Today I am speaking with Dinesh Gohil, who is doing the interview all the way from India. He has a master degree in psychology and mental science, he has a mountaineering organization for which he organizes treks.

Furthermore, he has shown great interest in herbs over his lifetime and developed great knowledge of remedies for healing and he has an NGO for which he rescues animals, and specifically snakes. He is a photographer since 1990 and he has its own company called: “Godin Photography Art.”

Where did your interest come from for snakes?

My name is Dinesh and right now I have the age of 43, since my childhood I have been going to the forest. When I was little I used to live close to the mountains, and every day I used to have walks in the mountains.

In the weekends I used to go deeper into the mountains and the forest and there were many animals like leopards, crocodiles, frogs and many more animals.

This made me realize to do something different from how people are living now. I came in contact with people that run a mountaineering organization that organized treks in those years .

In that time I met the person who made a great impact in my life and made me who I am today. At the time I was only 9 years old and the man from the trekking organization showed me some pictures of gear that was needed for the treks like ropes, tents and descender and pictures of snowy mountains.

The expansion of my knowledge of snakes

I was really curious to know more about mountaineering and all that came with it, as it is something different. He told me to come along some times and he told me he would teach me more about it, because he saw more potential in me to know more about nature.

I thought: “let’s take a chance and know more.” Then I went for some courses, which are run by the government and then I came across the snakes.

How to rescue people during the camping in the mountains. I thought this is something unique and I started to get more knowledge snakes. Then I went to book stores in a town close to the city to find books on how to identify snakes.

As I was a child, I was not earning money yet and I tried to ask for a book on how to identify snakes in libraries, but unfortunately they did not have such books available. Then I went to a second hand store and I searched there as well for 2 years and then I finally found a book.

I was reading about what the name is of the snake, how they live, their routine, what they eat, if they are poisonous or not, their designs, colors and skills. You need to identify them as soon as you see them. Why do they bite humans and their preys. This process took quite some time but it was worth it.

How do you identify a poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes?

Nowadays, people have access to the internet and they can Google it online or find/ download pictures snakes and make a list of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes.

You can find videos or you can search in books. If a person can just identify a venomous snake they can stay away from them as they are the ones that can be dangerous.

The skills of a poisonous snake is different and their patterns too. When you see a certain design of a pattern, you can see which type of snake you are dealing with.

How do you rescue the snakes?

You need to know about their body language, as they can hide anywhere. I need to use my skills and knowledge to discover the body language and I have to stay calm. You have to approach them slowly and gently.

Us humans we are warm-blooded and they are cold-blooded, as soon as I catch them they get annoyed and scared. They will try to jump on you and I have to be patient, otherwise I might be bitten by them. Sometimes I have to wait 5 or 10 minutes, then they become more calm.

Especially, with the non-venomous I can grab them with my hands after they have calm down.

Just in case, I always carry my equipment with me, wherever I am so when they call me for a rescue I am always ready.

Have you ever been in a dangerous situation while catching a snake?

Luckily, I never have been bitten by a poisonous snake, but non-poisonous snakes have bitten me before. I have been bitten 3 to 4 times this year.

Mostly it happens because of the humans that surround me when I am rescuing a snake. Sometimes they come too close or making noise around me and then the snake gets scared and bites me.

In the town I live people can call me, most schools and organizations have my number and they call me no matter what time. Sometimes I am eating my food and as soon as I am starting I am getting a call.

In those times I can’t be selfish I have to be on the move to rescue the snake, and the people, because if I wait someone can be killed either the snake or the people. I would like to spread awareness that people need to call me or someone else instead of killing the snake depending on where you are. This knowledge should be spread globally, as snakes are animals too and they have a right to live.

You have great knowledge of herbal remedies, could you share some secret remedies with us?

Knowledge about herbs is something from nature and nature has no secrets. It is open for everyone and all the living beings. I would love to share some of the remedies for many things like hair loss.

I know remedies for hair loss, joint pain and lower back pain. Do you know Neem? It is very bitter it is a huge tree. Every single part of that tree is usable for medicines.

If you suffer from a cough, skin infection, scars or hair loss you can use this plant’s oil. Nowadays, it is very easy to order it online as some trees do not grow in your country.

It is called neem oil. You can eat the fruits but it would be very bitter. There are no side effects of it, but you do need to know how often you can use it.

If you want you can massage the oil in your hair and you can even leave it in your hair for 1 or 2 days if you do not want to wash it out immediately, and it will solve hair loss problems. Anyone can use this, both men and women.

Natural remedy for hair loss:

Another one is the Hibiscus plant, you can use their leaves to make oil at home and you can prepare it yourself. You get the oil out of the plant you need:

– 100 milligram of coconut oil
–   50 grams of sesame oil
– hibiscus leaves, 5 or 6 leaves
– 50 grams Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii)

How to prepare: 

When you have these 4 things you need a steel pan and you need to put these two oils together together and put the hibiscus and curry leaves all together for about 20 minutes to boil. The aroma of the leaves is mixed in that oil.

Ones the leaves becomes dry, you can keep it on the side and let it cool down. And then you need to drain them and put them in a plastic bottle and you can use the oil for your hair loss, you can do it every day or weekly. That is totally up to you.

Natural remedy for joint pains:

Another remedy I would like to share is for joint pains, especially for the ones that are heavy weights. Usually, knee problems arise. Also for people with neck problems etc.

• • 250gm Mustard oil
  • 100gm seasome oil
  • 20gm CAMPHOR tablets
  • Clove oil 4/5 drops

Mix these 3 oils in one steel pan and boil for 10 minute and add camphor tablets in this mixture of oils. Stir it all well until those tablets get melt finely.  Let this oil get cool down. Once it is cooled down, you need to fill it in glass or plastic bottle. and here your oil is ready for use..

How to apply for use: 

Take small piece of cotton. and apply this oil on the paining part with cotton and apply it gently(Do not rub or massage it just apply it) for 10 minutes. Once the oil evaporates then take lukewarm water and pour it on particular part where you applied this oil.

You can put it one time a day or if possible you can use it twice a day for at least 10 days in a row. The use and benefit of this oil is:

1. Muscle pain
2. Sprains
3. Arthritis
4. Spondylosis
5. Joint pain
6. Neck pain
7. Body pain
8. Lowerback pain
This is only for external use.

Hopefully, this has been helpful for you, certainly it has been helpful for me. These remedies of herbs I “Michelle” realize that the knowledge is lost and because of help of Dinesh we can get back to these basics of healing.

Watch here the Youtube Channel of Dinesh Gohil.

Thank you so much for all your help Dinesh, it was such an honor to have your here and I am looking forward to our next interview with more remedies and information about nature. You are such an inspiration to everyone! Thank you for that.

Michelle
The Mindful Magazine