POWER:
I’m so excited I can barely stand it! I have POWER!!! So, Jerry, my step-dad, went to Best Buy before I left. I asked him if he could get me a charger for my little camera. He came back with this big honkin’ thing that changed out for different battery types. Unfortunately, not both of my camera batteries fit in it, but it came along anyway because it works for one of them. Randomly, on the back of that thing has some sort of converter that just slips over the 2 prongs of a plug. AND WORKS!!!!!! I found it today in my bags when I was going through my camera battery stuff and started futzing around with it... and, well, tickle me pink. I have power!!!! My poor roommate and I have been bumming converters from the approximately 6 American’s who are here (she left her converter in her hotel)... It’s been pretty comical. Now, 2 days before she leaves, I have power... Good news though, no?!?!
It’s the little things in life that make us infinitely happy... This is one of them! Whoot Whoot!
Speaking of power. Don’t expect consistent internet usage (even when they say you’ll have it) or consistent power in India. That may be a duh statement, but just don’t. A bunch of us sit at the internet wi-fi area just waiting and hoping that the internet will go on during it’s appointed time like crack addicts... What am I going to DO without FACEBOOK for another WHOLE day???? :)
PANCHAKARMA:
Days 10-14 have been thoroughly interesting. The good news about repetition, is hopefully one gets to learn from the previous experience, right? As soon as I thought I might be getting into the swing of things and managing through the PK and ashram life, little and big enema days hit me. Since we’ve gotten so familiar with bodily functions, why bother couching my words now? I’ve explained little enema day... It’s nothing. Big enema laughs in the face of little enema. We’re talking a cup of honey, a cup of oil, a cup of mineral water, medicine, powder stuff and the kitchen sink. About 4 cups of liquid... they had me count during the administering process... oh yeah, count ‘em. 104 and 170 (!!!!!)... And then wait... I guess I should have taken a hint, the first time, when the girls were standing over me and I’m lying on the table and they both go, “Dylan???? Toilet????” Nope, I’m fine... a couple minutes later... “Dylan???!!! Toilet???!!!” a couple minutes later, “Dylan, get up, Toilet”... Let’s suffice it to say, when they think you should be going, just get up and go, waiting is no noble task... (I’ve had similar issues in the past because of the fact that my insides aren’t exactly where they’re supposed to be and it affects the impression that say, my bladder is full. I had this crazy mean bitch doing and ultrasound on me when I was about 18 and after she pumped me full of 2 liters of water (and I was seriously in pain) did she go, “Now WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU HAD A TILTED UTERUS???” Um, I’m 18, how would I know that??? That’s how I found out about that. Best diagnosis process, e-v-e-r. I didn’t remember this until later.) Anyway, this was a brutal day for me. Let’s just say, if you go to the bathroom long enough, you can induce vomiting. This is a bad thing. It’s better to get up and moving, after a while, and then go back if you have to. Then they wanted me to eat a big ol’ bowl of rice water... ohyeah, was not loving day 11 and 13. I pretty much slept the entire rest of the day. Gals, I highly recommend wearing a skirt on these days. Gents, a skirt too... why bother with pride and niceties, go for ease and comfort. :) Thank God I’ve packed 2 skirts (not part of the aforementioned 6 pair of bottoms, by the way - yeah, way too many bottoms were packed). So, I alternated big and little enemas over the last few days of my PK. The good news: my hair and nails have never looked and felt better, it’s incredible. Tommy, my hair dresser, would be gushing over my hair. It feels that good, styling? not so much. I’ve pretty much slept for days on end, so I’m pretty well rested. My guts, which were pretty distended and bloated, very uncomfortable all the time; feel light and comfortable. I know, that should not be surprising.
The upside to getting a PK in India: you are in the home of Ayurveda. Really, it’s on every street corner (beware by the way, make sure you go somewhere reputable or recommended. And women, NEVER get actual treatments from a man, treatments should always come from the same sex.). It’s a way of life and people in India, as in many European countries, live on herbs and homeopathy. I think filing our bodies with herbal remedies rather than concocted pharmaceuticals can only be good for us. This is a MUCH bigger discussion; however, I can speak after being on birth control, of some sort, for more than 1/2 my life and then anti-depressants, stuff started to go real wonky with me. I started to be the one who went to the dr and was going to pile drug on top of drug because it became a domino effect. I was eating so many Excedrin, Tylenol, Motrin, Aleve, Advil and Tums daily that it’s a freaking miracle I didn’t have a raging ulcer. So, I have limited experience with the pharmaceutical world. There are people who are on 10, 20+ medicines a day... Imagine... So, back to PK. What if we had got back to our natural core? What if we all figured out what our true baseline is and THEN treat ourselves from there? That’s what so much of this year has been for me. Find out who really is in here. Beyond the crust and protection I’ve built around myself, who is in here? What is my baseline? Where am I, again? THEN, I get to move on from there. It’s been quite a process and one I’m clear is not over because of all that I’ve done over the last 8 or 9 months. I know there’s more.
So, back to the benefit of doing a PK in India. Cost. Astronomically different. A 14 day PK in the States, generally speaking, is anywhere from $450 a day to $3,000, or more, a full course. In the research I did, it was unaffordable for a huge majority of the population. In India, you can get a good PK for $450/14 days. Again, you are in the home of Ayurveda and provided you find a place that you trust is real, the knowledge is everywhere. Also, generally speaking, you will be giving all of your attention to the PK with little outside distractions. If you can imagine that I’m tired of daily massages and treatments, I can only 1/2 imagine what it would be like in the states with additional stresses, work, etc. to contend with. This has been an all consuming process to say the very least. A swiss man and I were comparing the process, as much as we could, yesterday and the best thing he said is his room has been his jail. We have been very limited in what we can do, when we can do. My appetite has been all over the board, generally not hungry. My energy has been SUPER all over the board. I’ve had a place where I can go, sleep, rest, relax and no have to ‘deal’ per se. I am forever grateful for that.
The upside to getting a PK in the States: There is a distinct language barrier. I’m sure it’s different in different places; however, I have struggled with the need to know side of me. What’s in there? What will it do? What’s happening tomorrow? What kind of medicine is that? What is it treating? So on and so forth. This has been a big practice in my letting go, once again, and trusting. I do have a place I trust is going to treat me well, now I just have to trust the process with limited information. I did get some herbs to take for the next month and some guidelines of what to eat/not to eat and other things that work for my dosha as an “exit interview”, luckily. Other than that, no frills in India. Don’t mistake a series of 14 days of massages, etc with a spa vacation in India. It’s a medical treatment. Though my therapist is loving, wonderful, really truly cares and does her absolute best by me; this is no spa. In the US, generally speaking; my impression s that it’s made to be a much more spa like experience.
Generally, I think these are the largest trade offs. I am incredibly glad I have done this, at the beginning of my journey to wherever. I am so grateful to be able to have cleansed out as much as I have. Again, I don’t know that 14 days of PK is going to clear out everything and get me back to baby health, though; I believe I’m starting from a relative good baseline. It’s a continual process and one I’m fascinated to see the long term effects of.
Moving On:
I’m leaving the ashram a day earlier than I thought. I have a friend who is staying by the beach down here, so I’m going to go stay there for a night before my flight to Bombay for my next leg. India can be very laises-faire (hooked on phonics works for me). If you change your mind one day and decide to move on, no problem. You can roll into pretty much anywhere and find a place to stay for as long as you want. Virtually everyone here (predominately Europeans) are headed in a certain direction and will figure it out as they go. DO be aware of the major religious holidays, by the way. If I were to roll into Varanasi today, there would be a problem. Tomorrow is Shivaratri, one of the holiest of celebrations and Varanasi is the home of Shiva. Pretty sure I would have a problem finding a roof over my head over the next couple of days. I do plan on going to Varanasi, later. I’ll update you on it then.
Taxi Service Update:
When traveling here. Do your absolute best to either get a prepaid taxi or make sure you negotiate your fare before you get in. This way, it isn’t made up and a fair price.
Back to getting here real quick:
So, I had my lovely tour of the ashram by my delinquent greeter, right? Turns out there are full on tours of the ashram. My roommate continually reminded me of all the stuff she found out by going on an official tour that I didn’t get. Like, it took me 2 days to find the filtered water station, I almost died of dehydration, thought I was going to... Yeah, getting here continues to crack me up.
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