Months of being locked in, with limited exposure to the sun and little or no ways to walk out, jog, take a stroll in the park or feel the wind on your face has had its toll on the delicate balance of mind, body and soul. Add to that the love affair all of us are having with screens of all sizes which come with the adage of binge eating. Watching Netflix? Try the new nachos with homemade salsa. Spending hours before the computer? Overeat when engrossed in thoughts. It was against this backdrop of forced decadence and inertia that I got this golden opportunity to join a course:
The Omnilife signature 7-day virtual Ayurveda detox plan, steered by the dynamic couple Anu and Rajiv Bajaj, co-founders of OmniLife.
The evolved souls, who otherwise are gallerists (Anu Bajaj runs Gallery Art Positive) and business scions (Rajiv is the co-chairman of Bajaj Capital), ardently believe in the ten pillars of the company. A discipline that invites you to cleanse, empower and enhance your inner Ikigai, the company believes that modern-day life can be truly enriched with ancient wisdom. And hence the detox programme steered by their consultant Dr Upoor, who treats the who’s who of India and as a practitioner is a winning combination of inner calm and deep wisdom. Between them was devised a solid detox experience that helped me not just get the glow cells activated but also lose 4 kgs in a week (admittedly I have dollops to drop). In a nutshell, the experience centred around Ayurveda and its need to clean the cluttered, clogged and weary gut. Ayurveda, the longest living science, places the greatest emphasis on the gut, equating a clean gut to a harmonious balance of body, mind and soul.
Now more than ever, it becomes doubly important to detox the body to clear out toxins that may be sabotaging our immune system and not just derailing our weight loss but also leaving us vulnerable to the ravages of the raging pandemic. Needless to say, I stepped into it with immense trepidation. For one, the ravages of no drinking, no meats and no binging were like an onslaught to the senses. Add to that the stubborn detox powders that were bound to flush out toxins. Not to forget the ghee which took an entire Gayatri mantra to swallow. One chat however with the calm, kind and engaging Dr Upoor and you were ready to even walk that extra mile. Actually, in the end, you walked extra miles, starting your day with an Ayurvedic tea that was simply a mixture of spices and herbs. Thereafter was the tough one: gulp down dollops of ghee, then self-massage (the only thing you miss the most is the pleasure of a leisurely massage by a trained masseur).
A detailed regimen of yoga offered online for an hour followed by an hour for introspection and you were set for your first meal cooked from a great recipe book provided by the company. A combination of comfort coastal vegetarian and alternate grain infused continental, the recipes kept both the mind and the taste buds engaged. A resident of the Osho town of Goa, Dr Upoor worked closely with the team at OmniLife to streamline this life-changing experience. In keeping with the life science of Ikigai that believes that for real change we have to re-spin our life’s axis finding fulfilment in every sphere: our relationships, work, family, health… 360-degree calm. As Rajiv puts it, “What truly matters is not how long you live but how well you have lived and what you have done to find meaning in the things that make your life worthwhile.”
At its core, OmniLife is a wellness platform offering solutions that combine ancient wisdom with modern-day innovation to achieve a life of total well-being with complete alignment of mind, body and soul. He says, “We are a group of people determined to take you back to a natural way of life.” In unison with Rajiv’s train of thought, Dr Upoor adds, “I aim to promote Ayurveda as a lifestyle, guiding people to adopt the diet and lifestyle suitable for their bodies according to Ayurvedic principles. I believe in Ayurveda’s principle of keeping oneself healthy than treating a disease when it arises.” Words that fall like diamonds on ears weary of dodging the Covid-19 bullet.