I don’t know why I feel compelled to write when in India. Perhaps it’s the mystery, the total otherness of the country. And perhaps it’s because I’m alone here and need to reach out. Whatever the reason, here’s blog no. 1 from India 2009-2010.

Trivandrum, state capital of Kerala, and home to many Ayurvedic centres. Never having done this before, I chose a place that caters to women, run by an American woman.

It’s wonderful. I slept my way through most of the first 2 days. As I write, it’s day 5 of treatment, and I’m totally looking forward to this. Dr. Geeta, the doctor who works out the program, and the women who do the treatments are all fabulous. There is no negative on anything. The food is divine, accommodations are simple and clean, and everything is done with the patient’s comfort in mind.

So there’s no friction to write about. The goal of this place is that women simply ‘be’, have the time to do that, don’t have to worry about anything (that’s a bit tough). One is left with time to ponder, walk in the garden, write, draw, listen to music, whatever one wants, as long as it furthers healing. It’s a full stop on one’s usual life.

In preparation for Panchakarma one is oiled from top to bottom. Naturally a lot of oil drops on the mat (oilcloth), which becomes incredibly slippery. At one point in the process I am asked to go from lying on my back to “face down”. It is at this point that I feel lke a beached whale, not quite knowing how to proceed to get from face up to face down. Eventually I figure out a way to get my slippery body flipped over.

The tying back of the hair so oil doesn’t get to it is another ‘interesting’ experience. I don’t have a mirror to watch this process, so to some extent I’m guessing what it looks like. They take a banana leaf (large) and shape it around my head. Then they wrap some thin cotton cloth – almost like cheese cloth, but a little heavier. A string ties the whole set up so it fits snug around my head. Now, as I said, I can only imagine what this looks like, but it strikes me as pretty funny.

For those of you who’ve been to Kerala, you’ll know what it looks like. The vegetation is amazing – palm trees, banana trees, and lots of green things I have no idea what they’re called. But the overall sense is green, soft, and more green and more soft. It’s been raining off and on, which is unusual for this time of year, so I’ve stayed in more than I would have. My walk the other morning got aborted when I looked serenely out at the pools of water that had drops falling into them. I simply turned back to my room and started writing – not such a bad alternative.(The next day I realized that it’s not drops in the water – it’s water bugs making those circles upon circles.) I went out later, namate-ing to the women and children.

A nearby temple plays divine music starting at 4:30 am. Traffic isn't much. No cow patties to avoid. By 6:30 the sun is up and the lushness of the place is in full view. Have restarted once again yoga practice. When I emerge for breakfast at 7:30 it's there, waiting for me. Shirodara treatment at 2:30 pm is like dying and landing in heaven. Listening to music like I haven't since the 60s. Smiling comes naturally.

That’s it for now –

Take care everyone –

Ellen