This cleanse would have been much harder had I not had the support, encouragement, and camaraderie of my four classmates who were also practicing panchakarma. How helpful it was to get texts from each other reminding us of our purpose or simply lamenting together about the infamous ghee burps! As part of my job as a wellness clinician, I coach individuals in quitting tobacco. While I’ve always understood the research to indicate that social support is important with behavior changes, I now have a deeper understanding for how truly vital having several people rooting and empathizing with you can be. I’m grateful that I was able to practice panchakarma with a group of intentional women within the yogic community.
For me, this was not a secular cleanse but a three week spiritual retreat in which I used the practice of modifying my diet to help me connect with the Great Beyond. Further, when I experienced discomfort during the cleanse, I ascribed meaning to it as moving me towards the desired ends of greater health and spiritual connection. Simply beginning my day with the prayer salutations and a call for blessing and guidance during my day by the Divine brought a powerful shift in how I viewed the world and the challenges I faced. I continue to start my day in this manner as a result.
During the cleanse, instead of being burnt out on eating only kitchari, I enjoyed the opportunity to find new ways to add complimentary vegetables to the dish. I roasted and pureed winter squashes for the first time; I ate more vegetables than I typically do and intestinally felt good doing so. Likewise, when I needed to break a sweat during the external oleation component of the cleanse, I embraced the opportunity to practice jumping rope, something that I have been wanting to do for years but had put off. From within these prescribed situations I was able to find lightness and play. Instead of feeling hindered by the panchakarma process, I found it as an invitation to explore within a new regime.
One of my personal vices is craving, yearning for what might be, what I can imagine could be, or even what I know I enjoy. During the cleanse, I came to truly understand the Thich Naht Hanh (in Roberts and Amidon, 1996)[1] poem which lies as a reminder on my kitchen table:
Our true home is in the present moment.
To live in the present moment is a miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.
Peace is all around us—
in the world and in nature—
and within us—
in our bodies and our spirits.
Once we learn to touch this peace,
we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith;
it is a matter of practice. (p. 367)
During the cleanse when I had difficulty maintaining balance during yoga or had achy teeth, I came to see that these experiences were a part of the cleanse and were sufficient in themselves. I had found perfection in being right where I was, with whatever emerged. There was no sense in rushing ahead to worrying about taking
increasing quantities of ghee the next morning, for, in that very moment, I was walking my dog on a lovely fall morning around Sloan’s Lake. During the cleanse, I came to be able to better observe when my mind wandered to craving and anxiety and to gently invite myself to celebrate the miracle in that moment, of being present with exactly where I was. I continue to be blown away by the majesty of the moment when I am able to be truly present within it.
[1] Hanh, T. N. in Roberts, E., & Amidon, E., Eds. (1996). Life prayers from around the world: 365 prayers, blessings, and affirmations to celebrate the human journey. NY: HarperSanFranscisco.
There were many times during the panchakarma when I mentally balked at the prescriptions and yet I committed myself to follow them faithfully because I believed in the tradition and wisdom of the process. What resulted was an experience of less anxiety and resistance in my overall life. This came to include making peace with a romantic break-up of which I had struggled to let go. Part of the healing that has taken place with this cleanse is my acceptance that I do have IBS and also that in order to heal further, I will need to commit myself to a course of treatment that will be more than just me willing the IBS symptoms to stop. In moving forward with continuing to work on my physical health, I know that I will continue to invoke this sense of surrender and acceptance as I follow a gluten-free, low refined sugar, high vegetable diet.
Overall then, as with most things yogic, I’ve happened into a well-spring of gifts although they are not those that I anticipated or intended. I am grateful for having practiced panchakarma as a part of the teacher training and humbly hope to continue to practice the five attitudes renewed in my life through the cleansing process.
Ayurveda, the sister science to Yoga, is a powerful system of personal health. Many Yogis follow its “common sense” principles. As this Axis Teacher Training student puts it “The principles of Ayurveda were easy to remember because they made sense to me in a practical way”. The following account describes this student’s thorough application of Ayurveda for improved skin.
According to Ayurvedic medicine, acne is caused by an imbalance of Pitta. My hypothesis states that if I reduce my Pitta, my skin eruptions will cease. The design of my experiment consists of herbs, dietary changes, skin treatments, an Ayurvedic oil treatment and yoga poses. I took suggestions for the design of my experiment from the Book Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad.
I ingested three different herbs for cleansing the liver twice daily. These herbs are called Shatavari, Guduchi and Kutki. I mixed and ingested a quarter teaspoon of each and followed them with water. These herbs taste very unpleasant.
My dietary changes involved eating less spicy foods, using little to no ice in my drinks, eliminating salads and raw vegetables, eliminating ice cream, reducing my coffee intake, reducing my seafood intake, and eating warm, cooked foods. I added turmeric to my foods and occasionally drank tea made from cumin, fennel and coriander. I drank green tea in place of coffee for a few days of the week and I added more sweet-tasting fruit to my diet. I attempted coconut oil swishing three times, but I didn’t enjoy the consistency.
About Us
The Denver Yoga Underground began in 2003 at the request of dedicated students who wanted to study yoga as a holistic system. Over the years, a diversity of people, seeking education outside of a studio, found a welcome refuge in DYU.
Today we specialize in grassroots Pay What You Can workshops, accessible retreats and our signature yoga teacher training, for the outlier yogi.
Contact Us
Denver Yoga Underground Director:
Derik Eselius ~ 720.934.6934
Training Location:
Sixth Ave. UCC 3250 E. 6th Ave
Derik Eselius ~ 720.934.6934
Training Location:
Sixth Ave. UCC 3250 E. 6th Ave