24

Welcome to the second part of my Ayurveda journey. In the first part, besides introducing Ayurveda’s evident effectiveness in managing certain conditions, I also focused on a particularly intriguing component of Ayurveda – the greasy, greasy coconut oil massage.

As mentioned before, there were some aspects that I didn’t feel comfortable with. One of it was the highly encouraged bath with green beans in order to remove the massive amount of oil from the body. The massage lady would quickly and simply pour water all over my body after putting a lot of green beans on it, sending shivers through my body.

Not only that, the medicine that came as part of my treatment plan was terribly bitter – to say the least! Additionally, I the clueless teenager at that point did not realise that the medicine had some side effects. No wonder I was in so much discomfort.

Dear God, this is all so confusing. How can something be so good yet so incomprehensible?

However, for some strange reason, I revisited Ayurveda sometime in 2011. The second time around, I asked the doctor to specifically omit the medicine as part of my treatment plan because I hated it. (Who likes weird-tasting, strong-smelling medicine, anyway?)  My mum and I also somehow managed to talk to a more experienced massage lady about my previous experience with Ayurveda. Thankfully, the massage lady, who had a sense of humour, suggested that I forgo the bath. According to her, the effects would be more profound. Then again, this would mean a super-oily me once I step out of the Ayurveda centre. At the same time, it seemed like the best option that I bathed at home to minimise anxiety.

While it was much more soothing and effective to leave the oil on the body, multiple commitments got in the way. So I bade Ayurveda farewell.