What is Ayurveda?

Tradition has it that the secrets of Ayurveda were passed on orally by wise men, 
in meetings in the foothhills of the Himalayas

One of the first questions people ask me when I come back from a trip like this is to explain what Ayurveda is all about. The short answer is that Ayur means Life and Veda means Knowledge, but that is a rather trite statement which essentially reveals little more than the idea that Ayurveda is one of the holistic healing practices – believing in the unity of physical and mental health.

One of the more interesting features of Ayurveda is the belief that different people may have the same outward symptoms, but may react differently to particular treatments, and may actually be suffering from different problems. Consequently your treatments here are personal to you, and another guest with identical symptoms may be prescribed significantly different treatments. After this second spell at Mattindia, it’s clear that the resident doctor knows her discipline, judging from the results that I am seeing in my personal health. It's all about "rebalancing" the body - not that I fully understand what that means, but that description feels right.

Ayurvedic medicines use entirely natural ingredients - mainly based on herbs and spices

You may recall that I panicked when my CPAP sleep pump developed an electrical fault on my third night in India, and burned out. I have been using the CPAP for more than 20 years, to stop my windpipe collapsing and restricting my breathing while I sleep . I tried to get a replacement machine flown out to me, and in the meantime I struggled with extra pillows to try and breathe comfortably. In the end it was impossible to cope with import restrictions in India, so I would just have to get by somehow. However, I was finding it gradually easier to get to sleep and to sleep soundly. At the time, Dr Shoba had prescribed various medicines, and I couldn’t remember which was for what, I just tossed back the pretty little pills and waited to see what would happen next. Little did I realise that the syrup to be taken three times daily before meals was targetting my windpipe and helping it to open up, rather than collapse as it did when I was suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

Ayurvedic medicines are administered in a number of ways. The most familiar method is, of course, pills most of which are prescribed to be taken three times daily. For people used to tiny capsules, some of the tablets can be challengingly large. The other oral medicine is euphemistically termed “syrup,” but it is herbal and can taste pretty disgusting. Again, it’s three times daily, so you soon realise that you are consuming quite large quantities of medication in the course of the day.

Other substances are administered via other routes. In addition to the 5-day course of medicated enemas and 7 days of leeches that I described in an earlier post, I have had a 7-day course of nasal drops preceded with a facial massage. The drops stung fiercely, but the irritation was relieved by the subsequent steam bath. For this, I sat on a chair while a steam pipe was directed under a sheet thrown over my head- a bit like sitting in a small tent set up to work like a Turkish Bath. The stinging in the nasal passages was much soothed by the steam, and by Day Seven was non-existent. 

Two masseurs working in unison

Another route for Ayurvedic treatment is transdermal – i.e. through the skin. I have described my hot spice and herbal massages and at present I am having Powder Massage, which is a rub-down with medicated sawdust. Finally, there are the medicated baths, which are truly luxurious. There’s the Steam Bath described above, then there’s the Water Bath, which involves lying on the bench at the end of a massage session, covered from shoulders to toes with a cotton sheet. The therapists then keep pouring a steady flow of hot medicated water all over you. The sheet distributes the water and heat, and since the bench is on a slope, the water then drains off and back into the pan that is sitting on a gas ring. The Oil Bath is – for me – the ultimate, and I am delighted to note from my treatment sheet that I shall be having it every day now till I leave for Pondicherry at the end of the week. I lie on the bench – no sheet this time – and the two guys pour thick, hot, medicated oil all over my body for about 20 minutes. The sensation is indescribably luxurious, and surprisingly exhausting. When they finish, and scrape the oil off me with squeegees I feel quite light-headed and make my way dizzily back to my room to recover before I take a shower.

My blood pressure is a healthy 130/ 80

It was only in today’s consultation that I realised the progress of the past weeks. My blood pressure is down from 160/90 to 130/80.  My hay-fever, which has plagued me for 5 years with frequent sneezing fits, has completely disappeared. 

I no longer produce embarrassing amounts of phlegm and mucus, nor do I have a tickle in my throat that used to generate long bouts of coughing. The oedema (swelling) in my lower legs is greatly reduced and the skin colouration is back to normal. I have no problem breathing at night and fall asleep easily, so I doubt if I shall go back to using my CPAP machine again. 

Best of all, I have shed over two and a half stone (37lbs/16.8kg) and it’s still dropping off. I have purchased a 3-month supply of the anti-appetite pills, so I shall see if I can stick to the harsh regime that has led to such amazing results.

So why has this stay been so effective? I think it's because in the past I, like other guests, have treated  fortnight or so at Mattindia as a spa holiday. Previously, I have more or less followed the regime, but I have acted as if this were just a different kind of holiday. This time I have treated the place more like a hospital; I've not socialised at all; I have treated my stay as a break from all the usual pressures and routines, and usually taken an afternoon nap. I have forced my brain to switch off and encouraged my body to relax completely.

I now feel ready for a fresh start, and who knows what that might lead to?  Don't you envy  me my next destination. . . . ?

Studio Apartment with pool and gardens in Pondicherry (click to go to website)