Abhyanga, massage with medicated oil
In a quiet room, I perched on a stool, clad in a white towel and disposable underwear. Warm medicated herbal oil seeped into my scalp as the Ayurvedic technician gently massaged. My feet rested in a wooden bucket of warm water. Afterwards, I was led to a wooden massage table where two technicians worked in unison, their hands applying the warm oil in synchronized strokes from nape to soles. Abhyanga, this four-hand massage, uses sesame oil and herbs chosen for my needs. Then came takradhara, a gentle stream of medicated milk poured from a brass pot onto my forehead to pacify my nervous system. The entire treatment ushered me into a state of deep calm and grounding. Many clients of the House of Arogya, seasoned travelers to India, have remarked that its services and ambiance surpass even those of Ayurvedic centers in Delhi and Kerala.
Tucked in old Pasay City lies the House of Arogya, led by balikbayan physician and Ayurveda specialist Dr. Maria “Boots” Vergeire. Licensed in the Philippines and the United States, she spent decades as a research physician in the US, overseeing international clinical trials. In 2017, after experiencing adrenal fatigue, she took up Transcendental Meditation (TM).
“I’ve been doing better since. But TM was more preventive rather than what I was doing—discovering drugs, prolonging people’s lives, or managing symptoms,” said Vergeire, adding that modern science was not addressing the root causes of ailments. To guard against disease, she later pursued a Master’s in Science in Ayurvedic Medicine from Maharishi International University in 2023.
After 30 years, she resettled in the Philippines to look after her father and to start anew. “Change has to come from our own motivation. All these shifts I’ve been doing in my life—change of diet and influencing others for transformation—are basically from the TM practice because it gives me clarity of purpose, of what I need to do. There was this AHA moment that made me change my career. I needed to have a life that’s sustainable, balanced, and helping other people,” said Dr. Vergeire.
Through connections, she met Manelle Jose, founder of Arogya, and operations manager Belen Araracap. For more than 15 years, the Arogya center in Makati set the bar for Ayurvedic services in the country, until it became a casualty of the pandemic. Vergeire wanted to continue Jose’s legacy, with the former as the majority shareholder. When Jose, who is visually impaired, learned of a giant banyan (balete) tree by the house, she hugged it and spoke to the spirits, who said that the House of Arogya was meant to serve people.
Both renovated a two-story mid-century house in the Jalandoni Compound, which includes a bedroom for in-house guests, treatment rooms with bathrooms, and two kitchens—one designed for Dr. Vergeire to conduct Ayurvedic cooking classes.
According to Ayurveda, the entire cosmos, including the human body, is composed of five elements: air, water, space (or ether), earth, and fire. These elements combine in unique proportions within the body to create three primary life forces known as doshas. These three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—collectively termed the Tridoshas, are believed to govern all fundamental physiological processes.
According to Ayurveda, the entire cosmos, including the human body, is composed of five elements—air, water, space (or ether), earth, and fire—which combine in unique proportions within the body
Vata is associated with cellular transport, maintaining electrolyte balance, and the elimination of waste. Dryness aggravates it. Pitta is responsible for regulating body temperature, coordinating the optic nerves, and managing hunger and thirst. Heat within the body intensifies Pitta. Kapha provides lubrication to the joints, ensuring their proper function; its influence increases with the consumption of sweet and fatty foods.
Ayurveda also believes Vata helps break things down in the body, Pitta manages energy use or metabolism, and Kapha helps build things up.
Maintaining a harmonious balance among these three doshas, along with other factors, is considered essential for good health. Any disorder in this equilibrium is believed to lead to illness or disease.
Recently, the center launched a three-day detox program designed according to a person’s prakriti (the inherent constitution determined at birth or the mind-body blueprint), the dominant dosha, and imbalances. Based on the assessment, Dr. Vergeire prescribed the modalities and diet that would neutralize the imbalances.
She noted that while an individual’s prakriti remains constant, the dominant dosha can shift with age. The tendency for people in their senior years is to become more Vata-predominant. “Vata imbalance makes your spine stiff,” she said, answering my complaints about tight shoulders and lower back, and chronic knee pain. “It’s drying up your bones and affecting your nerves, which, in turn, affects your sleep,” she said.
“The seat of Vata is the colon. A Vata imbalance will create gassiness,” she said. The Vata imbalance will likewise affect other doshas such as Pitta, which rules metabolism and digestion. Hence, the hyperacidity and acid reflux.
Starting the day with asanas
Pioneer yoga instructor Antonio Aranda is a longtime client of Arogya
Everything on the itinerary—treatments, yoga exercises, and food—was selected by Dr. Vergeire. The day began with 30-minute asanas or gentle yoga poses to stimulate physiology, as recommended by founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. A 30-minute meditation with the staff, facing East, welcomed the day.
Afternoons involved vasti or “topical pooling.” Vasti is a general term for medicated liquids. There is the vasti enema and the topical, which we experienced. Medicated oil or ghee is retained in a frame made of dough placed on the neck and lumbar area to alleviate muscle spasms and stiffness. The “heart pooling” involves medicated oil placed over the heart region to nourish the cardiac muscles, calm emotions, and promote well-being. The medicated substance is retained in a specific area for 30 minutes, allowing for localized absorption and therapeutic action.
“The heart is the seat of emotion. When experiencing intense emotions or difficulties, this treatment balances them, releasing what is blocked. It aids the heart directly, supporting its circulation,” said Dr. Vergeire.
The chakra vasti, placed on the navel, aims to aid digestion.
The House of Arogya staff concluded the workday with evening meditation, soothed by the gentle breeze and the swirling leaves falling from the banyan tree. An early dinner was followed by a foot massage to encourage restful sleep.
Trained in Ayurvedic cooking, Dr. Vergeire served dishes to pacify Vata imbalance, common with age. “There’s a growing movement about the microbiome, the gut, and the brain connection. It is important to know that diseases happen; their root cause is our food and its digestion,” said Vergeire. “If the digestive system malfunctions, it affects the lymph nodes or spleen, where our immunity is created. Our mental health is also affected by digestion; individuals with Crohn’s disease often experience depression and anxiety due to the gut-brain connection.”
She added that continuing a regular diet during treatments could strain the digestive system. Hence, the provided diet consisted of digestible and nourishing foods.
Dr. Maria Vergeire prepares, kitchari, an Ayurvedic staple
One the first day, our Ayurvedic breakfast was warm tea, cardamon rolled oats with soaked dried fruit, and apples stewed in ghee and cloves to warm up the digestive system. The midday meal was kitchari, a staple Ayurvedic dish made with basmati rice or quinoa for protein, split mung bean, clarified butter, spices, vegetables, and lemon. Dinner was red lentil soup with sugar beets and spices to aid digestion, improve circulation, reduce toxins, and ignite inner warmth, needed by Vata types
‘Our mental health is also affected by digestion; individuals with Crohn’s disease often experience depression and anxiety due to the gut-brain connection’
The House of Arogya shares its space with the Transcendental Meditation Center, run by Polifonio and Josephine Castillo, who have taught TM for over 50 years.
Healing with gemstones and light
Josephine Castillo said, “When Dr. Vergeire found this house, she thought it would be a good place for various avenues to bring balance. If individuals aren’t interested in meditation, they can opt for aromatherapy or gem light therapy.”
Ayurveda’s wisdom extends to aromatherapy. Traditional Ayurvedic physicians have long recognized the therapeutic potential of essential oils, classifying them by their primary influence on the three doshas. This classification provides a framework for selecting essential oils that can help restore balance within individual conditions.
Each essential oil carries a unique energetic signature that resonates with specific combinations within the bodily processes. Some oils possess grounding qualities, effectively pacifying and balancing the earth and water elements often associated with Kapha dosha. Others have a cooling and calming effect, helping to soothe Pitta’s fiery nature. Certain oils offer lightness and movement, neutralizing Vata’s airy and restless qualities.
Castillo recalled a client depressed over a marital problem who felt calmer after using specific oils. She explained that before prescribing an oil, the individual must smell which one resonates. “The body’s intelligence will pick up the needed scent. Even if a certain essential oil is generally good for depression, it’s not for you if it doesn’t resonate when you smell it. It’s a personalized approach.”
Maharishi Light Therapy uses gem beamers to boost the power of precious stones such as sapphires, emeralds and rubies. Light shone through these gems is believed to capture their unique properties. This gem-infused light is then directed at the body. “As with aromatherapy, you feel the beam from each gem on your palm. A warm or tingling sensation indicates the needed gem,” she explained.
Proponents suggest this light enlivens the body’s natural healing abilities. By nourishing nerve centers, the therapy aims to restore balance and health, with the gemstones’ energy contributing to the effects.
“The gem light brings out inner happiness; it deepens meditation,” said Castillo. A regular client, a businesswoman, comes weekly for gem light therapy to clear her mind when handling stress.
Josephine and Polifonio Castillo welcome new students of Transcendental Meditation
After our three-day program, we learned that equilibrium requires daily dedication to new habits and rituals, such as aligning sleep with the sun, cooking with healing spices, rubbing sesame oil, and eating according to your dosha (the energy that defines a person’s genetic makeup).
House of Aroyga will hold its grand opening on May 8. For detail,s contact the Center of Arogya at tel. nos. (0906) 249-2463 or (0953) 884-1457. It is located at 29 Jalandoni Compound, 60 Don B. Hernandez Street, Pasay City.
