed my sheets, brought in laundry and took a shower, feeling even better after everything was clean and fresh!

Yesterday, I woke up feeling like a new person completely,  no longer really weak and no signs of sinus problems at all.  My nose, even today, is still running a little, but nothing to really be concerned about.

I had my regular massage and navi basti (hot oil on the navel area) and went happily home for a pleasant day.  Thinking that today I would be down for my final massage and shirodhara and tomorrow massage and steam and cleaning of ear, eyes and nose, and finished.

But woke up to a raining dreary day as mentioned, and now, several hours later, it is still raining, and there is no way I am taking of chance and going out walking in the rain and chill.

I haven’t called the doc yet to tell him, but there is some mysterious plan in work here which seems to be making it ever more difficult to complete this panchakarma. (I just now called the clinic and before I even asked, the Doctor said:” God has other plans for you…today, just stay home and rest – don’t come out in rain – for some reason He doesn’t want you to finish panchakarma as planned” – sit here now laughing since just ½ hour ago I had come to the same conclusion myself).

Anyway, today will be an interesting day, even if dreary and nasty.  Several of the people I have been helping over the internet, who found me via my blog, are all arriving today!  The guy whose wife mentioned my on a TV interview in the states, and some yoga teachers from Israel…all also planning to begin panchakarma with dr. arora, and all staying, at my recommendation, at Seema’s guesthouse.

So after a couple of months of emailing, I will finally meet them.  Also, a friend, actually owner of Kailwood Guesthouse in Mcleodganj, Dharamsala where I stay when in Mcleodganj over the years, is also in Rishikesh and planning to come visit today. So should be a fun day anyway.

For me, the whole thing was a blessing…because if I had not gotten sick now, I would never have discovered these wonderful herbal remedies and understood the rational of ayurveda towards this type of illness and the treatment of it.(see below)  So I am not complaining and once again, grateful for this as well.

Below, some further information about the herbal medicines I received and the treating of colds according to Ayurvedic medicine for those who are interested. Also, the doctor’s understanding as to why I became this ill while doing panchakarma.  For those of you who are not, I will say “namaste” and look forward to posting next time with photos of beautiful weather and new scenes from Rishikesh!!

HERBAL MEDICINES FOR TREATMENT OF COLDS, FEVER, FLU, PAIN AND SINUS INFECTIONS AS WELL AS AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO THESE ILLNESSES:

Sangeevani Vati:  these are little round brown pills which are used to treat pain, cold, fever and flu – much like cold formula tablets and antihistamines would be used – and like cold formula tablets, it treats the cold, pain and fever all in one pill. It can be taken every 4 hours, with warm water, , but not to exceed the recommended dosage and not to be used for more than 3 days in a row.

Chitrak Haritaki: This is the brown sludge I mentioned (the doc calls it a paste), with the most vile taste you can imagine (you could never get a child to take this –only an adult with lots of will power), This is the anti-mucous medicine – it is meant to coagulate (for lack of a better word) all the mucous in the upper respiratory area (not lungs) into a form which can be easily expectorated or blown out.  And believe me, it works like magic!  I’ve never seen anything like this and will be taking some home just in case.

The Doctor claims that if you take this for week as preventative medicine, you will not suffer from cold symptoms for up to 2 years.  Problem is, very few people are willing to take this voluntarily if they don’t absolutely have to!  Well, I have decided to continue it for a full week now, just once a day, not twice, since I am already doing it, and see what the results are over the next couple of years!!

AYURVDIC APPROACH TO COLDS

According to ayurveda, a cold should not last longer than 3 days (as opposed to the western view that a cold will cure itself in a week, or at most 7 days!).   This is assuming you are treating it properly.  If not, it should not last longer than 5 days.  Treating it properly means understanding the characteristics of the different doshas, which I won’t go into here.  However, mucous is a sign of Kapha imbalance, kapha being the water or fluid dosha.  And since this is the cause of the cold, (and assuming it is properly treated should not reach the point of sinus involvement), the things to avoid are sweets (and I had been eating a lot of dates the first few days because I had nothing else to snack on and basically they are good for you, but a definite NO-NO in this case), no yogurt, no banana, and very little fluids! (quite different than the western view of taking lots of fluids). Your body is already having trouble with too much “water” so why overload it further. As far as sweets – honey and jaggery (organic cane sugar but not like in the west) are OK however, since they are warming and this is important for Kapha.  Assuming you follow these simple restrictions, and then take the sajeevani and chitrak (in case the sinuses have gotten involved), you should be fine in 3 days.  I can see that if I had begun this treatment from the beginning, it definitely would have taken only 3 days and would never have reached my sinuses in the way it did!

If you have a fever in addition, then you are also having Pitta, the fire dosha, involved, and in THAT case, you SHOULD drink lots of fluids to help “put out” the fire.  It is all so simple and makes so much sense once you understand it.

REASON FOR MY ILLNESS

Doctor Arora explained that during the last week of panchakarma, the body is very sensitive to everything, having gone through an extremely intensive cleansing period and needing lots of rest and taking care of yourself.  And that a very small thing (holding thumb and index finger very close together), becomes very BIG thing (moving arms apart as far as possible with palms facing each other to indicate VERY BIG). Meaning, if this had happened at any other time, I probably would have had the sniffles for a few days and that’s it.  During that last week, if you remember I wrote about doing Reiki for one of the guys here who was sick, and also helping someone with their computer problems, spending hours on this.  And right after that, I became sick.  You could say I caught the illness from these people (the lady with computer issue got sick 2 days before I did), but the Doctor simply states that it is a lesson for me from the gods to always remember that during panchakarma, I should concentrate all my energies just on myself!!  Something which I did not really do this time for many other reasons as well.

 

 

 

 

February 23, 2011 – Lesson of Surrender and Release and the Feeling of Wellbeing it Brings

February 23, 2011 – Lesson of Surrender and Release and the Feeling of Wellbeing it Brings

I had been hoping that my head cold of the past few days was, just as the doctor had said, a cleansing effect of the panchakarma, and would be over in 48 hours.  But deep down inside I knew this was wishful thinking.  I know myself and my body very well, and know when a full blown cold thing is happening to me.  Aside from the pain from sinus congestion and the constantly running nose, the thing which is most difficult for me is the weakness and loss of appetite (meaning I will loose weight which for me is not good). I feel like I can sleep all day, and at my most energetic, read a little or play a computer game or two.

The idea is to accept this as a positive thing, rather than fight it.  I know this to be true, but always find myself, at least for the first couple of days, being annoyed, angry (with who?-myself, God??), worried about what will happen if this continues for too long, etc.

I KNOW that the cleansing effect of these symptoms is a positive thing, but somehow don’t like the inconvenience of it.

And the same thing happened again here.  At first I ignored the whole thing, until the head pain and weakness got so bad that I could no longer pretend nothing was wrong.

Then of course I do everything I can think of to fight the symptoms and reduce them to a minimum.  Neti pot a couple of times a day, onion and honey, hot ginger, lemon, honey to drink,  extra doses of Tulsi and Vitamin C, tumeric powder, maduvhanni (Ayurvedic herbal cold and cough tonic-fabulous!),  breathing in steam, reflexology to the sinus points and then local sinus massage – in short and of course Reiki – the works.

Until yesterday, I was doing everything I needed to do but was still concerned about how this would effect my panchakarma and that it was inconvenient for the people involved.  Yesterday, even though I was literally awake the whole night blowing my nose,  I  dragged myself down to the clinic, but felt so bad by the time I got there, the doctor agreed no massage, no enema and go straight home to rest “for sure you will be fine by tomorrow”.

On the way back I bought some veggies to make me some soup which was a good idea, and honey to prepare the onion and honey mixture, and literally barely made it back up to my room where I collapsed weakly into bed and there spent the rest of the day, sleeping, or just laying there, feeling sorry for myself. (but of course looking forward to feeling better by the next day)

I took some cold formula before going to sleep just to stop my nose from running and reduce the pain a little (I hate taking these meds, but really needed to sleep), and actually did sleep most of the night, if not quietly, but at least sufficiently.  Woke up this morning with every intention of going to the clinic, but by the time I had “fixed” my hair, and put on my face cream, had a glass of hot ginger, I once again collapsed into bed, totally exhausted!

It was then that I realized that I was fighting, where I should be accepting.  The moment that I decided to surrender the whole business to the powers that be, and release all expectations about what I SHOULD be doing and how I SHOULD be feeling, I immediately felt a sense of relief!  Calm, tranquil acceptance and wellbeing.

I called the doctor on the phone, explained that I was really sick and too weak to come, and he understood immediately. Told me not to worry about the rest of the panchakarma…it would all work out, and that he was sending someone up to my room with some herbal medicine which will give me some relief as well as my kicheri!!

So now I am happily back in bed, with the hot water bottle to keep me warm (yesterday I tried sitting out in the sun and almost not making it back into bed when being overcome with weakness), I have a couple of good books to read, music to listen to, I have plenty of dates and almonds to snack on even though I don’t feel like eating, I have soup already cooked from yesterday, can order something from room service if I DO get hungry, kicheri on the way, and soon the latest episode of House will be downloaded and ready to watch! Plenty of games to play if I get bored, a comfortable bed with enough blankets to keep me warm, pillows to lean on…what more do I need?

I am thankful that I am not very ill, have no fever, no signs of flu (like body pain) and know it is something which will pass in its own time, when it has done whatever cleansing needs to be done, however long that may take.

And the weakness is returning after a few “good” minutes, so I will end this and post it later when some energy returns. Just ordered a porridge for breakfast and life is good!

Namaste

Jane

February 22, 2011 – Seekers and Knowers

February 22, 2011 – Seekers and Knowers

I have had a terrible head cold the past two days and have had great difficulty sleeping, so have been meditating and just “being”, not trying to force anything, and doing my best to accept my current “no so pleasant” health condition.  I know it is part of the panchakarma cleansing process, but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable.

While meditating, I was suddenly drawn to some notes I had written several months ago, while still at home in Israel.  And the one file I was drawn to, was actually written exactly 4 years ago, in Rishikesh, ON THIS EXACT DATE: February 22^nd!!

This could not be coincidence, and so have decided to post it once again.  This issue of “seekers” has come up many times during this trip, and I once again had need to relate to the issue from my personal point of view.  The channeling below was exactly what I needed to hear, once again, to encourage me to always move forward in the way I feel is best for me.  I do my utmost to do that, but there are times when we need supportive words….I have been lovingly given these words again and share them here with you.

…find myself always being different from the travelers I meet. In McLeod, I am one of the few people who spend any length of time there who is not either an aspiring or already practicing Buddhist. Now I find in Rishikesh that I am the only person I’ve met so far who is not either looking for the perfect Yoga teacher, the Swami who will bring them enlightenment, the perfect Ayurveda doctor or the ultimate massage. Everyone seems to be searching for something…on some kind of pilgrimage…where is the best puja on the Ganga, the best Thali, the best mountain trail, the most beautiful temple. I find no need for any of these things and began to wonder if something is wrong with me. am I just too lazy to bother?

Or is it something deeper…and then I woke up to meditate and my guides came to me really loud and clear for the first time in many many months and the following was said:

You are neither practicing Buddhist in Dharamsala nor yoga student in Rishikesh. You are not a seeker. Others are seeking. YOU KNOW. Relax into that KNOWING. JUST BE.

Your only quest is inward. Everything you need is already there. The place is unimportant…it is just a means for you to easily access what is already KNOWN to you.

Relax into it. Let it flow.

You are blessed…We love You.

February 21, 2011 – Poetry and Request for Advice

February 21, 2011 – Poetry and Request for Advice

Just a few days I wrote a post about the poetry of massage. And to my great surprise, the same day a new poem was channeled to me in the early hours of dawn, just before fully awakening – and upon awakening I remembered it in full and wrote it down.

Poetry for me is a very difficult thing to explain.  As a child and teenager, I wrote many poems but they have disappeared…and then, about ten years ago, I wrote an good number of poems which you can find on my Mindfulness Journal on the upper toolbar marked “Poetry”.  Or simply click on this link:

http://mindfulnessjournal.wordpress.com/poetry/

Thing is, I never actually write these poems.  I receive them as messages, channeled to me usually at night, but very often in the daytime as well.  They cover a variety of issues, but have great meaning, at least to me.

The poem I received a few days ago, is a mystery to me.  It doesn’t relate to anything specific in my life at the moment, at least not something I am consciously aware of, and I am not even sure of its meaning.

I am posting it here, hoping perhaps someone out there will have some insights as to what this poem means.  I have a general understanding of its meaning, but I know there are subtleties in it which I am not picking up.

SO I am asking for your help.  Your comments are invited wholeheartedly.

Gather Yourself Up

Gather yourself up

Put the pieces back in place

Life goes on, even when it comes to a standstill.

The carousel is waiting

Jump back on whenever you feel ready

There is no rush

The price will not change but the horses may need a good painting over time.

Any idea??????

Namaste

Jane

 

 

February 20, 2011 – Hurray!! Panchakarma Day 23

February 20, 2011 – Hurray!! Panchakarma Day 23

Again woke up just before 7 with a start and looked outside and found this…I love the sunrise…it is beautiful but lasts literally for seconds….

Well, today I finished what for me is the most difficult part of panchakarma…the water enemas.  I finished my 5^th today and from now on it is smooth sailing to the end on Friday.  Just a couple of more oil enemas, but those are child’s play, and now massage every day, some steam bath, shirodhara, basti and just pleasant stuff.  Can’t believe it has gone by so quickly.

And with the weather warmer, at least during the day, life is good.  I’ve been a little tired the past few days but that is normal.  In past years I was exhausted all the time, so 3 days of low energy is really a good sign for me that things are going very well this year.

With the change in weather, the tourists have returned.  Like overnight, the “joint is jumpin’”….the guesthouses are filling up, the restaurants have customers (which means you have to wait much longer for your food), and of course Hebrew is once again heard in the land!  Israelis are back in full and I can tell you, the restaurant owners are in heaven.  No other nation eats as much as Israelis…they order large amounts of food, finish it all, sit around talking, and then order more!

The wedding will finish up tonight and it should be a really big affair.  I heard them testing the sound system just now…and what they chose to test it with, and which really had me laughing, was a Hinid version of the Russian classic song Kalinka (which is a very popular song in Israel as well, as are many Russian original tunes translated into Hebrew by the original immigrants to the Holy Land).  When I mentioned it to an Indian here, his response, not surprising because this is the Indian way of seeing everything in the world, was:  “This is famous ancient Indian song which was copied by other countries”.  This is soooooo typically Indian, but in this case it was really funny as the music is so definitely Russian in origin.

Anyway, it’s been a relaxing day in the sun upon the roof, resting away the hours with reading, napping, needlepoint, cooking delicious vegetable soup, and writing…all outdoors and back to normal.

Hopefully over the next couple of days I will also have my energy back and be able to go out walking again…I am really missing it.

 

February 18-19, 2011 – Interesting Couple of Days-Global Internet Village– Panchakarma Days 21-22

February 18-19, 2011 – Interesting Couple of Days-Global Internet Village– Panchakarma Days 21-22

Yummy Home Cooked Lunch

The last couple of days have been interesting, at least for me.  First of all, although it is still chilly, the sun has been shining so I have been able to relax comfortably on my rooftop, as I have been quite tired the last two days, something which is expected, and up until now, I have not felt this year.  So it was lovely to be able to sit out and read, eat, relax, do needlepoint and enjoy the sunshine at the same time.  Cooked my own lunch yesterday as I was finished too early for lunch and didn’t feel like waiting around.  My own food is always the best in the end, but it is nice NOT to have to shop, cook and clean up afterwards.

On the way back I found this:

Wedding at entrance to High Banks-Guarantee of Three Noisey Days and Nights

At the entrance to the area I live in and I knew this meant 3 days of lots of noise.  Last night it began and I am very thankful that I have good earplugs which block out all noise.  Most people up here could not go to sleep until 2 in the morning…tonight and tomorrow it continues!

After eating lunch yesterday, a young girl came up and said she heard about me and wanted to know if she could get a tarot reading and healing session, and I was very happy to be given the opportunity to get back “into things” again.  It was a lovely session and another day came to a lovely end.

Today, being Saturday, while having my herbal tea outside the clinic, I got a few shots of the colorful crowds which converge on Rishikesh on weekends to go down to bathe in the Ganga…

Colorful Saturday Tourists Going Down to Ganga

You can see more shots in this new facebook album of local life scenes:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271045&id=547896544&l=651ff68ddd

Today while at Dr. Arora’s, another client came in to talk to him and after she explained what she needed, he pointed to me and said “SHE is the expert”.  And thus began a new career for me….transferring, converting, merging and burning videos from a digital camera.  For me it is simple enough to do and the other person was ever so happy.  And while doing that, another YOUNG girl came up, saw my laptop, and asked if I knew how to upload photos…I said yes, but would not allow her to put her data stick into my laptop USB port.  I’ve had too many problems with viruses to take the chance.  So she went to check it out someplace which I recommended, and later, will come up for me to teach her how to compress and upload them!!  Never thought I’d be doing THIS in India!

And now a funny story. I won’t go into details as I don’t want to expose people who might not want exposure, but it seems that a certain yoga instructor in America, who is making her first trip to India with her husband this year, has brought me to the attention of the American public via TV interviews.  Seems she was interviewed on a national network and mentioned how the internet had helped her to arrange her trip to Rishikesh.  Her husband had found MY blog doing a google search and for the last couple of months we have been emailing back and forth.  Well, I HAVE been emailing with a nice man from America who is coming with his wife soon, and thought “could this really be me?!?!?”. It has been a pleasure helping them, as I have helped others coming to India for the first time.  But how did I find out that I was mentioned in her interview?  Well, someone commented on my blog and I asked, as I always do, how they found my blog.  She explained it was after watching a TV interview with a yoga instructor who’s husband had been emailing me regarding their upcoming trip to India…(not by name, by description…a woman from Israel who has a blog about Rishikesh where she has been living for several months a year, every year for the past number of years). So she (the woman who was watching the interview) googled Rishikesh, blog, Israel and lo and behold (!), MY blog turned up!!

I find this all quite amazing to say the least…what a world!

And that’s it for today

Namaste

Jane

February 16-17, 2011 – The Poetry of Massage – Panchakarma Days 19, 20

February  16-17, 2011 – The Poetry of Massage – Panchakarma Days 19, 20

Sun Doing Its Best to Shine

Nothing new in Panchakarma…same series of alternate days of water and oil enemas.  Feeling very good, and if the weather was nicer would be out walking, so as I mentioned, the “not so nice” weather is to my advantage.  It is still cold, although the sun shines for several hours during the day, but lots of rain at night, keeping it colder than normal.

Hopefully by the weekend, the warmer weather will return.

Check out these photos of the sun dancing through the clouds:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=270656&id=547896544&l=dbda0a681b

Today I was enjoying my massage, when someone walked into the room.  I looked up, and there, to my great pleasure and surprise, stood Manju, Dr. Arora’s wife, a good friend, amazing cook and supreme massage therapist.  I thought she had come up just to say hello, as she has retired from massage therapy (she is a certified ND – Naturopath), and only comes in in emergencies when the two girls cannot manage a rush of people.

Manju Arora- Ayurveda Massage Therapist Supreme

When I saw her, I gave her a big smile, and asked why she was there and she said “holiday”. (Turns out she had come in to have Devi wax her legs for her!).  And then to my further pleasure and surprise, she put on an apron…meaning, she was going to finish my massage!!  I was overjoyed at the prospect, and I told her so.  She was pleased as well, and although Devi had already done my legs and arms, there was still plenty left to do.

Both girls are very good massage therapist, Manju having trained them. They are fully competent and know the exact techniques to use during a massage, but they work by rote, without thinking at all about what they are doing.  They may be thinking about what they have to do when they get home, or even chatting with each other (which I personally discourage as I like my quiet time during the massage).

Manju on the other hand, puts sincere, specific, loving intention into each stroke and movement, being completely present in the moment and in what she is doing.   The difference is immediately felt and most appreciated.  How wonderful it would be to have her give me my massage each and every day, but this is no longer an option.

The difference between the girls and Manju, can be likened to poetry,  Imagine a child reciting a poem he has learned by heart.  He knows all the words perfectly, but has no clue or thought about its meaning.  This is a massage by the girls.

An adult, who loves poetry, will read the same poem , filling each and every word and phrase with their individual meanings and the combined meaning of the whole.  You will “feel” the beauty of the poem, understand what the poet is trying to say, feel the emotions behind the words etc.

This is a massage by Manju…pure poetry!

Namaste

Jane

Feb. 12-15 – The Blessings of Silence and Dreary, Wintry Weather – Panchakarma Days 15-18

Feb. 12-15 – The Blessings of Silence and Dreary, Wintry Weather – Panchakarma Days 15-18

View from my rooftop on this dreary wintry, rainy day

You can see more photos as usual at this facebook link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=270155&id=547896544&l=435dc00003

This has been the most solitary of any of my sojourns in India…almost a forced silent retreat.  I do see people every day, but for a very short time and I speak very little.  And the more time I spend alone, the less I want to see people, or talk to them…even embarrassed to say that I don’t feel like using skype to talk to my kids or messenger to chat with friends…..I find myself relishing the quiet and aloneness more than every so in the past.

I have not been down to the restaurant even once since arriving, having all the food that I ordered brought to my room.  This has NEVER happened before.  I have in the past used room service on occasion, but just as often would eat downstairs in order to interact with other people, both other tourists as well as the staff.  I have been a true hermit this trip, and finding it perfectly wonderful.

And now, during this really intense week of Panchakarma, which requires lots of energy for going “within”, not just the physical treatments of enemas, but going within on much deeper levels, God has provided just the weather necessary to keep me close to home!

Although not really cold, it is cloudy, overcast, dreary, with intermittent rain for the past 3 days, and no sign of letup.  Dr. Arora said that if rain begins on a Saturday, it always lasts for a week.  If he is correct, there are another few days of this still waiting.

If it was sunny, I could not resist walking, but the truth is, being almost forced to stay put is a blessing,.And the rain will clear the air and make everything fresh and green once again!

Luckily, I didn’t get around to sending a parcel of my winter clothes home yet, as I’ve had to pull out a couple of items which I haven’t used in almost 3 weeks of beautiful weather.

All in all the 12 days of enemas is going by fairly easily, much easier than ever in the past, and I am feeling good, but do need to rest during the day, which is fine.  I am reading a great book, have my needlepoint, my computer, and great music.  I even found delicious dates from Iran at the local shop and this is a perfect, and legitimate treat, for when I get hungry for something sweet during the day.

Life is good.

February 10. 2011 – Reiki, Tarot and Shopping!

February 10. 2011 – Reiki, Tarot and Shopping!

Clouds over the Mountain

I mentioned previously that a couple of days ago I had an urge to go shopping.  For those who know me, this is quite uncommon for me as I really dislike shopping.  Strange for a woman, but true.  But for some reason I had this urge to go to my favorite seconds shop in town where I always find lovely stuff to bring back for me, as well as the place I get my cotton trousers for Israeli summers.  I had a lovely time shopping, found some lovely things, but still didn’t quite understand where the urge came from.  I don’t have excess money this trip and honestly did not think I would be purchasing anything new.

Well, seems the clothing was already pre-paid but I didn’t realize it until a couple of days later.

A local young guy here had been asked about a Reiki teacher by someone at his guesthouse and he asked me if I am working this year.  I wasn’t quite sure what to reply as I haven’t considered doing it right now, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to meet the person.

He brought around a lovely young English girl, we talked, she asked questions, I had the thrill of feeling the satisfaction I always get from teaching, and also mentioned to her the possibility of tarot readings when she noticed the cards in my room.

Well, long story short….the next day, yesterday, she turned up at my door with a friend, both asking for Tarot reading!.  The readings were wonderful, a pleasure for me to do, always surprising me with their accuracy and with the assistance they afford people who are at crossroads in their lives….and, the full amount that I paid for my purchases while out shopping, was covered by what the two girls paid me for the readings!!

Lovely to say the least.

I have some additional writing and posting of photos to do, but for now will end here and go back to enjoying life.

Namaste

Jane