Day 12 at the Arogyalayam

Additional mudras were taught at the Yoga class today. I’m still not able to do the right nostril for Sutra Neti on my own. With fasting ended, today’s diet is fruits for all three meals. Below are the fruits served at breakfast:

I got full body massage and steam bath again today. I didn’t schedule any afternoon treatment as I need to take my dad for the follow up visit of his eye surgery. Below are the fruits served for lunch:

I happened to talk to a young man who joined here for three months to lose weight. He is finding it hard to eat this food as he was accustomed to eating biryanis and junk food. Even without fasting, just by eating this food, he lost 6 kgs (13.2 lbs)! Motivated him to stick with it and take advantage of all the programs being offered while here.

We left for the eye hospital right after lunch. I am very comfortable driving the stick on Indian roads now. We had to wait a long time for the doctor to return from lunch. Every thing is fine. On the way back, got a chance to explore the nearby area as certain roads became one way as the state assembly was in session. We came back to the Arogyalayam by the dinner time. I wasn’t that hungry. So I didn’t try all the fruits that were served. Below is my dinner plate:

Today was full moon. So, the evening lecture was in the open air theater. Dr. Raju explained in layman terms how heart functions and the impact of salt in take on the heart. The animation was very nice. After the lecture all the light were turned off so that health seekers could enjoy the full moon light along the river bank. The view and the breeze was truly magical.

Day 11 at the Arogyalayam; Fasting - Day 7

I skipped the Yoga class today, but did Surya Namaskar and Pranayama on my own after performing the kriyas. I started juice fasting today. The schedule is as follows:

8 am - Vegetable juice
11 am - Fruit juice (water melon)
1 pm - Butter milk
3 pm - Fruit juice (pine apple)
6 pm - Sugar cane juice

My morning treatment today was Vitamin-D bath again. So laid down under the red box in hot sun after drinking a glass of water. After about 20 minutes, I was drenched in sweat. Took shower under the water fall.

The after noon treatment was spinal spray. Basically, water jets hit your spine for about 10 minutes to increase blood flow. I went for a swim in the river for the first time during this trip. It was refreshing. Today’s evening lecture was about digestive system with videos and animation. 

Day 10 at the Arogyalayam; Fasting - Day 6

There is Mr. Lamba who came to the Arogyalayam about three years ago and he was so inspired by what he saw and the difference it made to his health. He was instrumental in raising money from the other health seekers then to get the mud bath facilities constructed. It seems he has been coming here once a month to inspire the current health seekers. After an hour of the Yoga class, he led the attendees with clapping exercise and laughing yoga. He inspired a few attendees to join the Arogya Seva (Lifetime membership) program.

Yoga class resumed with 15 minutes to spare. Mr. Reddy (Yoga instructor) led the group with Mudra Pranayam again. After performing kriyas (Jala Neti, Sutra Neti, and Netra Shuddhi) sat with Corin (lady from France) to explain Pranayam so that she could follow what’s being taught.

My morning treatment was liver pack. Basically, cold and hot packs are placed on your chest for 10 minutes and then their places are swapped for another 10 minutes. The after noon treatment was full body massage and steam bath. I have been listening to the lectures in the room itself. Below is diet to follow for weight loss:

Day 9 at the Arogyalayam; Fasting - Day 5

For some reason, my stomach did a number on me this morning making me late to the Yoga class. Did the kriyas quickly as I have to go for a blood test. Sutra Neti through the right nostril is still a challenge for me.

My morning treatment today was mud bath again which I quite enjoy. I took several pictures on the way back to the room.

Panoramic river view near the mud bath center

Panoramic river view

Boating area

Panoramic river view from the boating area

Rest area near boating - View towards the ashram

View towards the river

Boat used by the administration to travel to the nearby island, granted by the state government, where some of the vegetables and fruits used at the ashram are grown

A light along the path

A seat along the river made out of a drum!

A hut near the boating area

A hut along the river bank

 

Kriyas are performed here

Path along the residential buildings

Chandra Kala Vedika (Stage) grounds

Yoga Hall

Large swings and Shuttle badminton courts for recreation

You can buy coconut water here

Physio Therapy (inclusive in the fee) hut for Gents

Checked with the floor doctor in the after noon. He suggested I do honey water fasting only one more day as we are leaving a day early. So, on Wednesday I will be on all day juice fasting and then all day fruit diet the following day to ease out of fasting. The blood test result showed little low on potassium. So the doctor advised I drink coconut water and take electrolyte solution.

I went for enema in the after noon and looks like my bowels are pretty clear. So, I’m not going to go for this any more. I also got the after noon treatment of Cold Hip Bath done. Today, there were yogic games in the evening. I participated in one of them. It was fun.

Yogic games at the Chandra Kala Vedika

I am normally a night owl, but here I have been dozing off by 8 pm and getting up by 4 am. Today  evening, several health seekers narrated their experiences and several have committed to join the Arogya Seva program. We already joined this program last year. For Rs. 2 lakhs/$2,820 (non AC) or 3 lakhs/$4,230 (AC room), a person can avail the 15 day program once a year or 30 day program every two years for the rest of their life irrespective of future price increases. You get a coupon book for the next 25 years. It can be used for your friends and family as well. 

Day 8 at the Arogyalayam; Fasting - Day 4

Today the Yoga session was shortened by half an hour for Yoga nidra. Dr. Srinivas led the group through this journey. It was pretty relaxing and at the same time, planted seeds for service in the subconscious mind. I also met a lady from France in the Yoga hall today. Despite not understanding the Telugu language, she did fine in the Yoga session. It seems she just joined the program yesterday.

I was able to do Sutra Neti through my left nostril pretty easily on my own today, but the right nostril is another story. I still had to take an attender’s help. I met another young man today who joined here for three months to lose weight. 

Being Sunday, it is a holiday for the treatment center staff. So, no treatments today. Instead there were wonderful lectures in the morning. The first one by Dr. Raju on how our thoughts impact our bodies through hormones. It was very insightful. Especially, the kind of damage anger causes to our body. The second one by Dr. Srinivas was on bone health and demonstration of yoga asanas to give relief for neck pain and back pains. 

In the evening, cooking class was at 3 pm today where making of a few Indian food items were demonstrated and samples were provided to the attendees. I couldn’t taste any of it as I was fasting. 

Cooking class

We then went to the Yoga hall where the Yoga instructor led the health seekers with this clapping exercise. We also went on a walk along the river. Some were boating, some were swimming. Weather has been pretty awesome here. The lights among the plants also created a magical ambience.

The evening daily lecture by Dr. Raju is on good food items - sesame seeds, sprouts, coconut, etc. Myths about milk, egg, and non-veg were also discussed.

Day 7 at the Arogyalayam; Fasting - Day 3

I am really enjoying the Yoga class. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be on my birth day (December 7th). I had tough time with Sutra Neti today. I had to take help from the attender for both the nostrils. I tried Vaman Dhauti in the room. You are supposed to squat while drinking water for it. I didn’t do that initially. So when I regurgitated forcefully, not all the water that I drank came out. Only a small portion came out. My esophagus appears to be clean.

There was a wonderful talk by Dr. Vishala on personal relationships which I listened from the room.

My morning treatment was spending 15 minutes in Jacuzzi with jets. With body made of Pancha Bhootas, all the Naturopathy treatments are around those five elements. The after noon treatment was a Gastro Hepatic fomentation pack where I was asked lay down face up on a cold pack and then a hot pack was placed on my stomach and a cloth was wrapped around my waist. I skipped the enema today.

Below is a display board about the procedure of drinking 4-5 liters of water every day. There are numerous boards like this with health tips and information through out the facility in all the buildings.

As long as I continue taking the honey water every two hours, I’m not feeling any hunger or any lack of energy. It feels like you can stay like this forever! Looks like I did lose about 1 kg (2.2 lbs) in these three days. Tummy has almost flattened. This is truly a marvelous system. There is a group (5-6) from Canada staying here for 3 months.