Kayakalpa Panchakarma (english)
My 21-Day Ayurvedic Kayakalpa Panchakarma Treatment
Kayakalpa Panchakarma is a vigorous and extremely intensive Ayurveda Detoxification Treatment carried out by Ayurveda Health and Beauty in Feldafing, Germany. The centre is located approximately 30 km south of Munich on Lake Starnberg. As you will soon see by reading the following story, this treatment is not meant for the faint of heart. It is a demanding treatment able to carry out detoxification on the cellular level of your body.
The following experience is narrated by Mr. Earl Switzer, 83
In 2005 my life began to spiral down. My diet was poor from lots of bread, pasta, cooked food, and little salad and raw food. I had arthritis in my fingers, poor hearing, and my mind was slowing to the point, when I had to ask someone calling me, to please repeat, and speak slowly, as though I didn't understand English. Occasionally, I was even blind in my right eye due to poor blood flow to my brain. The doctor called this a "trans-ischemic-attack" or TIA.
On an outing to the Oregon coast with some friends, I foolishly ate for breakfast one strip of bacon and two pork sausages. Twenty-four hours later I got a wake up call! My heartbeat became irregular and repeatedly paused for a couple of seconds! I mentioned this to Vern, a friend, and he suggested I remember to, "Count to ten and call 911." Instead, I called my son, Dr. John Switzer, in Feldafing, Germany, and he prescribed homeopathic digitalis. I had a kit of homeopathic remedies in the closet. I took three globules of the remedy, and it stabilized my heart rate quickly. There was nothing more to worry me, except the cause of my poor circulation.
When John visited me in 2006, he said, "If you want to get rid of your life-long mucus problem, just drop dairy and bread entirely from your diet. I did and it worked. For the first time in my life I could breathe deeply. Gluten caused part of the problem with my hardened arteries.
But on another outing to the Oregon coast, I pigged out on clams sautéed in butter, two eggs, fried-over-easy, along with a piece of sweet pie and ice cream. The next day I had tunnel vision, and an area of my vision also blacked out temporarily - a second wake up call! My brain was also being affected by clogged arteries. I was in danger of getting a stroke! Because my brain was not receiving enough blood flow, I also suffered from poor memory and concentration. My comprehension was also deficient; often I could not comprehend what people were trying to tell me.
In 2007, I changed my diet on the recommendation of my son, Dr. John Switzer, MD, to mostly raw salads for dinner and wild plant smoothies with Phyto-Microminerals Primal-Essence, an organic mineral concentrate. Lo and behold, my health started to improve. For breakfast each morning in the summer,
I drank a sting nettle, dried fig, raw nut and cinnamon smoothie, which satisfied my hunger until the middle of the afternoon. I was also eating one can of soup per day, although it was of the highest quality canned soup. I realize now that too much canned soup is not a good idea.
I visited John in November and December 2007, and he said I looked healthier than ever before. Then he started his treatment, on December 3, which included a long water fast, at my request. The treatment, called Kayakalpa Ayurveda Panchakarma, ended December 24, and has the reputation of being the most intensive ayurvedic treatment available. It is almost like being taken apart piece by piece and then put together again. For a total of twenty-one days I even went without food during the treatment, with only pure water or occasionally herbal tea to drink. I drank more water than usual, but strangely, I produced very little urine.
During the first four mornings of the treatment, I held my nose, and swallowed 40 - 60 ml of melted ghee. Ugh! I sucked on a lemon and drank water, which helped to get rid of the taste. Then John started treating me with sesame oil massages and other oil treatments such as enemas. This treatment is based on an ancient purification procedure of the science of life called Ayurveda, which arose approximately 4,000 years ago in India.
Day 1 to Day 21 Comments From My Diaries
Day 1, I I took the ghee, the organic microcmineral primal essence, the ayurvedic herbs. The fasting was no problem, and I never got hungry.
Day 2, was a little rough with my stomach occasionally sending a weak signal it was time to eat. I drank some water, and that satisfied my stomach's mood.
Day 3, I occasionally thought of food, and then just drank some water. I was surprised how easy it was to go without food! I didn't even feel weak, due to the microminerals, which, as Dr. John Switzer explained to me, help to strengthen the metabolism.
Day 4, my body was stabilized for the rest of the fast. I never had a desire to eat for the duration of the fast, even when I could see and smell food. Food stopped becoming an issue. There were absolutely no hunger pains or desire for food.
Day 5 and Day 6, I worked all the time on the computer, but took about three hours off each day for my oil massages and treatments. I would type on the computer for maybe an hour or two. Then I felt a drain in my energy. My heart speeded up, and tightness gripped my chest. My body refused to go on. I felt cold all over. My fingers and feet were ice cold. So I put on my down jacket, and had to lie down for half an hour or longer. Waves of shivering came and finally, then I finally relaxed and my energy came back. So I got up and worked some more on the computer. So, this was the pattern of activity that went on for days as I alternately worked and rested and continued my fast. My mind felt alert, my body became light as a feather.
Altogether, I received fourteen days of oil massages and other treatments, such as enemas. The enemas cleaned out my colon, but mildly caused slight cramps all across my abdomen. My arthritis in my fingers left soon after I started the treatment. I remembered a year ago eating very slowly, for the flavor, one of Germany's famed Lebkuchen ginger breads. While I was still eating it, some finger knuckles swelled, turned white, and screamed with pain, which persisted.
I can't explain the reason for this. The best ingredients are used to making this ginger bread. Lebkuchen, of course, had no enzymes, but neither does bread. Heating by cooking and baking above 115o F destroys the enzymes in the cells of the food. My son John thought that the gluten in the Lebkuchen were causing the problems with my joints.
Day 7, John said, "Fasting will help unclog your arteries to the heart and brain." Since I was feeling so good I said, "Let's go for a longer fast," even though I felt a bit weak from all the fasting. Yellow, stinky urine was a sign that I was detoxing. My tongue was always coated. I walked a quarter mile to the clinic for my massages and then home again, so I got some exercise each day. Exercise is important, and I was surprised at how much energy I had for walking, even though I had not eaten for over a week.
Day 8, following my Panchakarma treatment, and while lying on the massage table resting with my eyes closed, I began to visualize waves of pulsating blue light. What a blissful, spiritual experience! Is this a sign that my "brain fog" was lifting? Now I can think faster and see things clearer. I even wrote three long poems this day. Feelings of happiness and joy began to surge up within me that are too intense to describe.
Day 9, The droopy jowls below both cheeks, had nearly disappeared. which I noted in my diary. The long line running down one cheek was beginning to fade away. My face looked younger, the skin was softer, tighter and no longer hanged down.
Day 10, I walked to the centre with John and told him I wanted to extend my fast. I had no hunger or pain, so I wanted to make use of the opportunity to unclog my arteries to my brain and heart. The experience was so easy and effortless. Only my daughter-in-law Irina was worried about me not eating. I was massaged daily with warm, medicated sesame oil and given an herbal-oil enema. I showered and felt clean, both inside and out. My mind during the treatment was especially sharp. I went home and wrote two more poems. There were times when I felt that I was floating, especially when receiving a synchronous Ayurveda massage from two therapists.
Day 11, my treatment was totally different. A large towel was draped over my head, and I was told to inhale deeply for ten minutes, the steam from a bowl of hot water containing herbs. Drops were put into my nostrils to inhale, and special oil was dropped into my open eyes. Then the therapist had me close my eyes so he could massage the eyes through my eyelids. Lastly, I was given an herbal oil enema. Today it almost felt like I was being "brain-washed". I showered and walked home slowly and weakly, fell onto my bed and didn't get up until the next morning.
Day 12, I walked about a mile in the cold air, which invigorated my body. The cold brought down mucus to warm my nose, and there were fragments of dried bloody membrane tissue in the mucus. I wondered if these fragments were from the time in 1997, when my wife and I visited Mexico City. The air was terribly polluted. My chest hurt, and I had bloody sinuses for a few days after we got home from Mexico.
Day 13, I was massaged and given another herbalized oil enema. This gave me mild abdominal cramps that lasted all day. I finished writing, "A Detailed Seven Day Tour of Western Turkey," my 101st poem in a little less than one year for my book, 101 Poems That Tell A Story. It was so easy to write because with every passing day, my mind seemed to become sharper.
Day 14, I was almost constantly chilled, and I kept my down jacket on, even after returning from walking a mile on the nearby athletic track. John's former office was comfortable and warm, where I worked on the computer until I would run out of energy. Then I would lie down and rest, and my strength would build back up. While lying I felt like I was floating, with waves of happiness surging through my body and mind.
Day 15, I noted in my diary that my fingernails had stopped growing. I had trimmed them before the treatment started. Also, my toenails, which were long and sharp, were now short and blunt. Maybe the body searched for protein, which is needed for all enzymes. For sure my gastro-intestinal tract had no food.
A bitterly cold wind was blowing, but Dr. John and I walked around the athletic track. I quit walking after one mile, but my son kept running. My nose ran to warm the cold air I was breathing. I noticed my mucus was quite salty, since I used too much sea salt last summer on corn-on-the-cob, which I ate nearly every day. I blew my nose and a lot of dried bloody membrane fragments again were expelled in the mucus. I wondered how long it had been in my sinuses.
Day 16, I asked Dr. John if I should fast some more. He said, "As long as you are not hurting, go ahead for a longer fast." Centuries ago people fasted long periods of time until they got well. It was not so unusual for people to fast on water alone for 40 days. Jesus fasted in the desert wilderness for 40 days. Pythagoras first required his students to fast 40 days, before they could sit at his feet to study. And to study in Alexandria's famed library, one had to fast 40 days.
Day 17, I felt great after my massages, without an enema. Four enemas had caused some uncomfortable abdominal cramps. Only a few fragments of old dried mucous came out when I blew my nose in the morning. But each day I was a trifle weaker and my body heat seemed below par, especially against the crisp below-freezing mornings. But mentally I felt so happy I could embrace the whole world. The inner joy you feel with the ayurvedic treatments is just incredible!
Day 18, I noticed each day I had a little less energy, which probably comes from breaking down fat and protein in the body. After I wrote on the computer a while, I had to rest more frequently. I blew my nose before retiring, and more fragments of old mucus came out. I'm glad that I extended my fast. My urine was still yellow and had a strong smell. Probably evidence that I continued to expell toxins, which was my reason for doing the treatment in the process. Mentally I still feel upbeat. While closing the eyes during treatment, I saw a golden light which kept getting bigger and bigger.
Day 19, I walked in the cold to the clinic and went on the Hydrojet massage bed for 25 minutes. While lying on the massage bed, two nozzles vigorously sprayed water up against my body, while moving from side to side travelling up and down my body. It was stimulating, yet relaxing. The therapist vigorously massaged me, like a chiropractor, almost to the point of me saying, enough is enough. I liked his treatment on my 14th and last day of oil treatments. I feel so squeaky clean inside my body, and I feel light as a feather. The inner joy I experience is incredible.
Day 20, In the evening I went with John by S-bahn to a wonderful Bach concert in Munich, 45 minutes away. I used the handrail on the steps, because I was a little wobbly and it was easy to lose my balance. I didn't pick up my feet. But I never fell, and I could walk slowly very well. In bed it took forever to warm up my bed with my ice cold feet. I was definitely much weaker now from fasting, but my mind was sharp as a razor, like it was years ago. I learned something interesting. I had been getting energy by breaking down fats to fatty acids and then to ketones. Ketones, instead of glucose, were now fuelling my brain. This "high octane" fuel made my mind very sharp during the fast.
Day 21, was sunny, and I bundled up and walked around the athletic track twice. I blew my nose and there was only clean mucus. As the fast continued into a long fast of 21-days, my body grew weaker as well as colder with each passing day. I still had energy to walk, but I felt wobbly, and my balance was affected. When I shivered, I put on my down jacket and lied down. And it took a long time for my body to produce more heat, since energy had to come from burning fat and protein, and hopefully toxins. Even though I felt weak, my mind was immersed in joy and happiness. Mentally I was razor sharp. I felt like I had been reborn and renewed.
I still drank lots of water, but had only a little, sometimes stinky, yellow urine, evidence that I was still detoxing. I began fasting December 3, and the morning of December 24, my twenty-one day fast ended.
The Bible speaks of fasting 74 times.
In Matthew 17: 18, Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
Matthew 17: 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast him out?"
Matthew 17: 20-21 Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief . . . This kind (of demon, or illness) does not go out except by prayer and fasting. (my emphasis)
**O**
Earl C. Switzer
December 25, 2007
Breaking the 21-Day Kayakalpa Treatment
My first day of eating began the morning of December 24. Dr. John came to my room with a small glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice, included the blended rind of the lemon, and half a small apple to chew well, skin, core, seeds and all. For lunch I ate a raw cabbage salad with sprouted mung beans, and drank a glass of freshly squeezed carrot, celery, and pomegranate juice. The juice was refreshing and what I needed most. It really pepped me up, but for only a little bit. For dinner I had a little barley soup.
It is very important to break a long fast slowly, without any meat, since meat is hard to digest. My fingernails still haven't grown a bit. I kept on detoxing, since my urine was still yellow. I am pleased that a deep line in my cheek has disappeared. The skin on my face has tightened as my jowls were absorbed and turned into energy. The cold air caused me to secrete mucus to warm my nose and sinuses. I will probably continue to detox for several days after my fast.
Today I felt weak and wobbly and still a bit chilly. My balance was temporarily affected. My mind was quick and sharper than ever before. When lying down I was treated to a psychedelic display in my mind's eye of a flood of pulsating waves of blue light centring on a yellow star - truly a blissful experience! I'm glad I had the patience and endurance to extend my fast a little longer to more completely detox my body. My eyesight also has improved, colors seem brighter and more intense.
My second day, I received a larger portion of raw, green salad, a raw cracker made of ground buckwheat, sunflower, and flax seed, flavored with onion. I drank a glass of blended blue berry almond milk. In the evening, I ate warmed frozen peas in a blended and a cooked Jerusalem artichoke soup base. I ate larger portions than on the first day.
My third day, after a long fast, my portions were increased of raw vegetables, an apple, plus I drank a freshly squeezed juice from carrot, celery, and ginger root. I ate four raw sprouted crackers spread with butter and honey, for breakfast. Heating food up to only 115o F preserves the enzymes in raw foods and sprouted grains. Enzymes are proteins that need no digesting and are absorbed right into the blood. But food cooked above 115o F has no enzymes.
Before lunch I walked in the sunshine with John, Angelo, and Diandra down through Feldafing Park, along the shore of Starnburgersee. The forest formerly belonged to the Bavarian royalty. It's an old growth beech, oak forest given by the Whittlesbach family to Bavaria in the 1860s. Here is a delightful place to walk along wide paths, cleared of leaves in the fall before the snow flies. The Roseninsel with a palace is but a kilometre off shore. One must exercise everyday even while fasting. I never had trouble walking. I just walked slower and didn't want to waste precious energy to pick up my feet.
At lunch I ate a big bowl of slowly simmered 13-bean soup along with a cabbage salad marinated in kombucha. The marinated raw cabbage was soft and delicious. I needed more calories, so I ate four raw onion crackers, and an apple. To re-colonize my colon with healthy bacteria, I ate kafir, made with kafir "babies" put into unpasteurized goat's milk and left a few days at room temperature. It had a sour, rich buttermilk taste. One can also ferment rice dream, a milk substitute, with kefir. I read that good quality kafir colonizes the intestine, and these bacteria are an excellent source of Vitamin B12. For dinner, I drank a milkshake made by blending a frozen banana with frozen blueberries, vanilla, and either almond milk or rice dream.
After three days of careful, healthful eating, my digestive system was waking up and running. I had my first bowel movement in over two weeks. I quit shivering as my body created more energy by breaking down food into glucose, and I am growing stronger with each passing hour. I never worried or suffered as I went into my long fast. I never once had a hunger pang or a longing for food. As time went by, my body actually adjusted to a totally shutdown of the digestive system. I still exercised daily, and even went with John to hear the Bach choir and orchestra in Munich, on my 20th day of fasting. I gradually got weaker and felt colder, as my fast went on day after day. It was easy to fast. I liked working on the computer, where from December 3 until December 24, I wrote 16 poems, and finished writing the last part of my book, 101 Poems That Tell a Story. My mind had speeded up and it was a fruitful time of my life. I also edited John's new book, Cyclical Eating and Bio-photon-Enzyme Nutrition for Health and Longevity.
Early into my 14-day treatment with Panchakarma, while making a 21-day fast, I was already experiencing waves of bliss and joy pulsate through my body. Throughout my massages, while fasting on water alone, I frequently saw waves of blue light with my eyes closed, on the massage table, and also in bed resting. John said, "Blue light is a sign that one is experiencing bliss consciousness." What a beautiful feeling! According to John, the cleaner the digestive tract becomes, the more bliss one begins to experience.
My fourth day, December 27, at 7:00 a.m., Dr. John got me on my feet to walk in the frosty morning. He said exercise was needed to recover from the fasting. But I now know how a famished bear feels after coming out of hibernation. My digestive system was up and running, and I needed food! I felt like I was becoming a hungry bear!
The post-holiday crowd in Munich's Kaufingerstrasse nearly knocked me off my feet. At a fast food restaurant, I only got a tiny bit of kartofelsalat or potato salad to eat. I loaded John's rucksack with two coconuts, two avocados, and a bunch of celery.
By S-bahn, I was soon back to Feldafing, where John fed me a delicious soup. Irina prepared a vegetable stir-fry with tofu. I ate my fill.
My sixth day, December 29, I shopped with John in Munich, and came home dog tired and ready to eat the first thing that resembled food. John squeezed carrot and celery juice - the ultimate in fast food. He stir-fried some veggies at a low temperature, so as not to destroy many enzymes. Then he introduced me to two tropical foods, the Jackfruit and the Durian, both of which are protected by a tough and spiny outer shell. The Durian cost 15 euros per kilo for the entire fruit with the thick spiny skin. But it is cheaper when purchased in plastic-wrapped individual servings. John said, "The Durian is the queen of fruits." When frozen, it is white, sweet, and creamy - with a delicious flavor, like vanilla ice cream. Inside each soft sector of the large fruit is an inedible brown seed that resembles a shelled Brazil nut. Then John peeled a kohlrabi for me to eat like an apple. It was so juicy and flavourful! It appealed to me more than an apple. My hunger was somewhat satiated.
My seventh day, December 30, of recovery from my long fast, we walked a mile in the snow and ended up at mass at Feldafing's large, modern Catholic Church. On the way home, we stopped at Dr. John's office, and he gave me a B12 shot, to boost my metabolism.
About 3:00 a.m. the following morning, I awoke for a bathroom break. But I became aware that something putrid had collected in my mouth. I spit it into the sink. The bloodstained mucus smelled horrible. It was the source of months of slow draining from my sinuses at night. Only the long fast could have dislodged that. Would doctors have operated to solve the membrane problem? One only needs to relax and give the body a chance. Even animals know how long they need to fast to get well.
My eighth day, December 31, 2007, I was being wound up like an 8-day clock.
Dr. John kept the Ayurvedic centre open for walk-in patients, and he got two to treat. In the meantime, John massaged me with warm sesame oil after I rested fifteen minutes on the Hydrojet that automatically massaged my back.
Then he put a bed sheet over my head as I leaned over a steaming pan of hot water that contained a little oil from herbs. Dr. John said to breathe the steam deeply for ten minutes. And then I went into a 34o C sauna for twenty minutes as the temperature reached 37o C, equivalent of a hot summer day. I sweated and took a shower and felt invigorated. My appetite was still good, and John fed me kefir, an excellent source of Vitamin B12. Then I ate raw, smoked ocean caught salmon sliced thin like leaves of a book. I also ate raw onion crackers and thinly sliced zucchini baked in a balsamic vinegar sauce. Soup and a raw kohlrabi rounded out the meal. John is truly an excellent self-taught chef. Then he said to me, "I think I have your homeopathic remedy, but it might make you feel worse for a couple of days." I took the medicine. Sure enough, he was right - one step forward and two steps back. Strange the power in three tiny pellets less than half a millimetre in diameter.
On New Year's Day, my wound up eight-day clock was running down. John said, "That means the homeopathic remedy was correct and is working."
Dr. John, who uses pulse diagnosis, told me I was right on track to getting a healthy body completely free of toxins.
What a blessing to have a personal physician, who knows what he is doing. Fourteen days of Ayurvedic oil massages, enemas, and a twenty-one day water fast rolled back my hardening of the arteries, that could lead to stroke or heart attack.
January 9, 2008, Irina surprised me with a delicious raw pumpkin pie with a lighted candle for my birthday. John rolled back my biological clock, and I became 81 years young. I felt like I was beginning my second childhood, with so many wishes I still wished to fulfil. My painfree body now feels light and flexible, my mind sharp as a razor. Such joy to be able to roll back the clock and gain a new lease on life.
**O**
December 26, 2007
Revised February 8, 2010
On December 26, 2007, I had written poetry for one year and finished my book,
101 Poems That Tell A Story.
Personal Experiences with the ayurvedic Kayakalpa panchakarma Treatment
These warm sesame oil massages are done to detoxify the body, strengthen the immune system, and restore balance in body and mind. Accumulated toxins are removed by the oil treatments. Dr. John Switzer began the treatment in the morning by asking me to swallow about 50 or 60 ml of ghee (clarified butter). Then I drank water or sucked on a lemon. Dr. John asked me to fast so the ghee could work more effectively in my digestive system, clearing out accumulated toxins.
The following statement may surprise the reader: I have never had hunger pangs after I began the treatment. Dr. John gave me various ayurvedic remedies and microminerals which were able to completely turn the hunger and appetite off.
One time, after Dr. John began giving me ayurvedic treatments wgile I was also fasting, my grandson's school invited the public to a big potluck buffet, where parents brought a variety of tempting home cooked and baked foods. I saw and smelled all the dishes of delicious foods, but my mind blocked out any follow up responses by my digestive system. It is amazing how my mind protected me from hunger pangs.
In December 2003, during my second day of massages, I experienced a blissful vision off light. I recorded this in my diary, and will describe it below. Dr. John was demonstrating to a new therapist how to massage a patient. As one sits in a chair, a little warm sesame oil was worked into my scalp and face. Then on the massage table, the sesame oil was pressed firmly into the skin on my back and abdomen - the whole body. The skin absorbed much of the oil and partially dissolves the toxins that the body had stored there. The liver and kidneys can now handle the toxins made more soluble by the sesame oil massages. John taught the therapist to press against the skin very firmly.
The last massage that day I will never forget. It involved my forehead. As I laid on my back, patches were placed over my eyes, and warm sesame oil was dribbled slowly across my forehead. A half minute later the direction was reversed, and a thin stream of oil was strewn across my forehead in the opposite direction. This continued for 25 minutes. The attendant covered me with a sheet for warmth, and let me rest for probably 20 minutes.
When he removed the patches, I was astonished to see the most beautiful, vibrant sky blue ceiling. The indirect light fixtures on the walls were no longer visible. The dull, peach colored walls were now a pleasing, beautiful light color like a pearl. Everything was vibrant and the walls and ceiling seemed to be actually alive, beautiful as the skin of a baby.
I described this to John and he exclaimed, "You had an experience of bliss, a spiritual experience!" I was reminded of the scripture where Jesus said:
"The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good,
your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your whole
body is full of darkness." Luke 11: 34
Most of the time after dribbling sesame oil on the forehead, I did not have visual, blissful experiences, but definitely my cerebrum was activated. Once after the forehead treatment, I was told to rest and then to go into the sauna, which was heating to over 35o C, like a hot summer day. My mind was so activated that I was immediately bored. What could I possibly do for the next 30 minutes with nothing to read or write? Then I felt the sweat trickling and tickling. Hey, that rhymed! Can I think of more words that rhyme? Then I went home and wrote my first simple poem. I continued writing 101 Poems That Tell A Story, and finished my first volume of poetry in one year. The thin stream of oil poured back and forth on my forehead had activated my cerebrum.
It took me two years to write 101 Poems That Tell A Story, Vol. 2. I think it took me longer, because I revised my writing much more with the second volume. On the 2nd day of my Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment in 2007, my computer gave me a choice, Ja or Nein. I clicked on Ja and erased 168 pages of my poems. I was so angry with myself and flew into a rage! I had 61 paper copies of poems, but 20 copies were erased. Much revision is very necessary and not a waste of time.
I will turn to my diaries and describe my experiences each day as my 21-day fast progressed from December 3 to December 24, 2007
What I experienced during my 21-day Kayakalpa Treatment
I will describe how Dr. John began my Ayurvedic Panchakarma massage treatment. He started the treatment in the morning by asking me to swallow about 50 or 60 ml of ghee (clarified butter). Then I would drink water or suck on a lemon. Dr. John asked me to fast, so the ghee could work more effectively in my digestive system.
After swallowing the ghee, I was off to the Ayurvedic centre, where I laid on the Hydrojet that was like a waterbed. I relaxed and let the two nozzles spray water firmly from side to side while they moved back and forth along my spine for 25 minutes. Of course, the water struck the top of the bed, and didn't make my body wet. The force of the water felt very soothing.
In 2007, Dr. John began to treat me with Ayurvedic oil massages. On the 3rd day of my fast, I was massaged by Evelyn, an expert with much feeling in her hands. It was such a wonderful experience, that I saw blue light, when I laid with my eyes closed. I never was so energized! The blue light pulsated in waves around a golden center. When I was doing TM for twenty years from 1976 to the late 90's, I only rarely saw blue light, a cherished sign of bliss consciousness.
During my 5th day of fasting, both John and his wife, Irina, complemented me on my youthfulness. John said I could pass for 65 instead of 80. They said when I came last year, in 2006, I looked beat. On my 7th day of fasting, John said, "Fasting will unclog the arteries in your brain, so go for it!"
On my 8th day of fasting, Evelyn carefully and systematically massaged my whole body. Then she "sandpapered" me with ground barley. It felt so good! Then I jumped into the sauna. I was too dehydrated to sweat much. Drank two cups of herb tea and had an enema of sesame oil. I rested covered with warm towels. Across my mental screen flashed a field of pulsating blue light. This was truly blissful! I wondered if my "brain fog" was lifting. For years my mind had been shrouded in a cloud of fog. Such joy to be able to wipe away the clouds. The mental clarity I now felt brought tears to my eyes.
The Bible mentions fasting 74 times. I think fasting must be the fastest and most thorough health procedure. Toward the end of a daily massage, I was given an enema - more sesame oil to clean the inside of the colon. So after all the treatment, one is feeling squeaky clean, inside and out.
On my 9th day of fasting, I received a massage that was even better than Evelyn's. A tall, handsome Macedonian, who looked like Placido Domingo, asked me in sign language, if he could use pressure. I gladly answered ok.
He was very skilled, and I tried not to wince. I staggered home feeling weak and fell on the bed and went to sleep. When I looked in the mirror, I was pleased to see that fasting had removed the droopy jowls from my cheeks. Dr. John was elated when I said I wanted to continue fasting after day 10. He said it would remove some blockages from my brain. Irina was worried about me and tried to tempt me with some soup, but I declined her thoughtful offer.
On my 11th day of fasting, the Macedonian therapist worked on my head. Under a sheet, I put my head over a bowl of steaming herbs and inhaled for 15 minutes. Then as I lay on the massage table, he put drops into each nostril for me to inhale. He put drops in my eyes, and had me roll my eyes around. After an enema and a shower at the end of three hours of treatment, I walked home feeling rather weak.
On the 12th day of fasting, I was feeling stronger. Sandra, another therapist, trickled oil back and forth on my forehead at the end of my massage therapy. Went home and put all 101 poems on a floppy disk. When I blew my nose, I got a slight bloody discharge of mucus, another reason to keep on fasting. When I was not being treated at the clinic, I worked on the computer writing poems, and I reached my goal of writing 101 poems in one year.
I noticed my shrinking jowls were nearly gone, when I looked in the mirror on my 13th day of fasting. I went to the centre for a massage and enema. As I walked by the Macedonian therapist's car, I noticed it had been rear-ended. He parked along the sidewalk.
The 14th day of fasting, fell on Sunday, but I was too tired and weak to walk to church. Kept working on the computer. I have not wasted more than 10 minutes since I came to visit John and his family. The little room was warm, yet I often got chilled because of my fasting. I've had abdominal cramps, since the enema that I got yesterday. John and I went to the athletic track and walked around the track a few times. I quit after a mile, but the extra breathing caused me to discharge some mucus containing small bits of old blood-stained mucous membranes. After the walk I laid down and relaxed. My nap ended with waves of blue light - always heavenly and delightful!
I continued reading my detailed notes recorded in my diary. On the 15th day of my fast, I was too energized to sleep and dream, but I was completely relaxed. My cramps were gone. I noticed that my fingernails stopped growing. My long toenails contracted. My chills were gone. I asked Dr. John if I should fast another day. John replied, "Play it by ear. You have the ideal set up for fasting - a quiet, warm room with a computer and a bed."
Despite a cold, east wind, John and I walked around the track four times. I felt more energetic than yesterday. The cold made my nose drip. I blew my nose and the mucus contained bits of blood-stained sinus membranes. My exercise and rapid breathing caused this to dislodge, so I decided to fast another day. Irina worried about me, and said I must stop fasting. I said, "Don't blame John; it was my decision to do a long fast."
I awoke at 4:30 a.m. on the 16th day of fasting. I sat up and scribbled some notes for the first poem of 101 Poems That Tell A Story - Vol. 2. I called the poem, The Easy Road to Health - Fasting. I noticed I didn't have to sleep as long, and my mind speeded up. I got dressed and wrote my poem - still very sketchy - on the computer. I continued proof reading John's book, Cyclical Eating and Bio-photon Energy.
John came and we bundled up against the wind and walked to his clinic. I asked if I should continue to fast. Dr. John said, "As long as you are not hurting, you can fast some more." I remarked, "Let's shoot for 21 days."
At first I laid on the Hydrojet, and received a relaxing massage from the water nozzles shooting water against my back. After 25 minutes, I went into the sauna for 15 minutes. I started to feel weak, so I left the sauna and took a shower. I napped for an hour and then walked home in the cold.
I worked on the computer nearly two hours until I felt tension, my heart beat faster, and my fingers got cold. Then I put on my down jacket and laid down on the bed until my body could produce more energy by breaking down stored fat and tumors. The last thing to be broken down for energy would be, of course, muscle tissue, and I was a long way from that. This is how I alternated between resting and working on the computer.
On the 17th day of fasting, I worked on my poem about fasting. I also started to write other health related poems for John's book, which I have helped him edit. I went to the centre for a massage, but no sauna. The sauna takes energy out of the body, and my energy now comes from breaking down fat. I walked with John to the centre on my 18th day of fasting, which was also my 13th day of Ayurvedic massages. The Macedonian thoroughly massaged me from top to bottom. He really applied the pressure to drive in the sesame oil to remove the toxins and antioxidants from my skin, the largest organ of the body with its layer of fatty tissue. I walked home, laid down, and had a restful nap. I blew my nose before I retired and blood stained fragments of mucous membrane were discharged from my right nostril. I'm glad I continued to fast.
I slept deeply and was completely relaxed, when I awoke on the 19th day of my fasting. I jotted down statements for another poem about fasting leading to bliss. I went back to sleep until 9:00 a.m. Walked with John at 10:00 a.m. to the centre for my last and 14th day of massages. I'm still expelling old blood stained sinus membranes. In 1997 my wife and I visited Mexico City, and the smog was so thick, it hurt my lungs and caused my sinuses to bleed for days after we returned to Oregon. I wonder if this was the source of my damaged sinus membranes, but that was 10 years ago.
After 25 minutes on the hydrojet, the Macedonian therapist massaged me. He pressed very hard repeatedly on my shoulder joint and spine. I almost wanted to say enough is enough, but I kept quiet, grateful for the forceful massages. I had plenty of work to do on the computer. I began another poem on my observations about Germany. Went to bed at midnight.
My 20th day of fasting was long and filled with wonderful activity. I had gone to bed with ice cold feet, but I must have slept a little. I awoke in the midst of a vivid dream. I saw my deceased wife, young and beautiful, sitting in a bathtub with no water and a few toys. Black clay was smeared on the sides of the tub, which reminded me of the time we visited the Dead Sea and saw tourists smearing mineral-rich black clay on their faces and bodies. I admired Vally's naturally black, wavy hair, which she always cut herself. I said, "I didn't know you were coming, or I would have cleaned the tub." I wanted to see her face. Without looking at me, she said, "But you really don't care for me." I wrote this up as a poem.
Today, when I tired out and laid down to "recharge" my store of energy, I shivered a lot, and it took much longer for me to regain warmth and strength, even with my down jacket zipped up. At 5:30 p.m. John and I drove to
Starnberg to buy a real Tanne Christmas tree - the pyramidal fir one can decorate with real candles and light them safely on Christmas Eve.
Then we took the S-bahn to Munich to enjoy the most heavenly music at the Theater am Gaertnerplatz. We heard the Mass for Soloists, Choir, and Orchestra by Johann Sebastian Bach. One of Dr. John's patients sang in the choir and gave John two tickets. The mass lasted about an hour and a half. It is regarded as the greatest composition ever written by anyone for choir and orchestra. J.S. Bach composed everything he wrote for the glory of God.
Although weak from fasting, I noticed my hearing had improved without a hearing aid. I wobbled weakly when I climbed the steps as I grasped the handrail. My mind had been getting sharper the longer I fasted.
Jesus fasted 40 days. The ancients respected the power of fasting to improve their health as well as to sharpen their minds. Pythagoras required his students to fast 40 days, before they could sit at his feet and study. The American, Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, cured many people their doctors had given up on, simply by having them fast. The late Bill Bright, founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ International, did a 40-day fruit juice fast every year for several years. Of course, this is not as powerful as a water fast, but I'm sure it has value.
I slept very well, and I sat in bed and wrote two pages with pen describing last night's concert. On my 21st day of fasting, John and I walked in the sunshine on a frosty morning to attend mass. Then John asked me to walk around the track with him in the sun to produce a little Vitamin D. Irina and Angelo decorated the Christmas tree, a real fir with fresh green needles.
I spent most of the day writing about last night's beautiful Bach concert.
Without requiring the story to rhyme, I tried to describe every sight and sound of the concert at the Theater am Gaertnerplatz, where I am sure Johann Sebastian Bach brought us all a little closer to God. After 21 days of fasting, my "brain fog" was gone, and I could think clearly and more quickly once again.
My 21-day fast ended this morning, December 24, 2007. To begin my three -week fast, John brought me a small glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a small unpeeled apple. He said to chew it slowly - peel, core, seeds and all. I was still detoxing - my urine was very yellow. My mucus is back to normal. I added my presents to the boxes under the tree. Then John brought me a glass of carrot and celery juice that he had just squeezed. That was really what I needed. Next he chopped fresh veggies and made a salad with sprouted mung beans. The family started with the Heiliger Abend (Christmas Eve) celebration in the early evening. Angelo lit the candles on the freshly cut Tannenbaum. Irina and I snapped pictures of everyone from every angle. Angelo read the story of Jesus' birth from the German Bibel and I read the same story in Luke 2: 1-20 from the English Bible. Then Angelo distributed the gifts. What a harmonious Christmas Eve, without cookies, candies, and carols. I think we were already saturated with all these things during Advent that is devoutly celebrated in Germany.
After a long fast it is of utmost importance not to eat meat. And one should not eat big meals, since the digestive system has been completely shut down for a long time. One needs to get it up to running again - carefully and slowly. I took 8-days to recover my digestive fire. For a few days, I was like a bear coming out of hibernation. I couldn't satisfy my hunger. But during the entire treatment- I never had hunger pangs - even in the presence of food.
**O**
Earl C. Switzer
7 February 2010