Travel Medicine

I've been experiencing low back pain and carpal tunnel issues- both are being aggravated by doing yoga, so I decided to visit the Ayurvedic Clinic. I had a consult with the doctor, he did a physical exam, and then recommend that I get Kati Basti (which is where they basically make a clay circle on your back and put medicated hot oil on it) and Ekanga Abhyanga (where they blow medicated steam on the affected areas).  I was thrilled to hear that these were the recommend treatments as opposed to of 5 days of enemas or blood letting-both are offered at this clinic.  The  process was interesting - there was a lot of fumbling around and weird gestures that occurred between me and the woman providing the treatment as a result of a language barrier.  I would not say it was relaxing but it wasn't unpleasant.  I  had a few treatments and have not really noticed any improvement.  I was suppose to go for 7 days but I'm a bad patient and only went for 3.

Old school medical tables

I kept wondering why this dresser was so oddly shaped.  Then I realized that  you are suppose to get inside of this chamber while being steamed. 

Pressure Cooker + Hose = Home Remedy Steamer 

This trip has sparked an an old but not fully formed interest in exploring different models of medicine.  I have been growing increasing dissatisfied with Western medicine. I don't know if it is just the model of western medicine that I am dissatisfied with or the privatization, or the pharmaceutical companies interests.  At this point I see all these factors so deeply intertwined that it is hard for me to see a difference.  Either way I want to learn more about different types of treatment. I feel like there are so many untapped methods of treatment that are dismissed or not even considered when it comes to Western medicine.  At the same time I'm strongly in support of evidence based research and have been wondering if this is a fair measuring tool when it comes to non-Western models of health.   I'm trying to find a way to be open enough to exploring unconventional methods of medicine while still remaining objective.  We all encounter illness in our lives.  It is inevitable that at some point we will need a good approach to healing ourselves.  I'm in the market for a good book that provides a comparative analysis of different approaches to medicine.  Please let me know if you have read one.  

Me in the Rickshaw.  

All the animals love sleeping on the construction piles of sand.

In other news,  Natalie and I went to Yoga Stops Traffick the other day.  It was fun to do Yoga outside- even though it was just a few sun salutations.  We also went to the Maha Shivaratri Festival- where everyone stays up all night and celebrates Lord Shiva.  Tomorrow we start our last week of practice in India.  Then we are off to Thailand.

Pregnant cow?