Ayurveda Therapies

Ayurveda uses the two basic modalities of ‘addition’ and ‘reduction’ to help the body and its functions to attain and maintain the Balance and Harmony.

Addition is always building up, anabolic. It is nourishing and promotes growth. Those treatments in Ayurveda that results in the addition is called bṛṃhaṇa cikitsā.

Then there is laṅghana cikitsā, which includes treatments that bring about reduction, effectively imparting either a mitigating or a cleansing action in the body. Reducing processes are applied in cases of over nourishment, accumulation of wastes, excessive tissue growth and so on.

When diagnosed and treated on time, most of these conditions may be exclusively managed by mitigation therapy (śamana cikitsā) alone. The majority of medications, dietary and lifestyle advises fall under the purview of śamana cikitsā. Also, we may have to give śamana cikitsā to those individuals who are not strong enough or recommended for cleansing therapies due to their condition of lack of enough strength.

But in conditions with very high doṣa aggravation, which require elaborate detoxification or long term involvement, a cleansing therapy (śodhana cikitsā) may have to be considered. Toxins produced as a result of faulty metabolism and also impurities entering our body from external sources may not always be timely expelled. In the due course of time it gets lodged in our tissues. In such situations, a cleansing therapy is the way to go. At times, cleansing will be advised before starting a new medicine course also.

There are five major purification procedures which are categorized under the śodhana cikitsā.

1. 1. Therapeutic Emesis (vamanaṃ)
   2. Therapeutic Purgation (virecanaṃ)
   3. Enema (vasti)
   4. Nasal Instillation (nasyaṃ)
   5. Blood letting (rakta mokṣaṃ)

Pañcakarma

Pañcakarma is a sophisticated procedure for the effective application of cleansing therapies. The literal meaning of the word pañca-karma is “Five Procedures” in Sanskrit. The five purification procedures mentioned above are done as the Major Procedure (pradhāna karma). Apart from this, a typical pañcakarma procedure will include a Preparatory Procedure (pūrva karma) and a Subsequent Procedure (paścāt karma).

 

In general, the following steps are involved in various stages of Pañcakarma:

1. Preparatory procedure (pūrva karma)– This step readies the body for cleansing. First an unction therapy (snehana) is done. In this step, the individual is given oil or other fats either internally as medicated fat or as external applications as oil application. This softens and loosens the accumulated filth and metabolic toxins attached to the channels (srotas). This is followed by the next step which is a sudation (svedana) process. Svedana helps in dislodging these toxins from the tissues and brings it back to the gut. A common example of a sudation process is a steam bath.
2. Major procedure (pradhāna karma)– The purpose of the major procedure is to expel these toxins and filth that have been brought back to the gut or circulatory system.
3. Subsequent procedure (paścāt karma)– It is observed that after the intensive cleansing procedure, the bio-fire and strength of the individual is weakened. The subsequent procedure is done to replenish the bio-fire and gain the normal strength back. Generally this includes diet, medicines and daily routine.

Pañcakarma can be applied in almost all diseases as an ultimate curative solution as per classical Ayurvedic literature. One can even find passages in Ṛgveda mentioning eradication of diseases through natural orifices, suggesting knowledge of pañcakarma in the Vedic period itself. Pañcakarma is designed in such a way that by expelling the wastes from the body, it also allows the longstanding Balance of the doṣas and thereby facilitates the natural repair and regeneration of vital tissues. So, the preventive aspect of Ayurveda also utilizes this modality on a large scale.

The enormous success rate of this procedure has made it ever popular internationally. Most other systems of medicines fail to identify the deep seated toxins and address only the superficial waste expulsion. In making this differentiation, Ayurveda brings clarity into detoxification and helps guard against the side effects of excess or wrongly administered detoxification therapies.

Pañcakarma is considered even more powerful than a surgical procedure and hence the focus and precision that it demands is also high. These treatment procedures must only be charted out and performed by expert physicians and therapists. For this reason MAYA AYURVEDA takes special attention while forming our clinical team and ensures that the physicians, therapists and medicines are simply the best.

The five Major Procedures

Based on the location of doṣa aggravation, specific diagnosis and channels (srotas) involved in a condition and so on, the physician may choose any or a combination of cleansing procedures.

There are five major purification procedures which are categorized under the śodhana cikitsā.

1. Therapeutic Emesis (vamanaṃ)
2. Therapeutic Purgation (virecanaṃ)
3. Medicated Enema (vasti)
4. Nasal Instillation (nasyaṃ)
5. Bloodletting (rakta mokṣaṃ)

Therapeutic Emesis (vamanaṃ)

In therapeutic emesis (vamanaṃ), medicated emetic (vomiting inducing ayurvedic formulations) is administered orally. This controlled emesis eliminates the toxic or waste matters from the upper part of the body like the chest, throat, upper part of gut, stomach and head. Usually, if a cleansing is to be administered for a Kapha dominant disease or conditions affecting the neck or above, the procedure of choice would be vamanaṃ.

General Procedure

The person eligible for this procedure is given Kapha increasing foods the night before. On the day of therapy, first preparatory procedures like unction (snehana) and sudation (svedana) are done. Then, after ablutions and a hot water bath, the patient is asked to sit in a relaxed manner in an armchair. Milk is commonly used as a vehicle for emetics. For lactose intolerant persons, sugarcane juice can be used. The emetic formulation may contain herbal ingredients like Emetic nut [madanaphala- Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb.) Triveng], Liquorice [yaṣṭimadhu- Glycurrhiza glabra L.], Sweet flag [vacā- Acorus calamus L.], rock salt, honey etc. Milk mixed with this paste is to be taken to the maximum capacity. Emesis usually starts within a few minutes. While vomiting, the person’s head will be held and their back will be massaged in an upward direction. When most of the accumulated Kapha and wastes are removed, the final bouts may show signs of bile (greenish yellow fluid) in it and the bouts stop naturally. Generally eight to ten bouts are seen. If the bouts are less, vomiting should be produced by gagging with the fingers, stalk of lotus flower or a quill. Once the procedure is completed, the face and hands are washed with warm water. This may be followed by inhalation of medicated fumes. A strict diet regimen is followed afterwards.

Some of the conditions that generally benefits by therapeutic emesis (vamana):

• Skin diseases like psoriasis and urticaria
• Bronchial asthma
• Mental disorders
• Headache
• Respiratory congestion
• Bronchitis
• Chronic cold
• Chronic sinus congestion
• Asthma
• Cough
• Cold
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Anaemia
• Poisoning
• Skin diseases
• Diabetes
• Lymphatic obstruction
• Chronic indigestion
• Oedema (swelling)
• Recurrent tonsillitis

Contra-Indications

Children below the age of 12 or those who are above the age of 65, during menstruation, pregnancy, emaciation, delicate or sensitive person with too much fear, grief or anxiety hypoglycemia, vāta prakṛti, vāta diseases, heart diseases, during vāta season, acute fever, diarrhoea, obesity, etc.

Therapeutic Purgation (virecanaṃ)

Therapeutic purgation eliminates the filth accumulated in the body by bringing it back to the intestines and expelling it along with stools. It is the best cleansing procedure for Pitta or Pitta-predominant conditions. This is because the purgative medicines have to pass down from the stomach to the intestines and get processed by the Pitta for it to act properly. The Pitta doṣa also gets rectified in the process.

General Procedure

After doing the preparatory procedures (unction and sudation), the person eligible for virecana is given the herbal purgative medicine. A variety of medicines are used for this procedure. Typically, when administered as an intensive therapy, about 20 purges may occur in one session depending on the patient’s health. There is also a less intense model of this treatment which acts as a mild purgative. This can be performed with common herbs including castor oil, senna, flaxseed husk, or even with cow’s milk, salt and raisins. Ayurveda formulations like Avipatti cūrṇa or Triphalā may also be used. This model does not require stringent preparatory procedures. The number of purges are also much lesser. It can even be administered for days together.

Some conditions that are relieved with therapeutic purgation (virecana):

• Allergic rashes
• Skin inflammation
• Acne
• Dermatitis
• Eczema
• Chronic fever
• Ascites
• Recurrent vomiting
• Jaundice
• Renal diseases
• Spleen enlargement
• Internal worms
• Diseases of the eyes like burning sensation and conjunctivitis
• Gout

Contra-Indications

Reduced bio-fire (agni), acute fever, diarrhoea, severe constipation, bleeding from rectum or lung cavities foreign body in the stomach after enema emaciation or weakness prolapsed rectum, alcoholism, dehydration, childhood old age ulcerative colitis etc.

Medicated Enema (vasti)

The procedure of choice to eliminate toxins from the lower part of the abdomen is Medicated Enema (vasti). Some types of vasti can strengthen the tissues as well. In vasti, the Ayurveda medications are administered via the anal route. Vasti is most ideal for Vāta doṣa increase or conditions with Vāta predominance. Based on the type of liquid vehicle, vasti is classified into Decoction enema (nirūha vasti) and Fat enema (sneha vasti). While the former is mostly used for cleansing procedures, the later can be used as an additive therapy (bṛṃhaṇa cikitsā) or as a preparatory procedure (pūrvakarma). Vasti is a very important treatment procedure in Ayurveda and it is often given more importance than surgery itself. They say that if vasti is done, the condition is already half cured. There are over 100 specific enemas listed in Ayurveda.

The Ayurveda medicine for decoction enema is prepared in a unique style. Ingredients like honey, rock salt, oil, special herbal pastes and specific decoctions are carefully mixed one by one in a specific order by hand. It is mixed carefully to make an emulsion like liquid and is given as rectal administration.

General Procedure

When given as a cleansing therapy, all general preparatory procedures including the unction and sudation are to be done. The person may require taking some mild amount of energizing and hydrating food and drinks beforehand. The eligible person is then made to lie down calm and relaxed on the treatment table (dhārā pātti) facing his left on his side. The apparatus used for administration is called a vasti yantra. Traditionally it has two parts- one, a pouch (vasti sañci) in which the medicine is filled and two, a cone shaped nozzle (vasti netra) which is gently inserted into the anus to administer the medicine. Decoction enemas are generally stimulating in effect and after a few minutes of administration, the person will have the urge to pass stools. Once this occurs, the main procedure is completed. Then the person is allowed to take a bath and is asked to take light and digestive food when they feel hungry.

Some conditions that are relieved with medicated enema (vasti):

• Vāta predominant disease like hemiplegia
• Chronic constipation
• Distended abdomen
• Chronic fever
• Common cold
• Sexual disorders
• Kidney stones
• Gout
• Rheumatism
• Sciatica
• Muscle spasms
• Heart pain
• Backache
• Headache
• Emaciation muscular atrophy and other pains in the joints

Contra-Indications

Diarrhoea, bleeding of the rectum, haemorrhoids, chronic indigestion, breathlessness, diabetes, fever, pregnancy, emaciation, severe anaemia, pulmonary tuberculosis, old age or for children below the age of seven years.

Nasal Instillation (nasyaṃ)

Ayurveda has this special treatment procedure in which medicated liquids or powders are administered via the nose. The nose is the doorway to the brain and consciousness. As the head and shoulders are the abode of kapha doṣa, nasayṃ is the cleansing therapy most suited for diseases of the head and sense organs. So the toxins and filth accumulated in the sinus, throat, nose or head areas is eliminated by means of the nearest possible opening, the nose, by using nasyaṃ. It is also observed that nasyaṃ is highly beneficial in neuro-hormonal conditions. So, apart from being administered as a cleansing procedure, milder medications may be applied in smaller doses as part of regular administration, to improve functions of nerves, hormones, sensory organs as well as stimulating overall immunity and health.

General procedure

The timing of this process is fixed based on the condition, season etc. But generally it is done during the morning near to sunrise for Kapha, noon time for Pitta and evening before sunset for Vāta conditions. The person to be given nasyaṃ is prepared by massaging the neck, shoulder, palm, face and sole with warm Ayurveda oils. This may also be repeated after completion of the procedure as well. The person can either be seated facing east or lied down facing up. The nasal opening is held as vertical as possible. The medicine is taken in a dropper and dripped into each nostril while the other nostril is kept close.

Some conditions that are relieved with nasal instillation (nasyaṃ)

• Conditions of the neck and above
• Emotional distress
• Stiffness in the neck & shoulders
• Dryness of the nose
• Sinus congestion
• Hoarseness
• Migraine
• Headache
• Convulsions
• Ear diseases
• Eye disease
• Toothache
• Cervical disorders
• Diseases of mouth

Contra-Indications:

Indigestion, after washing the head, after taking food or alcohol, pregnant women, post-delivery period, children below 10 and persons above 70 years of age.

Bloodletting (rakta mokṣaṃ)

The very sustenance of life (jīvanaṃ) is ensured by blood. As it percolates almost all tissues, blood is a reflection of both our wellness as well as diseases. Along with nutrients, it also carries metabolic wastes and pathological factors. Some schools of thought in Ayurveda give blood a status of a doṣa (bio-energy) itself. This is the relevance of a cleansing therapy exclusive to the blood. It is a para-surgical procedure and hence done by specialists only.

General Procedure

The exact type and method of bloodletting is decided upon the degree of vitiation, location, age, health and a lot of other factors. In general, there are four methods advocated in Ayurveda.

• Pracchāna is a type of bloodletting where repeated small pricks are done over the skin just enough to get capillaries to ooze out blood. This is ideal for a diffuse bleeding in a region of the skin.
• Sirāvyadhaṃ is the classical venipuncture, wherein which the vein of an area is located and punctured to let out a specific quantity of blood.
• Sṛṅga is a method that uses a draining apparatus (traditionally, horns of animals were used, hence the name). This is used to drain out pooled or impure blood from a localized area.
• Alābu is in fact a cupping method. Dried hemispherical fruit pods are used as vacuum cups over the skin and blood diffuses into the cup due to vacuum.

Specialized Therapies

Ayurveda has been in practice for more than 5000 years now. In the course of its evolution, many of its treatment procedures also transformed. These transformations incorporated improved effectiveness, convenient application for both the practitioner and the patient, combination of two or more therapeutic entities and so on. Today, these procedures are grouped as specialized therapies in Ayurveda. Taking into account the subtle variations and improvisation made on them by physicians around the world, there are literally hundreds of specialized procedures.

After a detailed consultation with our physician, the constitution (prakṛti) and derangement from it (vikṛti) is identified and the most suitable treatment is charted out. One of the advantages of specialized therapies is that they can be done as a preparatory or supportive therapy for pañcakarma and also as stand-alone therapy as part of a treatment plan for a condition.

At MAYA AYURVEDA, we have customized some of the most effective and popular specialized therapies so that it can give the best of effectiveness and convenience to our clients, with a signature of MAYA AYURVEDA We have a highly thought out plan for conditions like obesity, arthritis, infertility, psoriasis, skin conditions, headache, gynaecological conditions, digestive disorders and so on. Here are some of our unique Specialized Therapies:

Body Irrigation (kāya sekaṃ)

Also known as pizhiccil, oil-bath is one of the exclusive treatments practiced in Kerala, the State in India where Ayurveda is practiced in its most pristine form. It can be rightfully called as the king among the specialized therapies. This therapy is a strategic combination of two classical Ayurveda treatments, unction (snehanaṃ) and sudation (svedanaṃ). The entire body is subjected to pouring of the medicated oil or other liquids with simultaneous and gentle massages. Generally, this therapy protects the body from illnesses, builds up immunity and slows down the degeneration due to ageing.

Some conditions that are found to benefit well from this therapy are:

• Chronic vāta or vāta-rakta disorders
• Hemiplegia
• Motor neuron disorders
• Muscular atrophy
• Generalized muscle spasm
• Muscle stiffness
• Degenerative joint disorders
• Sexual weakness
• Blood pressure
• Nervous weakness

Forehead Irrigation (śirodhāra)

Śirodhāra is a very popular procedure. Perhaps you might have already seen pictures of it. Essentially, it involves pouring of an uninterrupted thin stream of medicated liquid, usually oils, over the forehead with a rhythmic side to side oscillation, for a stipulated period of time. The rhythm of these oscillations is of much importance as it stimulates the seat of our cognition, resulting in channelization of bio-energies and restoration of good health. Śirodhāra rejuvenates and revitalizes the body and mind and ultimately strengthens the physical constitution of the individual and also relieves stress and strain related problems. It imparts better vision, better hearing and clears several nasal problems. This slows the aging process, improves memory and is also known to have superlative curative effects

Śirodhāra is found to be exclusively beneficial in:

• Vāta or vāta-pitta dominating conditions
• Paralysis
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hypertension
• Anorexia
• Neurological malfunctions
• Dandruff
• Hair fall
• Burning sensation of head

Powder Poultice Fomentation (cūrṇa-piṇḍa svedaṃ)

Cūrṇa-piṇḍa svedaṃ is basically an augmented sudation therapy (svedanaṃ). In this, the warm poultices of herbal powders are used to mitigate vāta. It is usually preceded by an unction therapy (snehanaṃ), most commonly an oil massage (abhyaṅgaṃ) of the whole body. Further to this, the poultices which are made of herbal powders tied up in a cotton cloth, is warmed and applied after dipping it in specific medicated oils. These poultices are not only just applied but also are run along the body like in a massage. It is considered as one of the most proficient therapies to relieve neurological pain and stiffness.

Cūrṇa-piṇḍa svedaṃ is specially indicated in disorders such as pain without inflammatory swelling at any part of the body including the joints, painful conditions in obese people and in paralysis.