Panchakarma the Experiment: Discovering Doshas

Now I had some indication of what Dosha I needed to be dealing with. I started to adjust my cleanse toward relieving Pitta.  I changed on the sixth day from using ghee for oleation and oil pulls to coconut oil. Oh what a relief! The coconut oil tasted and smelled so much better, it was amazing! It was so much better in fact that I started to massage with it after my shower, it was that much more tolerable to me. In addition to the oil pulling, tongue scraping and external oleation I was drinking Triphala tea with added Fenugreek (more than recommended:) I love how the fenugreek tastes). I found all of these things to be very tolerable and continue them on a regular basis since the end of the Panchakarma. From days four through nine I continued with the monodiet also, this was not tolerable.

I consider myself a fairly accomplished cook and my kicheree turned out horrible. In reality it probably wasn’t horrible it was just dry and sticky, it tasted fine. I really enjoyed it a couple of times with added cilantro (for Pitta) and ginger. But then I got bored with it and almost found it easier to not eat. I would go through phases when I wouldn’t consider putting most food into my body to considering eating a french fry off the sidewalk. A couple of times I had vegetable broth or fruit juice to ease my way, I admit. It was harder than I anticipated eating the same thing all day for several days in a row.

On the second to last day I drank a few teaspoons of castor oil instead of doing the Basti, per the recommendation of our esteemed teachers. I don’t know which would have been worse. I won’t say much here other than it worked.