Editor’s Note: This is a month long series following be&behappy Co-Founder Suyogi Gessner as she experiences a pancha karma detox in India. Check back daily for her latest videos and blog posts, and follow her journey on social media with the hashtag #SuyogisDetoxJourney.
If I thought it would be easier going forward, I was wrong. I am going deeper, my friend. Who wants it easy? I am a warrior, ready to make my whole being young and amazing. This is not something you can get cheaply or for free.
As I’m going a little deeper into the ancient science of detox, I would like to explain what’s happening. In Ayurveda we have 3 doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Don’t worry; I won’t go into this too deeply or you might all run away. But you should know this much: Vata is related to wind energy, Pitta to fire energy and Kapha to water. These three energies influence all physical and emotional functions within the body.
Vata is associated with movement and change. When Vata is balanced, we can be super creative and flexible. But when it’s out of balance we become stressed, fearful, nervous, and experience pain or stiffness.
Pitta is the essence of our metabolic system, including our digestion, absorption and assimilation. Pitta is related to intelligence and understanding. When it is out of balance, we get super angry, frustrated and irritated—and sometimes we completely lose control.
Kapha is responsible for structuring and lubricating the body. When we have a balanced Kapha, our skin looks dewy and moisturized, our joints are smooth and flexible and our immune system is strong.
Today, we are leading unhealthy lives in a fast-paced, information-driven world. But even so, when all three doshas of our individual constitutions are balanced, we can be happy, fulfilled and highly productive. But who knows when we’ve achieved that balance? Most people in the West today have an imbalance of Vata and Pitta. That means they’re likely living with high stress levels, anxiety, short tempers and feeling completely overwhelmed.
I already do many great things in my life, such as eating great food, exercising regularly, rising early, practicing power rituals, meditating daily and training my mind for positivity, growth and success. I am a giver and super passionate about helping people. So why the heck did I decide to come on such a long journey to India, and go through this torture? I can see the question in your face.
We all have certain rhythms in our bodies. Our cells are constantly being renewed to a certain rhythm. We have seasons in nature, and we are changing daily in multiple ways. We have to deal with challenges in life, such as break-ups, career challenges and personal dramas. These things all have an effect on our whole being. For the last year, I’ve experienced an intense personal challenge that caused all my doshas to become imbalanced. But since I’ve always believed in finding hacks to stay young and productive, I decided to do a deep reboot of my system. And here I am, ready to be a detox warrior.
Yesterday’s crazy journey was all about balancing the Kapha. The next step is to attack the Pitta. The entire process is about targeting each dosha, and then balancing it.
Right now, I’m only allowed to eat the plainest foods you can imagine. It’s the same food, which is more like a soup than real food, three times a day. But today, my treatments were actually very pleasant.
Take this eye treatment, for example. In this treatment, ghee and herbs are placed in the eyes. Yes, I understand you must think this is crazy stuff. But it’s one of the most amazing feelings afterwards, and it makes your eyes glow. They look so beautiful and amazing, like little diamonds. They become so relaxed, with no burning or heaviness from using the computer for hours on end. Awesome. I will continue receiving this treatment for the next few days. See if you can spot any women with shiny eyes—I can’t be the only one.
Do you want to know how I feel after yesterday? At first I was tired, but today I feel really great. The good thing is my head and chest area feel so free, with no mucus or stickiness. You can only feel this difference when you are experiencing something new.
Emotionally, I feel really great. I can only describe it as though I’ve lost an old burden covering my heart and soul. I feel like a little butterfly, flying out for the first time, ready to explore the world.
So today, I will go to my awesome outdoor gym and walk to the rhythm of power incantations that help my cells rejuvenate inside and out. Let’s continue getting my Pitta up over the next few days. Emotionally, this could mean that I will be a bit cranky, so thank goodness I am alone on this trip. No one will have to suffer. Lets see how it continues…
Join Suyogi on her journey by reading her daily blog posts, and using the hashtag #SuyogisDetoxJourney on social media.
