FITNESS TRIBUNE No 1 English

Interview

FT : What kind of oil is used the most for an Ayurveda massage? EM : Sesame oil because it has a hot character and penetrates deeply into the tissues fast -- in five minutes. FT : And through our biggest organ: the skin. And then where does it go? EM : It is distributed throughout the whole body, even into the joints and binds itself with the waste. Then it is eliminated through the intestines by the liquids that you absolutely must drink. This is the therapeutic side and for me it is very important that this purging and detoxifying process not be forgotten. Of course it is a wonderful feeling to be bathed in oil and this does wonders for the soul. FT : Wasn’t it Charaka Samhita that wrote in his books that one should bathe in warm oil? EM : Charaka Samhita wrote many books about nutrition and the body. Also for him the massage is part of the cure. But nutrition was more important to him and he was very involved with answering the question: What process precedes a bodily malfunction? FT : Isn’t Ayurveda also a life philosophy? EM : Exactly. It begins with the daily habits, with the time we go to sleep, with waking up. Naturally yoga and meditation are included. But also the questions: How do I begin the day and how do I end it? What should I be eat ing? A whole life philosophy is really behind it all. FT : I assume when we’re talking about nutrition we’re talking about vegetarian food. Or are meat and fish allowed?

passed down from generation to gen eration verbally. The oldest texts known come out of the 3rd millenium BC, as, for example, the Charaka Samhita documents which are still being used in Ayurveda institutes today as teaching material. FT : It sounds a bit childish to our scientifi cally educated doctors when it’s alleged that being pleasantly massaged with oil is doing something good for your health. EM : The Ayurveda oil massage is only a small part of Ayurveda, yet well known to us. It originates from the Pan chakarma treatment which is a detoxify ing cure that takes over a month where the body is saturated inside and out with oil. That means that you, for example, must drink clarified liquid butter until all waste products in the organs bind with the fat. Other than that the body is massaged daily with sesame oil. With this medical cure the waste products leave the body through the intestines. Today this massage has primarily a well ness significance and only a few know about the therapeutic background. FT : Ayurveda is mainly offered in well ness and spa hotels. Do you believe that the term Ayurveda is being misused? EM : Most hotels offer an Ayurveda Wellness Cure that has nothing to do with the Panchakarma detoxifying treatment. Though the oil massages are certainly very good for the body because the constant movement works out a lot of the poisons. Eating right and drink ing plenty of liquids supports the proc ess and accelerates waste product elimi nation. However, it may occur during an unprofessional treatment, that the waste products are only moved around and not eliminated.

FT : Everyone has now become familiar with the term Ayurveda. You can do everything with Ayurveda: keep yourself young, eat healthy and get a massage using the Ayurveda technique. Mrs. Mellier, just what does Ayurveda mean exactly? EM : Ayurveda is the oldest known medicine and even Chinese medicine originated from it. Ayurveda is in the first place a medicine to maintain health and supports the body in its fight against disease. And this is how it differs from our medicine: Ayurveda helps people to grow older in a healthy way. FT : In the western world we know Ayurveda rather as a lifestyle. It leaves out the fundamental concepts of body, spirit and soul. Mrs. Mellier, how long has Ayurveda actually existed? EM : We don’t know exactly. In ancient times things weren’t written down, but as with all wise teachings, Ayurveda was

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Fitness Tribune International 1