It’s a “healing journey” that would make even Aaron Rodgers jealous.
Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews revealed his travels to India in search of cures for the inflammatory and immune system issues that have sidelined him in two of the past four seasons in an Instagram post Thursday.
“I recently spent 5 weeks in India undergoing an Ayurvedic detox called a Panchakarma, and I’m happy to say things are trending,” Toews, 36, wrote on Instagram.
“Ayurveda translates to ‘Knowledge of Life’ and has been the healing science of India for over 5,000 years. A Panchakarma is a healing protocol designed to restore your health by cleansing and releasing toxins stored deep in the body.”
The Instagram caption was complemented with a number of images: Toews standing outside the clinic’s front entrance; Toews wide-grinned and preparing to drink a beverage that resembles milk; Toews clad in traditional garb and posing with a number of locals; Toews sitting around a fire with, presumably, others on healing journeys of their own.
For the Blackhawks’ former captain and three-time Stanley Cup champion, the decision to travel across the globe in pursuit of alternative medicines are indicative of just how persistent his health issues have been.
As was previously reported, Toews has been dealing with long-COVID symptoms for years.
He missed the entirety of the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons, and last played for the Blackhawks in 2022-23.
Then in the final year of his contract and 34-years-old, Toews recorded 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games.
Those marks from his 15th NHL season don’t do Toews’ prolific career justice.
Alongside Patrick Kane, Toews was an integral member of the Chicago dynasty that won three Stanley Cups in six years in the mid-2010s.
He recorded 883 points throughout his tenure and claimed multiple awards, including the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.
Given that the center has not officially announced his retirement, it’s possible that the healing journey is part of a larger plan to return to the ice.
“This system, [Ayurveda], views our bodies as delicate ecosystems, influenced by everything we consume as far as energy, information, thoughts, feelings, and food,” Toews wrote, “In short, it teaches that our health can thrive when we learn to simplify our lives, create space for stillness and better align ourselves with nature’s rhythms.
“The wisdom of Ayurveda has taught me that everything I experience, I am responsible for. Not only did it teach me better diet choices specific to my body type, it has deepened my intuitive relationship with myself and the world around me.”
