FITNESS TRIBUNE No 1 English

Interview

very fleeting. We hug, but the kiss goes somewhere in the air instead of on the cheek. We could discuss this topic at length. Maybe those people who have enjoyed an Ayurveda massage would like to spoil their partners with a massage once in a while. FT : You mentioned before about the west. In India there’s Ayurveda, in Japan Shi atsu and for us Europeans there’s Kneipp cures. EM : The world is getting smaller and smaller and it is only smart to get your self what makes you feel good and it doesn’t matter where it comes from. FT : With Ayurveda there are different kinds of massages and various types of ethereal oils: one for each different type of person. EM : With Ayurveda there are three main constitutions: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata is the air principle, Pitta the fire principle and Kapha, the earth principle. For example, the sesame oil massage is suited to the Vata type because it is a warming oil and it must be massaged in very gently. The air princi ple needs an inner, restful movement because these people are dealing with stress. A Pitta type needs something ini tially more dynamic because he would otherwise fall asleep out of boredom. But the idea is to take them from the dynamic and bring them into the calm. These people often have skin problems and therefore sunflower or cocoanut oil is more suitable because of its cooling character. The Kapha type is a bit slow, dormant, has the tendency to be lethar gic and sometimes overweight, but is mostly very healthy. These people need a stronger massage that goes deeper into the muscles. The Kapha type feels very much with their body and they don’t need, like the air type, tenderness, but more power and not so much oil or they will feel even more heaviness. FT : How many years have you needed in order to qualify yourself with all this knowledge? EM : The instruction took two years. But naturally I am always taking more courses to further my education in order to keep on the ball. FT : How many members are in the Euro pean Ayurveda Therapists’ Association? EM : Currently there are about 400. FT : Actually a small movement.

EM : Fish is eaten as well as meat, according to each individual constitu tion. Nothing is forbidden in Ayurveda. If someone were very spiritual or striv ing to be spiritual, then they would naturally choose to avoid meat. FT : Your business card states that you are certified by the Mahindra-Institute, The European Academy of Ayurveda, as well as being a member of VEAT the European Ayurveda Therapists’ Association. Do you only do massage or do you also counsel peo ple with their problems? EM : Besides the various massage tech niques, I am also getting my Diplom in health studies. I also do personal nutri tional counseling, determine personal body constitutions and give Ayurveda seminars and cooking courses. FT : Why has Ayurveda become so popular lately?

EM : Because we are all suffering from a body-contact deficit and Ayurveda mas sage heals the soul as well as the body. FT : With this kind of massage one feels transformed back to the time when they were a baby or an embryo. Has this been mentioned somewhere in the past or is this just my opinion? EM : This hasn’t been written in any book. But I really identify with it because Ayurveda is also curative through ten derness through the warm oil. FT : This really shows the indigence of our society: the lack of tenderness. Everything has to go fast and so buying a massage or some other treatment, especially in wellness, is like buying affection. Has our society lost its sense of feeling? EM : We certainly have a lot of fears. For instance, in the west a greeting is

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Fitness Tribune International 1