Ayurveda the Art of Being

I spent two weeks in Sarospatak, Hungary. It is a lovely little town with a medieval castle close to the River Bodrog.  I came here to learn and study the ancient art of ayurvedic massage. I spent two weeks with a Kerala master practicing here in this little paradise called the Biohaz (bio house).

The house and the place has a very nice vibration to it, it is calm, sincere and really pure. The closeness of the river and nature is just idyllic. Every day I started with yoga under the wonderful roof of the house. One morning I noticed that as I walked to the house, the Sun was on my right and the Moon on the left. Ha Tha, Sun and Moon together, the Union of the two energies, male and female, and I walk up the steps to start my daily practice.

From the Ayurveda course with David Frawley that I am currently attending, I learned that we should notice the Purusha, the consciousness and the Prakriti, the Nature in all, even in little things surrounding us in everyday life. I could not have imagined a better place to put this knowledge into practice than this environment. The presence of the five elements was very apparent. The water was in the back of the land, manifesting in the calm and clean Bodrog. Every morning I could smell the earth and feel the wind. The colorful leaves of Autumn were falling from the trees, but some days Winter left his fingerprint on the grass in the form of morning frost. The interplay of the seasons was amazing and if you were attentive, you could feel the daily changes in your body and mood.

Ayurveda helps you to understand the changes in the body which often are a clear reflection of the conditions of the weather and the season. It is a wonderful tool if you learn how they might effect your special ayurvedic constitution and how you should prepare yourself for those influences. This is not only a great way to prevent illnesses and imbalances in the body, but it also helps you to understand your mood changes and how to deal with your mental/psychological troubles. To recognize the work of the elements in your body and see how connected you are to nature is a way to bring you into harmony with yourself, others and the Earth. Everyone complains that we are alienated from Nature, but with the help of ayurvedic knowledge you can connect with nature even if you live in a city environment.

In ayurvedic massage you also apply the principles of the five elements. You need a little different speed, pressure, ambience for a Vata, Pitta or a Kapha person. The choice of oil is also an important factor in the treatment, because the different oils represent different qualities. All the three different ayurvedic constitutions need their special oil.

As I was talking to Eniko, the director of this little center, she told me many stories on how people with serious psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and even with mental problems were healed here at the Ayurpatak center after a series of massage treatment.

Yes, because ayurvedic massage is not only refreshment, it is part of a healing process. Normally it is applied before the purifying techniques of Panchakarma, which include five quite aggressive actions on the body (e.g. vomiting, purgation, enema, nasal administration and blood letting) to clean it from the toxins, the malas. Here at Ayurpatak they don’t do such therapies, but it was already interesting to hear how much massage in itself can do.

Although, I had to learn something very important. Massage gives the technique but this is not all. For healing to happen you need a Soul. If you want to practice ayurvedic massage, first you have to become the person who opens up to the forces of the Purusha and the Prakriti. This is why my master, Suddha, started every massage with a little prayer and a chant. You need to become that channel through which consciousness can flow and work. To achieve that special touch that a client will truly feel , you need to start with yourself. You need to focus, meditate and Be. Ayurveda is first and foremost the art of being.

To get a wonderful massage unique in Hungary, and even in the region please visit www.ayurpatak.com, the Hungarian branch of the Kerala Ayurvedic Healthcare www.keralaayurvedichealthcare.com.

Elakizhi treatment with Suddha and me