Ayurveda and temple festival

now that s a big game of rope pulling (the ones on the left won)

Ayurveda !

            I am currently undergoing an Ayurvedic cure. A full immersion 21 day retreat that has brought both novel and forgotten sensations. I’ll break it down for you

There’s food and drink, there’s activities and then there’s the treatments.

The first ten days:

6:00am wake up to a warm shot of ghee (clarified butter) with Himalaya salt. Every day the doses slightly increase. Overall, from a sip to a full double shot. 

7am yoga, mostly pranayama and other breathing exercises

8am go to the beach for bathing in salt water followed by sunbathing as well

9-9:30 am breakfast

11:30-12:00 treatment time: for ten days I had what they called Kayaseka or Kashaya Dhara (literally meaning decoction pouring), two therapist pour hot medicinal water on me for an hour. On the third day they started to give me ghee drops in the nostrils and I was supposed to spit up lymph via my sinuses but nothing came out. The doctor told me that I would evacuate it via other ways. And then I am fully oiled. I can only wash that oil 3 hours later with either special soap or a mix or herbal powders mixes with a tad of water.

14:00-15:00 lunch

17:00 I am able to wash off the liberal amounts of oil, with either special soap or a muddy paste of herbal powders

19:00-20:00 dinner

22:00 ghee shot 

 

the view form on of the platforms in the dinning/wifi area

day ten to thirteen

6.30 wake up with the ghee

7.00 to 10:00 yoga- ocean-breakfast

12:00 treatment shifted to a powder massage, quite exfoliating and actually hurt my chest and back because of all the hair, wash ghee drop and full oiling as well.

15:00-20:00 lunch wait wash dinner

Day before the purge I got the steam treatment. loved it!

22:00 the most horrible thing I ever drank. Especially the first evening. Not only because I wasn’t used to it but also because of the texture that specific night. So ghee was replaced by a decoction of herbs smelling somewhat similar to the paste they use to massage me. It was so thick I really felt like I was drinking extra bitter mud. The mud texture was precisely bad, never had I had the gag reflex so much. Truly ghastly, I‘ve been drinking it every night since and it isn’t a treat, thankfully they water it down to something drinkable more than mud.

            I had a one-day purge where they brought a thick sweety (way too much) decoction I drunk at 5:30 and then well I spent my morning flushing my system. Felt pretty light after that, sadly my food got lighter and even more bland (didn’t know that it was possible!) quite close to the blandest possible ever. Seriously.

Day fifteen to twenty one

8:30 ocean

10:00 breakfast

12:30 the treatment is now a full body massage followed by shirodhara, where they pour a sort of medicinal curd water onto my forehead for 3o minutes. nearly impossible to not fall asleep and extremely relaxing. quite the enjoyable treatment to end the whole process

15:00-20:00 lunch wait wash dinner

22:00 a more hardcore version of the horrid decoction.

             And now I am undergoing the final stages of the cure which are quite easy on the body less so on the psychological mind as I am bored of so many aspects of it and frustrations arise.

These frustrations have mostly to do with food and being oily.

 

Like I said liberal amounts of oil.

            For food I have wheat porridge, read very tender wheat in water, when its just wheat and water they tell me it’s the salty version, sometimes I have sugar in it (one in five times) and a someday a bowl of papaya (and every once in a while with some pomegranate). I had the intense pleasure of having perfectly ripe papaya once and I’ll admit it was amazing. But the thing is that I am not big on papaya. Lunch is wheat soup again, or wheat not in water with well soup…its really nondescript and I cannot quite figure out what they put in it, feel like lentil cooking water. In the evening I have wheat, if I am lucky sticky pasta or even better chapatti and luckier still some vegetable. Also I do love tamarind soup. 

ShiroDhara

             But here’s the catch, no water allowed, only hot herbal tea they prepare. So here I am in 33 Celsius and I have to drink herbal tea. Its so frustrating not being able to drink half a litter of room temperature water after a walk in the sun or simply when I feel thirsty! But…nnoooo! Only small sips of hot herbal tea, that is very bland as well…

            Here’s another frustrating aspect that also has to do a little bit with weather, after the treatment they oil me and I have to stay oiled for 3 hours then shower then put ointment on my body. So I am drenched in oil and sweating from 2pm to 5pm and then I am sticky until the rest of the day. Hardly motivates one to go out and explore. I am speaking of liberal amounts of oil everywhere!

            So yeah when I am presented with wheat soup and herbal hot water and I am sweating, oily and thirsty. Its quite challenging. Its day 18 now….

            In the evening of day 18, I drank a new decoction, same medicine but different manufacturer and I had my worst stomach cramps in my life, spent more than one hour in the restroom in the middle of early morning. but somehow the intense physical pain helped me along with feeling less bad psychologically, I’ll admit I was feeling rather like a caged wild animal on da 17-18. Now I am writing at the eve of the last day so my spirits are quite high again.

 

Typical structures worn on the top of the head, here they had no attaches just like having a plant pot on the cranium

            But its proving well worth it, what I am paying in frustration I receive in good health, my skin is nearing perfect (or how most of the population would say normal skin) also I have slimed down. The whole process is quite taxing and I am not really allowed to do much physical activity but I definitely feel in better shape.

Overlooking the public pool

           Today they gave me follow up medicine to ingest and apply for the next three to six months, so I am quite grateful that I brought quite the empty backpack originally. 

            I'll have to take to tablets upon waking then brush my teeth, once I am truly hungry drink a tablespoon of hot ghee. I have to oil myself with the same oil for three hours and I have to drink one liter of hot water with a tablespoon of "anti uric acid" decoction. I have a special soap and also ointment for when I am not oiled. So that' going to be a fun routine, I might opt for the stay in one spot here and there strategy rather than just moving around every two or three days.

medley of light bulbs!

            I’ll be leaving on Monday and will have quite the busy full last week in India before leaving Tuesday after. Going to spend three nights in trains also! I m honestly looking forward to it. I’ll get to spend two nights in high altitude so I can catch a full day of fresher temperatures, before going back to Europe for a few months but still looking forwards to those two fresh mountain nights.

            But those adventures perhaps I’ll recount to you if I am not to swept by all the activities and people that await in Geneva.

one of multiple stretches of road along the parade route

on each chariot there was a dude in charge of lifting
the electrical cables so that it could pass

            So yesterday evening was last night of the temple festival. Had not idea that I’d stumbled upon the big festival time of the year. Apparently they do go all year round but  this is the season for the big ones. Tried understanding what it was about but I’ve been quite setback by the language barrier and lack of information for tourists. Main figure Is Vishnu in this case, the Varkala temple is dedicated to Vishnu. Vishnu is in the center of the Trimurti, the protector/preserver god, after Brahma the creator and before Shiva the 

destructor. 

Other example of head bored structures

Typical electrical generator for
the light circuit

              Saw a good deal of Hanuman as well, human god granted immortality this divinity figure actually is quite widespread in both geographical and religious fashions. From Hinduism to Buddhism via Sikhism and Jainism. From India to Thailand via Indonesia and Cambodia. This God like figure can harken to the trickster figure that is often part of diverse polytheists systems, be it Wiracocha, Dyonisos or Leprechauns, the various identification to mischievous yet neutral entities is here found in Hanuman. It does seem that this particular region has a positive twist on the character as may very well be in the rest of India. Do take these religious informations with critical curiosity rather than gospel as my knowledge is most modest in these manners.

Big hanuman on a mobile mechanical crane

           

              So the festival took shape in the form of light bulbs wreahts hanging from trees to road posts to makeshift structures made for the occasions, with a lively hodgepodge of deities patterns and designs, all that on at least a few kilometers worth. As well as scenes and arches here and there. The was a procession that spanned two hours here then a break then two hours there. Plenty of people everywhere, and precisely seven elephants, which eventually went on and entered the temple, after climbing the steps with humans on their backs right about midnight.

The six "smaller" elephants waiting for the big one's return.
also typical indian movement to fix the sari up.

            The processions were mostly comprised of three different formations, band of powerful enthralling drummers, mechanized chariots with human assisted automations and light shows and groups of Structure bearing dancers that would heave on their heads different sculpture and dance while turning on themselves.

            Here are a few of the night’s pictures :)

mostly wooden structures for the majority of the
light fixtures

As previously stated my stay here is coming to an end, as much as it has been challenging and brought a lot of novel experiences I do marvel at the ability to actually cure chronic illness in different human cultural systems. With our big pharma and mindlessly repeating lies until they become beliefs, coercing us with fear of organic structures that there’s some medicine and knowledge that actually do good instead of hooking us up on different poisons and sucking our funds dry. Each time I go bellow the equatorial line it seems that I have been healed in efficient, natural ways.

           

Ever entered a temple while ducking on an elephants back anyone?

Free Luxury Cottage

Deluxe toilets (with a glass ceiling)

The free Cottage

My second given name is Christopher, referring the saint boss of travelers (that had given his very own coat to a small kid passing by) and well I might be aptly named as the ayurvedic resort had my room booked for someone else the first night I was to spend there so the good man Feroz (the manager) has me enjoying the pleasures of the resorts luxury suite. That was a pretty nice beginning of treatment, despite having to wake up a 6 in the morning.

Then I had a suitable room but without any real desk so I would haphazardly lay in bed doing computer activities or for reading but it was uncomfortable. Speaking of, having yoga at 7am is pretty amazing, less so the fact that mosquitoes are out at that time so I asked if there was any other places. So the manager had us do yoga on a rooftop, right next to coconut tree peaks. Really nice atmosphere plus on the top of a building removed from the main compound, and I saw decent tables pertaining to height and I enquired if I could move there. So they moved me there, the rooms are obviously superior but to no extra charge^^

It seems the manager appreciates me. Here’s a little thought on different ways to see one situation. Apparently I am the only patient guest right now, it is early season. One could think that because I am the only one on treatment the shouldn’t give away any leeway pertaining to price. On the other hand, they seem to be quite grateful, I wouldn’t be surprised if its simply the clinic’s people usual nature, yet I get discounts perhaps because I am the only one. Also it was a nice idea to check the place out in person as they gave me the low season price instead of the internet price (overall a good 35 % less). But let us close the Braggling portion of this post.

            Ayurveda :

As I said in the previous post I am undergoing and Ayurvedic treatment. Both out of curiosity and also for my skin, as I hold within my genetic code the ability to manifest Psoriasis.

And its been quite the adventure having a chronic illness that reacts to so many different factors such as stress, laundry, food, emotional state, pollution, humidity, sun and climate overall.

Classic public pool?

            The cure is, at the time of writing, threefold. I drink what is called Ghee at 6am and 10pm. something like 2 centiliters of what feels like rancid warm nut oil with added salt.

            For the first three days at least they have given bodydhara, which is unassuming but quite intense as I am lying down on a table naked but for a piece of cloth and two therapists pour upon my supple body liberal amount of hot water. Its color is brown and with strong herbal and earthy scents emanate. At some times it even feels like a light massage despite it being only hot water falling. Also it does get me in intense states as my body heats up and also It seems to liberate old psychological dirt, old negative thoughts come to mind in a way of saying goodbye.

North cliff with all the boutiques and restaurants

Quite the experience having two people dedicated to bathe you for an hour. I am then dried and oiled. The first day a couple hour after I felt extremely drained as if I was going to loose consciousness, which was very impressive. Another impressive aspect of it is that my skin has improved amazingly, perhaps the fastest in all of my fading history with the affection. at first I has signed up for ten days, on the second day I choose two weeks and on the fourth 21 days.

            I eat mostly salted oats (occasionally rice) with lentils and greens alike green beans okra and cabbage, most recently it has become less and less solid. Add to that liberal amounts of liquid. I am not to drink cold or room temperature water so they produce thermos’ with hot herbal tea of all sorts. Oh I also ate some sort of seed that tasted like sauna smell (in my salted porridge). I mean the herbal smell, fortunately I didn’t eat seeds that taste like a bunch of naked Scandinavian people’s sweat.

            Since then It has been a full week and the skin is continuing to go better, boredom starts to rear its teaching head. Also they have upped my daily dose of ghee and replaced the nightly one by the most horrible thing I have ever “drank”. Picture dry earth mixed with some water to create a sort of crunch sandy paste that tastes extremely bitter, now think of a full longdrink glass. I gagged a couple of times and had to finish with a spoon. My doctor just told me that I am having to drink that for a week, one glass per night. Still six more nights, it has instantaneously become the most challenging aspect of the cure. Of yeah and it gives both diarrhea and stomach cramps. Oh joy. Perhaps I m regretting choosing 21 days instead of 10 (I would have finished tomorrow)

Glorious luscious hair

Bald and alone

           

            And so I shaved my head, as asked by my doctor and well it’s a sound decision as I did have some on my head (its where the psoriasis all started) and it has proven quite the purveyor of novel experiences. A random man on the beach, part of a bachelor party posse, told me that I looked cute and that he loved my head. He subsequently went and took my head in his hand to connect our foreheads. A dog has licked my scalp during yoga. I’m now putting sunscreen not only on my face but simply the whole of my head. And I’ve had mosquito bites up there as well. The sensation itself is pretty interesting as sometimes it feels like I have “ghost hair” when I go to pass my hand through my hair and it just feels like I am rubbing a very thin coarse rug. Or when I rise out of the water and shake my head to settle my non existent hair.

Hair no more!

            One thing I had never thought of before is my relationship to my hair and seduction, and I’ll admit feeling less confident now that I am bald. Certainly an unforeseen consequence of actual cultural norms I’ve been brought up with. Nonetheless that and the very different culture, one of which I lack many codes to understand how seduction works and if there is any allowed in my actual whereabouts do create quite the challenging situation. Also pertaining to the “available” it’s the whole 2014 cruise ship situation all over again, elders and couples abound and I find myself retiring into a shell of deception and ancient timidity. But as with all things this too shall pass as well as this is a legitimate experience in itself.

on the way between my room and the
 dinning area

            I do try and consider my actual predicament with the tolerance one would with someone in the hospital undergoing treatment for a chronic illness but I’ve always considered my condition minor, even despite the intense obviousness and perhaps gnarlyness that I have experienced in the past. Time to accept, grieve and say goodbye. It has been somewhat of a companion I must admit. The sort of love-hate destructive relationship but that created comfort and stability. However weird that feels. But it is an illness and I would so love to live normally pertaining to that. Furthermore, in a society cruelly extreme when it comes to body image. Especially in the last ten years where our models have become genuine aliens. Our conscious mental certainly is aware of the disasters Photoshop has set upon our self worth, and even then it does take an effort to remind ourselves that that beautiful, picture perfect woman, selling absurd unrelated wares alike plastic bags. In the oversized advertising plastered everywhere is a created image much more than a picture, more akin to a painting actually. So we have to remember and then actually put in the effort to undo the brain washing on a conscious level all the while our subconscious takes it as gospel and shines that sordid light back to us in our deepest yearnings.

            But I digress, so yeah I’m bald and alone and it does have its merits.

Funny and super fast tiny crab
       

              Faser and Tania

Yup its pretty easy meeting Keralans, as I was floating in the ocean for my morning routine I made a few strides to catch up the distance the current had made me drift. It brought me closer to a smiling face, so naturally we entertained small talk, I’m from Geneva Switzerland here for a cure and overall traveling the world, he’s Faser native from Varkala and works in Abu Dhabi, here for some home vacation. So we swam together further into the ocean. As he said “come on let’s swim”.

Bigger (more or less one foot) and thankfully not as fast of a crab 

 Then he saw Tania’s bobbing face and greeted her. Apparently they met enjoying the same morning routine. So here comes this at 60+ Ukrainian woman who goes on explaining that she looked at me going into the water and followed pursuit as it is scary to be alone^^

            Eventually Faser leaves for the shore and Tania asks me to tell her when I will run aground again. So here we are chilling in the ocean and she starts singing ukraninan songs!!!

That was so awesome! So here I am in Kerala oceanic shallows and I meet the awesome Ukrainian mom (or perhaps grand ma) and she goes telling me about her kids and how to greet people in Ukrainian. All that as I am planning on going to Ukraine in a couple months!

The end of the afternoon

We went back to shore but the landing was quite intense as the waves were rigorously energetic for cause of the far presence of a distancing cyclone. I must admit getting washed thoroughly by the waves a couple of times. But I wasn’t going to let her cope with the dangerous waves alone. As you pretty much have guessed it all went well in the end^^

Big fire ball!

            Languages

So as I have said in passing last post, their relationship to language is quite different. Alos its pretty odd when I started adopting their way of speaking, accent and formaulation in order to be easier understood but mostly born from a desire to share like them. One of my favorites relationship to languges are in their acceident prevention slogans one can find in diferent districts. I ve jotted a few down for our pleasure:

“Speed thrills but kills”

“Accident bring tears, safety bring cheers”

“Don’t be daring, be caring”

and my favorite

“Accident is painful, safety is gainful”

also I saw in passing one “google men’s wear” as well as a “facebook men’s wear” both using nonchalantly the official logos and design of the aforementioned companies. Also a “Like “ store with the now world famous blue thumb up logo.

I think this slogan was for a sort of Tupperware company “ Family plastics, the virgin moulder ” needless to say that among all the natural, cultural and environmental wonders I keep on discovering these small very savory tid bit are very much enjoyed as well.

Oh and by the way, if you are looking for a selected business super brand that is industry validated look no further (well actually kinda do)

cheers