New Year's Panchakarma

Ghee, aka clarified butter, elixir of the gods

According to to Patanjali (whose yoga sutras are key tenets of the practice), Sharath noted, there are two different kinds of diseases, those that can be cured by Yoga and those diseases that can be cured by Ayurveda. Ayurveda, the traditional medicine native to India, has preventative as well as curative value. It's also hard to ignore while visiting the subcontinent.
Several friends gave glowing reviews about their experiences doing Panchakarma at Dixit Clinic here in Mysore. Curious, I signed on for the 7-day cleansing treatment based on Ayurveda to ring out 2011 and in 2012. 
Panchakarma (Sanskrit for '5 actions') is basically a de-tox program, Indian style, relying on several Ayurvedic therapies, including oleation, massage, steaming and purging (there's more invasive treatment available pending your condition. I asked the doctor to kindly not make me throw up and was grateful that wouldn't be needed). But this has meant no caffeine and a lot of medicated ghee (clarified butter).
For nearly every day of this last week of the year, I've been taken a rickshaw post-yoga practice to the clinic for ghee drinking, lunch and treatments (my regime augmented by some special treatments for my knees). 
Fun, eh?

Despite having to down an intimidatingly large dose of ghee yesterday and the prospect of staying quiet on New Year's Eve, I've enjoyed the experience thus far.

Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods

 In addition to the the health benefits, it's provided a mini-retreat to rest, review and look ahead to the new year. Here's to clarity in 2012, in butter and otherwise!