Yesterday I had little energy. I took two naps and went to sleep early. There’s something comforting in sleep; it helps take my mind off my empty stomach and the general sense of discomfort that I feel.
I took my meal at the same time as yesterday. I was quite hungry, and also the consistency in timing is good. The mung beans were more thoroughly cooked with a dash more salt than the previous day; they tasted delicious. The small pieces of coconut in the rice is probably, in part, what helped sustain me for the remainder of the day.
During the night I woke with a burning sensation in my throat. This morning I had a sore throat and a feeling of being on the edge of a cold. With waves of nausea.
Bessy was late to arrive to administer my ghee – today was my last day. The plastic cup placed into my hand felt heavy; it was seven swallows worth. As I was drinking the glass of hot water that follows, she was gently touching my hair, telling me how beautiful it is. That it was like Kerela hair (I think she meant wild!), the state where she and Sibi’s entire staff is from. They split their time between Bhagsu and Kerela, here in the summer months and in the south of Kerela in the winter months.
I had a glass of ginger/lemon/honey tea about 30 minutes later, while conversing with Bhagsu friends about health issues and pancha karma. One of them spoke about how his parents use medications that he knows are not good for their health. It’s tragic that western medicine has replaced the traditional methods of healing here. It’s a matter of convenience. We want to pop a pill and watch the symptoms disappear. Pharmaceuticals have two actions – suppression or stimulation. When our symptoms are alleviated, they are suppressed into hiding, for a spell, but they will re-emerge. A little more serious each time. The goal of pancha karma is to detoxify and then regenerate the body. This takes time. And energy. Seldom do we allow ourselves this when it comes to our health. We can either invest in it now, or pay later, with chronic health conditions.
Tomorrow I start the pancha karma therapies. In the morning, massage with a lot of medicated oil (my skin has become drier since beginning the process so will happily drink it up) followed by steam. And nasya (medicated oil inserted in the nostrils), good for sinus problems. In the afternoon I think the treatment will be shirodhara, oil poured slowly onto the forehead for a period of time. This helps alleviate mental stress and sleep problems.
Speaking of sleep, I’m feeling ready for another nap. I need to keep my energy reserves in check for the commencement of my treatment tomorrow, which I’m looking forward to. And I’ll be eating two meals, including subji (vegetables), which I really miss.
