How to Remain Calm and Relaxed during Menstrual Cycle

Do you see your daughter, friend or sister suddenly looking sad, forlorn or depressed ? A lady who is an epitome of cheerful energy and is always full of life suddenly snapping at you? Is unwilling to eat or suddenly starts crying at the smallest possible provocation? Or you yourself sometimes feel that the whole world and life is meaningless, and that nobody loves you or understands you and that everybody uses you but ignores you at the time of your need?

The answer to all the above questions will be in the affirmative by 99% of the women we ask. This is the most common symptom of PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome, a monthly cycle of mental and physical problems associated with menstruation.

What causes PMS

The symptoms of PMS can be both physical and mental and can start anywhere from a week before the menstrual cycle to last up to the first or the third day of the cycle.It invariably affects each and every woman at least some time from their puberty till the menopause.

The physical symptoms can be any of the following :

• Abdominal pain
• Pimples
• Muscles pain
• Back Pain
• Weight gain
• Tenderness or pain in the breast
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Bloating of the stomach
• Excessive hunger or total aversion to eat
• Disturbed sleep
• Skin allergies or rashes

The mental symptoms include :

• Depression
• Anger
• Crying at slightest provocation
• Snapping
• Aversion to do any mental or physical work
• Aversion to interact with anybody
• Anxiety
• Lack of concentration
• Weeping and crying
• Aggressive and hostile response
• Agitation and nervousness
• Extreme mood swings

 What are the Symptoms and Solutions for PMS

The physical symptoms may be the result of excessive bleeding or delayed and irregular menses and scanty bleeding. A horde of medicines across the counter are available in Allopathy, Ayurveda and Homeopathy to alleviate these problems. They may help in reducing the pain but it cannot be considered as the permanent solution and also they are teeming with potential side effects, The best step would be to address the root of this physical pain and try to find a solution.

The cramps may occur if there is irregularity in what is a menstrual cycle or what is a period cycle of a woman. Excessive bleeding [heavy menstrual bleeding] may be a symptom of whole body cleansing at young age but as the age advances, this may cause an alarm. It may not only make one feel warm [body temperature], but may affect the mental health thereby making the mind worried and depressed.

So, in order to prevent excessive bleeding and dehydration, in consultation with the gynecologist the problem needs to be diagnosed to find out what causes the physical pain, and find out if it relates to any stress or obesity or any other health reason.

How to relax and relaxation tools 

Unlike physical pain, the emotional and mental symptoms can be addressed with a systematic approach. The key is to adopt [relaxation techniques] and follow guided relaxation tools.

Relaxation breathing techniques :  

• Stay calm and take deep breaths.           
• Sit in a padmasana or sukhasana or lie down on your back and breath slowly and steadily.
• Perform anuloma viloma pranayama. Hold your ring finger and thumb on both the sides of your nose.Close the left nostril and inhale slowly and deeply throw your right nostril. Then close the right nostril with your thumb and exhale slowly with your left nostril. Now inhale slowly through your left nostril keeping the right nostril closed with your thumb. Slowly close your left nostril and exhale through your right. This is one cycle. Repeat this in twenty, thirty or forty circles.
• You can put relaxing pictures where you perform these mental relaxing techniques.
• This progressive relaxation technique can be used not only during PMS and menstrual cycles but also throughout the month for better results. They are the relaxation tools for the entire body and soul and help in the overall well being.

 Hot water elements 

Prior to the starting of menstruation when one starts feeling the symptoms, or immediately on its starting it is always better to have a hot water bath. If one is taking bath in advance, it is better to have a warm castor oil massage, and take bath after sitting in the sunlight for half an hour. When this eases the physical pain, the mind naturally relaxes. If one takes this oil bath, hot water heating elements advance the menstruation process and helps in easy and healthy flow. Heating oil and water and taking bath in hot water can be extremely relaxing.

Besides taking bath, one must have the habit of drinking hot water not only during menses but every morning throughout the month on empty stomach. Drinking hot water with carom seed will ease the pain due to menstrual cramps.

Nutrition

It has been an established fact that the teenage eating disorders is having a serious effect on the teenagers' health. further this is also a contributing factor for the irritation symptoms during menstruation. A healthy mind always accompanies a healthy body.

Nutrition for teenagers can consist of any or all of the following :

• Flax seed nutrition,
• Bean sprout nutrition
• Fruit desserts recipes
• Healthy dinners                                                
• Freeze dried fruits
• Fresh fruits
• Honey roasted cashews
• Hot milk - The protein in milk acts as a mood booster.

The nutrition fact of honey and the honey health benefits have been very well established. The honey energises the organs, boosts our immune system and fights bacteria. So with its remedial qualities it ensures prolonged good health which naturally have a bearing on our emotional health.

 Music

The therapeutic healing powers of the music in mind relaxation have been effectively used by the physical therapists and sages from ancient times. To heal the mind of its tensions, irritations and depressions make extensive use of radio, videos and TV.

Lie down, breathe deeply and slowly and let your mind drift and float along with the soothing music and its lyrics. Take in its beauty, forget the unnecessary irritation. Make concerted efforts to forget the depressing thoughts, count your blessings and force your mind to linger on happy memories or expectant beautiful dreams.

Recall the pleasant moments you have spent with your friends, family and your loved ones. Remember, this is just a temporary passing phase and it is totally meaningless and not worth to brood and spoil the surrounding atmosphere.

Take a break and read magazines and books. Make a note of which magazines and books you have liked and enjoyed the most and always keep them by your bedside  Remember we all have certain favorite books which we don't mind reading repeatedly and which lift our moods. There are some movies which bring an involuntary smile to our lips. Keep them handy.

For some people this period causes some rashes and allergies. Find out the culprit, where you are getting allergy from. Avoid eating and using these, but still better, don't let them spoil your mood. There are many natural cures if the allergies persist and follow these strictly. The alternative method of medicines have a very rich resources in finding solutions. There are home remedies too. Go to a spa or create an atmosphere la spa in your tub by adding therapeutic herbs and perfumes and take a hot bath. Go for natural massage therapies like psychotherapy and hot oil massage therapy or aroma massage, if you are not comfortable having them at home.

Watch youtube videos to learn about some natural therapeutic massages from the things you get in your kitchen and garden like aloe vera  cream and turmeric, fig paste etc. Indulge and pamper yourself. It can be a great morale booster.

Pets                              

Pets are your best friends.They are the most selfless and understanding creatures on this earth.When we cuddle our puppies, cats and dogs, we feel we are pampering them, but what we forget is that when we caress and cuddle the pet animals and talk to them, our body releases a neurochemical cocktail as the one released when we are being affectionate with our loved ones. It gives a high like a drink. Studies have shown that cuddling with the dogs reduce the blood pressure, releases the hormone oxytocin which makes us feel fuzzy and warm.

So go ahead and give your pet a hug. Let him lie by your side and share his warmth. Talk to him, he understands and empathises with every word you speak to him. You would say I always want to be with My Sleeping Dog,

 Relax !                                       

Since this syndrome is most common and affects every female body, the men have an important role to play. Since it is a genetic syndrome and women are helpless, they have to bear this - either in a relaxed manner or grudgingly - the men can be understanding and sympathetic and co-operative. They can be pragmatic and understand that this is an inevitable but a passing phase every month and they better grin and bear it.

And a tip to all the women out there. To keep your family, office and surrounding peaceful and cheerful, keep your male partners informed that you are making sincere efforts to bear and grin, you can seek their understanding and cooperation  Keep them informed about the reason for your mood swings. Better make them read this !

Relax ! It is in your hands to grumble and feel miserable or breeze right through that time of the month !

Back Pain Treatment

         Health care centre in India @ Ujire - Dharmasthala - 

                                Karnataka

"Spine and Back"

Ever since my youth I remember having back pain neck pain and leg pain. There has never been dearth of family care or attention. We tried several home remedies, exercises and yoga which used to give some relief albeit temporarily. Spine and back playing a vital role in day to day functioning, I wanted to find a permanent solution.I visited many naturopathy centers [ health care centers in India ] but there was no pain relief.Since I was mildly obese I Practiced Yoga, Pranayama and lost Weight. But that didn't help in finding a solution to my problems.

Though there had been chronic pain, it got worst three years back when I had a slip disk. This added to my woes. I continued to do workout exercises as I was always aware of the importance of exercise for a healthy life. Initially after slip disk I even started having arthritis back pain too. Though at the back of my mind I knew that for spine and back pain, back pain operation [ spinal fusion surgery ] was the only and ultimate solution especially for conditions like mine. Initially I was petrified to go under the scissors because of the assumed risk [ operational risk ].

Then the inevitable happened. The back and neck pain and the leg pain increased to such an extent that I could hardly sleep at nights. Free fitness programs could give pain relief to minor pains or for the initial stages of the pain. I was forced to visit a doctor for a final diagnosis who advised me that not the pain control options but a corrective method i.e spine fusion surgery was the best solution.

Let me tell you that for any treatment or surgery it is of utmost importance that you get the services of an efficient and confidant doctor. For me it was Dr.Sujayrao, a back pain operation specialist from St.Philomena's who came like a messiah. Not only was he confident of himself, he instilled such a confidence in me that I got ready for the spinal fusion surgery. He reassured me that pain after spinal surgery will be almost negligible and not only would I be on my feet doing my things independently just after one month but I could even climb Lord Venkateshwara's abode at Thirupathi after just three months. His only condition was that I should get prasadam for him!

True to his words, in the ICU unit just a few hours after operation I could bend my feet and fingers and the very next day I could roll over in the bed and sleep in every comfortable position.Within a week I could walk slowly and after just a month I could go for a walk to the nearby park. Before sending me home post spinal surgery, I was sent to a physical therapist under a rehab program. At Manipal Hospital they provided excellent physical therapy services and rehab services and taught me the mild physical exercises I was supposed to do after going home.

Fortunately for me I did not have to go for a loan in view of the heavy medical expenses incurred. Family Insurance by way of health insurance has been provided to me by my employers LIC of India. Without proper medical insurances things would have been extremely difficult.

So friends, let me reassure you contrary to the notion that spine fusion surgery is dangerous or painful, it is the best solution and there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of. There are some dos and don'ts which we need to take care of like avoiding bending or lifting heavy objects. We can bend at the knees instead of back. If we continue to do mild exercises as advised by the physical therapist and maintain a healthy diet and exercise regime then we can live happily ever after :-)

Godspeed.

How to do the Diet-that-works and The art of Living

                        Nutritional Diet Plan    
                                          

How to diet? I think this is the oft repeated question in this universe. God up there is very smart. He knows the weakness, the greediness of we human beings. He created so many wonderful things to eat and enjoy but created us in such a way that we can eat so much and not more. Therein he kept a message, " Ati sarvatra varjayet" - too much of anything is too bad. But in spite of this we tend to indulge and over eat and then start visiting the internet asking " How to diet? "

There are as many diet programs as the number of people who want to do it. But here I am giving not just diet tips but tips to a healthy living, and take you to a place where not only can you follow a strict and proper diet but can recoup yourself and regenerate your body.The Place is Ujire - Nature Care Center - about 2 kms from Dharmasthala in Karnataka, India, a place which teaches us a healthy way of dieting.

Natural Healing College                                 

I visited ujire in the month of August 2012. I had heard a lot about this naturopathy center, but was under the wrong impression that it had only a weight reduction program. But on the contrary it is a place which teaches us the art of living in a healthy and positive way. Before visiting this place, a few years back I Practiced Yoga, Pranayama and lost Weight, but wanted to visit this place for their holistic healing process.

This center is promoted by natural healing college which teaches right from - how to lose weight, what are organic foods, what is organic method of growing, - to - how to massage, what is massage, and what is nature and natural healing.

The center organizes yoga and pranayama classes, teaching [bhramari pranayama] , bhastrika pranayama, imparting in- depth knowledge as to what is yoga and how holistic yoga is helpful for our overall well being. Having learnt yoga and pranayama by watching videos, [pranayama videos by baba ramdev] this practical training session was an unforgettable experience for me.

There are varying accommodation facilities, suitable to every purse.The cost for boarding and lodging together is in the range of Rs. 3000 to Rs. 12000 for a stay of ten days. Additionally, for every massage or treatment or therapy, they charge an additional 100 rupees per day. 

Papaya health benefits                                       

There is a very simple procedure of admission. Immediately on arrival there will be a medical check up by the in house doctors, and depending on our health needs the treatment card is prepared and the diet plan is prescribed. Attention is given to the smallest details like the juices to be given to us, the quantity of food and fruits and the type of yoga class we must attend.

Hey! don't start smiling or heaving a sigh of relief at the thought and the mention of the word juice and food. It is just plain simple healthy nutritious diet with a very BLAND taste. The idea is to give healthy food but to stop us from craving for it. Were they successful ? May be they were, but we were not! Throughout the stay of ten days the only thing we could think of was the tasty food or rather lack of it!

So you are invited here only if you have a strong will power and willingness to get healthy and lose weight, else you will be running back home within no time! There are ABSOLUTELY NO SHORT CUTS.

 Best eating habits for weight loss

Though the admission and treatment procedures are simple, the rules and regulations are very strict, reminding you of your school days! On arrival at the gate of the center, all our bags will be whisked and each and every bit of eatable we have will be confiscated. No outside food is allowed, there are no tea or coffee shops, and the only shop allowed inside the premises sells just soaps and towels!.

As a result, the sights you witness at the dining area are worth watching. Those who had indulged in every possible snack and CHITRANNA back home will be holding their fruits and juices precariously in their hands, munching lingeringly with a forlorn and lost look in their eyes. I bet they would be dreaming about their kitchen and dining room back home !

There are different diet foods provided : boiled diet, raw diet, and juice diet. The food tastes the same on every day and for every meal. If you have tasted the food on one day, then you have tasted it for all the days! The boiled diet is a cup of boiled rice with a little green gram dal, and a few vegetables - cucumber, ash gourd or sorekai – that's it! - and just a pinch of salt and pepper. To drown it there is a choice of soup or buttermilk - Soup is vegetable stock of the boiled vegetables mentioned above and butter milk with no salt or sugar ! Plus one cup of ripe papaya cubes or one apple i had started getting aversion to, after eating everyday.

 The evening food again will be the same set of vegetables and two dry chapatis and everything else remains the same. Those on raw diet get a salad of cucumber or carrot – except the cut vegetables, it has nothing else which merits it the name salad. – if you are lucky on a day you may find finely chopped apple or pineapple in your plate! No salt or spice !

And if the doctor so feels, he may further cut down you food to one apple or a cup of papaya with either buttermilk or soup. Mind you, if you think of having buttermilk instead of soup – sorry madam, you need doctor's permission – who will be supervising the activities in the dining hall - before taking your plate. Once you cross this step, you will not get a change of food, Sorry.

And for the unfortunate souls, who are facing the problem of obesity, only a glass of juice four times a day and during lunch time and dinner, they will keep the juice made from lime and honey and one can have an extra cup or two! But beyond that if there is tiredness, the only option is to drink lots of water. In spite of this strict diet, though the faces are sullen and steps are dragged, there will be a glint of light in the eyes of those inmates, who most probably will be looking at themselves post diet regime in a slim and trim avatar. I was also eagerly waiting to my POGO, My Sleeping Dog .

 Healthy dinner ideas

Have I drawn a very bleak and scary picture? cheer up! If you are not able to hold or sustain, you can approach the doctor who will visit your room twice and your diet can be switched to the better level or the number of chapatis can be increased albeit at the risk of reducing the chances of your weight loss.

For the fortunate few who need not worry about their weight, there is an option of ragi ganji in the morning and sprouts and cucumber slices in the evening, plus a cup of milk at 9 pm in the night. But once you enter here you can forget about the taste, salt and spice ! The idea behind this, as per the booklet provided by the hospital is that not only should you eat SATWIK food, but should lead a satwik life too.

So once we realize the benefits of healthy protein snacks, healthy dinner ideas, fruit snacks and healthy dinners recipes being offered here,it is easy to follow the routine of food - as to what is good for our health, what good for our skin and what all should be our ideal recipes back home. We will start liking and indulging in health care, forgetting the unhealthy snacks and start having healthy dinner ideas.

Weight loss spa

The daily routine at the slimming center is : getting up at 5 AM, going for a walk, yoga and pranayama from 5.30 to 7 A.M. After that it is juice time – whichever juice the doctor has prescribed for you , it can be lemon and honey, carrot juice, ash gourd or bitter gourd juice and then it is time for mud pack in our rooms, where we will sleep with a mud pack on our eyes and tummy for 20 minutes. Thereafter it is on to the treatment area where we will be receiving the treatment our doctor has prescribed for us.

These treatments are any day better than the best of world class spas' treatment. It consists of a verity of water treatments like hip bath, whirlpool bath, spinal bath, cold and hot water immersion bath, jet bath.... Then there are steam bath and sauna and a whole lot of oil massages or the unique and most effective mud pack and haldi pack on the whole body... you name it and they have it. It is totally a concept of being back with the nature - treating us with five elements earth, wind, water, fire and the sky. And a big salute to the attitude of the staff involved in the treatments. With a smile on their lips and a spring in their feet they carry out their services diligently. They are virtuous to a fault.

Independence Day ! 

Each treatment is given with utmost sincerity and dedication and you will feel like you are in the lap of your mother.

On a bright and sunny Sunday morning on 15 th of August we had the fortune of being at the place and in the serene environment witnessing the flag hoisting and singing the National Anthem with a pride. After the ceremony like school children we were thrilled when trays filled with some covers were brought to the venue. There was excited murmurs of laddoos, chocolates, sweets all around. I was a scene to look at the faces of the recipients when they opened the covers only to find two dry dates and two tiny pieces of rock sugar! What a healthy celebration!

 What is nature - Get the answer here.

The building spread over a vast area designed by a french architect is such an architectural delight that you can view a garden and rain from the window of each and every room and hall.

Look at this! It is the photo of our bathroom window and the scene beyond. The well ventilated and strategically located rooms a midst greenery, treatment and yoga center, green gardens and beautiful blooms everywhere, birds chirping all around you, soar your spirits and you will have springs in your steps when you head back home, not just because you are returning home but also because you have lost all those extra pounds !

Consolidation

On the last day of our stay, they conducted classes on how to diet, how to have a good healthcare plan, and have a healthy living without medicines and medical needs. On cooking pattern, we were advised to eat healthy natural food minimizing the usage of gas and electricity and electric equipment, to drink organic milk and maintain diet and follow the fitness programs taught to us. Like a perfect host, they guided us on the advantages of having required milk and sugar products which is far better way of our health insurance than running for loans to maintain our medical needs.

VEDIC MANTRA

• SARVE BHAVANTU SUKHINAH, SARVE SANTU NIRAMAYA

• SARVE BHADRANI PASHYANTU MA KASCHIT DUKHA BHAG BHAVET

How to lose weight with Yoga and Kapalabhati Pranayama

                                       Healthy way of losing weight 

chitrannaa.blogspot.com

The earliest memory of me checking my weight was when I applied for a job at the age of 18. I was 5.2" with a weight of 52 kgs. I had always been conscious of my weight since then, both from the point of looks and health, and have been steadily monitored it. Even after my two pregnancies, I had taken care to get back into shape once the children started growing up. But then suddenly I lost control. Though I was aware that I was putting on weight, as invariably happens once you near forty, I just could not control it. Suddenly one day my weighing machine showed 71 kgs and I panicked.




Never skip breakfast

Then started my rigorous journey of exercises, experiments with diet, trying every trick of the trade, but to no avail. The first thing I did was to skip my breakfast and eat light which proved counterproductive as the early morning empty stomach made me weak and moody and in fact my weight increased.

Walking and Jogging

Then I started walking and jogging. Both my friend Kalpana and myself would set out in the morning at 6 o'clock to Krishna Rao park and jog. Alas! Being very beautiful and attractive ( seriously :-), when we started jogging, we not only had the company of dogs wagging their tails running behind us, but some grandpas also started to accompany us to every corner of the park trying to show off their wrinkled biceps! We were in no mood to pamper and provide free entertainment to these oldies a la Ashok Kumar in Shaukeen and soon did a disappearing act.


Aerobics         

After Ashok Kumar, came Rekha. Yes forever young rekha, a great inspiration to us with her aerobics practiced sexy and lustrous body. Off came Jane Fonda and her DVD, (of course she was an inspiration for REKHA too ) and there started the aerobics dances at home. No doubt it gave some free relaxation and entertainment to my hubby, who would sit behind me with his coffee cup when I practiced in front of TV. It kept me extremely fit and energetic, but weight loss? No sir. Sorry.

Liquid diet          

So it was back to basics again. My father had once narrated, how during his young days, on the advice of some Ayurvedic doctor, had survived on a liquid diet for a month and had lost almost 20 kgs. But there was a hitch. Every morning you have to drink one spoonful of castor oil on an empty stomach which was supposed to cleanse your system. Not only the taste of the castor oil but the failure to attain weight loss has left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Weight loss fads and gimmicks by clinics 

Then came the wonderful advertisement from VLCC, a health clinic which promised an assured weight loss of 5 kgs for 5000 rupees in 10 days. What is 5000 rupees compared to a sculpted body? Off I rushed to their center and was thrilled to bits when I lost 750 grams on the very first day. Yes sir that's how they measured - in grams! I calculated in my mind, if this is the result in a single day, where would I be after 10 days! All my tight dresses pushed at the back of my wardrobe started dancing in front of my eyes. Ha! Only dreams are made of such stuff. What was actually being done in the clinic was, like in a physiotherapy lab, they would connect low voltage wires with pads to our body and make us lie down for 45 minutes. Immediately on coming out they would ask us to urinate and then check weight. Naturally, when your body is heated, the fluids would dry up and the body would lose some weight. After coming home, I drank lots of water and ate one small custard apple and maintained the diet chart they had provided. Next morning I was aghast when the scale tilted to an additional kg. Instead of admitting the shady deal, they had the audacity of admonishing me for eating a custard apple. So the crux of the matter was, had I stopped eating and drinking life long and continued with their ironing, I would have lost a lot of weight. But the better sense prevailed and a bid a hasty retreat.

Yoga - Pranayama - Holistic treatment by Baba Ramdevji

Every cloud has a silver lining. It came in the form of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdevji. One morning when I was surfing through Aastha channel, I came across the live telecast of Yoga Shivir being conducted by Ramdevji where the participants were sharing their experience of losing 5, 10 even 15 kgs of weight. As I was always inclined towards Indian system of medicines, Yoga and Ayurveda, and also impressed by the rhetoric and impressive oratory skills of swamiji, I thought to give it a try as I had nothing to lose except weight! I ritualistically started practicing the yoga and kapalbhati pranayama as propagated by him every day. When I first checked the weight after one month, I could not believe my eyes. The scale which had almost stuck at 71 showed 70. It inspired me so much that every month on the same date I had a steady date with the weighing machine and it never failed me. Each month it was a reduction of a minimum of one kg. After I reached 61, I have been maintaining the weight. I know if I push a little harder I can go down by another 3-4 kgs. Mmm. Will do it soon.

Maharshi Patanjali - The Yoga Sage from India

It is an ancient breathing technique taught by Indian sage Patanjali, a breathing exercise for our internal organs. Just the way we do push ups and bending and stretching exercises for our external body, the pranayama is for the naval and heart centers. It activates the cells, removes toxins and fights obesity in abdominal region and helps digestion and tones down the abdominal muscles.

What is kapalbhati ? 

The method of doing kapalbhati is simple. Just sit in sukhasana or padmasana, any comfortable position, hold your thumb and index finger touching and resting lightly on your knees with palms turned upwards.Sit in a calm erect position closing your eyes. Inhale slowly and exhale forcefully through your nose. This will cause the abdomen to contract and activate the inner organs. Repeat this process in a cycle of ten rounds of ten and gradually increase to a batch of 5 or 10. In the beginning you may stop at frequent intervals but with practice you can do a hundred counts and can go on increasing. Check your weight before starting this regime, do it daily for one month and check the weight. You will definitely lose weight in a most healthy way. But those with high blood pressure or heart disease should not do this.

Advantages of Kapalabhati

The added advantage of kapalbhati pranayama is that not only does it cures the body ailments and drastically reduces the weight scientifically, it is also a great mind healer, making you emotionally strong and at peace with your inner self and also with your surroundings.

The points to remember is that this pranayama should be done on an empty stomach and at your own comfortable pace. Once you gain confidence with your practice, you can increase the duration to 15 to 20 minutes. The results are instantaneous.

So go ahead. Tone up your mind and body with yoga and pranayama. It will remain your friend for life.

Spinal Surgery

I am back! After a hiatus of almost one month, back with a better BACK !

Many a friends of mine always used to gush that I am their source of  strength, their inspiration, and their backbone! ( Hey! Promise. I am not joking, but telling this with utmost humility. Please read on!) What an irony! I myself did not have a perfect backbone! verbatim! Instead of sitting pretty and straight, my backbone had twisted a little. It was a manufacturing defect! From its normal ideal curve, a part of the spine  had twisted by 3.3 mm since birth. I used to have back ache since childhood and had accepted it as my alter ego. But three years ago a disk had slipped on the twisted bone.




You know how it is? Like you will be sitting on the ground in a crowded temple or bhajana mandir in sukhasana very close to each other. The person sitting next to you will put her knees on yours. It will be heavy and painful. Either you lift your leg or bear the burden. If you lift  your knee, you will have no place to put it back or else keep back on that person's knee who in turn will do the same to you! You are doomed either way!

Literally I ate tonnes of medicines - allopathic, ayurvedic, homeopathic - got massages, physio and naturopathy, did yoga, Reiki - you name it and I had done it to get a relief from my pain. Then I reached the dead end - a stage of extreme unbearable pain, when I prayed Lord Raghavendra to bless me with a permanent solution. When the pain further aggravated, I knew I had reached the end of the tunnel and there has to be some light at the end. Sure there was - in the form of Dr.Sujay Rao of St.Philomena's - a God unto himself. So confident was he and such a confidence he instilled in me that I 
underwent spinal correction operation on 10 th October. I am on my feet, though on a rest of two months.




I am extremely grateful to my family and friends who stood by me and who put me back on my feet. Thanks to God Almighty for giving me the courage and strength to undergo an operation of 7-8 hours.  

I could not help but  to reproduce the wise  words of a nurse at St.Philomena's who chided and consoled me when on my admission to the ward I had tears in my eyes. She said " Don't cry. If you cry you will have tears in your eyes which will blur your vision and you can't see Him " 

Amen.

  

NATUROPATHY- NATURE CURE HOSPITAL

chitrannaa.blogspot.in

UJIRE-DHARMASTHALA-SOUTH CANARA-KARNATAKA- INDIA

This is an in depth analysis and guide for the Nature cure hospital at Shantivana - Ujire - Dharmasthala - Karnataka - India.                       

  
Dhanyosmi! This was the overwhelming feeling I had about the noble souls who had envisioned and started this Nature Care Hospital for a holistic treatment. They had a vision, a noble cause and a yearning to serve and guide the society towards a healthy living.

I had first heard about the nature care hospital at        Dharmasthala way back  may be in 2006-2007 when my friend Sujatha from Tumkur, who had been there for treatment narrated her wonderful experiences. She was all praises for the service oriented treatment meted out there. It had always remained at the back of my mind that I should visit the place. In fact just a month back when we programmer friends at the monthly meet were sharing our health and stress woes, we were sort of planning that at least once we should skip this daily mundane and escape to Dharmasthala. I, in my wildest dreams, would not have imagined that exactly one month later when all my colleagues were attending the meeting, I would be here in Dharmasthala indulging in a holistic treatment for the body and soul.  

Yes. That is what it is. I think there is a wrong notion that one should visit this place only when one has health issues or obesity problems. Contrary to this I feel that once one reaches 40, it is a place one must visit ( But of course, there is always heavy demand and one has to book the rooms very well in advance and generally, very healthy persons are not solicited, as they want to address the problems of the patients first.)

The accommodation in Ujire has been made to suits to all pockets and budgets. There is a general ward for Rs.300 per person per day, a special room at Rs.450 per day on twin sharing, Deluxe rooms on twin sharing at Rs.700 per day which has TV and AC. Then there are cottages which cost Rs.1250 per day per person,wherein the  occupants  have the advantage of having some of the massages and food in their rooms. The rent includes the room rent and food charges.For additional treatments they charge a nominal fee which works out to approximately Rs.1000 for a stay of ten days, with two treatments per day.If one needs further treatments like acupuncture, physiotherapy, then it costs about another 50 rupees per day.    

The procedure of admission is quite simple. The rooms can be booked over phone, but well in advance. Immediately on arrival, an in-house doctor will check us,   prescribe further clinical tests needed, if any, gives us a diet scheme depending on our body constitution and health problems. These notes will be recorded on a  card which will be updated everyday by the doctor visiting us. We are supposed to carry this card  for all our treatments, juices and foods.  



Well, talking about food, this could prove the ultimate boon or bane for our stay. Here is the real catch. Those who have a strong will power and self-control over their food habits need not worry. For weak minded, or those who love food        ( then, who would not!? ) this is a strict no-no. We are not supposed to carry any eatables from home. At the entrance gate itself the security will whisk us and take away any eatables found on us. Once we enter inside, other than the food provided by the staff, we will  get ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Forget tea or coffee, even milk is out of our reach. But if you have some funny bones, you will thoroughly enjoy the sights there at the dining area! 

It will be a sight to watch how people used to indulge in sumptuous meals looking longingly at a hot chapati or a person weighing more than 100 kgs holding his cup of papaya gingerly and take half an hour to eat it or the girls who are officers back home in their towns, but are on juice diet at the centre pouncing on the plates of persons who are allowed rice. 

There are  three varieties of diet foods provided here :  boiled diet, raw diet, and juice. The taste every day for every food remains just the same ( In fact I always wondered how could they prepare it exactly the same way everyday. If you have tasted it for one day, then you have tasted it for all days! ) The boiled diet consists of rice boiled with a little green gram dal, a few vegetables and just a hint of salt and pepper. A few boiled vegetables, which would be cucumber, ash gourd or sorekai – thats it!  - again with a hint of salt and pepper.

You have a choice of soup or buttermilk. Hello don't jump with joy. Soup means the vegetable stock of the above mentioned vegetables and buttermilk without salt or sugar ! Plus a cup of papaya or one apple.

                  

The evening food will be the same type of vegetables with two dry chapatis instead of rice and everything else will remain the same. For raw diet, it is a salad of cucumber or carrot – I would rather not use the word salad because except the cut vegetables, it has no other ingredients – and on occasional lucky days you will find finely chopped apple or pineapple in it. No salt or khara ! And if the doctor thinks that it will be more food for you, they may just prescribe one apple or one cup papaya along with buttermilk or soup. Mind you, if you feel instead of buttermilk let me take soup – sorry madam, you have to get doctor's permission – who will be available in the dining hall - before taking the plate. Once you cross that point, even if you beg, it cannot be changed. Sorry.
And for those less fortunate souls, who are overweight,it is a glass of juice four times a day ! Don't feel so sad, at dinner and lunch time, they will 
keep the juice made from lime and honey and you can have an extra cup or two! Other than that if you complain of tiredness you are advised to drink lots of water. Don't worry, you will get used to it and in extreme situations, doctors are there round the clock to take care !

The food picture looks extremely bleak – is it ?  No that is not the case. If you feel you will not be able to sustain or feel weak, you can approach the doctor      next day who will switch over the diet from raw to boiled or increase the number of chapatis or fruits. But then forget about the weight loss ! But for the fortunate few who need not worry about the weight, there is a choice of ragi ganji at 9 am. and sprouts with cucumber slices at 4 pm, plus a cup of milk at 9 pm. BUT FORGET ABOUT THE TASTE, SALT AND SUGAR AND SPICES! It is the principle of the hospital that not only should you eat SATWIK food, but control your craving for food too.

The daily routine is : getting up at 5 in the morning, go for a walk, yoga and pranayama  from 5.30 to 7 A.M. At 7.30, it is juice – whichever the doctor has prescribed for you , it may be line and honey, carrot, ash gourd or bitter gourd.  Then back to rooms where everybody will sleep for a mud pack on their eyes and tummy for about 20 minutes. Immediately after, rush with your card to the treatment area where you will be given the treatment which your doctor has prescribed for you. 

These treatments any day beat the best of spas' treatment. It includes a variety of water treatment like hip bath, spinal bath, cold or neutral water immersion bath, jet bath, whirlpool.... There are still many more. Or steam bath, sauna, reclining steam bath, oil massage, mud bath, haldi pack... you name it and they have it. Essentially it is back to nature - an idea of treating us with five elements earth, wind, water, fire and the sky. I must never forget the attitude of the staff involved in the treatments. They always have a smile on their lips and a spring in their feet. They are virtuous  to a fault.

Each treatment is given with such a sincerity and dedication that you will feel like you are in the lap of your mother when the personnel share your pain with a sympathetic understanding and rejoice at your relief. 

We were fortunate to be at this place on 15 th August and in the serene atmosphere on a bright and sunny morning we witnessed the flag hoisting and sang the National Anthem with a pride. After the ceremony we were no less than the school children when trays filled with some covers arrived at the venue. There was excitement all around and murmurs of laddoos, chocolates, sweets filled the air. You should have seen the face of all the recipients when they opened the covers and found that there were two dry dates and two tiny pieces of rock sugar in it! What a healthy way of celebration! 

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Though the entire building is spread over a vast area, a french architect has designed it so well that from every room, hall and window you can view a garden and rain.
If this is the photo of our bathroom window you can very well imagine how the entire building is built. The rooms, treatment and yoga centre are all a midst greens and gardens and throughout your walk from one end to the other, there is proper shelter so that no rain or sun can dampen or hamper your spirits. 

There is a swimming pool, a gym,a hillock to walk and indoor games and library. But library and TV will be available only at free or rest time so that nobody misses the treatments or sessions. The yoga and pranayama are taught with utmost proficiency and personal care. 

There is a personalised treatment and care for every inmate and on the last day we would be given a follow up chart and advice for our treatment and diet back home. That day, we will be given passes to visit Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple which entitles us a direct entry to the sanctum sanctorum.

I have a greatest sense of gratitude towards Dharmadhikari Sri Veerendra Hegde, The Man behind this noble venture and when I had the fortune of meeting him at Dharmasthala, I made an humble request to him to start one such unit in our very own Bangalore. My joy knew no bounds when he informed me that the land has already been purchased on Tumkur road in Bangalore and the treatment centre may come up there soon.Amen!