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Dr. Craig’s Heart Healing Journey to India - Part 5
By Dr. Helen Thomas, D.C. | October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008 - Pune, India
I can’t believe it: my journey is almost done! I leave in a few hours for Mumbai to catch the early morning flight to London and then on to San Francisco. By the time I get home, I will have been gone exactly 4 weeks, and though it will be good to be at home, I’m sure I’ll miss India. Despite its seeming frenzy, India really does have an inner calm we just haven’t been able to match in the West.
LEAVING INDIA ON THE ROAD TO WELLNESS
I finished up my last Panchakarma treatment on Thursday and have been trying to tie up loose ends: visiting acquaintances and doing some sight-seeing. I’m feeling very rested and hope that means minimal jet lag when I return to the States.
I’m still taking Ayurvedic medicines and will continue to do so under Dr. Pendse’s watchful eye for some time. He and Dr. Aruna will be coming to Santa Rosa in about two weeks, so I’ll follow up with him then. In the meantime, I’ll be following a much more restrictive diet consisting of mostly rice, dal and cooked vegetables.
MY FINAL PROGRESS REPORT
So how am I doing after all of these weeks of treatment? Well, this is really a beginning and not a finite event. I have definitely experienced a profound shift in both my physiology and my perspective. Going to India for Panchakarma treatment was definitely the right thing for me to do. I no longer experience that bone-crushing, jet lag-type fatigue. My digestion and elimination are greatly improved, and my bloating is diminished. My food cravings are mostly gone, too. I feel way more energized and my thinking is much clearer. I’m walking and talking far better than when I arrived. And of course, my pulse is improved - the changes Dr. Pendse was looking for have begun to happen! I’ve also lost seven pounds which is a great start.
Despite all of this great news, I’m not out of the woods yet. My blood pressure is still on the high side, and I have more weight to lose. But this has been a wonderful journey on the path of wellness.
MORE FROM DR. PENDSE HIMSELF: MY AYURVEDIC TREATMENT
I asked Dr. Pendse to summarize my treatment and give you the Ayurvedic explanation of how all of these changes came about. Here is his answer, transcribed from his own words.
The primary health condition with which you came to India is diagnosed in Ayurveda as Kapha Avruta Vata. It essentially means that your normal ability to have normal physiological functions appropriate to your prakruti - you have a Kapha prakruti - was getting slowed down and functioning very inefficiently. It was hypo-functioning, meaning your whole physiological system was in a mode where it was not functioning very well, beginning with the GI tract all the way to your sensory organs and motor functions.
Now, what happened when you had the stroke was that was the weakest link in your physiological system, so to speak. There was localization of the disease process which caused the stroke symptoms you had. The kind of treatment which we have initiated consisted of five primary components. And I believe that - at least in the Ayurvedic perspective - the search to find a single tablet or a single herb to set right all of the impairment of your physiological system is fruitless and just not there. You need to approach it using various modalities the way we did this time, according to the Ayurvedic classics.
THE FIVE PRIMARY MODALITIES OF DR. PENDSE’S TREATMENT
1. Adequately nutritious diet: A diet that will not contribute to causing more blockages in your body system and will not allow the disease or the body to accumulate more of the “channel blocking” kinds of food substances. Eat light foods and drink hot water.
2. Adequate exercise: Exercise consisting of making movements, walking around, etc. - not in excess. This is something that you need to follow up with - both the diet and exercise - once you go back home.
3. Herbs and tonics: The use of herbs and various tonics cleansed out the system to clear out all of the blockages which were present at various levels in your physiology, more so in your neurosensory apparatus, and removed them from the body without causing too much weakness. You did, as expected, pass through a phase where you were having a lot of weakness, but that was transient. Use herbs and tonices to cleanse out the system and help the body’s tissue mechanisms kick out all the debris that was lodged inside the body.
4. Panchakarma: Particularly the use of whole body massage, whole body steaming, and a specialized treatment known as Udvartana, which is very specifically used to correct the fat metabolism and the connective tissue mechanism in the body.
5. Bastis: Lastly, we treated you with several types of Bastis - medicated enemas - because in the Ayurvedic perspective, this whole pathological process originated initially for a long chronic malfunctioning (or hypo-functioning) of the gastrointestinal tract. Correcting the basic body system where it all originated from was the primary requirement. We chose the types of oils and herbs which would be precise and specific for improving the neurosensory abilities.
So you are expected to keep doing all of this good work! Panchakarma has just initiated the healing process, and this is something which will help you in the long run. You must understand this as a unique line of treatment and not something which would be useful for each and every stroke patient. Some other cases with other kinds of manifestations or origins would require some modification in the Panchakarma, and it would have to be tailor-made to that person’s requirements.
You might - in the future - require another course of Panchakarma which may differ from this one. It would depend on the progress that we have achieved or the amount of independent improvement that your body shows and is able to sustain through the coming weeks and months. If required, we would make an intervention in the form of Panchakarma once again. In the meantime, continue with your diet, exercise, and proper herbs.
This all makes sense to me. The stroke was just the weak link in a malfunctioning system-wide process which had its origin in my gut. Treat the source of the problem and give the body back its ability to correct itself. Funny, the Western doctors - good as they are with all of their great tests and machines - never once asked me anything about my digestive tract.
CHIROPRACTIC AND AYURVEDIC HEALING
A word about how Chiropractic fits into all this healing…
In the first week after I got back to California from Puerto Rico, I was very fortunate to be seen several times by a Chiropractic Neurologist. I credit him with arresting the initial effects of the stroke. His adjustments stabilized my nervous system and kept the effects of the stroke from getting worse. I will see him again when I get back to California.
Dr. Pendse shared with me the following:
Several years ago, Dr. Helen and I helped the Pendses introduce Chiropractic into their clinic here in Pune. I taught Dr. Aruna the Activator technique, and she subsequently took an Activator seminar in the United States. Since they began giving their patients chiropractic adjustments, the healing time (measured by the length of treatment) has been cut by 50%! That means 50% fewer herbs and 50% fewer Panchakarma treatments! This is dramatic evidence of the power of Chiropractic adjustments and the power of a “tuned” nervous system. Almost all of the treatments in our clinic involve a chiropractic adjustment, which is one of the prime reasons we get such good results in our clinic.
The simple point here is: no matter what healing path you’re taking, Chiropractic adjustments will make your healing better and faster, and in some cases, that’s all you need!
Be well,
Dr. Craig Thomas, D.C.
P.S. I almost forgot to tell you about a really exciting thing I saw while I was here in India! One afternoon, I went with Dr. Pendse to Seth Tarachand Ramnath Charitable Ayurvedic Hospital here in Pune. As the name says, this is a charity hospital serving the poorest of the poor with an Ayurvedic point of view.
But the scope of Ayurveda here is far wider than in America. Besides the Panchakarma department, there are departments of surgery, opthamology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, anesthesia, radiology, pathology, and sonography. Surgical procedures are performed; babies are delivered; cataracts are removed - the medical staff are all Ayurvedic MDs and Western-trained MDs who donate their time. While the primary approach is Ayurveda, if a patient requires surgery or an Allopathic consult, the Ayurvedic doctors work hand-in-hand with the “regular” MDs in a collaborative effort. It’s a pretty exciting place!
As a result of our more than positive experience with Ayurveda, Dr. Helen and I have decided to set up a foundation to give Ayurvedic patients from around the world an opportunity to help this wonderful hospital! When I return to the States, I’m going to create a nonprofit charitable corporation, and you’ll be able to make donations which we will then pass on to the hospital.
It was startling for me to learn how very little money can make a HUGE DIFFERENCE. For instance, cataract surgeries are regularly performed in the hospital. The surgeon and his assistants donate their services, and the hospital provides the surgical theater and the bed space. There are still charges for things like bandages and medicines which the hospital must pass on to the patient. Unfortunately, some simply cannot afford this small amount and must remain with impaired vision.
Those charges amount to about 2500 Indian Rupees or $65 U.S. dollars! Imagine, for $65 you can buy someone the gift of sight! I can see some of my friends/patients reaching for their checkbooks already, but hold on to your wallets. We’re not set up yet to handle your gifts, but I’ll write more about this in the future to let you know the details.
DR. PENDSE IS COMING TO THE U.S.
Dr. Helen and Dr. Craig are welcoming their friend and colleague, Dr. Narendra Pendse, for a series of seminars and consultations at the Thomas Ayurveda and Chiropractic clinic in Santa Rosa, CA this November.
Learn Ayurvedic daily regimens and diets (including cooking demonstrations) to treat and prevent:
Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia - November 11th
Headaches and Migraines - November 13th
Pre -, Mid-, and Post-Menopausal Treatments - November 18th
Dual Ayurvedic Pulse Examination and Treatment Plan consultations with Dr. Narendra Pendse are also available at the Thomas Ayurveda and Chiropractic clinic on: November 10, 12, 17, and 19th.
Please call for more details or to schedule an appointment:
1-707-527-7313
P.P.S. COMING SOON!
Hi, folks. Dr. Helen here, and I just wanted to give you a heads-up about a new product that I’m developing called The Ayurvedic Approach to Healthy Heart Care. We have only one heart to keep our life blood flowing through us, so we’d better take care of it! Ayurveda has incredible healing techniques and all-natural medicines to promote heart health, and I want to share them with you.
The Ayurvedic Approach to Healthy Heart Care program is three-fold:
Part I: Learn more about the ancient healing science of Ayurveda with my What Is Ayurveda? Understanding the Principles of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Body Types downloadable PDF booklet. What dosha represents YOU? Which daily regimen - Vata, Pitta or Kapha - will lead you on a path of well-being and health?
Part II: Discover the Ayurvedic methods and treatments to strengthen your beautiful heart with my Heart Care the Ayurvedic Way downloadable PDF booklet. This special report delves into the safe, natural practices of Ayurveda that will nuture your heart and improve your overall health.
Part III: Listen as I and Dr. Craig (with special guest moderator Michelle Yozzo Drake) discuss his personal treatments and dig more deeply into heart health the Ayurvedic way with the Ayurvedic Heart Health Audio Presentation.
I’m so very excited to be able to offer you this program because I want you - and your heart - to be balanced and healthy for years and years to come. Ayurveda has so much to offer, if you embrace it. Trust me, your heart will thank you for it.
Stay tuned for more details on The Ayurvedic Approach to Healthy Heart Care program!
Topics: Ayurveda & Heart Health, Ayurveda and Digestive Health, Ayurveda and Modern Medicine, Ayurveda and Stroke, India & Ayurveda |
4 Responses to “Dr. Craig’s Heart Healing Journey to India - Part 5”
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October 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Welcome home Dr. Craig. I have been referring your and Dr. Helen’s ezine to all my friends…they have been intrigued by your progress and can’t wait for the interview included in The Ayurvedic Approach to Healthy Heart Care program! I am so glad you are back on the road to health!
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:12 pm
What a fantastic and fascinating walk through the clinics and personal healing arts of Dr. Pendse in India. Never have I been more fascinated and had a stronger desire to see India than since reading of Dr. Craig’s healing journey. Can’t wait till November for the Santa Rosa meetings to start.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Dear Dr. Thomas,
It is a fantastic news that u r back to ur loved ones with renewed energy. Lord helps those who help themselves and the needy.
October 25th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Welcome home Dr.Craig: I was more than fascinated by the account of your health journey. I envy you in USA that have access to Ayurveda. Keep the good work.