In ancient India every branch of science was developed abiding nature’s rules. So

ancient Indian science & knowledge are extremely befitting for this age. Ayurveda

is the ancient Indian health science developed through centuries long research

works of sages, who were eminent scholars. As the term Ayurveda denotes to the

knowledge of life it’s not only a system to cure disease but the regimen teaching

us ways to achieve Perfect Health from diseased or abnormal conditions and

guidelines to lead a life, both physical and mental, to attain the bliss of real life.

Keen observation and study of nature including all kinds of life in the world for

hundreds of years could only have formulated such a life science which has a

concrete basis in Indian philosophy and wide reaching applicability in life of all

sorts. Since it is holistic, it approaches man as a whole and cares man’s physical

mental and spiritual health. It’s almost as old as mankind and at the same time so

new as modern man that no disease is there which is incurable or uncontrollable

unless misled too much.

According to ayurveda human body is composed of three fun-damental elements

called Doshas - which represent the physicochemical and physiological activities

of the body, ‘Dhatu’ which denotes the materials entering in to the formation of

a basic structure of the body cell, thereby performing some basic actions and

Malas the substance which are partly used in the body and partly excreted in yet

another from after serving their physiological activities. The dynamic equilib-

rium of these leads to perfect health and imbalance of any of these leads to

disease. To attain perfect health we have to maintain the original, natural bal-

ance of these. The role of a physician is to understand the imbalance happened

to this dynamic equilibrium and to correct or give advice as how can it be brought

to the original state, whether with medicine or with changes in life style. He

studies the patient; not only the disease, with some special techniques and gives

you some medicines and lot of advice, after which you may feel healthier and no

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system upset. Though Doshas Dhatus and Malas are equally important, Doshas

have added dominance; because human body and everything in it are influenced

by doshas and maintenance of their balance will correct the defects of the other.

Doshas are three - vata, pitta, and kapha and they may not be equal and same in

all. According to the dominance of each dosha every man is categorised to

different types. There can be single dosha types - 2 dosha and 3 - dosha types.

There is abundant means to find out body types and it is easy for an ayurvedic

doctor to comprehend anyone’s body type. A lot of rearrangements and

adjustments we can do in a positive way in our life style, food habits etc; according

to our body type to attain a stage of perfect health and to resist illness. So nowa-

days, in the age of dreadful diseases the ayurvedic system of identifying body

types have unfathomable importance. Physical and mental co-operation of the

patient to make necessary changes in his life style and food habits also are essential

to procure the natural dynamic balance of the doshas and once that balance is

maintained the illness is gone. So every ayurvedic doctor is making his patient

very healthy and not treating the disease. Ayurveda gives special emphasis on

prevention on disease. Signs and symptoms by which we can foresee an illness

are well described in the texts so that can take necessary steps to avoid it or

lessen the strength of it. More over it describes how to live to avoid disease in

each climate and how can perfect health be maintained throughout the life. A

strict follower of these advices can enjoy an ill-less enthusiastic life with high

quality physical, mental and spiritual health.

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Treatment of Making you healthy

The treatment in ayurveda is classified mainly into two Samana and Sodhana.

Samana is the pacifying way of treatment and sodhana roots out the disease

from the body. Oral therapy and easier means of treatment are prescribed under

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Samana treatment. But Sodhana treatment is extensive, time consuming

procedures to change a diseased man to the original healthy man. These are

widely used all over India for patients with chronic illnesses. If done with special

precautions, regular checkups and extra care these type of ‘Sodhana’ treatments

can work wonders and this is what happens in India, especially in Kerala, which

attracts a lot of foreigners from all over the world to this small state.

Medicine

You are what you eat - according to ayurvedic principle. So much significance is

given to the food habits and life style. Natural herbs are widely used as medicines.

In fundamental principles of Ayurveda 5 basic elements are very important. The

universe, and anything in the universe is believed to be made of these 5 elements-

air, water, earth, fire and space. Quality and nature of everything varies according

to difference in the proportion of these elements. According to the dominance

of these elements each plant or each mineral exhibits its own physical and chemical

characters. This basic principle is made use of in the formulation of medicines in

Ayurveda.

Since natural herbs being the main ingredients of the medicines, side effects or

ill effects are negligible. So it is more or less safe to use ayurvedic drugs in any

condition. In modern medicine side effects of drugs are the most scaring

nightmare these days. Powerful chemicals used to cure simple illness usually

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lead us to more complicated chronic diseases such as stomach ulcers, diabetes,

kidney & liver problems, piles etc. This will never happen with ayurvedic drugs

because of it’s tie with nature. There is a branch of ayurveda where solely

chemicals are used as medicine. But on every step from the purification of the

chemical to the directions for the usage, special care is taken to avoid any side

effects and if used in the prescribed manner these are also reliable.

Panchakarma and Kerala Treatments

Panchakarma is a term most mistaken among European people. It is really 5

main treatments, by which viciated doshas are expelled from the body. They

include Vamana (induced vomiting) Virechanam (Purgation) Asthapanam (enema

with decoction) Anuvasanam (enema with oil) and Nasyam ( Nasal application of

oil). According to another school, both the enemas are included under common

title Vasti and 5th one is Rakta-moksham (Blood letting).

Oleation of the body and steam bath are performed before Vamana (induced

vomiting) Vire-chana (Purgation) etc. The viciated doshas, waste materials and

toxins are expelled by panchakarma. But for the convenience of the complete

expulsion they are collected at particular sites by these pre-panchakarma process

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called ‘Sneh-apanam (oleation) and Swedanam (Steam bath). There are particular,

prescribed procedures and steps by which these are carried out.Kerala is a small

state situated at the south west of India. This state has a very unique cultural

background and has a special nature that it won’t accept anything as such. If

anything new comes, it will sow the seeds of that in its own soil and cultivate

with its own water and air and then will reap the results and that will be used.

This happened in the case of ayurveda also. Apart from all over India, Kerala has

a special method of treatment. Though the lessons and texts studied are same,

the system of treatment is entirely different and far more effective as well. These

special methods of treatments which can be included in the pre and post –

panchakarma procedures are Sarvanga snehadhara /Pizhichil (oil bath),

Shashtikapinda-swedam (rice bundle massage), Patrapo-dalaswedam (leaf bundle

massage) Sirodhara (head bath) etc.

Sarvanga Snehadhara /oil bath: Basically oil bath is a treatment to get rid of the

blockages in blood vessels, nerves and other channels. So it is very effective and

essential in diseases where the basic cause is blockage.

Shashtikapindaswedam / rice bundle massage: This treatment is basically a

strengthening one and is used in conditions where joints or muscles need more

strength or lubrication.

Patrapodalaswedam (Leaf bundle massage): It’s an anti inflammatory treatment

which helps to get rid of blockages in the muscles and joints, to reduce swelling

and to promote circulation.

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Sirodhara / oil or medicinal bath of the head: This treatment is indicated in various

problems such as loss of memory, sleeplessness, neurosis, migraine, headache

and some other brain and nerve diseases. These are some other Kerala special

treatments such as different sweating procedures, head packs, localised oil baths

etc; which don’t need special mention. There are prescribed preparatory

procedures and post treatment regimen for all intensive ayurvedic treatments. If

it is not observed, these treatments may make serious ill effects on the body,

which are very difficult to get rid of.

Some very important points to be borne in mind before undergoing intensive

ayurvedic treatments: Pizhichil (oil bath) is contra indicated in serious liver and

renal problems. After each set of 7 oil baths a purgation is essential, because the

toxins and waste materials collected in the intestine, as a result of the oil baths,

should be expelled or it will be reabsorbed in the body. Blood parameters should

be checked and kept in safe level before starting any of the intensive treatments.

Whole body rice bundle massage is contra indicated in diabetics, obese and

patients withserious cardiac, heptic and renal problems. In summer and in pa-

tients with elevated pitta, leaf or medicated powder bundle massage(whole body)

is not good. Sirodhara should not be done in cerebral thrombosis or may lead to

fatal embolisms. Sirovasti has strong impact on brain. So it should be done with

proper care and under the guidance and presence of a physician and only in

serious brain and nerve diseases. Perfect rest, regular oil massage, oral drugs and

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peace of mind are essential throughout the curative period (after the intensive

treatments) or it may affect body negatively. Steam bath should not be done: If

you are not treated with oil inside and outside OR if you are: obese, too lean,

too weak, having loose motion (diarrhoea) or bleeding of any sort, After trauma,

alcoholic having cataract, ascitis, some of skin conditions, tuberculosis, arthritis,

prolapsed rectum, fatigue, anger, depression, fear, hunger, thirst, jaundice, hepa-

titis, anaemia, diabetes, excessive pitha and preganancy. Ayurveda cares for pa-

tient’s physical and mental satisfaction and so these treatments are done in

patients with peace of mind or they have to be made so before starting with.

Healthy mind is seen only in a healthy body - ayurveda believes. Mental de-

rangement can lead to ill health and contrariwise. Mind - body relation is well

explained in ayurveda with an example of ghee in a pot. The heat of the pot may

conduct to the ghee inside and the heat of the ghee vice versa. Thus any mental

aberration can lead to physical abnormalities and physical problems to mental

distortions. So an ayurvedic doctor has to think always about the patient’s

mental status and capabilities.

Studying Ayurveda

In ancient days ‘Gurukula’ ie. one master system was the way to teach ayurveda.

Then one eminent physician teach a group of selected students accommodating

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all of them in his own house and they had to work for him. Thus they could gain

a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge in every aspect of the system

from the basic principles of different ways of management. Whenever he felt

them to be fit to practice he would let them to start their own practice. This was

the right and effective means to study ayurveda well. But as time changed started

to function under various universities where ayurveda is taught now. In south

India there are a lot of ayurveda colleges now. After matriculation interested

ones can seek admission there by passing an entrance examination. The duration

of the course is usually 5 years and after passing the qualifying examination they

can have an internship for 6 months in hospitals attached to the college. Thus

ayurvedic doctors are made now. Still after finishing studies most doctors

approach skillful and renowned doctors for better practical knowledge and expe-

rience. In India we have got enough such physicians with skill and fame. This

makes the thinking lot of South India to seek ayurveda for help when they have

health problems. Now it is the time for retreat. From the hypnotic sleep created

by the crave for modernism, man is waking up slowly to find his final and original

shelter in his mother’s lap - the coming back to nature is going on. So everything

natural is becoming precious and here comes the importance of ayurveda - the

natural way of healing physical mental and spiritual illness.(Courtsey - Dr.M.C.Vijayachandradas, Sree Sankara Hospital,Changanacherry-02,Kerala)

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