January 2010
About Dr.Dinesh, Swasthya Clinic, Assistant doctors at Swasthya:
What can I say about Dr. Dinesh, I felt that he is really a teacher. Everything in the Clinic is made for teaching. I have not being in my years of practice in a place where everything is designed for teaching. As I told him I consider him a master of silence. One of the more important things in my experience with Dr. Dinesh is that I have to learn to wait and the power of the pause to go inside the patient.

When I arrived to the clinic I saw that there was no physical examination. I wondered why it was like this. After few days I understood that in medicine what is important is the pathology, the illness. In homeopathy as long as I have known what was important is the individual. But in this method you go further being more important the source. So you go beyond the individual, because it is only the way the source expresses. As I told you I had read some books about the sensation method and the Seminar of Goa. But going and meeting Dr. Dinesh gave me the great of opportunity of experiencing the method. In what is important that is the patient. I feel that before the course I was only in the Introduction of ”my book" about the sensation method. With the practice in the clinic I have the conclusion of "my book". Now what I am feeling that I have to do is to work to write my way to the conclusion. I know it is not easy for me after practicing with a traditional method to change from one day to another. I have to find my own path across this exciting experience that is homeopathy. But what I know now is where I have to go. It is a beautiful and exciting experience for me to see this point where I have to go. In this journey I am very grateful to Dr. Dinesh who showed me through his practice his own experience. Surely I would like to meet him in my journey many times to have a look where he is in his own journey sharing his experience with others as a great teacher as he is.

About the method used in the clinic I hav e only admiration for Dr. Dinesh not only for his experience in case taking but most of all for the analysis of the case. When we were in the TV room after a case taking we were discussing about the case. When we were called into the office it was wonderful for me. The way he takes the case and discusses each part of the case to make it clear for us was really amazing for me. Everything gets into place as a puzzle. It was just wonderful. The time that Dr. Dinesh takes for explaining the case, was surely my best times in Mumbai. Seeing how the puzzle gets into place.

Understanding English was not very difficult for me when I was in Dr.Dinesh’s office. In the TV room it was not so clear. In this I have to thank Priyanka who used a method of writing in front of me so that I could understand what the patient was saying...I have to thank also Bhavana, Devhuti and Kadambari, because their collaboration was very important to understand the follow -ups. If they didn´t explained the case we couldn´t have understood the follow ups. Also they were very kind to me in everything I needed in the Clinic. It is really a hard work that everybody does in the clinic for teaching. I really admire this spirit of sharing your experience in the method supported in a very hard and daily work.

I want to thank you Dr. Urvi first of all for guiding me to Mumbai. Through your patience always writing me back the e-mails. Explaining me whatever question I had about my trip to Mumbai. Although I only met you once in the Clinic I felt that you have done a lot of work so that I could feel comfortable in Mumbai. Thank you for arranging everything so that my trip to India and the Clinical course were very successful for me and my wife. I feel that you are the person behind that gives the strength to this Clinical Course. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity of sharing all the knowledge of you and your group.

 

 

 

Dr. Dinesh and his wife Dr. Urvi run a successful practice in the Vile Parle and Borivili suburbs of Bombay. They also conduct workshops and seminars all over the world on the practical application of Sankaran’s Vital Sensation methodology of case taking. Both Dinesh and Urvi have been closely associated with Dr. Rajan Sankaran, initially as students and later as collaborators and partners. They have transcribed his lectures and seminars into some of his books. Dinesh is an erudite teacher, he has an excellent command over the English language, a great sense of humour and his delivery is always interspersed with witty anecdotes from Sufi and Buddhist wisdom. So even after a long case-taking discussion you are quite fresh and alert. Urvi had made excellent arrangements for the training and things worked out with clockwork precision. The young team of homeopaths who help at the clinic provide a wonderful backup to the participants with information on methodology and related information.

Dr. Dinesh’s clinic has been custom-built for teaching. One intern (participant of the clinical course) and one of the doctor’s assistants observe the case with Dr. Dinesh. The other interns can observe the case in real-time in the adjoining audio-visual room on a TV screen.

So what did I learn at the clinic? First, I learnt that the essence of case taking lies in passivity - long pauses, giving enough time to the patient to open up, explore his/her own mind and helping discover the focus. Second, PCWP (Passive Case witnessing Process) helps us find the focus, thus we can connect the different areas, regions and time frames to find the deeper underlying sensation that leads us to the Kingdom and the Miasm. The chief complaint is only an exteriorization of the inner self. Third, the ACWP (Active Case witnessing Process) needs considerable skill as we have to try and discover how the patient sees his state in non-specific, non-human terms. Metaphors, adjectives, gestures need to be closely watched as the same reveal the deeper vital sensation. These expressions need to be probed further at the sub-conscious level. For example if the patient talks about “betrayal”, it is of no use to ask why he felt betrayed. Such a question would only lead to a conscious and logical answer. Whereas, asking what it feels like when one is betrayed will reveal the sensation we are looking for. .... Very often I saw the remedy come alive in the patient. I shall be presenting such cases as part of my coursework for the Clinical Internship. These cases will reveal one of the most striking features of this method – we can be led to many new and rare remedies.

Will I use this method? I certainly will.

 

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Testimonials before January 2010

I have just returned from India where I attended a 10 day seminar by Rajan Sankaran and Jayesh Shah in Goa. Following the seminar I spent 7 days observing in the clinic of Dr Dinesh Chauhan.

I must comment that the seminar was very inspirational but the clinical observation experience was the highlight of my trip. It was incredible to sit in with an experienced homoeopath who could explain step by step the elements of case taking and approach to a patient.

In particular Dr Chauhan is an excellent teacher. He encourages questioning and free thought. His interests in various fields like philosophy and physics permeates his teachings which help to create a deeper understanding of homoeopathy in a broad context. The focus of his teaching is on understanding the centre of the patient, and then applying homeopathic philosophy and method to find the similimum. He is well aware of the pit falls of the homeopathic process and methodically teaches techniques to avoid them. He focused on my areas of difficulty and interest and as a result I feel that I have gained a deeper understanding of miasmatic theory and being the unprejudiced observer. More importantly through this process I have seen how they are applicable in a practical way.

Dr Chauhan made every effort to me feel comfortable and went to great lengths to organize English speaking patients for the time that I was observing in his clinic. When this was not possible one of his assistants would sit next to me and exhaustively write down every word the patient was saying in English so I was able to read and observe at the same time. The environment was set up in such a way that I was able to take full advantage of the learning opportunity. Once a week Dr Chauhan would show video cases that were previously recorded with follow ups and sit and explain step by step each aspect of the case.

Dr Chauhan is a dedicated healer and teacher. On one particular Sunday which happened to be an Indian, festival he traveled all the way from his home to teach only me. He spent the day with me watching video cases and answering my questions when he could have been with his family.
Though he is a well accomplished homoeopath he is approachable, non judgmental and able to meet you at your level of understanding, which makes the learning experience effortless and fun, he also has a great sense of humour.

Sitting in on Dinesh's clinic was a reminder of the vastness and magic of homeopathy. His sincere curiosity and willingness to play is so refreshing, not just among homeopaths, but among people in general. Let me tell you, it's contagious! As a student of Dinesh's, I was very encouraged to explore, to respect my own learning process, to take chances, to be patient and do whatever it takes to get to that vital sensation in a person. It was not always comfortable, but it was an adventure and certainly intensified the learning experience! Observing him receiving a case is much like sitting on the edge of your seat watching a suspenseful movie. You will be very present. Dinesh and Urvi both live, breathe, and love homeopathy. They are magically lovely hosts.

There was not a moment of downtime in his office, either. "Ask me a question! You are here to learn so let's waste no time." Dinesh's clinic was truly the most potent and memorable part of my study in India.

[in brief--Dinesh's clinic is a reminder of the vastness of homeopathy. His sincere curiosity and willingness to do whatever it takes to get to that vital sensation is contagious. I was encouraged to explore, to respect my own learning process and to ask any question that should arise in me. Working with him was truly the most potent and memorable part of my study in India. You will be very present.]

Your seminar in Bombay this year was some of the most valuable teaching I have ever experienced. Everyone was so generous with their knowledge and so expert in their lectures.

It has always been my cherished dream to come over to Mumbai and sit in for some clinical experience and theory. I was a bit disappointed when I realised that I would have to be watching videos instead of attending live clinics on alternate dates, moreover, there was a confusion as to who would be providing the Dvd for it. I think another major set back was that the course promised far more than what was actually delivered, in theory, I wished we had more time to cover basics such as the Periodic table, Kingdoms and Miasms.

Having said this, I must say, that the clinics were just great! Dr. Dinesh is an excellent and enthusiastic teacher with alot of patience and dedication. He and his team members really went out of their way in making us feel welcome and comfortable. They were fun, enthusiastic and very efficient. Looking at the whole picture, I would say, Dr. Dinesh is doing a great deal of good to wards the community that it's really not worth complainting. I do wish them all good sucess and a bright and dazzling future!

 

I would like to express my thanks to you all, and especially Dr Dinesh, for organising the clinical experience for me. I had wanted to witness Homeopathy in India, to see the types of patients who came to the clinic and to observe the type of practice carried out. I feel that I achieved this and my knowledge of Homeopathy should benefit as a result. I also enjoyed the experience of attending two different clinics and seeing contrasting methods of case-history taking from Dr Dinesh and Dr Rashmi.

I am particularly grateful to Dr Jui and Dr Kunjal for their ever-willingness to translate and provide information on customs and culture. I would like to extend my best wishes to them in their own practices although it will be a loss to you, I'm sure, when they leave.

With regard to the clinical training course, I would mention a few points. I think you mentioned that you were intending to move to a new clinic with more space and I would suggest that this would be necessary if you intended to expand the numbers attending. I felt at times that I was in the way if privacy was requested by the patient and the inner clinic room was full to capacity. The accommodation was very comfortable and the Karimi host family were lovely. It would be very helpful to future students to have a small information pack including a map of the locality, suitable restaurants and nearest phone, post-office, inter-net etc.

The case-taking experience and shared information was of great quality and I have much to digest following the fortnight's course. I certainly felt that all the patients were benefiting from the treatment which was lovely to see, particularly with regard to those who were less well-off.

I wish you and Dr Dinesh all the best in your education plans and of course in your family plans also.

 

First of all I would like to thank you all for such a powerful experience, the feelings after my visit in your clinic were very strong, and in a way I felt they gave me allot of strength and ability to see things in a very open minded way.

The strongest thing that I felt was case taking…it made an enormous difference. I am trying to listen to people in a better way and to make the experience of our meeting and opening of the soul to the main issue…second thing was children cases which encouraged me to approach children in the experience way, using colors and dreams, and giving them the place they need…I felt all along in Bombay that you all gave me so much, listening to our requests, adjusting yourself according to our needs and I thank you very much for that.

 

I would like to thank you again for the wonderful time at your clinic. I feel that I have returned home with simple and very useful tools which improved my case taking and deepened my understanding of the patient, an holistic understanding…

The way that dinesh (urvi sorry i didn't get the chance to meet you as a person as well as a homeopath) explains is simple and understandable, the combination of philosophy, live cases, video cases and questions (and "more questions" ) is a winning combination and contains everything a beginner homeopath needs. I learned a lot, I was inspired and I enjoyed it at the same time.

 

It was a privilege to be able to sit with you and experience your unique way of case taking. Your enormous knowledge, your empathy and respect in dealing with the patient, your clarity, patience, kindness, humor and humbleness make you one of the best teachers I have ever experienced. Only now I realize how much you taught me. I thank you for being so approachable, open for any discussion and query - you always gave space and time to clarify all our individual uncertainties. I felt it was so much more efficient and productive to work in a small group, not one moment seemed to be wasted. The fact that I did not always agree with you 100% showed me that your teaching was successful - it showed me that I had grasped the concept in such a short time and was already starting to adapt it for my own needs. I am very excited that after such a long search for a practical and systematic tool regarding case taking, understanding the patient on a deeper level and finding a matching remedy, I have finally found what I was looking for,....and much more. The steps in the case taking process are so clear to me now. With this method I always know where I am at and how to get back on track once I loose myself in the process..... and what I like the most: It is all about the patient - no "psychological or philosophical dissection" - nothing added or lost - no room for subjective interpretations. That's how it should be!! A special thank you also to Urvi and everyone in the practice who made our visit so special and unique. Thank you to all of you - hope we meet again soon.

Thank you all again for all the kindness, generosity, warmth and caring expressed in so many ways. Experiencing the Indian culture, the food, the way of life in Mumbai, and meeting all of you and getting to know you as people, was a very special experience. One needs to spend a lot longer in a place before making judgements, but this was all the time we had at this point in time. To be able to spend that amount of time in the clinic and experience first-hand the utilisation of the “sensation” method of case-taking and prescribing, as well as your teachings, Dinesh, was so valuable. Had I been less sleep-deprived, especially towards the end of our stay, I guess I would have benefited even more, but even so, it was wonderful, and with more practice and extra reading to consolidate what you taught, feel that it should be possible to incorporate it into my practice. Your patience and encouragement also meant a great deal to me – very many thanks.

1. Organisation:
With regards to this, a very big thank you to you, Urvi. As you probably know Dinesh, I sent Urvi many e-mails with questions, plans, alterations etc and she was always so prompt, efficient, kind and patient with all our queries and needs. I sincerely appreciated this and found that by the time we came, we were very well informed and confident with all our arrangements. Also the hand-outs with info on local restaurants etc which you gave us when we arrived, were a big help.


2. Accommodation:
We were all very happy with the ISKCON Hare Krishna Guesthouse in Juhu Beach and would certainly recommend that as a possibility for any future overseas seminar participants whom you might have.


3. The actual clinical seminar:
When I first saw a DVD of the sensation method I was blown away and had a very strong gut reaction – I immediately saw the potential and knew that I wanted to learn it. This feeling stayed with me through all the cases which I saw, both in the DVD series as well as the actual seminars to which I went. I did try to use the method and had 1 or 2 successes, but a lot of the time I would reach a point in a case where I felt that I had hit a brick wall and was unable to progress. This was most frustrating.

Your seminar in Durban, last November, Dinesh showed me how you had taken the method and distilled it into an effective, teachable, user-friendly and reproducible form. And that was why I chose to come to you specifically for the clinical seminar. Also your book, which I have read and re-read a number of times, put the whole process into a scientific context which made total sense homoeopathically. And it is immensely practical.

The time spent with you in your practice, Dinesh has confirmed this sense of possibility for me and totally changed my frustrated feelings. The combination of your lectures with the possibility to sit in with you in your consulting room and /or watch via video is excellent. The fact that you stopped us watching the last 5 minutes of the interview and then let us analyze the case according to the principles which you had taught us is a very effective teaching tool. Firstly it gave us a chance to put into practice the principles which you’d taught us. Secondly, going through the case with you afterwards allowed us to immediately recognize our errors in thinking and - most of all – the feeling of achievement / “success” when we came to a similar or close or even the same remedy as you was very encouraging.

In short, the time spent with you was for me very empowering. I left with the feeling “I can do this” – and this was the most valuable aspect for me.

Dinesh, you are a born teacher and I do feel that you have a winning formula – the combination of the teaching and the practical clinical experience - and particularly your method which is certainly reproducible. I also would like to thank you for your openness in terms of letting us ask questions and taking such painstaking care in answering them.

Since being home, I have re-taken a couple of cases in this way and feel far more confident of my prescriptions. Obviously only time will tell if this is actually the case. I’m well aware that I’ll make mistakes and have frustrations and questions along the way, but feel I have a very solid foundation from which to proceed.

At the moment I truly do not have any suggestions to make on how you can improve things or on changes that might need to be made. For me the whole experience entirely satisfied my need and for that I am deeply grateful.

May I here also mention and thank your assistants for the role which they played in making us feel welcome and at home. I particularly appreciated the time and effort that Priyanka put into writing up the “Understanding of the Case” for the cases which I’d missed, so that I could clearly follow your thinking even though I hadn’t been there! And that during the time when she was off ill!

Testimonial after practical application of the course by the participants:

I have re-taken a number of my old cases and am so enjoying the process. I find that I am quite comfortable with the CWP itself. In most cases i seem able to find the focus and then take it further in the Active and Active/Active phases. The nicest thing about this method is that it's so much fun! And exciting because it does help to bring out the individual person's experience so much more clearly.

I have had a couple of really rewarding results - eg one patient needed Octopus and has done really well on it. ………..

So, all in all I feel that i am starting to put into practice what we learnt and observed with you and it is starting to show results which is great!