Ayurveda, India’s traditional medicine is a major presence in healthcare in Kerala. My colleague Lissi has ten years of experience practicing ayurvedic massage. She started her training at an ayurvedic hospital before enrolling at an ayurvedic institute. There, she pursued her apprenticeship while practicing at the hospital.

During my first consultation with Dr Pameela Sulficker at the Ayura Wellness Center I vented everything that was wrong with me, namely  allergies, headaches, painful knees for which my doctor back home could only offer an MRI. Here the doctor said: “You Are Fine”. Regular exercise, an appropriate diet, and being patient with myself would help me. To treat my sore knees, she briefed the attending lady massage therapist and that’s when I met Lissi.

Lissi took me to the panchakarma theatre where she receives for treatments; she mixed different oils avoiding essential oils because I am highly reactive to them and the massage started. Lissi investigated where each of my pains and blocks came from. And beyond than the relief and comfort I felt after it this hedonistic moment, I understood I could actually learn how to be fine.

Ayurveda is not a one-day thing. If  I don’t want to ruin all of Lissi’s hard work to tend to my pains, I need to be committed to being well. So now I wake up everyday around 6.30, an easy thing to do in a forest with birds and crickets as an alarm-clock. I exercise by the pool with another intern, my friend Crystal from China, then we go for a walk before heading to work. Then once a week, I’ll go to a 7 o’clock yoga class. Although I eat restaurant meals everyday, I try to stick to Kerala dishes, steamed courses, fish, rice, loads of vegetables and fruits.Two indian gooseberries a day.

I’m a bit worried about my return home where I won’t be able to pop by Dr Pameela and Lissi’s offices every time I want to chat. I’ll just try to learn as much as I can from them while I am here. And I’ll be fine.