Ayurveda:
ancient & holistic, preventative & curative
Some popular treatments;
Abhyanga : the classic ayurvedic oil massage.
A most ancient therapy and an integral part of daily routine for overall health and well-being. It is a
procedure where warm medicated oils are used to massage the body with certain techniques for a
specific period of time. It is an excellent therapy to relieve the body pains. It nourishes the body
and promotes vitality, strength, stamina and flexibility. It manipulate and correct dosha disorders
especially vata. It stimulates skin, muscles, blood vessels, bones, circulatory and nervous system
and strengthens them. It increases body heat,oxygen flow in the body and helps to remove toxins
from the muscles. Besides it improves intelligence, complexion, concentration, esteem and
youthfullness.
The duration for this therapy is 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Shiroabhyanga:
It is the massage of the head along with neck and shoulders with warm medicated oils for a
specific period of time. This therapy strengthens the nervous system and tones up the hair, eyes,
brain, heart, stomach and colon. This therapy stimulates the marma points in the head which
encourage the flow of energy blocks in the entire body. It relaxes the body and mind and improves
intelligence, memory, alertness and stability.
It increases the flow of oxygen supply to the brain and also increases the flow of cerebro-spinal
fluid. It helps to cure diseases like memory loss, insomnia, hair loss, fatigue, stress, depression,
high blood pressure and headache.
The duration of this therapy is 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Foot and Palm massage:
It is a type of massage that is performed on the foot and palm with warm medicated oils for a
specific period of time. It helps in relaxation and relieves the pain. It stimulates all the organs of the
body, increases ojas and brings a state of total wellness in the entire system. It increases the blood
circulation and decreases the stress levels of the body. It tones the nerve endings and provides
energy to the whole body. It proves beneficial in curing stress, insomnia, fatigue, lathargy, dry skin
and numbness.
Shirodhara:
A purificatory and rejuvination therapy that involves gentle pouring of warm medicated oils or
decoctions or liquids over the forehead( the third eye) for a specific period of time. This therapy
works primarily on the mental sheath and helps to calm and relax the mind, harmonize vata
constitution, restores the nerves and purify the mind. This therapy has the added effect of
awakening the third eye, invigorating the body and mind and increases the intelligence and
cognitive powers. It helps to cure diseases like eye diseases, neurological disorders, stress,
anxiety, memory loss, insomnia, hair diseases, high blood pressure, fatigue and headache.
The duration for this treatment is 55 minutes for vata disorders, 45 minutes for pitta disorders and
30 minutes for kapha disorders.
Kawalgraha:
This therapy involves retaining of comfortable amount of medicated oil or decoction or fluid in the
mouth for gargling purposes for a specific period of time. This therapy stimulates and soothens the
sense organs, freshens the breath and invigorates the mind. It helps to cure various diseases like
bad breath, anorexia, loss of taste, impaired sight, dryness of face, dullness of senses, dental
problems and sore throat. This therapy also helps in removing the excess doshas through eyes,
nose, ears and mouth.
The duration for this therapy is 20-30 minutes.
Netra-tarpana:
It is a special treatment for eyes wherein the eyes are bathed with pure medicated ghee. In this
therapy dough rings are made over the eyes and warm medicated ghee are made to retain in it for
a specific period of time. This therapy helps to remove the tiredness of the eyes and improves the
eyesight. It is very beneficial for those who used to work for long hours on computers and operate
machinery. It heals the stiffness, pain and roughness of the eyes. It is also helpful in treatment of
serious eye diseases like glaucoma, eye infections, corneal ulcer and inflammatory lesions around
the eyes.
The duration for this treatment is around 30 minutes.
Karnapurana:
It is special therapy for ears wherein the warm medicated oil is poured into the ears and retained
there for some period of time. This therapy helps in lubricating the filaments of ear canal and
improves the hearing power. It also helps in curing various diseases like earache, excess ear wax,
headache, ringing in the ears, deafness, blocked jaw, stiff neck, dizziness and tooth and gum
diseases. It also brings clarity to the mind, balances the vata dosha and calms vertigo.
The duration for this therapy is around 30 minutes.
Nasya:
It is one among the panchakarma therapy wherein medicated oils are poured into the nostrils. It is
the very beneficial therapy for the diseases related to head, eyes. ears. mouth and throat. Since
nose is the gateway of the head, this therapy helps in cleansing the channels of the head and thus
increases the oxygenation process and improves the functioning of the brain. This therapy makes
the sense organs healthy, promotes healthy hair growth, prevents graying of hair and prevents
early aging. This therapy helps to alleviate various diseases like sinusitis, coryga, headache,
aphonia, facial paralysis, hemiplagia, mental disorders, shoulder pain, stiffness of head,neck and
jaw, tetanus, tonsilitis, stammering, hoarseness of voice and many more.
The duration for this therapy is around 30 minutes.
Swedana:
Swedana or sudation is the group of procedures done to induce sweating. The classical text
defines swedana as whatever that relieves stiffness, heavyness, cold in the body and produces
sweat is swedana. This therapy helps to liquify the doshas or toxins, dislodge it from tissues and
makes it easier to flow out of the system, thus establishing a state of balance and promotes
general health. It softens and brightens the skin, improves the digestion, relieves muscle aches
and cramps, relieves joint stiffness, reduces laziness and fatigue and brings the doshas in controll.
It brings flexibility to the body and provides relaxation.
The duration for this treatment varies from 30 minutes to 1 hour depending upon the type of
swedana.
Kati Basti:
It is a special treatment where a bridge of dough is made over the lower back and warm
medicated oil or herbal decoctions is poured gently in the dough and is allowed to retain there for
specific period of time. It is an excellent therapy for lower back ailments like chronic and acute
lower back pain, muscular spasm and tension, prolapsed or slipped disc, lumbar spondylosis and
sciatica. This therapy does both the swedana or sudation as well as lubrication and norishment.
Swedana helps to relieve stiffness and pain while the warm oil penetrates through the skin and
lubricates and nourishes the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and bones.
The duration for this treatment is 45 minutes.
Janu Basti:
It is a special treatment where a bridge of dough is made over both the knee joints and warm
medicated oil or herbal decoctions is poured gently in the dough and is allowed to retain there for
specific period of time. This therapy give excellent result in curing chronic and acute knee joint
pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle spasm and rigidity of knee joint and ligament injuries.
This therapy strengthens the knee joint and improves the blood circulation.
The duration for this therapy is around 30 minutes - 45 minutes.
Griva Basti:
It is a special treatment where a bridge of dough is made over the cervical region or the affected
vertebra and warm medicated oil or herbal decoctions is poured gently in the dough and is allowed
to retain there for specific period of time. This therapy gives the desired results in curing conditions
like cervical spondylosis, disc prolapse, chronic neck pain and back pain.
The duration for this treatment is around 30 minutes.
Virechana:
Virechana, one among the panchakarma procedures aims to evacuate the residual toxins and
bodily wastes through the lower pathways of the body. This therapy cleanses the stomach, colon,
intestines and associated pitta dominant organs like liver, spleen and gall bladder. It is very
effective in removing the excess pitta doshas and helps to cure pitta related diseases like
hyperacidity, skin diseases, headache, diabetes, allergy, obesity, constipation, gastro-intestinal
disorders, jaundice, toxicity etc. Besides this it also restores ojas, increases the intellect, relieves
mental disorders and balances pitta and kapha doshas.
This therapy includes different procedures and takes 3 days or 5 days or 8 days or 14 days.
Udvartana:
It is a stimulating ayurvedic deep tissue massage where dry herbal powders are massaged over
the body using upward strokes. This treatment fosters the stimulation of our energy flow. It
increases the blood circulation and activates the metabolism of cells, tissues and skin. It is a very
effective treatment for over-weight.
The duration for this treatment is 60 minutes.
Dr.. Anjum B R
Department of Ayurveda
Professionally qualified as a Doctor in Ayurvedic Medicine and surgery
Graduated with the degree of BAMS [ Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery ]
under RAGIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES [ RGUHS ] BANGALORE , INDIA.
Ayurveda, the understanding of the dynamic state of harmony with nature, is a holistic system of medicine / interventions that originated approx. 5000 years ago. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in health and well-being. Ayurveda, the wisdom of life, offers a proven guide for a life of happiness, vitality, love and purpose. It stems from the ancient Vedic culture and was taught for many thousands of years in an oral tradition from accomplished masters to their disciples. From the ayurvedic perspective, human beings are not viewed as mere thinking physical machines but rather as fields of intelligence in dynamic exchange with the energy and information of the environment. Health is a dynamic state of harmony in which all the layers of one’s life are integrated.
PERSONAL
Ayurveda explains that each one of us inherits a unique metabolic composition that shapes specific mental and physical characteristics, as well as emotional tendencies. The 5 elements (space, air, fire, water, earth), the three doshas (personal constitution) are derived as mind-body types, the doshas express particular patterns of energy - unique blends of physical, emotional and mental characteristics. A dosha can increase or decrease, and create an inbalance in the body/mind, which then creates an environment for disease to flourish. Ayurvedic interventions can for just one session or multi-day therapies such as the pancha karmas. Listed here;
Community service: Free health check up camp every second Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm
