Pune Gurukula Clinical Ayurvedic Studies Program

Pune Gurukula Clinical Ayurvedic Studies Program

Travel Information

Traveling to India is definitely an adventure. Here are some recommendations to help:

• Research vaccines and decide what to do based on your health and your comfort level – many people, myself included, manage fine without vaccines

• Think positive and avoid being fearful while at the same time being smart and careful

• Prior to leaving, see if there are any other students arriving at airport around the same time as you to share a taxi

• Taxis are the most direct way to get to Pune but there are also trains; be sure to shop around if you take a taxi

• Give yourself time to recover from traveling, adjust to India, and get settled in before the program starts based on what you know of yourself and how much time you might need

• Drink only bottled water; check seals as bottles are sometimes refilled and sold

• Bring grapefruit seed extract and start using a few days before you leave then use at every meal to keep digestive system healthy and avoid parasites

• The Himalayan Institute also has a good herbal travel formula called Safe Travels that you can get at www.himalayaninstitute.org to avoid parasites

• It’s best to eat from restaurants geared towards westerners, they cost more but you are less likely to pick up something and get sick, avoid street vendors and raw foods, unless it is fruit peeled by you and clean

• Bring small bottles of hand sanitizer

• Ayurvedic herbs Triphala for digestion and Ashwagandha for strength and immune system are also helpful to take as well as probiotics

• Emergen-C packets are small, light and easy to pack to keep immune system strong

• Some folks find it helpful to bring some protein bars or snack bars to have on hand; be sure to bring Ziploc bags or secure way to store them as they can melt and ants can quickly find food anywhere

• Bring a sink stopper that can fit a range of sinks for hand washing clothes if necessary and some clothes pins

• Pack a lot of things you’d like to give away that can be helpful to people on the streets: shawls, sweaters, jackets, appropriate clothing, cookware, tarps; clothes in India are very inexpensive and it is respectful to Dr. Lad to dress in traditional and modest clothing, so many people just buy clothing in India, so you can bring stuff to give away and fill your suitcase with the new clothes you buy

• Bring extra batteries if you have a camera or anything else that requires batteries; lithium batteries last longest for cameras; batteries can be expensive in India

• Don’t expect things to function on time. Enjoy, relax, let go and surrender to the magic of India!