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I 'm writing from a hospital in Kerala, India. I'm exhausted, nauseated, sore all over and have been subjected to daily treatments that include bruise-inducing rubdowns, the appli- cation of scalding oil and medicinal enemas. But perhaps most horrifying to a recovering clean freak like me is the fact that I am not allowed to bathe for a full week. It's hard to believe that this all started with three pots of tea. MY FIERY "IMBALANCE" About six years ago, I tasted three different Ayurvedic "teas" (technically tisanes/herbal infusions). I remember leafing through my mental dictionary to reveal an entry on Ayurveda that read something like this: Ayurveda - (n.) Ancient medical practice from India. Holistic. Based on herbs. Deals with three profiles called doshas. I picked my favorite blend based on taste and bought some to take home. It contained pungent herbs and was called Pitta. After a few pots of the infusion, I started researching Ayurveda and found that pitta is one of three doshas. According to Ayurveda principles, doshas are key to true health and harmony in the body. Every individual tends to have a predominant dosha, and I found that mine was—yep—pitta. Those of us in the pitta camp are said to have fiery temperaments, and Ayurveda teaches that if left unbalanced, this quality will lead to sickness and unease. My research also taught me that though we are attracted to the flavors of our predominant doshas (more on those flavors in a bit), indulging in those sensations will just make the situation worse. The very thing to which I was drawn was exactly what would, according to Ayurveda, exacerbate my fiery "imbalance" of pitta. Agitated, I thought, "Who's to say that my fiery nature is a flaw?!" INTO THE HEART OF AYURVEDA Yet here I am, six years later, at an Ayurvedic hospital. True to my dosha, I didn't gradually work my way toward this end (those of us dominated by pitta tend to be stubborn, impatient and competitive). I stopped researching Ayurveda soon after my initial contact with it and only looked back into it recently, while working on my first book. I was interviewing an Ayurveda expert about the spices used in masala chai, and he kept mentioning lifestyle. Then while I was interviewing the manager of an Indian tea plantation, he jumped at the chance to tell me all about Ayurveda—why it provides so many benefits, where I should go for treatment and more. I started to think: Why not try it out? However, as I traveled farther south in India to research the book, it seemed more like Ayurveda was trying me out. I encoun- tered Ayurveda everywhere. In ordinary restaurants across Kerala, a cedar-tinged Ayurvedic infusion made with pieces of light fire water transformation a tree called Sappanwood was served in lieu of water. In the tea-growing hills of Munnar, a spice tour brought me to gardens full of various Ayurvedic herbs. Visiting an ashram (a monastic community and religious retreat) run by a guru named Amma, I found that tulsi—one of the core herbs of Ayurveda—is an essential part of that community's spiritual practice. THE THREE DOSHAS movement ether/ space VATA KAPHA PITTA cohesion cold Also at the ashram I picked up a book called "Tulasi Devi: Goddess of Devotion," which explained Ayurveda in more detail. Its literal translation is "the science of life," and it's a holistic, mind-body-spirit system of medicine that aims to balance the three doshas (besides pitta, there are vata and kapha). Ayurveda has been practiced since well before 5000 B.C., and it is said to have been transmitted from the Creator to ancient sages and healers. My curiosity deepened, and I recalled a warning from a friend about how six months in India would rip me out of my intellec- tual element and plunge me into a world of spiritualism. I took a deep breath and scheduled an Ayurvedic massage, in which two therapists prayed over an oil-based medicine and then rubbed it into my skin so vigorously that my ribcage sounded percus- sive. When the "rejuvenation" session was over, I spoke with the Ayurvedic doctor on site. She suggested I travel farther south to visit Santhigiri Ashram, which housed an actual Ayurvedic hospi- tal and would provide a hands-on experience. But first I was going to Varkala, a Westerner-friendly beach town where I had (in defiance of my dosha) planned to spend my 30th birthday relaxing. I decided I would keep heading to Santhigiri Ayurvedic Hospital—but only if I couldn't get enough information on Ayurveda at a resort by the sea. And, not surprisingly, Ayurveda was everywhere in Varkala. Solicitors handed out brochures for Ayurvedic massages. Resorts continued on page 54 freshcup.com April 2012 53 wind/air earth/moon