Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since April 2023, but provided fans with an update on his exploits this week.
Toews, who was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, revealed that he has spent five weeks in India undergoing what he called an “Ayurvedic detox” in an attempt to combat his illness.
“It’s too long a story to share all of the details here, but it’s been almost five years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey,” he said in the post. “The wisdom of Ayurveda has taught me that everything I experience, I’m responsible for.”
Toews hadn’t posted on social media since early September when he attended the Burning Man festival in California. The former Blackhawks captain has been dealing with health-related issues for years, missing the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season as he dealt with CIRS and symptoms of long-COVID.
Toews last played for the Blackhawks in the 2022-23 season, with the team announcing that they would not re-sign him after the year concluded. He has not retired from the NHL, but has taken time away from hockey to deal with his health issues during the ensuing year and a half.
Toews is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago, serving as the youngest captain in team history. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010, won the Selke as the league’s best defensive forward in 2013, and was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players of All-Time in 2017.
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Toews ranks fifth in Blackhawks history in games played with 1,067, and ranks sixth with 372 goals scored. He also ranks eighth all-time in assists with 511.
Here is Toews’ full post:
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“As some of you may know, I’ve been on a bit of a healing journey. I’ve had many ups and downs, brief moments of hope working with a whole bunch of different doctors and modalities, followed by doubting if things would ever improve. But I recently spent five weeks in India undergoing an Ayurvedic detox called a Panchakarma, and I’m happy to say things are trending.
“Ayurveda translates to ‘Knowledge of Life,’ and has been the healing science of India for over 5,000 years. This system views our bodies as delicate ecosystems, influenced by everything we consume as far as energy, information, thoughts, feelings and food. 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. A Panchakarma is a healing protocol designed to restore your health by cleansing and releasing toxins stored deep in the body.
“It’s too long a story to share all of the details here, but it’s been almost five years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey. The wisdom of Ayurveda has taught me that everything I experience, I’m 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.”
