India Part 1: The Vaidyagrama Vision . . .

Author: Mary Westley

​Vaidyagrama… so much more than a place to have panchakarma.
I have promised a few times to share more about my time in India, the Ayurveda Conference and panchkarma, however for some reason every time I sat down to write it would end up being about something else. My sense is that the topic felt too big, I’m good at that…I think they call it procrastination! I have learnt however, that it doesn’t help me to force things, so I have allowed my list of headings to drift around the edges, occasionally thinking…”I really need to get to that“.

So, today I was on FB…again…that’s another characteristic of my procrastination modus operandi …and I came across 2 interviews with Dr Ramkumar, one of the visionaries of Vaidyagrama, the Ayurvedic healing village I attended in Coimbatore, South India. Both interviews capture the vision and spirit of the village, one is written and one an audio. The message is clearly that …“Vaidyagrama is so much more than just a place to have Panchakarma”.

Together they include all the things that I had wanted to say about Vaidyagrama and so much more. What is happening there is visionary, not just for Ayurveda, but for the world, as a model of living authentically. A practical example of decisions being made for the good of the whole community, including the environment, and in consideration of the past, present and future.​

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Dr Ramkumar is himself, humility in practice, he holds the space for the vision without fanfare or seeking recognition. He won’t be happy about it but I am including a photo of him here. He has a natural glow that makes me think of being polished with ghee, and to sit and listen to him in satsang is a real gift. I am so glad you are able to hear about the Vaidyagrama vision in his words. A vision that encompasses…
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• Practicing authentic Ayurveda and what that means,
• Creating sustainable local communities to stop the migration to overcrowded cities and engender pride in being a farmer,
• Nurturing the community by removing barriers and caring for those who can’t care for themselves – the children, disabled and elderly,
• Working with Nature by planting trees, raising the water table, nourishing the soil and growing chemical free food.
• Creating a learning environment, that encourages openness to newness…and oldness.

 
Richard’ Whittaker’s interview with Dr, Ramkumar is written and give yourself a good 10 minutes to do it justice.

Cynthia Sciberras is a 30 minute audio and she asks Dr Ramkumar some very probing questions relating to the spiritual understandings that support Vaidaygrama …don’t miss his responses. You might also like to have a look at the Vaidyagrama website.

Needless to say finding these interviews is one of those times that warrants a deposit in my ‘trust’ account. If you don’t understand this slightly cryptic reference to trust accounts, see my earlier post ‘Setting up a Trust account?‘. It’s about noticing those times we feel looked after, so we can look back on them during times of uncertainty and confusion and remind ourselves that the universe really does have our back.

While Vaidyagrama is much more than a place to have panchakarma, it is definitely the place to go for panchakarma. Not sure what panchakarma is? The next part in the India series will be all about Panchakarma, the intention and process.

Enjoy
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xMary

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