Karthik Jayakumar, lead Yoga Consultant for the guest, said, “We took a comprehensive approach to the client’s mental burden by addressing body, breath and mind collectively. Physical and nervous tensions were handled by asanas like Pawanmuktasana series, palm tree pose or tadasana and Marjari (cat pose) targeting spinal and joint stiffness. The extensive use of yoga nidra or psychic sleep started to uproot suppressed patterns trapped in the nerve pathways, promoting clarity and paving the way for meditative practices."

"Aware of the client’s past traumas, the guest and I spent long hours in ‘walking meditation’ across the sprawling lawns of Ananda. In addressing the guest's dilemma about life's purpose, the conversations on yogic philosophy broadened his acceptance to the concept of subtler bodies or koshas. These discourses carved a path for a seamless progression to advanced practices like chidakasha dharna and yogic cleansing techniques like kunjal kriya and jal neti.”

Kunjal kriya is a water-based therapy that expels toxins stored in the upper digestive tract and abdominal cavity, through induced vomiting. Initially apprehensive, the guest expressed surprise at the sense of mental lightness he felt as an outcome. Kunjal kriya worked as an experiential correlation between the mind and body that deepened the client’s conviction. He willingly accepted an intense reflection into his personality through Review of the Day (yogic journaling) and SWAN meditation, an acronym for Strength, Weaknesses, Ambitions and Needs.

 
The openness felt in the mind reflects ease and flexibility in the body. Diligent and accepting of a yogic diet along with relaxing Ayurvedic treatments through a 14-day journey, the guest’s body felt ready for Surya Namaskar to improve joint flexibility, mental stamina and regain endocrinal homeostasis. Advance asana practices like dwikonasana (standing seal pose) and chakrasana (wheel pose) were introduced in his routine to enhance postural integrity.

The Wellness Journey

The guest’s faith in Ayurveda and commitment to the process helped the physicians to create a detailed treatment plan for a complex web of health conditions presenting themselves as chronic sinusitis.

The client’s constant complaints of flatulence and bloating weren’t an alarming revelation for the physicians, because Ayurveda recognises an improper digestion or mand agni as the root cause of sinusitis. Therefore, raising the digestive fire to optimal levels was recognised as the first step to her recovery.

If the body fails to experience a desired state of rest through feelings and thoughts, it also fails to digest and excrete waste. The state naturally results in an overload of toxins purposelessly held back into the circulatory paths. Resonating with this explanation, the guest agreed on all suggestions for inducing deep states of rest from the start of her wellness programme. She was further informed, on how the incomplete evacuation of toxins were contributing to phlegm, and disturbing her kapha dosha, consequently obstructing the flow of vata that governs all movement. This vicious cycle ended with a further reduction of her metabolic fire. The experience of sinusitis was a collective manifestation of imbalanced doshas, with the metabolic fire’s inability to digest food being the root cause of her symptoms.

Advised to follow a deep cellular detox the physicians selected a plan to rebuild the metabolic fire across all body systems. Through the first phase of treatments, stimulating scrubs like udwarthana and choornaswedna accompanied snehpana, the process of drinking medicated ghee to loosen old toxins from the deepest layers of body tissues. To induce sleep and reduce mental strain to support healing, pacifying therapies like abhyanga and kashayadhara were prescribed with an aim to stabilise the nervous system.

Once the body reflected readiness to flush the loosened toxins, repeated detox therapies for the nasal cavities (nasyam), eyes (tarpana), and abdominal cavity and digestion (kunjal kriya – emesis, virechana - purgations and vastis - enemas) were administered. To help the mind through this second phase, emotional therapy, one-on-one guided meditations, and treatments to relax the neck (greeva vasti) and back (prishta vamsa) stepped in to support. The process of purging the toxins lasted for ten days, which was followed by the last phase of resurrecting the metabolic fire in the body and mind through nutrition, daily routine and counselling.

The End Result

The client started to express feelings of relief from frequent headaches and nasal discharge. Extremely pleased at her growing response to food without fearing unpleasant aftereffects of bloating and indigestion, her frequency of sinusitis attacks decreased significantly, allowing a better chance to enjoy everyday life. Post the expelling of toxins, the physicians started her on a dinacharya (daily routine) to maintain the restored vigor. Gandusha or oil pulling, herbal nasal drops, a calming yoga routine and aqua fitness started to build back her lost immunity.

Grounding therapies like aroma cocoon, narangakizhi, shirodhara and mukhlepa, continued to deepen her night sleep. Frequent acupuncture and physiotherapy sessions, combined with supervised nutrition and Rasayana (herbal tonics), helped boost the guest’s confidence, motivating her to take control of her life. The physicians, therapists and healers admired the guest’s determination and unwavering faith through the detoxification phase, which set the stage for a well-deserved transformation celebrated during the last few days of her month-long stay.

To tailor her treatment, Ananda identified her as kapha dominant pitta prakriti and designed a six-month wellness program. The initial 21-day phase focused on lifestyle modifications, physical activities, and a customized diet.

Managing diabetes involves symptom relief, improving quality of life, and controlling blood sugar to prevent immediate problems. It also includes managing other health issues like obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Key aspects of managing diabetes without medication:
• Following a balanced diet and reducing calorie intake for overweight individuals.
• Engaging in daily physical activities, such as walking, for at least 150 minutes per week.
• Avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol.
• Practicing stress management techniques.
• Receiving personalized nutrition guidance tailored to family eating habits.

The Ananda Approach

Upon reviewing her haematological report, sedentary lifestyle, and symptoms, her Ayurvedic physician at Ananda opted not to alter her prescribed medication. Instead, a customized program was created, incorporating fitness activities, aqua-based exercises, hatha yoga, meditation, and supporting detox massages. This regimen aimed to break down fats and mobilize cellulite. Additionally, a customized Kapha diet plan was provided.

Approximately 60-70% of the program involved activities, while the remaining 30-40% focused on therapies during the 21-day phase. Due to her high blood glucose levels and morbid obesity, intense detox therapies and high-intensity activities were avoided to prevent hypoglycaemia, and potential joint pain.

Progress and Adjustments

With all his objectives addressed and achieved, he continued to meet Dr Naresh during the online follow up consultations, enthusiastically following the recommended kapha balancing diet and yoga activities. He left Ananda in better health and spirits, promising to return each year to prioritize his mental and physical health.

With the lean build common to her vata dominant pitta prakriti, the woman was agitated and anxious as her health issues had caused her sleep quality to deteriorate to a daily maximum of barely 4 hours only.

Time-tested Ayurvedic shamana treatments like abhyanga and sneha vasti were administered at the start of the programme. The physicians observed the guest’s initial struggle to relax or feel grounded and further customized the entire programme. Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Oriental therapies, and holistic physiotherapy stepped in, to address her various health concerns. A therapeutic diet was planned alongside to help balance the highly disturbed vata, the primary constitutional imbalance giving her physical pain, the inability to sleep or process stress.

Along with the Ayurvedic and aromatherapy’s therapeutic offerings, the guests routine at Ananda also consisted of mantra chanting, nature walks and treks in the soothing environment of the Himalayas. Personal sessions of Yoga, pranayama and meditations helped enliven the deficient prana or life force, which naturally soothed the guest’s mind to make her feel more, relaxed and collected.

Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, views endometriosis as a disorder primarily related to imbalances in the body's doshas or bio circulatory forces, particularly Vata and Pitta doshas comprising of the fire, air, and space element. Endometriosis is the accumulation of toxins or ama in the body disrupts the natural flow of prana (life force or energy), which leads to the formation of abnormal tissues in the reproductive system.

Endometriosis cannot be codified under a single disease entity according to Ayurveda classics. Charak Samhita Chikitsa, the ancient Ayurvedic text has emphasised on symptoms like pain during menstruation and heavy bleeding in a dedicated chapter on gynaecological disorders such as vatiki yoni vyapad, udavartini yoni vyapad, Artavavaha srotodushti and more, which bear close resemblance to the clinical picture of endometriosis.

Following a thorough assessment, the guest's dosha was discovered to be a vata predominant pitta personality. Struggling with endometriosis, additional symptoms like acid reflux, sour belches, poor digestive ability, and sleep quality were expected for a vata-pitta body type.

Understanding her symptoms the Ayurveda physicians suggested a customized Panchakarma with elements to de-stress and detox in stages. This programme protocol aimed to address the digestive issues and alleviate the underlying emotional stress. The structured programme integrated deepana-ama pachana, sneha pana, virechanam and a series of vastis and samsarjana procedures for restoration.

The programme included consistent customisation of dietary suggestions and affirmative mental activities. Sneha pana, a technique that involves consuming medicated ghee to prepare the body for intensive Panchakarma therapies, was performed in an intensified manner, alongside a specific diet therapy to digest ama. Unless the Ama (toxins) levels reduce, therapies and other interventions are not optimal in their affect. Meditations, mantra chanting and gentle yogic asanas played out an important role to calm the mind ridden with anxiety, also bringing the desired adjustment in her sleep patterns during the first phase.

 
Vasti treatments were administered for the majority of the stay, gradually increasing the intensity of the therapy as the body became more receptive to the thought of releasing the stored toxins. The guest had considerable weariness during the second phase, which is normal and frequent throughout this period. The Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta lessons increased the mind's frequency towards acceptance, while pranayama and breathing practices began to regulate the flow of prana.

Samsarjana is the restorative phase used to increase Agni or fire levels and balance the body's physiological functioning. During this phase, the guest began to restore her vitality, with signs of improved digestion and a significant reduction in symptoms such as bloating and frequent belching. This stage also involved Ayurveda shamana or pacifying therapies like abhyanga, along with specific de-stressing therapies to balance the Vata.

During the first online follow-up, 20 days after departure, the patient reported experiencing pain and discomfort during menstruation, but at a lower intensity. The doctors urged her to follow the recommended diet and lifestyle.

After 60 days, the patient experienced a menstrual cycle without any symptoms, prompting the doctors to request thorough blood testing for hormonal assay and a pelvic ultrasound. The results indicated hormonal stability and normal uterine thickness and position.

At her last post programme follow up after 3 months, she described feeling more energetic and accepting of life in general. The guest was quite delighted with her capacity to sleep better and digest her food without any discomfort for the first time in 15 years!

Insomnia arises due to multiple factors which includes Upavasa (fasting), Vata vitiation (disturbance in the elemental constitution of air and space), Asukha Shayaa (an inappropriate bed) Atikrodha (uncontrollable experience of anger), Atibhaya (fearfulness) and Atichinta (worrisome thoughts).

Dr Chandan reports, “I diagnosed the case with Anidra (insomnia), Kati Vedana (low back pain) and Dourbalya (weakness or lack of vitality). The guest’s primary concern was tiredness, poor lung capacity and breathlessness, and she constantly felt drained and fatigued accompanied by uneasy headaches in the centre of the head. For insomnia, I prescribed external treatments of Panchakarma like Nasya Karma (nasal drops with medicinal herbs and oils administered in specific quantities and time of the day), and Basti (medicated decoction enemas), the latter quite successfully addressing the aggravated Vata (air & space)."



Other therapies prescribed were Shirodhara – pouring an uninterrupted gentle stream of medicated oil at the eyebrow centre. The treatment protocol also included Ayurvedic foot massage or Pada Abhyanga, with time proven Ayurvedic herbs for oral medication.

Shirodhara is popular across the globe as a deeply therapeutic process that’s helpful in sleep disturbances. This is a very technical and therapeutic process to be undertaken only with a comprehensive assessment and guidance of an experienced Ayurveda physician. If applied incorrectly, Shirodhara may have contraindications.



“The root cause could stem from the body (sharirika) or within the mind (manasika) according to the dosha’s involvement at a particular location,” says Dr Chandan, “Modern medicine administers antipsychotic and sedatives for the management of insomnia, which might be helpful in the beginning but creates dependency, are limited in their healing power, and in time leaves the person with a wide range of adverse effects to deal with. Panchakarma is an extremely effective way to deal with sleep disorders- it starts with cleansing of the gross channels, and that will improve the mental patterns too. The treatment started showing a positive response by increasing the duration and the quality of sleep for the guest within ten days.”

The results of this deeply immersive programme? This guest is now routinely experiencing 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep! “She is thrilled at this dramatic life changing journey and is due to visit Ananda again in a month to deepen her wellbeing,” concludes Dr Chandan.

Read more:
Explore our article on Ayurveda on Insomnia.
Listen to Shikha Sud, spiritual hypnotherapist and energy healer at Ananda talk about the growing inability to rest, and ways to sleep effectively.