It wasn’t just a biological thing. It’s not just about what you eat, what you put into your body, and what’s going on beneath the surface. It was a great learning experience, in terms of emotions, energy and perspective. My attitude, my perspective on everything in my life, even hockey, it was all going through a bit of a shift. There were a lot of deeper intuitive aspects to it as well. My body had finally given up on me.
When were you first introduced to Ayurveda?
I didn’t start working with an Ayurvedic practitioner until last summer, 2023. After everything I did, this guy told me to change my diet in a certain way. He gave me some foods, some things I had never tried before, and I started taking these herbal tinctures to help with inflammation and digestion. That was one of the major shifts where it was like, “Okay, there’s something here that we haven’t really touched on that really moves the needle.” He made a suggestion like, “Hey, I had a few clients who went to this Ayurvedic resort in India, in Kerala, which is basically the home of Ayurveda. You should get out there and you should detox from Panchakarma.” When he mentioned That first time, I kind of laughed at it. I was like, ‘Okay, man, I don’t need to do that.’ Part of my ego was saying, “I’m not going to India. This is ridiculous. I don’t need to do this. We’ll figure this out.”
Then, in a weird way, one thing led to another and I decided I wasn’t going to play hockey last season. I didn’t explore trying to sign another contract with anyone, because deep down I knew I needed some time away from the game. I wanted to give my body the time and space to really heal and figure these things out. I had all this time and space before one of my best friends got married in Italy in October. I’m like, “I have this whole month. What do I do this time?” In a weird way, the whole Ayurvedic thing kept coming up. People would randomly start talking about Panchakarma this and Ayurveda that. I started really thinking about it like, “Okay, maybe I should try this thing.” I didn’t do any real research at all, I didn’t look at clinics or other potential places that offered the same treatments. I was like, “You know what? This guy suggested this thing. He had customers who said this is a really good thing and a very reputable place, let’s give it a try. So I decided to do it, and I got out there last September of 2023, and it was the most life-changing thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve literally gotten stronger every month since.
How does this lead us to your latest experience?
So, last summer, I had on my mind: another kick in the can. Let’s try this thing again, see where it takes us, and we should be in a good place. Of course, I’m really glad I did, because this time it was over a month ago. I went in for five weeks and expected it to be a little easier – because I was in a better place and stronger and more flexible this time around – but he kicked me harder and harder. It was very intense. It was an emotional rollercoaster, a physical rollercoaster, it was all the things. But again, just an equally incredible experience. A quote I always use is: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” My mom has been saying that since I was a kid. But that has never been true for me.
