Reflections
I’m writing from the airport lounge, ready to set off for the next leg of my adventures but with a mind still full of Kairali and panchakarma. What an extraordinary experience it has been!
Over the past 15 days, I’ve prepared, purged and cleansed, eaten a lifetime’s worth of red rice in various guises, had an inordinate number of in detail conversations about my bowel movements with my friends (and deepened my friendships even further in so doing), drunk medicated ghee (the thought still turns my tummy), been confined to my bungalow for “laxative day” and had four enemas. In the process I find myself feeling lighter, brighter, clearer, more focused and energetic. I’ve lost half a stone, 2 inches from my waist and (less welcome), an inch from my already tiny bosom!
On our penultimate day at Kairali, we each meet with Dr A for a debrief on our experience of panchakarma, and to understand how to approach this re-entry into the real world. She compares panachakarma to surgery, and as with surgery, a recovery period is to be expected, and honoured, in our case for at least 2-3 weeks. During this time, we’re to stay away from tea and coffee (this comes as a bit of a blow), eat only vegetarian food, avoid all refined sugar and processed foods, rest, rest, rest, massage ourselves daily with a specially prescribed oil and generally be kind to ourselves. If that all feels a little unrealistic to someone about to embark on a two-week tour, Dr A reasons: “We ask a lot of our bodies…in panchakarma we offer our bodies this month each year to reset, and then our bodies take care of us for the rest of the year.”
The last few days at Kairali have something of an end of term air to them. There are still emotional ups and downs, and I spend the penultimate day bone tired for a reason I cannot fathom, but there’s a sense of achievement accompanying that, and such warmth from the team at Kairali who all seem so convinced they’ll “see us again next year” that I almost believe it myself.
Our treatments take on a new quality, a sort of “polishing” for our re-entry to the big, wide world. One of these involves a coconut and turmeric scrub – literally grated coconut and turmeric rubbed vigorously all over the body. For a while afterwards I find bits of coconut in places where coconut has no right to be, and my painted pink nails are turned a peculiar shade or orange! We have a clay face mask whilst enjoying our final abhyanga massage, a last steam, selfies with our lovely therapists with whom there’s a genuine (and understandable – they’ve seen it all) sense of closeness despite the communication barriers. I bid farewell with a hug to the “shower lady” who allocates changing rooms and cleans the showers. I never did learn her name but twice a day she made sure I had the special orange flip flops (every other pair is blue) and there was something about this gesture that felt amazingly uplifting during my wobbles of the early days.
On our last evening, my friends arrange a surprise birthday celebration. Well, a sort of surprise as they know I’m not that keen on surprises, so they kindly let me know their plans over lunch to give me a chance to get used to the idea! There’s to be a gathering to celebrate my 50th at 5.30pm in reception. There’ll be a cake and as part of the celebrations, all the staff have been provided with some snacks. As a result of the latter, all afternoon I’m wished a happy birthday as I move around the village – ironically on the day of my husband’s actual birthday and still a few weeks out from mine – and then we gather in reception with other guests for the ceremony. The reception has been decorated, and birthday wishes to “Emma Louise” are written in a sand swirl on the floor.
I’m given a tallow lighter to light the birthday lamp and “light up my future” and whilst I do this, our yoga teacher (oh my goodness she’s wonderful) chants in her beautifully pure voice. I get a little shiver of awe thinking about it. I cut my (sugar free/ dairy free/ wheat free/ egg free) cake and share this with our little assembly and it feels such a special way to start my birthday celebrations.
Thank you, Kairali, for an unforgettable two weeks. And thank YOU for sharing my journey through this blog.
I remember in my first panchakarma blog questioning my “why” for embarking on the process in the first place. At my discharge meeting, Dr A gives me a copy of my medical notes to take home and for the first time I read her initial diagnosis: “Swastha” – preventative. I realise my “why” was powerful enough after all.
