NAMASTE!

PRINCESS GOURI IN HER SECOND TALK WITH ZUZANA ZWIEBEL EXPLAINS "CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INDIAN AND WESTERN CULTURE IN KERALA”. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OF AYURVEDA IN KERALA AND IN INDIA?

It has become hugely popular, but there is also risk for today’s ayurveda. If you go along the beach, you see every other house is an ayurvedic resort. This, I think, it is very dangerous proclivity. Because without the proper training, without being aware of what you are doing, you claim to be an ayurvedic healing center. They are not licensed. They are not qualified. 

Ok, you do an ayurvedic massage – it is a wellness therapy, that is fine, but beyond that if you start treating, it could lead to a lot of problems. 

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THE TALK WITH PRINCESS GOURI - 02: Ayurveda in Kerala
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THE TALK WITH PRINCESS GOURI - 02: Ayurveda in Kerala

THE TRAVANCORE ROYAL FAMILY is the ruling house of the Indian princely state of Travancore. The family lost the ruling rights in 1949 when Travancore Kingdom merged with the Indian Union and their privileges were abolished by a constitutional amendment in 1971. The Travancore Royalty could be also considered descendants of the ancient Cheras, Ay-Venad, Pandya and Chola dynasties, due to consistent intermarriages with these lines over the centuries. The Travancore royals are among the rare breed of royals who follow the matrilineal system.The members of the family are based in Trivandrum, Kerala and are the ones who keep alive the traditions and rituals of their ancient dynasty including the upkeep of the famous Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple. Read more >>

THE SAME HAPPENING IN THE FIELD OF YOGA. IN THE WESTERN WORLD, YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY…

The body and the mind! The body and the mind, both have to be there for yoga!

Also a good yoga teacher will tell you, that you must go to somebody, who is qualified. If you have the problem, you should say it to yoga master or teacher and they will decide, what is right for you, otherwise you can harm yourself, you can hurt yourself. 

HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSITION OF INDIAN CULTURE INTO WESTERN CULTURE?

I think it is good thing, just as we embedded lots of things from western culture. So, it is given-take. If the word had no boundaries, if we respected, or at least we would be willing to look at another viewpoint, it would be much happier place.

Today you see everybody – the ego is very big – my way is the only way! I do not think so. I think, there are many ways. Maybe it all leads to the same point, but the ways are many, methods are many, the methodologies are many.

SO YOU ARE ENCOURAGING SOME KIND OF COOPERATION…

I certainly would – I definitely would…

The ego is very big! People say: my way is the only way! I do not think so. I think, there are many ways. Maybe it all leads to the same point, but the ways are many, methods are many, the methodologies are many.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FOR AYURVEDA TO INDIA?

Many people, who come for ayurveda, they are young and healthy. They do not need treatment they only need wellness therapy. Then, what is practical for European climate does not have to be practical in India.

For instance ayurvedic oils, with which my mother and grand mother used to have oil baths twice a week - put coconut oil in the hair and a red thick oil on the body and massages themselves and after 20 min, washed it off. That kind of the oil cannot be practical let’s say in European winter, because oil would solidify. The temperature is important; you should not put oil on yourself and got cold. 

All this things you have to calibrate according the conditions, the needs of the people, the habits of the people.

SO IT SHOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED?

You have to really see, what is practical – let us say. And what agrees with you, like I said before, may not agree with me. There is always a danger in self-medication and prescription. I say: “Look now, it was very good for me, try it!” You should never do that, you should go to the knowledgeable, registered practitioner before you start medicating yourself. If you go for a serious treatment, it must always be under the proper guidance, it is same with yoga.

ARE U TAKING ANY TREATMENTS THESE DAYS?

Even today, yes for something. Not for all. Let us say, you are running very high fever and you want to go somewhere, you do not have time, the patience to go for any treatments. So you swallow two paracetamol and run. 

YOU ARE IN A GREAT PHYSICAL SHAPE – DO YOU PRACTICE YOGA?

So-so (smiling)…The one yoga I did practiced was Art of Living. I did Sudarshan Kriya, only the preliminary. 

I had a bad back pain; I was going around with orthopedic belt. It was many years ago, maybe 10-15 years ago. One of my friend said: “Why do not you do the Sudarshan Kriya?” So I said: “Yes”, but I did not do anything. We saw each other once in the 6 months for the temple festival. So next meeting, he would asked if I had started Sudarshan Kriya or not yet? 

The third time we saw him, which is actually 12 months after he asked me for the first time, he said: “I am organizing a camp only for ladies and I want you to come. I will send my car and you must come for the camp.” I said: “I have my car, I come.” He said: “No, if I send my car, you will certainly come. If you are coming under of your own esteem, you may say: well, today I go half an hour late.” 

It was only for 5 days and they said, you should do it for 41 days. I did it rigorously for 41 days – in the prescribed time, in the prescribed way. I have not worn the orthopedic belt since! I dance, I make long flights, I sit in the car over bumpy roads – I have not worn belt – and I have not continued to do it…I did it only for 41 days.

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Read next chapter of THE TALK WITH PRINCESS GOURI Nº3

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