“The alternative therapist do not feel adequately supported”

What do you consider are the most important indications regarding health and healing given by Sri Aurobindo and Mother?

One of the key things The Mother said was that wherever health is absent it means a part of the being is not ready for progress. She also spoke about the importance of consciousness and self-healing. This is why it is very important that whatever healing method is used it is understood that it is only a catalyst for self-healing; that the person activates the self-healing for him or herself.

This implies that all healing methods practised in Auroville are to be based upon the self-empowerment of the patient/client. And that the role of the therapist is more of a facilitator for inner growth, including health, than someone who knows it all and who will tell you what to do. The therapist may give information and offer his or her professional insights. After that everybody has to sail their own boat.

Do people in the alternative healing sector in Auroville generally practise this approach?

Yes. They are aware of what The Mother and Sri Aurobindo said about healing. Moreover, their personal growth is considerably accelerated by their experiential learning as they practise their healing modality in the light of Sri Aurobindo’s yoga.

Is there much interchange between the therapists on these topics?

A few years back each month we had a full day together and there were a lot of exchanges between us. There was also a professional training in hypnotherapy between 2009 - 2011 in which 25 therapists participated, and a lot of spiritual insights and deeply personal questions emerged. We chose a long path of knowledge to become therapists, and most of us work very intensively, so when we meet with each other it is in a very good spirit based on mutual appreciation.

Why do we have so many therapists in Auroville?

Because we came here for a growth in consciousness, and this is one of the ways we can develop this. Actually there are many more therapists in Auroville than are on the ‘official’ list. Some don’t want to be listed because they already have far too many clients. And the clients are not just Aurovilians. We have many guests coming to Auroville specially to be treated by our therapists.

What are the main issues in the alternative healing sector of Auroville?

We do not feel adequately supported by the Auroville organization. A recent study showed that far more healing happens in Auroville with alternative therapists than with allopathic doctors, yet the Auroville Heath Fund, with a few exceptions, only provides financial support to allopathic treatment, and the Budget Coordination Committee (BCC) gives us virtually no financial support. For 18 years I funded a free service in my homeopathic clinic for Aurovilians. Only now has the Health Fund decided to provide Rs 100 for every patient that is treated here. The lack of financial support means that many of our alternative therapists have to go regularly to the West to work in order to afford to live and practice in Auroville! Just now I have set up my own commercial unit so I can go out and work in India, but this means I have less energy available for Aurovilians.

The other alternative is for us to charge Aurovilians, which I am very much against because we came here to be part of a moneyless economy. Healing always comes from the heart and in a spirit of service.

Why do you think the Health Fund and the BCC should support alternative therapies?

Alternative treatments are free or far less costly than India’s allopathic health system, which is now one of the fastest growing in the world. In an ageing community like ours, allopathic treatment is certain to be much more costly than alternative treatment, especially for chronic diseases. I don’t see how our Health Fund will cope if it continues to follow the allopathic path.

Perhaps the Health Fund and BCC managers are concerned about the proficiency of the alternative health practitioners and the quality of the alternative treatment offered?

A lot of our alternative therapists are highly qualified as therapists, although not all are medically qualified. For example, I and six other Germans have the healing practitioner qualification which allows us to practice in Germany. I’m not saying that all our therapists are good, and that just because you can do a massage you are a good therapist. If the BCC is concerned about this, they could provide maintenances only to those who are medically-qualified or qualified in the field of psychology.

As to the quality of alternative therapies, if you have sciatic pain, acupuncture is great. If a woman has issues after menopause, the Aviva method is very successful. We have a non-allopathic blood pressure medication that is very effective and has no side effects, but our allopathic doctors don’t want to hear about it. In fact, there is little collaboration between us. I send people to the allopathic doctors for tests, but they do not refer patients to me. They only collaborate with three or four of the alternative therapists.

What would be your ideal healthcare system for Auroville?

Firstly, The Health Fund should support those qualified therapists who request a maintenance. Aurovilians should get free treatment from Auroville doctors and therapists, and the Health Fund should cover the costs of basic treatment, both allopathic and non-allopathic. Those who insist on going to outside doctors when qualified Aurovilians are available should pay for it themselves.

There should be a good referral system between the therapists and the allopathic doctors. When someone has a health issue, they could first have a consultation with a General Practitioner who can give a diagnosis. After that, a doctor or ‘health navigator’ could inform them about the different therapies and healing modalities available for their issues. Whenever possible, they should be referred to an appropriate alternative therapist.

But for patients to accept such a system requires a lot of health education. In India allopathy is very big at present because many people want a quick remedy, something that will immediately make the symptoms go away and make them feel better, even though it doesn’t heal the cause and creates complications later. That’s why I am very happy that Malar, who is certified in homeopathy and who has been working with me for four years, is working with people from Village Action, Thamarai and other local groups. Since 2014 she has been promoting well-documented homeopathic remedies for diabetes and high blood pressure in Village Action and in Thamarai and has received a good response. She has just released a first-aid homeopathic kit in Tamil.

As a next step, we will start providing training for alternative therapists in India. There is a huge demand for this, we have a lot of expertise in Auroville, and it could be a good source of income for our therapists and for Auroville. In fact, it is intended that the next phase of Santé, the new integral health facility, will be a centre of excellence for health education.

What role do you see Santé playing in your vision of health and healing in Auroville?

Santé is a great idea to integrate our healing modalities, and people like Jocelyn have done a wonderful job in materialising it and in attempting to get the different doctors and therapists to collaborate.

But, on a larger level, Auroville is very unwelcoming for therapists and doctors who would like to join the community. I know of a number of very good doctors and healers who would love to come and practice in Auroville. They would probably get no maintenance, they would have to find a place to stay and then they would have to pay for everything. So how will we ever get these good doctors and therapists to come and work here?