My journey as an ayurvedic doctor is something I get asked about the most. Hence, I’m sharing it in this blog. I consider myself fortunate to have been born into an Ayurvedic family. My father, grandfather, his father and his grandfather were all Ayurvedic doctors. However, my mother was a government employee, adding a different dimension to my upbringing. Throughout my life, I was surrounded by Ayurveda. As a newborn, the first thing I was given was a little bit of Vacha (Acorus calamus), honey and a touch of gold in my mouth. Ayurveda was a part of my upbringing. Whether it was the food I consumed or the medicines I took for various ailments, Ayurveda was always a part of it. My father was a Yogi. He led a Satwik life and practiced yoga throughout his life. He held a strong belief in Ayurveda and had reservations about Western medicine or any medical system other than Ayurveda. As a result, throughout my childhood, I never set foot into an Allopathic hospital or took a single Paracetamol. Even when I had a fever – even a high one, my mother would request my father to admit me to a hospital, but he would insist on giving me “pani koorka” juice and Tulsi juice. Surprisingly, the fever would subside without further medical intervention. As time passed, it was time for me to enroll in college. The Ayurvedic clinic that my father ran was attached to our house. The smell of oils always lingered in the air, and patients would gather in the mornings and evenings, for their consultations with my father. There was always a bustling crowd in front of our home that made me want to live somewhere else, as I couldn’t stand the smell or the sight of so many patients and suffering. All of these coupled with the fact that I had hot blood of a teenager running in my veins, I told my father that I didn’t want to study Ayurveda. When the results of my entrance exams arrived, my marks aligned with those required for BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). In India, medical college admissions are determined by your score in competitive entrance exams. Those with the highest ranks have the first option to pursue MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), which is followed by BDS, Ayurveda and then Homeopathy. I was disappointed not to secure a place in MBBS as it would have been my one way to get out of Ayurveda. But my father was extremely happy. He said, “Why limit yourself to just the teeth? Why not consider the entire body? Pursue Ayurveda, and we will support you.” It was in that moment that I realized my true calling lay in treating the entire body. So, I made the decision to study Ayurveda and joined my college. But, little did I know of the challenges that lay ahead. I was never the type to sit for extended hours and study, but I would be somewhere in the top five all through my life. But when it came to my college and studying Ayurveda, I realized I had no chance of passing it, because it was so voluminous for anybody to study. My cousin used to be an MBBS student. We used to share notes of our classes because we had almost similar subjects. Only difference was that we have some other subjects added in the form of Ayurveda, and that too three different volumes and three different Samhitas, three different Acharyas, their books and what they have said about each of these concepts. Hence it was too voluminous for me and to make it worse, everything was in the form of a verse or a poem because it was all written in Sanskrit language, but not to the point that I could read all these verses and understand the meanings and all of it in detail. At the time when I was studying, if you don’t write the verses then you don’t get any marks. Nowadays, the students are no longer required to memorize every single verse. This is what I’ve gathered from speaking with newer students. However, during my time, complete memorization was essential. Every single Sloka had to be learned by-heart. It was too much for me to the extent that I contemplated running away from college. So, one morning, I packed my bags and returned home, pretending as though nothing had happened. No one, except myself, knew that I had abandoned Ayurveda. I remained at home until the college contacted my father, informing him of my prolonged absence. My parents had believed that I was having my month-long study break. However, once they received the call from the college, they realized the truth. My parents insisted that I return to college. My father said, “Whatever happens, it’s fine for you right now. This is your Karma. Karma has to be done. This is something that you have to do. This is your duty to do. So do the duty. And then finally whatever end result it may bring, it’s okay. We are there to support you.” Encouraged by their support, I returned to college, where a new principal had also taken charge. So, things appeared brighter and more positive in my college. However, I soon discovered that passing the exams required even more effort than before. We had an exam in every one and a half year. Memorizing everything we learned in that one and a half year and facing exams was much of a struggle. So, I had to literally take time and study. So, I would wake up early in the morning, say by 3 AM, and dedicate myself to studying continuously. Even after returning from college, I would continue studying and sleep for only three hours at night. Sleeping any longer wouldn’t let me complete the portions and I won’t have time to exercise. During study breaks, I wouldn’t even take restroom breaks. I used to have bread… Continue reading How I Became an Ayurvedic Doctor – My Ayurveda Journey