Monsoon:

Diet

·  Digestive power weakens and bodily vata is aggravated.

·  It is advisable therefore to be moderate in your diet.

·  Come rains, tuck into astringent, bitter and pungent food along with wheat & rice.

·  Never forget to boil & cool your water. And if possible, add a little honey.

Conduct

·  Go for oil massages and regular baths.

·  Do not indulge in daytime sleeping.

·  Avoid moving in the sun, and excessive physical exercise

Do not indulgence in excessive sex.

(See also: Monsoon , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Winter:

Diet

·  Dig into piping hot, oily, sour & salty food along with rice. Also plenty of cow’s milk & cane juice.

·  Drink warm water and it will improve your life span.

·  Avoid light food to pacify vata.

Conduct

·  Don’t expose yourself to cold.

·  Go for an invigorating oil massage followed by tepid water bath.

·  Cover your body with sufficient warm wraps

Indulge in intense sexual pleasure.

(See also: Winter , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Oelation Therapy

1. Involves saturation of the body with herbal & medicated oil via external & internal oelation to make it soft and disintegrate the doshas. Takes between three to seven days to take effect.

2. The medium used is of 4 types - vegetable oils (for external oelation), animal fat & fats from bones (for internal oelation) and clarified butter (for internal oelation).

3. Caution should be exercised in ensuring that oil used matches need of the patient.

Shirodhara

The most commonly employed pre-procedure, it means `the dripping of oil like a thread (dhara) on the head (shiro). This treatment drips warm oil in a steady stream on the forehead, particularly on the brow and in the region between the eyes. It is often added to the panchakarma regimen because it pacifies vata and calms the central system. It cleans both the mind and the senses which allows the body's natural healing mechanisms to release stress from the nervous systems. This in turn, improves mental clarity and comprehension. Usually given for twenty minutes, three to four times during a seven day treatment period, it uses oils made with special herbs (Mahanarayan Oil, Mahamash Oil etc.) that calm and nourish the nervous system. The technician administers the oil in a thin stream which flows from a copper vessel hung approximately 6-8 inches above the patient's forehead.

Shirovasti

Shirovasti is administered on the head through the use of a specialized leather container resembling a hat. This type of vasti improves the sensory functions. It also promotes kaphagenic secretions in the para-nasal sinus zone which reduce vascular congestion in the brain. Shirovasti is extremely useful in vascular headaches, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders, memory loss, disorientation, glaucoma and sinus headaches.

(See also: Oelation Therapy , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Spring:

Diet

·  Kapha that has already accumulated is liquidified by the heat and disturbs your digestive system.

·  Avoid heavy, oily, sour & sweet food & drinks that may aggravate kapha.

·  Take in barley, wheat, rice, scrup, & bitter vegetables.

·  Go for vigorous exercises, and oil massages.

·  Cut down your smoking habit.

Avoid day-time naps.

(See also: Spring , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Uneasy Food Combinations

The next important factor requiring attention in the planning of diet is the incompatibility of certain combinations of food that disturb the normal functioning of gastric fire and interfere with the equilibrium of the three doshas, thereby creating toxins (am) – the root cause of all ailments. A suggestive sample of the same is indicated below:

Milk

fish, meat, curd, sour fruits, bread containing yeast, cherries, yogurt

Melons

grains, starch, fried foods, dairy products

Starches

eggs, tea, dairy, bananas, dates, most fruits

Honey

when mixed with an equal amount of clarified butter, boiled or cooked honey

Radishes

milk, bananas, raisins

Nightshades

potato, yogurt, milk, melon, cucumber, tomato, eggplant

Yogurt

milk, sour fruits, melons, hot drinks, meat, fish, mangos, starch, cheese

Eggs

milk, meat, yogurt, melons, cheese, fish, bananas

Fruit

with any other food

Corn

dates, raisins, bananas

Lemon

yogurt, milk, cucumbers, tomatoes

These guidelines are by no means an exhaustive list. It must be remembered that a proper Ayurvedic diet should consider nutritional value, constitution, seasons, age and any disease condition.

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Employment

Since work consumes at least one-third part of our lives and success or failure in your profession affects self-confidence, self-worth, it is important that the nature of work should match well with your prakriti.

Vata people love work that requires sudden bursts of intense energy. But it tends to exhaust them also. So to balance it off, despite their dislike, they should be in routine jobs, slightly repetitive. Need a soothing home and work environment to smooth out their rough edges. They need adequate rest, specially in the afternoons. And should avoid places where the air is exceptionally cool and dry e.g. the freezing cold inside electronics manufacturing outfits or exceptionally dusty fertiliser mills. The ideal jobs must have enough excitement to hold their interest and sufficient routine to avoid imbalances.

Pitta people are very practical, making good administrators but not original thinkers. By nature aggressive and self-promoting, these realists see everything as a contest that has to be won. Insisting on being in the forefront of all activity, they cram as much work as they can, demanding perfect functioning from their bodies all the time. They do not take delays and obstacles to their plans well and must seriously try to be fair to and keep their professional and private lives separate. They should avoid work that is physically irritating or involves heat (as welding or metal casting) and listen more to others. They should ideally have sufficient challenge to keep them occupied without the stress of severe competition.

Innate Kapha stability and balance makes them great administrators. They must make a conscious effort bring in change or variety to their otherwise staid and routine lives. And ensure that even if work is not physically active, leisure is. Slow to get going in the morning, competition is good for them although they may find it stressful.

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Spiritual Remedies

It is an unquestionable truth of life that the most precious possession that you have is your very own spiritual self. As we tend to move away from that intrinsic part of ourselves the body gets trapped by negative energies, which are the root cause of ailments. Spiritual therapies channelise your energies back on the right track, by venturing deep within yourself.

As God's children, all individuals have a part of divinity in themselves. By invoking the strength of that divinity through the control over ones thoughts, one can shape ones life very strongly. It is therefore important that one should attempt to root out all negative thoughts from the mind and concentrate on only the positive ones.

The negative thought patterns which cause ailments are anger, criticism, resentment and guilt. It is utterly impossible to maintain a healthy body under such distressed condition. For instance, criticism indulged in over long periods will often lead to disease as arthritis. Anger turns into things that boil and burn and in the long run infect the body and it also leads to heart ailments. Resentment eats into your system and ultimately leads to tumour and cancer. Guilt always seeks punishment and leads to all sorts of pain.

Next to hate, worry is just about the worst form of self-destructive mental activity. Hatred is the most severely damaging mental activity. It poisons the body and the mind and its effects are almost permanent. Similarly if you have no will to live, you are unlikely to have a long life. On the other hand, if you intend to live with a positive mind, you will definitely live a long and healthy life. Thus a person who exercises, meditates and thinks positively, is telling his body that he wants to stay healthy throughout his life.

Think of the experiences in life that you wish to be fulfilled. And you will find your thought patterns taking real shapes. This phenomenon is called metaphysical causation. This describes the power in the words and thoughts to create experiences. And explains the connection between thoughts and your physical self. Thus a stiff neck could easily be indicative of inflexibility in a person to listen to the other side of an argument.

So if need be, be willing to change your words and thoughts and watch your life change right before you. The way to control your life is to control your choice of words and thoughts. Since no one can delve into the depths of your, but you. Although easier said than done, this can be achieved better by practicing the arts of relaxation and concentration. For which one can in turn take the help of music and mantras.

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AROMA THERAPY

"If the day and night are such that you greet them with joy and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs - that is your success. All nature is your congratulations."

Henry David Thoreaux.

The use of pure essential oils from plants dates back many centuries, and history of aroma therapy is in many ways part of the history of herbal medicine as a whole. The Arabic countries are usually credited with first discovering the process of distillation of oils about a thousand years back. It then spread to India and then the west. In modern times much research has taken place on this - from perfumery applications to medicinal uses.

Highly concentrated extracts, essential oils thus need to be treated with respect and care. Preferably used sparingly - large doses not only increase immunity and reduce effectiveness, they can prove irritating and even toxic to the skin - a large part of their effect on our moods and emotions occurs through our sense of smell.

When we breathe in air, the aroma molecules are translated into signals by the receptor cells in the nose. This signal is sent to the olfactory bulb and then on to the limbic and hypothalamic parts of the brain. Although not scientifically proven, it is believed that the essential oil aroma activates the `pharmacy' within our brains - neurochemicals as seretonin, endorphins etc. Which are `words' that our brain uses to communicate with our nervous and other body systems. Thus the aroma of a calming oil would cause release of seretonin - a euphoric aroma.

Relief from pain and other physical effects are also experienced when these neurochemicals are released. Studies done on effects of essential oils on brain waves have shown that a rhythm exhibiting calmness was produced when a oil with sedative potential was inhaled and a stimulating aroma caused an alert response. Our minds can thus play an important role in our well being.

Aroma therapy thus works through the brain, through the mind and through the emotions e.g the tender yellow flower of the Ylang Ylang tree is considered so worthy of love that it is placed on wedding beds in Indonesia. Just as to calm your mind you need to close your eyes and feel the lush coolness of an immense forest filled with cedars, trees of frankincense and sandalwood through deep breaths of the lovely, fresh scent of those trees.

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Duration of Panchakarma

The whole treatment of nearly a months duration is generally broken up in this manner:

1st cycle

1st-7th days of oelation, fomentation and nasal therapies.

8th day emesis therapy.

3 days off.

2nd cycle

1st-7th days of oelation, fomentation and nasal therapies.

8th day purgation therapy.

3 days off.

3rd cycle

1st-7th days of oelation, fomentation and nasal therapies

8th day enema therapy

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REIKI:

·      Discovered and propounded by Dr.Mikao Usui in 1800, it is the ancient Japanese art of healing by the 'laying on of hands' - Reiki meaning universal energy in Japanese.

·      A powerful and spiritual experimental technique that opens up the vision, heart, palm chakras, third eye and other psychic abilities.

·      Providing holistic, positive energy without any side effects, it can be undergone independently or with other medical treatments.

·      Treating the root-cause of a disease, it enhances the body's natural ability to heal itself. And maintains equilibrium of both body and mind to promote complete relaxation, thereby raising the life-force energy.

·      The therapist first makes a body-scan of the seven chakras to determine individual needs. Actual therapy follows when the universal energy flows through the therapist into the client.

The various stages in the entire process being:

THE FIRST DEGREE STAGE

This is the primary stage where you get attuned as the universal energy activates in you through transmission for approximately four hours over some days. When the attunement is established, information is given on four levels of energy - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. At this stage, you are opened up to a higher level of universal resonance that can be ventured up to unlimited heights through suggested use and applications.

THE SECOND DEGREE STAGE

Slightly more advanced, great changes in the energy levels are achieved here and symbols are introduced to unlock the chakras that will improve your health.

THE THIRD DEGREE STAGE

In this most advanced and powerful stage you are taught the intricate process of passing on the reiki energy and ways of enhancing personal growth, transformation and increased enlightenment.

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ANCIENT MEDICINE: CHINESE AND GREEK

Chinese

According to the ancient Chinese system of philosophy, the human body is governed by Chi, which can loosely be translated as the 'Life Force'.

·      The Chi is made up of the Yin and the Yang - the feminine and masculine principles - that in perfect balance ensure health, peace and well being.

·      Any imbalance between the two causes disease.

·      As early as 2700 BC, the complicated system of Acupuncture had identified pressure points in the human body that were considered crucial for the healing process. By manipulating these pressure points, ancient Chinese physicians could treat the most complicated of diseases.

Greek

·      Ancient Greek medicine (circa 450 BC) is synonymous with the name of Hippocrates, who is deemed to be the father of modern medicine.

·      Hippocrates based his study and his practice of medicine on logic, reasoning and scientific experimentation.

·      For the first time in the ancient world medicine was separated from religion, philosophy and superstition. He recorded all his theories and observations in a series of books, which are now held sacred by the practitioners of modern medicine all over the world.

• From about 6th century BC, many important developments were made in the fields of surgery, orthopaedics, opthalmology and obstetrics in Greece. Greek surgeons using various types of knives, syringes and forceps as surgical tools. Although there is a school of thought that believes that transfer of similar knowledge from India through the trade connections cannot be ruled out entirely.

(See also: ANCIENT MEDICINE , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Magnet Therapy

·      A newly formed system of medicine that is gaining popularity and recognition all over, it is based on the principle that the earth is one big magnet and that all our bodies are surrounded by magnetic waves emanating from the earth and other spatial bodies including the sun and moon. This natural magnetism influences and supports all forms of life.

·      Disease is therefore caused by the imbalance between the various electro-magnetic forces present within our bodies.

·      Thus strategic placement of magnets on specific parts of the body can cure chronic ailments that standard medicine might find difficult to control.

·      Legend has it that Cleopatra always wore a small magnet on her forehead to maintain her youth and beauty. And that men in love kept magnets with them to keep their beloved attracted

Some of the basic principles of this therapy are:

·      Use of mutually opposite properties of the North and South Poles.

·      The use of two methods - Unipolar and Bipolar. The use of only one pole on a diseased organ gives desired results but only if diagnosis and selection of pole is correctly made.

·      During the course of treatment the patient is made to sit or lie down on an insulating wooden chair or bed for best results.

·      While shape or size of the magnet does not matter, for sensitive organs as eyes, brain and heart, weak magnets are used for very short periods of time. For chronic ailments, strong magnets need to be employed.

·      Never given on a full stomach, pregnant women should opt out of it and all metallic objects that absorb magnetic waves should be taken off before.

·      In the treatment of skin diseases, a cloth should be used between the magnet and the skin.

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yoga-nidra

the mystic slumber of Lord Vishnu.

(See also: yoga-nidra , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

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Panchakarma: Purgation Therapy

Aims to eliminate those doshas that cannot be removed by emesis or through other channels as kidneys, lungs and sweat glands. It is highly effective in cases of fever, skin diseases, bleeding from the mouth & nose, piles, worms, gout, vaginal diseases, anal problems, fistulas, anemia, glandular swellings and loss of appetite.

A systematic therapy for the elimination of pitta and pitta-kappha performed through the anus using mediums as laxatives, mild purgatives and strong purgatives, it must be practiced only after Poorva Karma. However, it is not suitable for children, the old, the infirm and pregnant woman. And strictly avoided under conditions of bleeding of the lower channels, weaknesses or diarrhoea.

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Ritucharya

Given that the term prakriti denotes both body constitution and nature, it is only expected that with the changing seasons of nature there will be corresponding effects on the bhutas and thereby the doshas of the constitution. Cold, dry weather for instance enhances vata, hot humid climate increases pitta, while cold, wet weather aggravates kapha.

To avoid such continued aggravation leading to imbalance of the doshas, Ayurveda prescribes a seasonal routine to preserve the doshic balance as the seasons change. For each season therefore, there is a unique diet (ahar), a distinct mode of living (vihara) and routine living (karya). These keep your doshas in a state of equilibrium and help you cope with the stresses and strains of changing seasons.

In Ayurvedic literature the year is divided into six ritus (seasons) – varsha (monsoon), sharada (autumn), hemanta (winter), shishira (late winter), girshma (summer) and vasanta (spring). The effects of these ritus on the three doshas and the suggested lifestyle for each is as indicated below:

Monsoon:

Diet

·  Digestive power weakens and bodily vata is aggravated.

·  It is advisable therefore to be moderate in your diet.

·  Come rains, tuck into astringent, bitter and pungent food along with wheat & rice.

·  Never forget to boil & cool your water. And if possible, add a little honey.

Conduct

·  Go for oil massages and regular baths.

·  Do not indulge in daytime sleeping.

·  Avoid moving in the sun, and excessive physical exercise

·  Do not indulgence in excessive sex.

Autumn:

Diet

Yummy dishes with astringent, bitter or sweet tastes are for you to enjoy.

Have lots of rice, barley, wheat, along with curd, cabbage, cheese, milk.

Avoid meat, yoghurt.

Conduct

·  This is the right time to go through purgation & blood letting treatment. (for detail see Panchakarma)

·  Avoid excessive sunbathing

·  Do not expose yourself to easterly winds.

Winter:

Diet

·  Dig into piping hot, oily, sour & salty food along with rice. Also plenty of cow’s milk & cane juice.

·  Drink warm water and it will improve your life span.

·  Avoid light food to pacify vata.

Conduct

·  Don’t expose yourself to cold.

·  Go for an invigorating oil massage followed by tepid water bath.

·  Cover your body with sufficient warm wraps

·  Indulge in intense sexual pleasure.

Spring:

Diet

·  Kapha that has already accumulated is liquidified by the heat and disturbs your digestive system.

·  Avoid heavy, oily, sour & sweet food & drinks that may aggravate kapha.

·  Take in barley, wheat, rice, scrup, & bitter vegetables.

·  Go for vigorous exercises, and oil massages.

·  Cut down your smoking habit.

• Avoid day-time naps.

Summer:

Diet

·  Take in plenty of fluids. Avoid dehydration.

·  Avoid food with pungent, acid & salt tastes.

·  Tuck into sweet, cold & oily foods. Meat of birds & animals are good for you.

·  Avoid excessive physical exercises & excessive sex.

·  Avoid sunlight and harmful UV rays.

·  Enjoy the cool breeze of your garden & fragrance of flowers.

• Try to take a short nap.

(See also: Ritucharya , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Massage and its remedial effects

Massage reduces muscle-tension and relieves pain, opens the pores of the skin, thus eliminating poisons from the body through sweat. It also speeds up blood circulation.

The literal meaning of 'massage' is manipulation of the soft tissues of the body using the hands. In naturopathy, massage occupies a very important place in the treatment of diseases of all kinds. For centuries, massage has been used as a remedy in India, Greece, Rome, China, Egypt and a host of other countries.

Procedure

According to the modern system of physiotherapy, the process begins with massaging upper limbs (arms) and lower limbs (legs) followed by the chest, abdomen, back and hips, and ending with the face and the head. As far as possible, massage with the hands to derive complete benefit.

According to modern therapy, the massage strokes are directed towards the heart. According to Ayurdeva, massage is known as snehan (oleation) and should be given to a patient before panchakarma treatment. Panchakarmas are the five basic principles to clean and detoxify or purify the body. They are:

·      Vamana (emesis)

·      Virechana (puragation)

·      Nruha (medicated anema)

·      Anuvasana (unctuous anema -

·      preparation with oil or other unctuous substance)

·      Nasya (inhalation therapy)

Massage should always be followed by svedana (fermentation). Snehana and svedana are the two purvakarmas that should be given before panchakarma treatment.

Benefits

1. Massage is used to improve blood circulation, to reduce oedema,

 adhesions in tissues after injury, reduce muscular spasm and improve

 muscle tone.

2. Massage reduces muscle-tension and relieves pain, opens the pores

 of the skin, thus eliminating poisons from the body through sweat.

3. It also speeds up blood circulation, hence reducing swelling

 (oedema), relieving tension of the nerves and soothing them.

4. It stimulates the digestive system and activates the urinary system.

Rules on massage oil

1. For patients with pains, use Narayan Taila, or Mahanarayan Taila.

2. For weakness, use Narayan Taila, Chandan Bala Lakshdi Taila.

3. For patients with joint pains (rheumatism), use Saindhavadi Taila.

4. For patients with burning sensation problems and sleeplessness, use

 Bhringraj Taila and Brahmi Taila.

5. For patients with skin diseases, use Kushthararakshas Taila, Nimba

 Taila and Bakuchi Taila.

Massage produces heat. After half an hour of getting a massage done, a hot water bath or shower can be taken. The head should be bathed with lukewarm water.

Contraindications

1. Massage is not recommended in any type of fevers.

2.Massage is not recommended during pregnancy.

3.Abdominal massage should be avoided in case of diarrhoea, ulcers, appendicities and tumours in the abdomen.

Excessive oil after massage should be removed with gram flour (besan) and not with soap. Peeli mitti (Indian yellow clay) is also excellent for washing the body. It has a cooling effect on the skin and nerves.

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Panchakarma: Enema Therapy

Considered the best treatment for a deranged vata, it purifies and rejuvenates the colon that then nourishes the entire body and helps to gain control of the disease process before it goes into a migratory phase. Classified into Oily Enema, Decoction Enema, and Enema therapies, it is administered through the anal passage or vagina.

Because vata is the force behind retention or elimination of all items, its imbalance is the root cause of diseases related to tissues and organs of the body. This therapy thus proves effective for nearly all types of ailments discussed in Ayurveda. Helping rejuvenate the body and providing strength and long life.

Vasti is essentially of two types: Nirooha that cleanses toxins from the dhatus and removes naturally accumulated malas (body waste) from the colon, and Anuwasana that which is meant to be retained in the body for a longer period of time in order to have its intended effect.

But it cannot be applied in case of particular skin diseases, obese patients, problems of the gastro-intestinal tracts, loss of appetite, enlargement of liver & spleen, thirst, dyspnea, edema and in states of grief and shock.

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Sex & Ayurveda

Sex has always been an issue of dichotomy. An integral part of our lives and essential for the continuation of the species, it is far more than just a technical necessity. While social structures in India are quite strict on this, the study of

 sex - from both its physical and psychological perspectives - has been practiced here from ancient times. Unlike in the west, where this is a fairly recent phenomenon and they are yet to find the proper line of distinction between sex

 in general and pornography in particular.

On the other hand Maharishi Vatsayan's Kamasutra is yet unparalleled as the  most comprehensive documentation ever on the practice of sex. Unfortunately,  its classic treatment of the act and the art has often been misrepresented. The ancient Ayurvedic text of Charaka Samhita provided complete sexual solutions over 3000 years ago And the time-frozen, stone-carved, erotic sculptures in the temples at Khajuraho and Konarak leave millions of visitors utterly awe-struck by their sheer beauty, elegance and variety. An undying testimony to how intrinsic sex was to the daily lives of people in ancient India.

The importance of sex in our lives has remained quite unchanged. The crucial points to be kept in mind in relation to the same being:

·      Sex is an integral part of our daily habits (Dinacharya).

·      Night and after two hours of dinner is the ideal time for intimacy, as it is kapha time.

·      An absolutely satisfying sexual union, when developed over time, bestows you and your partner with health and vitality.

·      For best results, each of the partners should be physically, emotionally and spiritually involved with the other.

·      Touch, smell, food, music and ambience play a vital role in developing, increasing and prolonging intimacy.

·      Perverted or unsatisfying sex has adverse effects on your mental and physical health, as it aggravates your vital energies (doshas) and reduces immunity. An aggravated vata will make you more emotionally vulnerable and fear-prone, increased pitta will move you to anger and even frustration and enhanced kapha will make you more possessive.

·      The frequency of sex depends on your constitution and seasons - kapha types indulge in sex more frequently than your vata & pitta types thanks to the extra stamina they possess.

·      Vata types might find satisfaction in changing partners. While the difficult-to-quench-their-desires pitta types are usually in quest for more intensity.

For more and better sex therefore, one can practice Vajikaran therapy (virlification) - that part of Ayurveda which enhances male fertility and potency. However, any misuse of the same may open up a deluge of emotional and psychological complications. Use of similar medication (aphrodisiac supplements) instantly induces sexual pleasure and excitement, increases sexual stamina and promotes fertile seminal secretions.

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Panchakarma:The Three Stages

Poorva (pre) Karma - These important preparatory procedures have two parts

Oelation (snehana) Therapy

Fomentation (swedana) Therapy

Pradhan (main) Karma - Consists of the five essential purificatory therapies, namely.

Emesis Therapy

Purgation Therapy

Enema Therapy

Nasal Therapy

Bloodletting

Paschat (post) Karma - Crucial follow-up therapies that include diet, medication & lifestyle.

(See also: Panchakarma , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Panchakarma Basic Principles

Panchakarma consists of medicated emesis (vamana) to remove excess kapha, therapeutic purgation (viracana) to clear excess pitta, medicated enema (vasti) to eject excess vata, nasal drops or snuffs (nasya) for diseases of the head & neck and bloodletting (raktamokshana) in case of blood disorders. Five purification procedures for removing accumulated toxins and other waste material in the body.

As the humors and tissues are related closely to each other, this discharge procedure affects the tissues indirectly by the strong elimination of related humor. For example, the pronounced elimination of kapha by herb induced emesis causes an effect on the nutrient tissue fluid pool, containing water and electrolytes, plasma, muscle, fat. Or the large release of pitta by selective purgation similarly causes an indirect effect on the total colouring material in the body or blood. Vasti is somewhat different, as it is meant to nullify excess vata and contains warm oleation substances. During its long contact with the membrane of the large intestine, it separates layers of faecal matter and thus enhances better absorption, which is responsible for the ultimate nourishment of all tissues. Nasya in turn cleans the sinus and thereby improves the function of sense organs.

Physical and mental diseases occur due to the vitation of somatic doshas vata, pitta and kapha and due to mental doshas Rajas and Tamas. Volitional transgression, effect of time and senses are the three primary causes responsible for vitation of biological and mental doshas. Food, drinks & environmental factors with similar properties to the doshas vitiates them and cause disease. Panchakarma's purificatory therapies balance out the three doshas, acting both as a curative and a preventive measure.

(See also: Panchakarma , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Autumn:

Diet

Yummy dishes with astringent, bitter or sweet tastes are for you to enjoy.

Have lots of rice, barley, wheat, along with curd, cabbage, cheese, milk.

Avoid meat, yoghurt.

Conduct

·  This is the right time to go through purgation & blood letting treatment. (for detail see Panchakarma)

·  Avoid excessive sunbathing

Do not expose yourself to easterly winds.

(See also: Autumn , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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Panchakarma

In Ayurveda treatment consists of four basic forms, namely - medicine or drug therapy, pancha (five) karma (actions/ systems), dietary regime and regulation of lifestyle. And works in two fundamental ways - cure and prevention.

The preventive aspect of treatment is further subdivided into swastha varta (personal hygiene) - consisting of dinacharya (daily routine), ritucharya (seasonal corrections) and sadachara (appropriate behaviour) - rasayana & vajikarana (rejuvenation & virlification) and yoga. The curative aspect consists of three parts antati parimaijana (internal medicine) - consisting of samsodhana (internal purification through panchakarma) and samsamana (curative action) - external medicine as massage, use of pastes & powders and finally surgical treatment.

The deep cleansing process, unique to Ayurveda, that enables the body to release excess doshas and toxins from its cells and expel them is called Panchakarma, which basically denotes detoxification or elimination of toxins from the body. Although the human body is considered as a great, intelligent, natural healing system capable of rejuvenating itself, the formation of toxins reduces that natural capacity. It is then that Panchakarma plays a crucial role in that correction.

(See also: Panchakarma , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Ayurveda Dictionary