October 2006

We are so happy and grateful that Dr Jain has arrived at last from India to join our team. He is a fully qualified Ayurvedic Physician with a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery as well as a Masters degree in Internal Medicine (Kayachikitsa) and a specialisation post-graduate diploma in Mental Health. Since completing his 8 and half years of study, he has been working as Head of the Panchakarma department in an Ayurvedic hospital in South India.

At our beautiful new Centre where we will be from 1 Nov 2006, Nalanda is now able to offer you this powerful, yet gentle therapeutic cleansing known as Panchakarma. In this newsletter we explain more about what Panchakarma is and how it can benefit you.

Contact us for an end of year celebration with a difference.
Give your staff or clients a day which will leave them feeling nurtured, relaxed and appreciated, a great start to your vacation! Let us design a Corporate Wellness Day to meet your company's needs.

Contents

• Invitation to Open Day at the new Nalanda centre on 4^th and 5^th Nov
• What is health?
• What is Panchakarma?
• A personal experience of Panchakarma
• New exciting Diary of Activities

Invitation to Open Day at the new Nalanda centre

You are warmly and enthusiastically invited to an Open Day at our new centre:

4456 Main Road, Hout Bay

Saturday 4^th and Sunday 5^th November 2006

Come along any time from 9 am to 6 pm.

Meet Dr. Jain and the Nalanda team
Interesting short talks and opportunity to ask Dr Jain questions on healing through Ayurveda

Amazing giveaways of treatments and a piece of jewellery from Anpa Jewels

Guided tour of our new fully equipped Panchakarma clinic with Dr Jain

Taste of different short massages available (if you bring two big towels or sheets)   

Herbal teas, fruit snacks

Quiet space for relaxation

Live music

Chill in the garden

Bring your friends and family.

Children welcome under adult supervision as the swimming pool is not fenced.

For a more detailed program, watch your e-mail

What is health?

The main aim of Ayurveda is "to maintain the health of a healthy person" and "to eliminate the disease of the diseased person".

W.H.O. defines health as 'a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not mere absence of a disease or infirmity.'

Health is a precious possession, wisdom and art. Power and wealth are of no use if health is lacking.

A healthy person is one who has a dynamic balance of the three humors, vata, pitta and kapha, whose digestion and metabolism are normal, whose condition of tissue and excretory processes are normal, the soul is free from bondage and whose senses and mind are clear and bright.

Perfect health occurs when one is perfectly balanced within oneself and the outer world. When the balance is disturbed by internal changes and by the presence of an unstable outer world this leads to disease. Such degrees of disturbance and imbalances are inevitable.

Ayurveda has many tools and treatments which can re-balance us: daily routines, seasonal routines, dietary regime, regulation of lifestyle, yoga, natural oral medication, rejuvenation and aphrodisiacs, detoxification through panchakarma and curative action, external medicine such as massage, use of pastes & powders and surgical treatment.

What is Panchakarma?

Why do we need Panchakarma?
When our digestion is not functioning strongly, whether due to physical or mental causes, then undigested or improperly digested substances remain in the body and accumulate wherever there is weakness. Once they have settled there, they cause further destruction.

Waste materials and toxins block the pathways in our body. Any manager knows that unobstructed communication is the key to success in an organization. The same applies to our human body, whose health depends on a free flow of communication. For this reason, channels should be cleared out regularly. Panchakarma presents an effective series of cleansing treatments to achieve exactly this. The advantage of these treatments is that they have no side effects when properly administered. Panchakarma is a curative as well as a preventative therapy.

What methods are used to rid the body of toxins?
The translation for Panchakarma is "five actions". It stands for the five Ayurvedic ways of intensive inner purification, detoxification and cleansing. These simple therapeutic procedures are administered in a logical sequence. An individually prescribed Ayurvedic treatment program may include any of the following: medicated oil massage, sweat therapy, emesis, purging, enema, nasal administration, cleansing eye treatments, fasting, hot water, wind and sun therapy. For purification of the mind we also suggest yoga, meditation and relaxation therapy.

How does it work?
The body is oleated both internally and externally with warm herbal oils or ghee, the oil penetrates into all tissues of the body and loosens the accumulated toxins from a cellular level. The loosened toxins pass into the gastro intestinal tract and are eliminated out of the body either upwards or downwards. Heating the body using various types of sweat therapy, speeds up this process. Once the channels are cleared, herbal medicines to maintain health or treat the disease are properly absorbed and reach every part of the body, thus increasing the efficacy of the medicines.

What are the benefits of Panchakarma?
- Activates metabolism
- Sense organs are enlivened

- Reduces weight
- Relieves strain on the heart and circulatory system
- Muscles are strengthened
- Improves resistance to stress
- Increases memory power & intellect
- Glowing skin
- Body vitality increases, body energy level increases

- Slows the aging process
- Activates the self-healing abilities of the body
 
This deep inner cleansing and calming process will have an effect long after you have left Nalanda and will last even longer if you take an active role in staying in balance. We will help you with Ayurvedic recommendations for self-care.

A personal experience of Panchakarma

I am Nirupa from Durban, South Africa. I was enjoying excellent health until a few years ago when I began experiencing extreme pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints. My life changed-- I could not do simple things like holding a pen, knife, hairbrush etc. This meant that I could not even write anymore (something which I loved doing being an ex teacher). I could not even cook anymore.further disaster as I am a mum and I have children to see to.. I needed assistance. To add to the misery, I am allergic to antibiotics, penicillin, codeine, sulphur, aspirin and a host of others...there was no relief and the situation was getting worse. After a few blood tests that ruled out arthritis, my doctor advised I see a specialist who immediately gave me a dose of steroids which I refused to take. I was really not prepared to take the steroids knowing how harmful it can be...and the doctor felt that that was the best for me...so the situation was getting worse.

Subsequently, I heard about AYURVEDA. I went to a clinic in India where I met Dr. Jain and a few other doctors who immediately began the Panchakarma procedure such as the application of medicated leaves on the entire body, pouring of warm oil on the body, massage, heated bag of medicated leaves on the joints etc. together with the ayurvedic tablets prescribed. Today my fingers are normal again...the swelling, pain and stiffness are totally gone - flexibility is back.
And all this is due to the Panchakarma treatment and not to steroids or any such medication.
Now I have full faith in Ayurveda and healing the Ayurvedic way.

Thank you.

Diary of activities for summer 2006/7

Please click on Panchakarma/Ayurvedic detox/Rejuvenation for more details

Om Asatoma Satgamaya
Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya
Mrityormaa Amritam Gamaya
Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi

Lead me from Illusion to Truth
Lead me from Ignorance to Knowledge
Lead me from Death to Immortality

We are looking forward to welcoming you at our new centre for our new activities, Panchakarma or Ayurvedic Wellness Massages. Click here for our Oct/Nov pricelist.

With love, the team

Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre

Welcome to Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre