✓ Reviewed for medical safety by Dr Vaishali, DM (Nephrology), Reg. No. 94539, Delhi Medical Council, on 17 October 2026.
Note from Dr Vaishali: Lifestyle changes are fundamental to managing most non-communicable diseases. However, if you take medicine for high blood pressure, always consult your physician before fasting, and only taper or stop any medicine under proper medical supervision.
This is one person's experience, shared with their consent. Every body is different. It is not medical advice, so please keep working with your doctor, and never change or stop medication without them.
Vattsal's story at a glance
- Who: Vattsal Patel, 34, project manager from Anand, Gujarat
- Condition: high blood pressure (up to 180/140), high cholesterol and obesity since childhood, with dizziness and headaches
- Program: Satvic Movement's Health Transformation Workshop (July 2020), followed by a juice fast workshop (August 2020)
- What he changed: ash gourd juice, fruits, salad, a millet and vegetable dinner, fasting days with enemas and wet packs, and weekend sunbathing and Surya Namaskars
- What he noticed: in his words, his stress and palpitations eased within 2.5 months, and by 5 months he had lost 18 kg and his BP read 130/80
This story is unlike any other. Improving his health wasn’t the motivation, the pain in the body wasn't the motivation, leaving junk food wasn't the motivation, scary BP readings weren’t the motivation either. If there was a reason to make a change, there was only one. And that was his sadhana (spiritual journey). The words from his spiritual master were strong enough to shake him and make him do something about his life choices. Spiritual Master: “Jab saadhan hi theek nahi hoga, toh aap kya hi saadhna karoge.” - “If the chariot that takes you to your soul (i.e.your body) in itself isn't strong enough, how can you expect to ever reach God’s abode?” Let's see how Vatssal took this to his heart (quite literally) and decided to make a better home for the soul residing in his body. It sure was a bumpy ride but he was glad to finally have the steering wheel in his own hands. Let's see how far he rode. "\"My biggest struggle wasn't cholesterol or blood pressure. My biggest struggle was my mann ki bhook”
Stuck inside the body
Burdened under the kilos of fried food, packed snacks and heart-racing sugary drinks, I could barely get up from a place once I sat down. Anger was always on my sleeves, and my blood pressure would shoot off the roof, reaching 180/140. Sweat, dizziness and headaches were my constant companions. So much so that I had forgotten what walking without a heavy head was even like. You know those very few friends that manage to stay close with you even after school, all the way through college and surprisingly even post marriage? Well, I too had two such friends in my life. Obesity and Blood Pressure. These two friends stuck to my body like leeches since early childhood and only got worse with time.. Slowly sucking the blood both out of my body and my life. Was it scary? Oh Absolutely! Was it enough to have me do something about it? Not really. Then what changed? When I realized that I remembered the names of my medicines better than the names of my colleagues, or the money I was spending on my doctor’s visits was more than the money on my wife’s birthday presents, I realised life was going in the wrong direction. To worsen the situation, my spiritual master too could see this downfall and made no effort in hiding his disappointment in me. I knew it was time to make a change and I began looking.
Rewiring the body
After searching for a while, I came across a video on YouTube by Satvic Movement, “3 ways to detox your body”. I got curious about the lifestyle and decided to attend the online Health Transformation workshop, led by Radhika, in July, followed by a juice fast workshop with Subah and Harsh in August.2 months and 15 days in, my stress and my palpitations had eased a lot. 5 months into the lifestyle, and I had lost 18 kg. My BP came down to 130/80. The same can which was surprised at having no sight of all those packaged chips, ice-creams and samosas all through those months. Even more surprised was my family who couldn't believe how quickly I had shifted my old food habits to my new ones.
Was it as easy as it sounds? Definitely not in the beginning.
What was my motto then? Just keep going!
I didn't stop. No matter how big or small my steps were, I just kept moving.
I diligently followed a few things and kept trying to be better at others. For instance, I was deeply enjoying satvic food. My days started with Ash Gourd juice at 9 am, followed with fruits at 1:30 pm, salad at 4:30 pm and dinner with millets and vegetables at 7:30 pm. Fasting had become my shortcut to sadhana (meditation). I always went deeper in my spiritual journey when I fasted. I also used enemas and wet packs around my fasting days, and they made my sadhak (the body) feel even lighter. (Fasting and enemas are not for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children under 14 or anyone severely underweight. If you take blood pressure medicine, speak to your doctor before fasting.) Sunbathing and surya namaskar were things I did only on the weekends, but that is one part that I wish to improve with time.
What kept me motivated?
Whenever I lost hope, I would just ask myself “why am I doing this?”
While the reason can differ for different people, it sure as hell can be powerful. My reason was to get my body at its healthiest so that I can experience this life to the fullest.
My spiritual master was elated to see my progress.
He said “Jaan hai toh Jahan hai” - now that there is life within, you are ready to experience the whole world without me.
Satvic movement helped me put my reason into practice.
Find yours and then let it take you all across the world.
See you on the other side!
If this story speaks to you and you'd like to try the Satvic lifestyle alongside your doctor's care, our Health Transformation Workshop is a good place to start.
Click here to know more.
