Hot Castor Packs - a safe and sensible protocol - with caveats!

Hot Castor packs are something I have done for myself and for my family, students and Ayurvedic clients, many many times throughout at least the last 20 years. There are a variety of reasons I've personally used hot castor packs over the years, including:

-digestive support 
-menstrual support
-pain relief (low back, knee, shoulder)
-perimenopausal transition support
-liver detoxification
-C-section scar tissue softening
-facial toning/cleansing

Most recently, I turned to a castor pack protocol in 2021. I had gotten COVID at the beginning of the pandemic, but my symptoms were atypical - the virus disrupted my digestive system, and triggered an inflammatory response that lead to back pain, bloating,  malabsorption and IBS, all of which bothered me for well over a year. I experienced lot of weight gain, and the lower back pain really reduced my range of motion, so that my yoga practice was especially compromised. 

I must have had a lot of brain fog, too, because I had forgotten for almost a year that hot castor packs might provide some relief! One day, something was triggered in my memory, and I recalled how hot castor packs had been so helpful in the past, most especially after removal of an IUD (another long story which I'll write about in another blog post someday soon!) I decided to immediately do a protocol of hot castor packs that night before bed for at least five nights. (You can read and print the protocol pdf below!)

Even after the very first application of the castor pack, my back pain was decreased almost entirely, my bloated stomach reduced by almost half, and I could button my pants once more! Most importantly, the brain fog began to lift, and I was able to begin returning to more dynamic yoga practice and exercise, even before completing the five day protocol.

It took me several more months to recover my full range of motion, stamina and strength—but I absolutely credit the castor packs with kickstarting my body's ability to recover and heal; they enabled me to return to a pain free and spacious yoga practice. And, along with Ayurvedic lifestyle practices and herbal support, the were an enormous part of the means of resolving my digestive issues, too. I no longer have IBS or malabsorption because of this multipronged Ayurvedic approach. 

I feel that Castor Oil is an amazing, dare I even say, miraculous plant oil - one we have evolved with and likely have developed a sacred relationship with, although much of that knowledge has been obscured, denigrated or lost. Castor Oil is a dravya, a substance, that yes, can be potentially poisonous when it's not used with sesne, wisdom - or reverence. Used sensibly, reverently and moderately, Castor Oil absolutely has the power to remove stagnation and accumulations of ama (or toxins) from the body and do so much more. 

I share my belief in castor oil along with the information on how to do a hot castor pack for yourself because, well, it's already readily available on the internet - but not everyone is going to give you the best or most accurate information.

Castor packs have been experiencing some sexy marketing hoopla of late. They are becoming big business, as most health remedies do. For this reason, I do recommend a reverent caution when working with any plant medicine - mainly because we modern humans in general have a tendency to disregard the sacred nature of plants, to commodify and appropriate them -  we can tend to overuse them or abuse them.

Please treat this amazing substance with respect and reverence - I guarantee it will be more effective if you do! 

Meanwhile, I highly recommend this link https://lifespa.com/ayurvedic-lifestyle/castor-oil/ on Dr. John Douilliard's LifeSpa site to read more about castor oil, along with his precaustions, too. But, I'm sharing this castor pack protocol freely here with you so you'll be able to have a handy printable worksheet that is sensible and easy - tried and tested by myself, friends, family, clients and students safely and effectively many, many times.

Caveats/exceptions to using a castor pack protocol are pregnancy (it's believe to be able to induce labor), if you are actively menstruating/bleeding, if you have had recent surgery - within the last six months. As well, because castor has such power to move things down and out, if you have an IUD, it can possibly instigate the IUD expulsion! So I would not recommend a castor pack for back pain unless you've already removed the IUD first. Indeed it is quite beneficial to help remove and residual stagnation resulting from the IUD being in your body.  

Most importantly, listen to you're own deep inner knowing as to whether the castor oil pack is truly working for you or not. If you sense it's too powerful, too much, if your digestion "heats up" too much and becomes too loose - then stop using it! Sometimes only one application is all you need, so proceed wisely and listen to your body, not your egoic mind which can tend to think more is better.  

Reach out if you have any questions, and indeed, if you'd like to do a direct Ayurvedic Consultation with me, feel free to set up an appointment (either in person or zoom) feel free to reach out. My Ayurvedic Counseling is offered in person or on zoom, at a sliding scale, too, making it affordable and accessible for most!

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