211: All About Panchakarma (Ayurvedic Detox Retreat) with Steve Griffith

Namaste. My name is Sahara Rose and welcome back to the Highest Self podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you your soul's highest evolvement. I am so excited to share with you today's episode because it is a deep dive into one of my favorite topics in Ayurveda, which is Apache karma. So if you're not familiar with Ayurveda, Ayurveda is the world's oldest health system and it is the sister science of yoga based on the mind, body connection. So everything from nutrition to self care to herbs to spa treatments, which we're gonna be talking about in this episode, are all parts of Ayurveda. And the ethos of Ayurveda is whatever is happening in the body is happening in the mind, which is also happening in the spirit. So it's a mind, body, spirit connection. So by healing ailments in the physical, we actually tap into what is going on deeper in the mind and even deeper than that into the soul. So for example, if I am having bloating, gas, constipation, which is a vata imbalance, excess air energy, then mentally I most likely will have a vata imbalance, feeling scattered all over the place, overwhelmed, confused, anxious, insomnia, and more than that, spiritually I probably don't feel grounded. I probably feel up in the air. There's probably some uncertainty going on deeper in my soul and this is why the constipation and gas is showing up. So it's all interconnected. If you look at pitta, if I'm having oily skin, acne, heartburn, acidity, rashes, hives, which are all pitta imbalances, that means I have excess fire in my system, too much heat. So mentally I'm probably feeling angry, frustrated, impatient, just on edge. You know, someone's taking too long, I just snap at them and I'm almost like, whoa, where did that come from? It's just this pent up rage that is inside of me that is very normal to have in this society because we are very, very pitta imbalanced as a whole. Whereas I see the spiritual community, health conscious female community, is very vat and balanced, which I talk about in lots of episodes and in my book Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda, as well as in my other book, Eat, Feel Fresh. So if you're feeling those pit imbalances in the mind, your soul is also feeling on edge. There's probably something that's not sitting right with you. You can't calm down, you can't Settle. You're just, you're aggravated from within, so you need to find more presence, more flow, more ease. And if you're feeling kapha imbalance in the body, you're feeling heavy, you're feeling sluggish, you're tired, you have mucus, phlegm, congestion, thyroid issues, you keep gaining weight, then that means there's probably a cough imbalance going on in your mind. Your mind is probably feeling sad, sedentary, depressed, you know, just kind of low, low in energy, low in the zest of life. And then your soul most likely has these issues going on on a deeper level that maybe you're not feeling excited anymore, maybe your rout slowed you down, maybe you're longing for something in your past, maybe you're not even sure who your true self is. So you keep on eating, you keep on stuffing yourself to just mask the emotions that you inevitably are going to feel anyways. So we balance the physical body to bring our other bodies into balance. These are called koshas, which I have an entire chapter on in my book in Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda. So when we balance the physical body, we're balancing the mental body, the breath body, the energetic body, as well as the bliss body. Because outside of everything, we are bliss. Our beings were meant to experience bliss always. Now bliss doesn't mean you're on a roller coaster at all times, but bliss is the feeling of watching the sunrise or your children play or being licked by your dog. Just those little subtle moments are bliss. We can attune our bodies when we can balance the physical and mental issues, we tap back into our most natural nature, how we were meant to always be, which is bliss. So bliss is not outside of you. Bliss is your birthright. And the reason why we do these things, why we scrape our tongues and we dry brush and we eat healthy foods and whatever it is, so we can go back to our underlying nature as bliss. So this is really what Ayurveda is all about. I think a lot in the western world we get so stuck on, you know, the physical benefits you're going to get. You know, people interview me all the time, like, oh, tell me about tongue scraping, oh my God, your breath. And like, yeah, it helps with your breath, but that's not actually why we're doing it. We're doing it to help with your digestion because your digestion is related to your mind and your mind is related to your soul. So actually this is all really spiritual, but we can put it in this very physical context. So people will understand and want to do it. So Ayurveda is a spiritual science. It is completely scientific. It is the oldest form of science. It was the medical system used in India until the British rule in the late 1800s, that it then had to go underground because the British said, ah, you're healing yourself with oils and spices and natural remedies. That is barbaric, that is illegal. So you actually would have gone to jail for practicing Ayurveda. And it had to go underground where then it became a kitchen science because there were no longer Ayurvedic doctors in hospitals anymore. So the woman in the family had to say, okay, well, I have some turmeric, I have some cumin, I have some coriander. How am I going to heal my family with these herbs and spices and oils available to me? And that is why so much of Ayurveda now is focused on the food and focused on the natural healing that we can do with products and ingredients available for us at home. But Panchakarma is, it's more ancient than that is when Ayurveda was actually used in hospitals. And when you go to India, you can actually go visit Panchakarma centers. And I've done Panchakarmas in India and they are very medical. Like you're. It looks like a hospital in there and the doctor is very rigid and you're not there to go for a blissful massage vacation. Like, you're there to get healed. And I've seen some incredible healings happen from there. However, some of the Panchakarmas I've done in India were very, again, intense and medical and weren't totally fun at all. I've actually escaped from a Panchakarma I did in South India once because it was just a little gross, not going to get into it. But I so longed to have such a beautiful Panchakarma experience, one that felt luxurious but also very authentic, one that I could be in nature, like take a shower outside and have the trees and the plants around me and not be in a hospital setting because again, many of the Panchakarma centers in India are in hospitals. And I came across this incredible place called Sukhavati, which is in Bali, which is my spiritual home. And I decided to go there this past March and I fell in love, like, hands down, best Panchakarma I've ever.

Done in my life.

It was so beautiful. And I interviewed the founder, Steve Griffith in this episode, which you're about to hear, and we talked all about Panchakarma he is someone who has been doing this for decades now. He's been a Transcendental Meditation teacher for, I believe, 50 years. Amazing. He actually studied direct under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who is the founder of Transcendental Meditation that brought it here. And he was also kind enough to give my friends and I a Transcendental meditation training while we were there, which was so beautiful and incredible to participate in. Though I'm not the best tmer.

Sorry, Steve, but working on it.

But let's get into Panchakarma. So we're gonna dive into what panchakarma means, the different treatments being used. We're gonna talk about Abhyanga, which is self oil massage, Svetna, which steam therapy, Busty, which are herbal enemas, Nausea, which is nasal oil administration, and other beautiful treatments that I got to experience there. So if you're interested in Panchakarma, I highly recommend checking out the last chapter of my book, Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda, which is all about Panchakarmas. And I really deeply describe each of the therapies involved and how they're catered to your individual needs. So I went there with three of my friends, and we all had different experiences because you're visited by the ayurvedic doctor, and each day he's taking your pulse and checking your tongue and seeing how the treatments added up for you and exactly what you need. So I'm very vata, and my imbalance is vata. There's vata all over. So I was doing a lot of oil enemas, which help, you know, lubricate your colon and remove excess vata, excess air from the system. Whereas my friend Allison, who's been on the podcast, she had more pitta, so she actually had to do something to eliminate the heat from her system, which was like a castor oil that she drank that made her go to the bathroom as well. But she needed the upper colon because of the pitta, whereas vata is in the lower colon. So I did the oil enemas. So it's all different according to what you need. Some people get more lymphatic massage, some people do different detoxification treatments. And that's what I love about Ayurveda, is that there's no one size fits all answer. And in fact, if I went to the Panchakarma again right now, I can guarantee you that my therapies will be different because my body is always changing, the season is different, and that's the beauty of it, it recognizes that we are ever changing beings and treats us for exactly what we need at this time. So if you're interested in Panchakarma, be sure to check out Sukhavati as well. In Bali, we have a code for Sahara for 20% off any of their treatments. If you're in Bali, you could go for a day and just spend the day there doing some Ayurvedic treatments, or you can do a full Panchakarma for one week, two weeks, three weeks, depending on what you want. So check them out@sukhavati bali.com and use coupon code Sahara. Or just say you've heard them from Sahara's podcast and they will give you 20% off any of your treatments. Without further ado, let's welcome Steve Griffith to the Highest Self Podcast. And before we get started, check out these brands that make Highest Self Podcast possible. Are you interested in having a career focused on health and wellness? Well, if so, then the universe is calling you to become a holistic health coach. I am offering this incredible deal a discount of $1500 off my Alma mater, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which is the world's largest nutrition school with guest teachers such as Deepak Chopra, Chris Carr, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Andrew Whale and so many others. It is split between six months of health coaching programs teaching you hundreds of nutritional theories, including Ayurveda, as well as six months of business coach coaching. And as an additional bonus, I am offering a webinar where I will teach you how to use social media to create a thriving career as a health coach. On top of that, I have created a private Facebook community just for the Highest Self podcast listeners who are becoming health coaches to connect with each other, meet up with each other and support one another on this journey. So if you're interested, send an email over to Sahara S A H A R A at eat feel fresh.com with subject IIN. Again, Sahara eat feel fresh.com with subject iin and I will personally send you back the email that will allow you to get a $1,500 off discount as well as my business coaching webinar and the private Facebook group. I'm so excited for you to begin your journey as a health coach. This episode is brought to you by uvada. Uvada is a modernized ayurvedic supplement company that takes certain issues that we have such as mood, joints, immunity, digestion and creates these custom little packets exactly for us. Infusing ancient Ayurvedic herbs with modern vitamins and minerals. I take the mood formula daily. It is great if you work a stressful job, had adrenal fatigue, ever suffer from anxiety or even depression, and it really heals you from a fundamental and holistic level. So if you want to try it out, head over to Uveda. Y o u v d a dot com use the code Sahara and you'll receive 35% off your first order. And they now ship to almost every country globally. So check it out. If you live internationally, they may be shipping to your country too. And they just added India. Guys.

Welcome, Steve, to the Highest Self podcast. It's so good to have you here.

Great to be here, Sahara. Lovely.

Well, the first question I would love to ask you is, what makes you your highest self every day?

Look, I have had for 40 years the ritual of getting up, doing asana, pranayama meditation, which really puts me in my better, higher self every day. And that's been a ritual morning and afternoon for 40 years.

I love that. So simple. Something we all have access to.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, it's just that routine of practice, you know, which kind of changes the state, so. Absolutely.

And you live in this beautiful retreat center where it's pretty easy to be your highest self. Just looking around it, like, inspires you to see that heaven is really on earth.

Yes. Look, Sugavadi, Bali. It's an amazing place. Thank you for coming. Thank you for visiting. And, you know, it's not difficult to be your higher self here. You know, 40 staff, looking after every need, all the treatments, Ayurvedic treatments, and, you know, that's the life. Wouldn't that be lovely?

Every day, it really, I mean, for me, it was like testing my muscle of receiving. And I think a lot of us have problems receiving because we're so used to giving and offering and sharing. And it's so external, our society. And to really just receive is hard. We block it off.

Yeah, look, it's kind of that rhythm, isn't it? You know, the whole of nature, day and night, it's all about expenditure of energy and recovery of energy. And, you know, there are different seasons, there are different times of day. And it's learning to really understand that if you want more energy, you have to recover energy. And those rituals for me in my teaching have been like using Ayurveda and meditation and asana and pranayama to really put you in the state, to go into the world and maintain energy, maintain clarity of thought, maintain your ability to really regardless of what happens in the world. Because things don't always work, that you don't have your own inner state disturbed by anxiety or worry or fear or stress.

I love that. So let's talk a little bit about panchakarma. You know, it's a buzzword. People have heard it, but it sounds kind of confusing. So what is an ayurvedic panchakarma?

Well, it's the. I mean, broadly speaking, you know, and your audience is very familiar, I think, with. With Ayurveda generally. But panchakarma brings together, if you like, in the most incredible way, all of the Ayurvedic knowledge into a systematic process of purifying the human nervous system. So in that context, I suppose jumping back out of panchakarma for a moment, how we accumulate imbalances in the knowledge here is predominantly two strengths. One is the mind to the body, and the other is the environment and the food that goes into the body. So the mind, of course, is a major part of creating stress, which accumulates as chemical imbalances or toxins. So a thought, 80,000 thoughts a day, you have a thought, and that translates into a different chemical reaction or response. So there could be too much lactate or too much cortisol in the system. So that's a chemical imbalance which then influences anxiety, sleep patterns. So when I say I'm anxious, usually I focus on the external world and I say I'm anxious because of my work. But in reality, it's a chemical imbalance. So too much cortisol, too much dopamine, and so I may not be sleeping well, so I accumulate stress. Physiologically, it's not psychological, even though that's my experience. So that's the first part, imbalance. The second part is poor digestion. So in the process of having cortisol or lactate or stress, I may not be digesting my food properly. So my metabolism. So food is accumulating in my body as undigested waste. So it's predominantly rotting food that's not passed through the system. So panchakarma is really the most incredible, luxurious, but really prescribed treatment. So when you first come, you have a doctor, you met the doctor, and he prescribed your program through the pulse. And you know, what did he. Did you find that he was able to prescribe correctly?

Oh, yeah. I found him to be extremely accurate. And I found that sometimes I've had different ayurvedic doctors read my pulse incorrectly and tell me I was a dosha that I had never resonated with. So I found him to be extremely Accurate and find the same things that I'm finding in myself.

Right, okay. So that's really significant. So the first part about Panchakarma is that you have to have a really trained Ayurvedic physician. Now that you know, even in India is a six year course. But they must be trained in pulse. Many of them aren't. And so they then are able to pick up not just the doshas but they're able to pick up within the human nervous system your genetic imbalances and your propensity towards certain diseases. But you know, 10 years prior. So when he knows what's going on in your physiology, then he prescribes a program which might be 7 days, 10 days, 21 days, depending on how long you're here. But it's specific to you and your nervous system which involves over 20 different treatments potentially depending on your need. And you've started the program and been through the program, so you've experienced some of them. But the real beauty of it is it's to remove what's called armor. So AMA is the build up of undigested waste that becomes a very toxic substance in the nervous system which moves through the body. So it becomes plaque, it becomes inflammation, it becomes cholesterol. So they're the modern kind of terminologies of it. But it causes osteoporosis, it causes obviously blocking of the arteries, it really has inflammation, chronic sleep disorders. So it's kind of the root cause of all problems. And so Ayurveda understands that. But Panchakarma is the treatment to eliminate that underlying problem that manifests in the nervous system in many different kind of branches. It goes to the root cause.

I love that. And amma is really like at the root cause of everything. And a lot of times we think it's a doshik imbalance, when really it's just excess amma that is showing up in different ways.

Absolutely, yeah. So I mean, to prescribe in sort of an interesting way to learn your dosha, you know, we all have three, but vada, pita, kapha. But you're right, you know, the armor is sort of at the root problem with all of it. And then, so then what happens is it's very interesting because the armor is, it's sort of, when it moves through the system, it's kind of, it dries out. And so it's a little bit like paint on cell membranes or cells or in joints. And so it's highly acidic. But if we think of our nervous system like cells are looking for Intelligence. We think they're looking for food, but they're actually looking for intelligence. So the intelligence is in the food that we eat. So the cells aren't looking for an apple or a banana or a herb. They're looking for nutraceuticals, which are the building blocks of the DNA of the cell, which is intelligence. So if a cell loses its intelligence, its functionality, it doesn't know what to become in the nervous system. So cancer is just cells that have lost their kind of intelligence. So the body breaks down in that way. And AMA sort of can code a cell, and it's like the cell can't extract nutraceuticals out of the food, or the food is not metabolized enough or broken down enough because digestion is not breaking it down into that finest level of matter that then can become our energy, our nutraceuticals, our building blocks of the human nervous system. So digestion is part of the problem?

Yes. There's an Ayurvedic saying that it's not what you eat, it's what you digest and assimilate.

I love that. That's so true. That's so true. So you can be off to the best organic food place, and, you know, you haven't. You've got too much armor or you've got too much, you know, imbalance in the system. And guess what? It doesn't matter. You might as well eat, you know, McDonald's.

Absolutely, yeah.

Not quite.

But it's counterintuitive because we think, oh, I'll just add the most number of superfoods to my smoothie, and then it will be the healthiest. And we're not even properly digesting that smoothie, so it's just a really expensive waste.

Yeah, well, we might feel good about that, right? Yeah. It's sort of interesting, isn't it? So Panchakarma is very much about getting to that. So when you prescribe the program, say here at Sukhavadi, when you come, you then are really given a program. It's incredible. And then you begin a journey where you're in the spa room 90 minutes a day, and there's a specific treatment program for you to look at what imbalances there are in your nervous tension, as well as removing the arm. So generally you start with what's called abhyanga. And here we have two people massaging you. You've experienced that?

Oh, it's been amazing. It's a forehand massage, and they're synchronized, so it's like very Shiva shakti. Left, right, brain balancing.

Yeah, I love that. That's a good way of describing it. It's amazing. Sort of two people kind of using specific herbalized oils, which are actually. So all the pharmacy is here. So we find the herbs in Bali. We make our own medicines, we make our own oils, we bring some medicines from India. But a lot of the medicines are here in the form of really the herbal preparations of the prescriptions. So all the oils are specific to different body types and herbalized. So when that begins, the purpose there is to begin to unctuate the body and to kind of begin to move the armor. So the synchronized, you know, kind of massage of the abhyanga is to the oils absorb into the skin and begin to break the armor down and then of course, moving the armor into the intestine or getting ready to eliminate that particular toxicity in the body. But it's luxurious at the same time.

So how is it different in abhyanga than a regular massage?

Well, massages that are just relaxation massages generally have a benefit, of course, in terms of muscle and using, but they're not using. Like a lot of the herbalized oils are not really prescribed to you, but it is very different, isn't it?

And the amount of oil too, the.

Amount of oil is needed to really allow the skin to feed and to break up the armor at a membrane and cellular level. And also it kind of revitalizes the body and the skin. I mean, it's amazing for the skin, but it removes deep fatigue, it improves circulation. It really begins to allow the blood flow, you know, throughout the whole nervous system because they're touching every part of the body, you know, in a beautiful way for, you know, a long period of time. So it's a science.

It really is a science that feels very good to read. You're like, I don't know what's happening, but I like it.

Yeah, yeah.

So I'm asked all the time about Shirodara. I think people see the picture of the cool third eye swinging around and everyone wants to know about it. So can you explain Shirodhara, the third eye activation treatment for us?

Well, Shirodhara is sort of an extension of the abhyanga, which is, you know, pouring oil across the forehead over, you know, a 30 minute or 40 minute period. Again, specific herbalized oils. And there's a couple of treatments within that, different oils they use or milk or, you know, so it's interesting. Look, it's really significant for removing the neurological and electrical activity that is really disturbing the brain. So the brain is really ultimately disturbed by overthinking, by anxiety electrically. So the herbalized oils completely soothe the brain. It's amazing. You know, people experience sometimes what they really refer to as sort of the deepest level of rest that they've ever had. And that completely allows for coherence of the brain, you know, from that point of view. So it restores insomnia, restores, sort of reduces anxiety. So people come out of that experience in a very settled and content and more at peace within themselves. So very significant treatment for people with a suffering from sleep disorders, insomnia, anxiety or even depression. So that has a major factor in that regard.

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You've had the treatment?

Yes, and I've noticed. I did it the first day and you know, I noticed just in my mind like the first day I'm like thinking about different things and analyzing and in my head and like each day when I show up for treatment my mind is a little bit more calm. So I can see why this is typically a 21 day process because I can only imagine by then you're just fully like in a mindless state. But it takes a long time to just chip away at those thoughts that are necessary in our everyday lives but are not serving us in our path towards spiritual awareness.

Yes, look, it's more that the shirodhara has such a kind of a profound effect on. When people come here, they're carrying a lot of fatigue, a lot of anxiety generally, you know, and the beginning of that is seen sort of like stress is not in the world. It's really how I'm responding to the world. So you know, we've become kind of used to putting the cause of stress on work, relationships, external. But here we teach that, you know, really that's your lack of resilience. So when you go below the line, going back to your first question of not being your higher self, we go below the line. We tend to look at the cause of that as being outside ourselves. So we play the blame game. We go, well, you know, I wouldn't have got upset if you didn't do this or I wouldn't have got upset if that wasn't putting too much pressure on me. And so we basically bring in the knowledge that says, look, the reason that we go below the line is that we really haven't built our inner resilience and that when we shift the blame onto the cause being externalized, we then don't take responsibility for what we can do to develop improve ourselves, which is building this resilience line. And so when we take responsibility for that. We begin to understand that we can do things like meditation, like Ayurveda, like routine. And then gradually we begin to develop this resilience where when things that used to get me don't. And that's important because long term, if I go below the line and I'm not my higher self, I'm accumulating more stress. So, you know, the old saying is every time I get upset, every time I get annoyed, I'm drinking my own poison, even thinking that someone else is the cause of it. So I have to learn techniques, tools which are part of my human development to build this resilience line. And when that happens, then I don't accumulate stress. But there are two things we've got to do. One is we've got to eliminate the accumulated stress. So we can't do that intellectually. So that's why Ayurveda is so profound, because it's saying the stress is now not a conscious thought, it's not a memory. All of those things can be there, but they're actually deeply embedded in the nervous system. So the stress is not like a subconscious factor in actually impacting the way I think. It's actually my physiology. And so unless I can profoundly move that stress, I'm not going to build that resilience line and I'm going to continue the journey of blaming something in the world for why I'm not the best version of my own self. So Panchakarma fast tracks that removal of stress. It's like taking your lifetime of stress and in 10 days really maxing the profundity of reorganizing the brain and the nervous system. Shirodhara. You know, that's part of it. But there are 19 other treatments that every day, depending on your particular structural, physiological abnormality, are then taken care of.

So true. I think we often say, well, I have a stressful job or kid or, or the traffic or whatever it is. And it's really the job's not stressful, you're just stressful. And then you're just picking up ways to reiterate that stress externally. So I think taking a step back and removing the stress inside of you, you're in that same situation, not as affected or completely unaffected.

Eventually, yeah, beautiful. Yeah. The world is as you are, so you have to work on yourself. But the traditional learning process in the modern Western world has been purely memory. So I learn from a book, a teacher, but that's not necessarily transforming the nervous system. That's where meditation is so profound. That's where Ayurveda is so profound, because you have to. It's not about changing just my thinking that's profound, but it's changing the way the nervous system functions. And that's what meditation does. Because when you meditate, you lower the metabolic rate. When the metabolic rate is settled and you're quiet, it's only in that state that the nervous system, your immune system, reboots itself. So your immune system can locate the stress, the chemicals, the imbalances, and actually can remove those. That's the potential of it. So when you combine within Ayurveda, always meditation was part of that treatment, mind to body. And then Ayurveda was body to mind. So when you combine these two together, you unlock the potential of Ayurveda. And Panchakarma is like, really the supreme process of healing for the body in that regard.

I love that. So let's talk about Patra Potli. It is a treatment that I've been doing for several days, and I think it was prescribed to me because I have, like, back pain and a wrist injury. So he was telling me that the sand within the bags actually helps draw out the toxins from the system.

Yeah. So that's. It can be, you know, like different herbs that are soaked in oil.

Yeah, it smells really good. Like garlic.

Yeah, no, they can be lots of different herbs in that. So the heat draws out the toxins. So when they do the banging on the body.

So, guys, it's like these little sandbags with herbs and maybe garlic in it.

Yeah, yeah, there's a whole lot of herbs, and they're actually just herbs. They can be rice in there as well.

I was like, I want to eat this.

Yeah. So then it, you know, really is amazing for revitalizing muscle, removing toxins in joints. So it improves circulation in the nervous system. So, yes, it's a very important part, especially with people that have got things like arthritis and other areas or problems like that, muscle pain, spasm, it really. And it removes vata. So it basically, basically rebalances the nervous system on that level. So. Yes. So you've got abhyanga, you've got shirodhara, Patrapadhwi. You know, you've got all of these amazing treatments.

So. Good. I've been doing that one every day because I'm vata with a vata imbalance. So we're trying to heal that and bring it down. I was gonna say cool it down, but I was like, vata's not really cool it down. So kind of Heat it up.

Yeah, draw out the vata.

Draw it out, exactly. So tell us about this hot oil bath you were speaking of.

That just sounds amazing.

I need to do this.

You haven't had that yet. We'll have to organize that. The pita chili is really like, wow. I mean you talk about abhyanga having oil. This is an oil bath. Right? So you lie in this position where you are then completely for a period of time immersed, poured this beautiful herbalized oils all over your body.

How much oil is being used?

Oh, a lot, A lot, a lot of oil. You know, sesame oil, it can be sesame or coconut depending on your particular dosha, but completely and utterly soothes vata. So it's really used for many different potential diseases, hypertension, things like that, which are also pitter related. But you know, it's kind of like, you know, you come out of there, it's amazing. So it's again herbalized oils that are poured over you continuously by two people all over the body and you're immersed in that for 30, 45, 50 minutes.

Wow, sounds amazing. So on the.

You can tell us how that is tomorrow.

Oh, I'm really excited. I'll record in the outro. So now let's talk about a little bit of the less glamorous side of the panchakarma, but very necessary ones which are the eliminations that we do at the end. Because the reason why we're doing all of these treatments is so we can bring up all the toxins so they can be purged from our system. So can you tell us about basi and retina?

Well, there's two different types of basti. Firstly there's external bustes which are where if you've got cervical problems, lower heart, stomach, back. So they create these little dams and pour hot herbalized oil in which draws all the toxins out of the lower back, the neck, the knees.

So it's not an enema?

No, that is. So they call that a busty as well. But then internally a busty is predominantly an enema. So after many days of trying to move the AMA into the intestines and really we've then got to purge it, otherwise it'll then, you know, that's the problem with a lot of treatments that don't purge the armor, you know, like fasting and that the armour then can move back in. So we've got to really eliminate the armour. So depending on your body type, depending on the treatment, then you do what might be an oil busty or a different herbalized Oil busti. There's a matrabusti, which, there's a shodanabasti. And again this is to draw out the armor. So the enema. And it's very, you know, people are a little bit. Oh really? But actually once you do it.

So there's no water in this enema?

No water. We don't use water. Absolutely no water. And a lot of the different treatments using water wash all of the, really a lot of the nutrients away from the nervous system. So it's not just about eliminating, it's about the oils carry herbs that actually nutritionally feed the internal of the intestine so that they redevelop the kind of ability for the whole internal nervous system to function better while also eliminating the ama. So yeah, VRA is like taking internal like through the mouth, like taking. It might be a castor oil or it could be a tablet or, you know, and that again just cleans. So that's more for pitta, which is sort of all of the nervous system, whereas a lot of vata, the problems are in the lower intestines and stomach, etc. So it's removing the amma, it's pacifying vata and then it allows for new cell growth. Because what's happening is that you're eliminating dead cells, you're eliminating the armor. Without that you can't get cell growth, you can't enliven because the body is not a frozen sculpture, it's a moving river. So it's all the time rebuilding itself. But while there's dysfunctionality, it's actually building cell growth that is, is dysfunctional. So this treatment, you then clean the nervous system and then it kind of rebuilds itself more perfectly. So you walk away really over the next two or three weeks when you leave here, the body is kind of rebuilding itself more perfectly in that way. And that's why it's not like, oh, I've had a really nice relaxing time. It's like, wow, I'm operating completely differently back in the world. It's not like, you know, I had a great holiday and I had a massage and you know, I stood around the pool. This is a learning, you know, purification. You've got seminars, you've got yoga, you've got. So it's a holistic approach to your well being.

So true. And I know the doctor was telling me a lot of times people do a busty and then a few days later do the vraretina.

Yes. Yeah. So they do both. Yeah, you need longer time for that. So, you know, 10 to 14 days minimum for doing, you know, the full treatments. And, you know, we have people come 21 days. We have some people that don't want to leave.

Yes, I'm one of those people. Yes, that's amazing. I'm doing my bestie tomorrow, so I'm very looking forward to it.

Very good.

And yeah, I think it's beautiful how you kind of have that ending. You know, it's like you've built all the stuff, got everything flowing, and then you're eliminating it. And it's a very clear end of, you know, I've let go of what is no longer serving me and I'm ready for this new addition of myself.

Yeah, that's wonderful. You know, and. And with that comes sort of an increased desire to build that resilience, to protect the nervous system from habits and routines that don't serve us that well. So you go back with a more clear kind of, not like, oh, I'm going to change things, but you go back with a really loving desire to be doing things to yourself which are really nurturing, rather than because you're already in a bit of stress or pain, you do things which maybe you think, oh, what the hell, I'm going to feel better, even though it's not doing me any good temporarily. But when people leave here, they get a new inspiration and there is a lot of knowledge as well with the doctor and seminars. So it helps to kind of serve one better back in the world.

Oh, my gosh. I feel like it's a real spiritual upgrade that I'm receiving here because, you know, I came in thinking it would just be relaxing, but I'm learning so much from you and your satsang that you did last night and the meditation. And I'm having wonderful conversations with the doctor about how the doshas move one another and different layers of disease, but at the same time, it's still very relaxing. So it's this beautiful in between of the knowledge and the integration. So. And also what I love about it, because I've done a panchakarma in Kerala which was very intense and not luxurious at all and pretty unhygienic and. And that just kind of scarred me. And this just really brings in. You could feel like the Balinese culture.

In it and just the hospitality and.

The warmth and less of that harshness and more of that like, ah, I feel like I'm in a womb.

Yeah, look, that's a really good point. And look, I, you know, come out of that source of India and Ayurveda But I chose Bali to create this because, you know, in India it's more like a technical treatment. You know, it's a process. It's like going to a hospital.

Very much so.

And I wanted to create luxury.

Yes.

You know, I wanted to create beauty. I wanted to, to create, you know, here we have 40 staff or 12 people here. And the Balinese are really just amazing people. They're healing, they're loving, they're, you know, caring. And you know what? There's not a day here where I've ever seen anyone unhappy. A gardener, a cook, a spa person. Like, how do they do that? You know, they're their highest version. Every day, you know, I walk in and I say to Pudu in the kitchen, Pudu, like you come in here every day and you're just full of love and laughter and fun, you know, and everyone's like that. And she says, yes, but that's, you know, who I am and that's everyone. It's amazing really.

I think it's a mixture of just, you know, the sheer beauty around you, but also just the real spiritual work that's happening every day. You know, last night with the full moon, I was hearing the beautiful pujas and chants and that's just such a.

Huge part of their.

Yeah. Their culture and us and many parts of the world are so lacking from that. Or you know, a lot of times in India it's almost like out of fear you gotta go pray to this person or else this will happen. And it's less sometimes celebratory. So with them it just feels amazing.

That's a really good observation.

Yeah. Way more heart centered and just happy to be here.

People are excited about this, you know, like they're just.

Yeah. India was like, oh God. And now today is this holiday, that holiday. And it could feel, you know, especially with the youth, a little resistance.

Yeah, yeah. That's kind of happening, isn't it?

Yeah.

Here, you know, they're really. That's not happening.

Yeah.

Amazing. Yes. You know, and like I was yesterday with a meditation teacher who's been here for a long while, Balinese, and he was telling me that they've now taught 10,000 students, you know, that are meditating in schools here, 10,000 and over 800 doing the advanced meditation techniques. So they've created, you know, the spiritual community here which is. Been historical. But there's another version of stuff going on here which is mind blowing really.

It really is. And such a beautiful location that you've chose. Where in Bali is this well, this.

Is about 30 minutes from Canggu.

Okay.

Sort of. Kind of, you know, not far from the beach, but in the rice paddies. You know, we're in a. When I first came here 10 years ago, people say, well, you're a long way away. We're actually amazingly positioned now where we're not in that busyness of what has happened with Semniak and Canggu and all of that. But we're in this beautiful Balinese village called Babengan. And it's only a bike ride to the beach or it's only 30 minutes to Ubud. So we're in this perfect little place where, you know, you can. Have you been for a walk in the rice paddies? Yeah.

So beautiful.

So, you know, we've got all of that. We're in a jungle. You wouldn't know this was here, you know, and it's just incredible. And, you know, we want you to come back. We're building a Vedic village, you know, of a community here at Sukhavati, just around. Yeah, 30 villas where people can live in a spiritual community.

Beautiful. Sign me up.

Meditate, do yoga every day and just immerse. Yeah. But in a community, a lot of people come to live here, but they're, you know, living, you know, sort of on their own in some, you know, villa or somewhere. But, yeah, so my big thing is to create a heaven on earth community here in Bali where people can come and buy fractionally or buy a villa and be part of a spiritual community.

So beautiful. And I'm definitely going to be one of those people moving here.

Yay.

So where can people find more information on this beautiful retreat?

So go online sukhavadi bali.com and you will, you know, find our website, go online, have a look, and certainly call or email the retreat, and please come and spend some time with us.

And, guys, I highly recommend it. I'm here right now. That's why you can hear the beautiful birds chirping. And we have a special discount for you guys, which is 20% off, so you can use code SAHARA20, all uppercase letters, and you will receive 20%.

Wonderful. Yeah. Well, we'd love to have members of your wonderful community that are interested in Ayurveda have an immersion in Bali, which.

Is really the best of both worlds. But come for a week or longer.

Or longer. And, you know, take some time to explore Bali.

Yes. Well, thank you so much for creating this beautiful retreat center and having us and sharing your wisdom with us.

Oh, it's been a Pleasure. Thank you.

Aw how epic was that episode? I just love geeking out about Ayurveda with anyone I can find, especially someone that's been practicing and immersed in it for so long. And guys, Steve truly is such an enlightened being. He has been meditating for 50 years, studied with the Maharishi himself, and yet is so humble and kind and generous with his teachings and everything that he has to offer. And I am so grateful I got to spend time at Sukhavati. So if you want to experience your own Panchakarma, head over to Sukhavati Bali.com and use coupon code Sahara for 20% off any of their treatments. Again that is Sukhavati S u k h v a t I Bali B a l I dot com and use coupon code Sahara. I will have that link in the show notes as well. I I hope you enjoyed this episode and if you loved it, I would love if you could leave me a review in the iTunes store and as a free gift I will share with you the first half of my unreleased book Eat Right for your mind body type. Simply email a screenshot of your review over to SaharaAtFeelFresh.com again Sahara S A H A R AAtFeelFresh.com and I will send you over the first half of my unreleased book Eat Right for your mind body type. Thank you and namaste.