Delving Into the Ayurvedic Ritual of Panchakarma for Balance and Renewal: Part 1
What in tarnation would drive me to go to India in the middle of monsoon season? Did it matter in the end about the potential for propulsive-water weather? How about 40°C days with sticky glazed humidity much like a Tim Hortons (if you have ever indulged) honey cruller? No, not at all, in fact it ended up being relatively temperate and just about a liveable amount of sticky for this Canadian woman. It was my soul-driven search for expansion and healing and also for some new perspectives on my life after turning 55. I was galvanized to find a way towards this sort-of triangular shaped sub-continent that now holds the prize as the most populated and rapidly developing country in the world. Close to 1.5 billion people are breathing, walking, living, loving, laughing… and do not get me started on the driving in that madly marvelous photogenic country.
The tourist part is a story for another day. You are here to get to the Ayurvedic (Ayu meaning life and Veda meaning wisdom or knowledge) marrow of the matter. Ayurveda is essentially all about harmonious living and health. It strives to regulate and balance your unique body with a unique and personalized treatment plan. An integral part of Ayurvedic medicine is called Panchakarma which is a five-step ritual process of purification, detoxification, and regulation of the body based on understanding of your unique constitution or dosha that is distinctive to each person. These practices have nutrient-rich roots in the Indian subcontinent. The State of Kerala is the southern and tropical state of India where Ayurvedic practices flourish and anchor deeply in ancient and modern times. This is exactly where I landed. I had no idea what my home for 21-days of panchakarma treatments was going to be like. The food? The people? The energy? I did however follow my intuition and remained in gratitude, trusting my self-work with chakras and dance. I just followed the fairy fashioned rainbow-like energetic threads that just kept pointing out my path to my southern destination. It was a go for me all the way as the path just kept becoming more vivid and certain to my destination. My mission to delve into this ritual practice with hopes of finding a bit more balance and renewal in my life was just around the corner…
Curiosity piqued? Wait for part 2 of this self-case study to see how things unfolded…
