I had a lovely breakfast this morning. A bowl of oats with strawberries and blueberries. Yum. I had to eat something before I went to the Ayur Centre because today I was "steamed"! Vasantha, the therapist, said that if I didn't eat anything before the treatment, I might feel dizzy. So after breakfast, off I went to the Ayur Centre and was oiled as usual. No nose drops though. Yay. Then Vasantha carried a steaming pot of muddy looking liquid from the stove in the room and went to the bathroom, where there was a low plastic tub, which was quarter full of water.
She poured in the steaming liquid and then said "get in." I gingerly stuck a foot in and withdrew it quickly saying it was too hot. I can't tolerate hot baths which are too hot though some friends seem to be able to happily soak in them. Which probably means I will never get into an onsen but anyway, I digress. Kind Vasantha poured in some cold water and finally I could get in. The width of the tub was just enough for me to sit in it with my knees up. How long do I sit here, I asked? She said, "Until you sweat."
I don't really sweat much so I thought it could be a long time. She then left me sitting in a plastic tub in the middle of a tiny bathroom.
This was the bathroom which had the tub in it, which she removed
after the steaming. You can see how small it is so imagine the size of the tub I sat in!
The water was a comfortable but hot temperature, but since it wasn't the scalding temperature I felt earlier, it cooled quite quickly. In the meantime I just sat there wondering when she was coming back. And whether it was the heat from the water which would make me sweat or whether it was the herbal liquid she poured in.
Unused to not doing anything except literally sitting, I tried to keep my monkey mind under control but failed miserably. Usually in a bath, I would read or watch TV or something. Usually in a bath, I would be lying down and the water would not be a muddy brown. Usually. Luckily it didn't smell. To pass the time, I looked at the water and idly wondered what all the bits floating in it were. And whether that blob floating by was an insect. Hmmm.
Anyway Vasantha did come back, peered at me and said, "sweating?". I replied that I didn't know. I certainly didn't feel like it. But maybe I was. She tipped my face up and said ,"OK, sweat. Can get up."
Then I scrubbed myself off with the now-familiar yellow paste and I was done for the day!
This was the yellow powder which I bathe with. When mixed
with water, it becomes a paste which removes the oil. I still go
home and give myself a good scrub with shampoo and soap though.
Today, my weight is 133.5lb. Another drop of 1.5lb from yesterday and 9lb in total - in 6 days. Not too bad. Though since I am eating three meals today, my weight may change. For lunch, I had strawberries and blueberries (I do like my berries) and then fried zucchini with garlic, which was delicious.
Tomorrow is purging day, which sounds utterly revolting. But at least it's the end of the 7-day detox!
Recent Comments