What are you doing in soma?

I have three areas of responsibility. In order to give the areas of responsibility a basis, I have to go a little further. Maharishi says soma is the glue of the universe. Soma is what holds together everything visible and invisible. In relation to the human body, the more soma, the better the health, the longer the lifespan. Soma is the finest product of our metabolism, it is the finest product of our digestion.

My area of ​​responsibility in the soma project is to make soma flow and I do that in three ways here.

1. through teaching Transcendental Meditation (TM). Together with my colleague Barbara Diewald we bring our course participants to transcend. Transcending naturally and effortlessly stimulates soma production in the body.
   And when soma is produced in the body and mind, well-being occurs spontaneously. The feeling of being more in tune with yourself, of experiencing deeper fulfillment. This is the job I like to do the most because it is completely effortless for me and has the greatest impact on the students.
2. My second area of ​​responsibility are the Pancha Karma applications. These are physical treatments for spa guests that aim to stimulate soma production in the body. These are synchronized oil massages, where I always massage the spa guest together with a colleague, herbal steam baths, tub baths with medicinal water, Marma treatments and various drainage procedures. We also want to start Maharishi's Gem Light Therapy this year.
3. The third area of ​​responsibility is the production of herbal oils, according to the original recipes of Ayurveda and also the ghee production. The production of medicated ghee according to original recipes. Ghee is butterfat or what we call clarified butter. Ghee has great healing properties in Ayurveda.

What did you do before? And how did you come to soma?

I completed my training as a Pancha Karma therapist in Holland in 1985. I was there with Dr. Mölk, who, in addition to training as a therapist, also trained as an Ayurveda doctor. Together we then set up the small Maharishi Ayurveda health center in Vienna in the first district (Biberstrasse). That's where we started Pancha Karma.

At that time, Ayurveda was still completely unknown in Austria. At that time the television came and a lot of it was in the media and that helped to make the Maharishi Ayurveda better known in Austria.

In 1993 dr. Wolfgang Schachinger started the clinic on Bahnhofstrasse in Ried. There I took over the technical construction and various manual activities. I was there from the start and can still remember that time well.

In the fall of the same year, Dr. Schäffler started with Maharishi Ayurveda at the Hotel Schloss Pichlarn in Styria, where I also helped with the development. Ayurvedic treatments require different oil pump systems and these had to be installed professionally, for example.

After working in Styria, I commuted between Vienna and Upper Austria and always worked where I was needed. In 2002 I went to Holland and worked there on various international projects. In 2013 I went back to the clinic of Dr. Schachinger and started teaching TM.

Can you tell us the daily routine of a spa guest?

In general, guests tell me that as soon as they come into our house, they feel lifted, more awake, more balanced, more festive.

This is due to the construction of soma, which was built according to the principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. That means building in accordance with the laws of nature and many people feel that.

Every spa guest receives a spa plan at check-in, on which the daily routine is noted. For breakfast there is something easily digestible, a porridge or crispbread with honey/jam and tea. Depends on how far the cure has progressed.

After breakfast we go back to the room and we usually pick up the guests from their rooms for the treatments. The various treatments are carried out in the treatment room.

In between, our guests always have time to rest. After the treatments, we bring them back to the room, where you can rest if you want. After lunch there are sometimes other applications, such as organ harmonization or Marma treatments, etc. according to the treatment plan.

In the afternoon there is usually time for a walk. It is quiet here in Geboltskirchen and there is enough space to enjoy nature and switch off properly without traffic noise or other disturbances.

In the evening there is again an easy to digest dinner. Spa guests who have not yet learned TM and therefore cannot participate in the joint group meditation can go to lectures or yoga, followed by early bed rest.

How do you feel about treatments?

Treatments feel very different to me. For example, the synchronized massage is very deep. You are completely with yourself. Although you are together with the spa guest and the treating colleague. You can feel the spa guest and the colleagues.

A very large unit is created. In some cases you really notice how the soma starts to flow.

You can feel how the spa guest relaxes, how he can immerse himself in the treatment. Initially, the muscles are still tense. The longer the treatments last and the longer the patients are in our house, the more relaxed they become. Here you then notice that they sometimes no longer hear our voice and first have to "come to their senses" because they immerse themselves in the treatment.

I find it very fulfilling when I notice that the spa guest is so immersed in the treatment.

Of course, there is no such unit with a bath band or a Nasya, because the work on the patient does not take place as directly here as, for example, with a synchronized massage.

I take Marma treatments differently.

Marmas are points and lines on the surface of the body that can also be treated by gently touching or stroking them.

Maharishi says the Marmas are a connection between the inside and the outside. In the Marmas vibrates the Veda - Life. Touching it makes it come alive, a connection is made. That's what I feel when I do a treatment. It feels different than synchronous massages or other applications.

When I touch the Marma points, a connection between the inside and the outside is created for me too. dr Schrott mentioned that when you treat Marmas, something also happens in space. It is a holistic connection between inside and outside. This doesn't just happen on the skin and the organs and functions of the body, but I'm also aware of the holistic effect.

I'm totally with myself but also totally with the patient. The connection to the inside will be different. There is a connection to the patient and there is a connection in me to me. I enjoy Marma treatments because they are beautiful and holistic for me too.

What changes do you notice in the spa guests during their stay in soma?

First of all, as already mentioned, I also notice the clarity, the alertness, the liftedness, which you notice as soon as you arrive. When the treatments begin, the most striking thing is how much the faces relax. How spa guests are becoming more and more themselves and suddenly look happier, facial expressions are softening and people look younger.

You can see that everyone is becoming more relaxed, they go more inward. Deep relaxation occurs, also directly during the treatment. I would say there is an inner and an outer change.

The inner change is being relaxed, slacking off on the inside, and going inward. The other is the change in appearance, faces are softening, people look younger and feel more comfortable too. They communicate more as the week goes on as they become more comfortable and open up more.

How do you medicate oils in soma?

We medicate the oils according to original recipes and take great care to do it as prescribed by the Vedic literature. Because we assume that this will maintain the greatest effectiveness. We do not make any changes unless the doctor tells you to.

Medicinal means that on the one hand we have the oil and on the other hand the herbal mixtures that we get from India. Herbs are soaked in a certain amount of water overnight and are boiled down the next day. With the MP1, MP3, MP4 oils, this boiling off or boiling down takes about 5 to 7 hours. The herb-water mixture has to boil down to a specified amount. This brew is then mixed with a specified amount of oil. This mixture is then boiled until the water has completely evaporated. This second process of cooking takes about 2 to 4 hours.

When the water has completely evaporated, the herbs are skimmed off. After that, the active ingredients of the herbs that were dissolved in the water are completely transferred to the oil. The different oils have specific effects and are suitable for specific dosha types. dr Schachinger or the doctors from soma see our spa guests every day and prescribe them the respective oils for the treatments that the guests need based on their constitution or condition.

The same principle also applies to the ghee when it is mixed with herbs. Here, too, the active ingredients of the herbs are transferred to the ghee and it can then be prescribed by the doctor to different spa guests depending on their constitution or illness. We also use almond or coconut oil in the treatments, depending on the doctor's prescription or the preference of the spa guest. Our licorice root oil, which we also prepare ourselves, is also very popular with our guests.

I have to revisit this as well. In the Vedic literature, three things are mentioned that are conducive to enlightenment.

Enlightenment always stands for health. Health is wholeness and enlightenment is wholeness. For this you need the following: First, mantras or sound syllables, second, precious stones, and third, herbs.

Medicinal or adding herbs to the oils does not mean that they smell better and are more pleasant, but this refining with herbs creates wholeness. There is a deep effect in the physiology and in the consciousness.

That's when the soma starts to flow and there's a big difference between using a regular oil and using an herbal/medicated oil. Because soma production or recovery/enlightenment is greatly enhanced when the right herbal infused oil is used. This has a profound effect.

Dear Günter, thank you for your intelligent words. This interview with you was very exciting and made me think. It showed me again what a great job you and the entire team are doing, how much you help people to look "inside" and to be with themselves again. It's amazing what big things we move, even though it sometimes feels so small - Sabrina