Healing My Tummy
15 days at the Praanadha Ayurvedic Hospital in Mookuthala, Kerala, India
Photograph Descriptions: On our first meeting, Dr. Arun, Chief Physician and Founder, felt my pulse which aided his health care management plan. Girija (in green uniform) has been an ayurvedic practitioner for 19 years and treated me with loving care every day. The bundles, used in Ela Kizhi, contains seven types of leaves and other ingredients, heated in oil. The bundles used in Navara kizhi are rice, milk and herbs. Meena (in pink) joins Girija when two people are required. The wooden box is Swedana Yantra or Herbal Steam Box for steaming with herbs for detoxification. ShirodharaI Patra is the contraption that allows for the continuous streaming of the oil back and forth across the forehead.
I am practicing freedom. Adventures put me out of my comfort zone and teach important lessons. I planned my biggest adventure yet - two and a half months in India. Allowing the adventure to unfold organically, I planned the first two and a half weeks and a volunteer opportunity through WorkAway.com on a cacao farm and chose to let the rest of the experience roll out when I got there. I allowed it to form naturally - moving from one chapter to the next.
When I landed in India in late February 2026, it was as if a boulder was placed in my gut - it ceased digestion and blocked the exit door. I had never experienced it this bad. Day 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 - no movement. I had two Ayurvedic treatments at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, which helped. I had another appointment in Amritsar. While volunteering in Mangalore, I resorted to over the counter laxatives.
I have had tummy issues on and off for years and years - I guess forever. It stems from a lifetime of holding my shit together. I was ready for the trip but my body wasn’t quite in alignment with my adventurous side. I felt healed but my stomach said nope. I had another month in India. Where would I go next? Prioritizing my stomach’s health became the next stop on my itinerary — my next adventure in India - and I landed in the perfect place - the Praanadha Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala.
Before I left home, a friend of a friend shared his travel recommendations. He mentioned his Pachakarma treatment. Even though I was intrigued, I didn’t think I could spare 28 days for the complete detox. With my tummy problems, I went back to the website, saw they had a one, two or three week “Women’s Care Package” and reached out to see if I could come for tummy support. And here I am.
It takes practice to receive - allowing oneself to rest and accept care from another. It takes practice to treat our physical body like a temple - the sacred space that it is. I’m practicing now - age 63 here for 15 days. The word “hospital” can sound scary - like I had a health emergency - think of it as a healing retreat - a cleanse. Not familiar with Ayurveda? Learn about India’s ancient, holistic health care, as described by the Ayurvedic Institute.
For $80 a day, I have a single room, organic, vegetarian meals, morning yoga and two ayurvedic treatments a day. Dr. Arun is the chief doctor and founder of the hospital that he and his wife, Dr. Neethu Arun run. Dr. Arun met with me to review my needs and developed my personalized plan. He connects with me every day - eats meals with us, does fun things with us, and teaches us daily yoga. There are eleven rooms and during my stay people left and new people joined. Most of the time there were about 8 of us on campus. They also have visitors from the community that come in for a single treatment or consult. I was the only American and Dr. Arun said there are not many American visitors. At the time of writing, there were three women from Japan and two Indian couples and myself. I asked Dr. Arun if there is ever a day where he doesn’t have any patients and he shook his head no. But he shuts down for the month of May, which is Summer in Kerala (before the rains) and they head off on vacation. I am thankful for that - because I witnessed how hard they all work in taking care of us. It appears that they work seven days a week - I had no breaks in my treatment - no change in staffing. Most of the other “customers” were there for more than 3 weeks but a few did come just for a few days.
Dr. Arun, M.K, (BAMS, YIC)
Chief Physician
Dr. Arun is the founder and chief physician at the Praanadha Ayurvedic Hospital. In addition to providing a customized health strategy, he brings joy to the experience.
He shares stories, shook the mango tree so mangoes rained to the ground, took us to local temples, ate with us, took us to the sunset on the beach and led us in yoga each morning. He makes assessements through my pulse and other information-gathering. Ayurveda has been passed down from his ancestors.
He does occasionally have a treat - like an ice cream cone. “I am human” - he reported. He is. A great human.
With a check-list and conversation, we identified my “Dosha” or my bio-energy that governs physical, physiological and psychological function of the body and mind. The three doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha and we each are born with a combination of the three doshas - with one more prominant than the others. My dosha is Vatta Kapha - the Vatta being dominant. You can learn about doshas here. By understanding what your dosha is, you can then understand what treatment protocol and diet will balance your system and work towards optimal health. When our dosha is out of balance, we may get sick.
Dr. Arun shared that his first year of training in Ayurveda was very challenging and he thought he would flunk. The official language of Kerala is Malayalam. The teachings were in sanskrit. So he had to both learn the language and learn the area of study. He met a teacher, who became a mentor, who specialized in plants and he looked out for Dr. Arun and assured him that he would get there.
Note: The names of the treatments are in sanskrit and I’m only describing the treatments that I received. There are many other treatments, depending on the client’s needs.
Here is a typical day of my stay at the hospital:
At 6:30 am they bring me my herbal decoction. It is an herbal mixture to boost my metabolism. (Which Dr. Arun told me was very slow.) It’s served in a shot glass type size and I can swallow it in two sips. It’s brown in color and bitter. I head outside before yoga - the coolest and quietest time of day. I have a self imposed “seva” of watering about 40 potted plants. I love caring for plants and they don’t mind my taking on this task. Sometimes I pick up huge fig leaves that are scattered on the ground - but if I don’t do it early morning - it won’t happen due to the heat.
7:00 - 8:00 - yoga as taught by Dr. Arun. I get there a bit early to do my own prayer, tuning in and my three uncomfortable positions or “Icing on the cake” postures that I practice every day. I’m dripping after practice, due to the humidity.
8:00 - 9:00 - breakfast
Radha and Subitha prepare our meals. This picture shows Idli - a rice cake popular as a breakfast food. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented hulled black lentils and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolised by the body. They are served, in this picture, with sambar, a vegetable curry with lentils. The white sauce is a coconut chutney. I noticed that I ate it “wrong.” When a couple from India came in, they made little puddles of the sambar and chutney and eating with their hands, kind of sponged the liquid with broken pieces of the Idli. It took getting used to having a breakfast that felt like a lunch. My favorite meal was mango curry. :) Thank you Radha and Subitha for the amazing food.
9 - 10:30 - Every morning I receive Abhyangam, a full body massage with Dhanwantaaram oil which is a sesame base with herbs and milk. I am “completely” naked (the word “completely” is superfluous - you are either naked or not but “completely” shares my emphasized vulnerability!) The massage is about an hour long and starts with hot oil poured onto the crown. After sitting on the stool for head, shoulder and torso - I am moved to the table - first on stomach, then each side, and finishing on my back. Girija massages with rigorous movement and the result is nourished tissues, relaxed nervous system, improved circulation, muscle tone, reduced fatigue and balanced doshas. It’s meant to relax the mind, improving mental stability. There is so much oil involved that when I switch positions I have to hold on so I don’t slide right off the table.
The last few days, Abhyangam has been followed by Ela Kizhi. This requires two practitioners. Girija takes bundles which are pieces of fabric filled with 7 kinds of leaves from the property, rock salt, freshly grated coconut, diced lemon, garlic and dill seed - all cooked together in Neem oil. This is prepared every three days and all staff is trained to prepare it. (See the picture at the top of the page.)
Meera heats the two bundles in oil right there at the massage table, exchanging them with Girija so she always has a hot one. Girija pummels me with the very hot bundled herbs. The bundle is rapidly pressed onto my body, almost like stamping me (like an overzealous accountant haha) and then I’m rubbed with it - like imagine Girija trying to buff my skin and then hands it off and receives a fresh one that is hot hot hot (seamlessly and silently) and continues with the pummel and the rub. The rubbing feels exfoliating because it’s a cloth. Today I tried to count how many times she spanked me with the bundle before rubbing and it’s anywhere from 20 to 40 times. The heat of the bundle induces sweating. It’s very interesting and relaxing and made me giggle a little and take peeks, trying to understand what they were up to and how this was happening. The consistency of the pummeling is hard to describe - it’s like a moist, hot weighted sack. After it’s over, which is about 90 minutes in total, for the two treatments, they draw a hot shower. I wash my hair and body and when I come out, they sprinkle powder on my hair part and then sniff the powder into my nose. I only can describe the process from taking peeks and asking some questions. Experiencing it for the first time? What is going on - am I dreaming? It felt amazing.
After the treatments - I sometimes read, or do some phone scrolling, rest on my bed, play a word game on my phone, or write. It’s hot by this time, so whatever I do, it’s relaxed and in my room or on the balconey. I do have AC in my room so sometimes I cool things off and often take a snooze.
12:30 - 1:30 is lunch. At first, my plate was prepared for me instead of family style because I am challenged with portion control. But it got very comical because Radha is so motherly that her serving for me was bigger than I would have served myself haha. It was cute. Food examples are rice, or other grain like millet with things like cooked vegetables or lentils or mango curry, which is my favorite. There are usually two offerings with a grain. We usually have mangos, papayas, jackfruit or bananas too. We only drink warm water.
1:00 - Most days after lunch I received Mathra Vasthi - This is an enema made of honey, herb-infused oil, dillseed paste, rock salt - all boiled to create the herbal decoction. I lay on my bed and they used a large syringe to inject the herbal treatment into my bottom. I had to raise and lower my legs and arms three times. They handed me my phone because I had to remain lying down pfor an hour. I’m sure this is tmi for some people but I’ll remind you that I have elimination challenges and this creates moisture and healing in my tract. It’s also part of the Pachakarma treatment (detox) so I was not the only one receiving daily enemas.
After several days of this treatment, I had a different type of enema called Kashaya Vasti - where 850 ml of a blend of honey, salt, herbs and oil help detox the colon, restore the tissues, cleanse the large intestine and help with back pain. I refer to it as “the big one.” Prior to the experience, I had the Abhyangam (hot oil massage) and then sat in the Swedana which is a steam box. (see picture above) The first time that I sat in the steam box, I almost felt panicky because I was uncomfortably hot and dripping. I felt like a character in a cartoon, with just my head sticking out the top of the box. The second time was better. I was able to enjoy it more. The Swedana is for detoxing and relaxation. Only after the Abhyangam and the Swedana did I have the Kashaya Vasti.
Both times after the Kashaya Vasti, I was uncomfortable and cramping. I try to be patient and not feel frustrated with my digestive system and while I did deep breathing through my cramps and sat waiting, I coached my body - with tears in my eyes - I reassured my body that we are safe now. It’s safe to let go - it’s safe to release - it’s safe to relax. After I was finished I felt very tired, went back to my room and took a nap. The treatment was done on an empty stomach, so Radha brought me some porridge and a tamarind mixture that was important for my stomach post-procedure. Later on I ate some lunch and in the afternoon, I was brought a dish of jackfruit, which I enjoyed with gratitude, feeling more rested and rejuvinated. I felt frustrated because even with the Kashaya Vasti, my body can be relatively slow to let go and the cramps were intense. I got myself out of the disappointed mindset and reminded myself to trust my body and trust the healing process.
It has been uncomfortable for me to do these things. Being naked for massage and then receiving the enema - these are not things I am accustomed to but it has been good for me to feel more comfortable with my 63-year-old physical body and to feel blessed by the care it is receiving. I’m noticing that I am less shy with my body with the practitioners as I’ve been fortunate to have the same two women most days - Girija and Meera. :) They take tender care of me.
It’s hot during the day so all you could do was rest. I didn’t go for a walk until after 4:30 when it cooled down a bit. Neighbors greeted me as they swept their patios - coming out when the heat broke. Passersby gave nods and smiles. Dr. Arun took us to some temples, to the ocean and one day I met a bunch of kids and we chatted under a mango tree.
Photo Descriptions: The hospital surroundings offer paddy fields which is where rice is grown, flowers, water feature, a peacock, beautiful, magical tree, a fig tree (see the figs growing out of the trunk?) and the road leading to the hospital with a Banyan tree growing in it with a candle holder as approaching the temple at the end.
I didn’t eat dinner and they brought me a little herbal drink - sometimes green tea - at the end of the day. I was in bed early - either playing word games, listening to an audio book and then I fell to sleep. Sometimes I slept well and other nights I didn’t get too much sleep. Sometimes my kids texted or called me (it’s nine hours earlier on the US east coast) and I was happy to interrupt sleep to connect with them.
One day only, I received Nasyam. Dr. Arun placed oil in each of my nostrils. I had to sniff it in powerfully until it went to my throat. It burned a lot. My face contorted and he suggested that I relax my face. It causes you to spit and this clears obstruction in the sinus cavitiy and clears toxicity in the nadis which is an energetic channel and gateway to the head. It’s meant to improve clarity, reduce tension and improve memory.
A few days later, I received Shirodhara which is a continuous stream of warm, infused oil onto the forehead. It lasts around 30 minutes of continuous flow. The flow of heated oil, back and forth on the forehead, stimulates the pineal gland which balances hormones and stimulates the central nervous system. The result is to calm an over-thinking mind, help with relaxation, reduce stress and improve sleep. I had this treatment three days in a row. After the Abhyangam (oil massage), they lay a towel over my body, covered my eyes with little cotton tabs, plugged my ears with cotton, and tied a cotton strip of fabric around my head, creating a barrier on my forehead so that the streamed oil wouldn’t get into my eyes. Using the Shirodhara Patra (see the picture at the top), the warm oil is streamed back and forth, slowly, on the forehead. The oil streams down and collects into a metal container which is then poured back into the Shirodhara Patra to be used again in the continuous stream.
The last three days of treatment, in addition to the Abhyangam, I received Navarakizhi - this is the rubbing with the bundles again but the ingredients are different - rather than the 7 types of leaves, the bundles contain rice, milk and herbs. It rejuvinates tissues and improves circulation. It was an entirely different experience. The bundles were still very hot but there was no smacking with the bundles - just rubbing and it wasn’t oily - it was milky, very wet. Girija focused on the entire body but I noticed she emphasized joints like my knees. I don’t know if it’s because I am nearing the end of my stay and there is a cumulative affect or it was the treatment but oh my - it was very relaxing and enjoyable. I will have three in total.
My system slowing started waking up - moving slowly as my digestive track was nourished. Dr. Arun took my pulse throughout the week and told me it was lighter - an indicator of progress. :) The repetition of the days created a cadence and sometimes a dream-like quality, especially because the land and culture was foreign to me. The days started to blur where I lost sense of what the date was or what day it was - a magical feeling. And the sounds are different. I thought dogs were screaming at night but Dr. Arun shared that it’s fox. And then this other loud sound? the peacock!
Doctor Arun instructed me on how to continue my treatment protocol on my own - what foods to eat for my Vata Kapha dosha and how to continue accessing the herbal remedies. I have two months of treatment for my return. I may not need to continue treatment after that - but if I do, I can get more. Good news - he said I can have a cup of coffee a day but always have food in the stomach first. I haven’t had a coffee for over three weeks and hope to keep it that way but it’s good to know that it’s okay if food is in my tummy. I’m excited to learn some recipes and make some of the dishes, especially the mango curry.
My body has been communicating with me for a long time. Growing up in an unsafe home - I learned to not listen to my body. I ignored it because there was no solution back then - at least I didn’t think there was. I’ve always been pretty hard on my body - pushing through life and ignoring pain. In my spiritual practice, it has taken just that - practice - to first feel and then listen to what my body is saying to me. I used food for comfort for years - this experience is helping me get over that habit. I started having cravings about a week into the stay and it was good for me to have no access to sweets and to see that I can get through it. Overeating is unkind to my personal temple. I honor my child self. LIttle Janet found comfort with food and I’m glad she had a strategy that helped her get through her trauma. But at age 63 - it’s time to let old, outdated, unhealthy habits go - a habit I’ve struggled with on and off over my lifetime. My body forced me to take a rest. I hear you - I’m listening and I’m learning to live in my temple with honor, kindness and love. I envision my personal temple - it’s beautiful with candles, stone work an altar and deities. My ancestors are there. Spirit animals come visiting. There are fresh flowers and gentle music and the quiet drumming of a tabla. If I envision this temple inside my body, it will help me remember it’s a sacred space and treat it as such. I hope this is the case when I am back home, triggered and have to redirect my old habit. This gives me a bit of worry - my ability to maintain my lessons from the hospital in the outside world.
When I eat food, I pray and give thanks. I’m learning to slow down my eating and invite the food into my temple. I remind the temple that the food is a safe, welcome visitor that is free to come in, nourish and leave. It’s safe to welcome it and it’s safe to let it leave. Like life, it’s safe to let things come and let things go - impermanence. I don’t have to hold onto it. There is more to come.
Coming to the Praanadha Ayurvedic Hospital was meant to be. I trust my path and my stomach for bringing me here. I am thankful for the experience and the opportunity to put my gut care in capable hands with Dr. Arun, the practitioners and other staff. Thank you Dr. Arun, his wife Dr. Neethu (BAMS, M.Sc), the cooks, cleaners, front-desk, ayurvedic practitioners and the beautiful property - Peacocks, mangoes, jackfruit, flowers, the fig tree and even the next door temple that blares music at 5:45 a.m. haha.
Do you have a chronic health condition? Consider a Pacharkarma or one of the many other treatments at the Praanadha Ayurveic Hospital, under the care of Dr. Arun and practice letting someone care for your personal temple. I hope to come back for a full 28 day experience.
The people photographed have given permission. I used google translate to ask for permission in th.e native language of Malayalam. It was cute and fun :) I had never used the app but japanese guests showed me how :) I feel emotional thinking about leaving in two days - Thank you and I’ll miss and never forget any of it. I feel blessed. Love, Janny
Dr. Arun took the other “patients” and me to the beach - the Arabian Sea - one evening for sunset. We didn’t leave the grounds too much - it was super fun to get out together. I had such a fun relationship with the women from Japan. Chico, next to me, spoke English very well so there was a lot of translating between English and Japanese. Sometimes when they were speaking Japanese - which is such a pretty sounding language - I woudn’t understand a thing and then I’d here the word “ Mathra Vasthi” which is the enema. We were all having the oily enema as part of our treatment - something we had in common. I said “Mathra Vasthi” to them - and we all laughed. It was something we all understood. I never imagined I would be having lunch with women from Japan in India - comparing our Mathra Vasthi. haha. I had a lot of fun with them. And with everyone. Thank you Dr. Arun, who we referred to as “doctor.”
Other resources: Kripalu School of Ayurveda and an online offering at the Sattva Retreat in Rishikesh (where I attended Tommy Rosen’s Recovery 2.0 Retreat at the beginning of the trip.)
