KAYA KALPA

Prolonging life span towards immortality is for Self-realization and thus living immortality on all levels of life: spiritual, mental and body.

Vast herbal knowledge is found in ancient Sanskrit treaties. Kayakalpa is a recipe for rejuvenation expounded in verses nos. 28 to 36 of chapter XXXIX of Ashtanga Hridaya by Vagbhatt. It is also mentioned in various other treatises such as Rasayana Tantra (one of the eight branches of Ayurveda). It is claimed by Vagbhatt that a forty day course of this treatment would give a man imperishable manly strength equal to that of an elephant, with improved muscles, intellect, and vitality and that he would live a thousand years.

Himalayan herbs were employed in a rejuvenation treatment which aroused the attention of the world in 1938, when the method was used on Pundit Madan Mohan Malaviya, 77-year old Vice-Chancellor of Benares Hindu University. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was president of the Indian National Congress in 1909 and in 1918. Pundit Malavija underwent the treatment at the hands of the exponent of the Kayakalpa treatment, Baba Vishnu Datta, also known as Sri Tapaswiji Maharaj, reputed to be a centenarian himself, though he looked not more than sixty years old.

 The treatment of Kayakalpa was very rigorous. The patients lived all alone in separate chambers, specially prepared for them. Sunlight was completely excluded and also no sounds were heard from outside. Except for when an occasional visitor was permitted inside, they were alone, all the time. Bathing or shaving and use of cold water in any form were prohibited. The only food permitted was milk from a black cow, besides a dose of medicine every morning and evening. The main ingredient of the medicine was amla (myrobalan), to which the Tapaswi Baba added the powder of several herbs, the names of which he revealed to Malaviya after the conclusion of the treatment, with permission to publish them if he liked. Each dose of medicine weighing two ounces had to be taken with two ounces of butter and two ounces of honey. Thus Malaviya was required to take four ounces of butter and four ounces of honey, in addition to the one and half or two liters of milk which he took every day.

After first three weeks of the treatment, Malaviya got sound sleep and gained about ten pounds in weight – he only weighed 102 pounds when he entered the chamber. Some of his gray hair also turned black and his eyesight and memory improved slightly. He told a visitor who called on him during the course of the treatment that he was able to recall some old slokas which he had learned in his childhood. The wrinkles on his face also lessened. On coming out of the underground chamber, he was examined by Dr. R. N. Banerji, a leading physician of the town, who noticed a general improvement in his health. He needed some solid food, starting with the juice of moong dal. It was not till two days after the conclusion of the treatment that he took his first bath – after an interval of six weeks. Narrating his experience of the treatment to a correspondent of the Leader at Banaras on April 29, he said „I gained nine pounds in weight. The color and complexion of my face and my eyesight have improved. I have got back something of my old voice. My memory is improved. My hair has become perceptibly blacker. The shaking of my hands has much decreased. I walk straight. The feeling of helplessness has changed into hopefulness and confidence. If I did not suffer from continued irregularity and insufficiency of sleep, the improvement in my health would have been greater. My gain would have been greater also if I had been able to perform the preliminary purification of the body by means of what is called panchakarma. A man should have a perfectly care-free mind before undergoing the treatment “.

Course on Kaya Kalpa yoga – yoga of rejuvenation

Structure: The course can be organized as one or two week retreat. Before starting the Kaya Kalpa programe each course participant will have thorough diagnostic from the point of wiev of Yoga and Ayurveda on which basis will be designed specific individual approach for the Kaya Kalpa procedure. During the retreat course participants practice Ashtanga (8 limbs) Kaya Kalpa Yoga and have special regime regarding diet and Rasayana treatment. Effect of the retreat is very rejuvenating and improves health of mind and body.