The word "ayurveda" means knowledge of life and longevity.
It is an ancient system of medicine with historical roots in Indian subcontinent. The main classical Ayurveda texts (Sushruta Samhita) begins with accounts of the transmission of medical knowledge from the God (Dhanvantari) to sages, and then to human physicians
There are three principal early texts on Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Bhela Samhita.
Ayurveda names seven basic tissues (dhatu), which are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (māmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra). Like the medicine of classical antiquity, Ayurveda has historically divided bodily substances into five classical elements (panchamahabhuta) viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also twenty gunas (qualities or characteristics) which are considered to be inherent in all matter. These are organized in ten pairs: heavy/light, cold/hot, unctuous/dry, dull/sharp, stable/mobile, soft/hard, non-slimy/slimy, smooth/coarse, minute/gross, and viscous/liquid.
Ama (undigested) is used to refer to the concept of anything that exists in a state of incomplete transformation. It is claimed to be a toxic byproduct generated by improper or incomplete digestion.
Ayurveda also names three elemental bodily humors, the doshas (called Vata, Pitta and Kapha), and states that a balance of the doshas results in health, while imbalance (viṣamatva) results in disease.
Ayurveda has eight ways to diagnose illness, called Nadi (pulse), Mootra (urine), Mala (stool), Jihva (tongue), Shabda (speech), Sparsha (touch), Druk (vision), and Aakruti (appearance).
Ayurvedic practitioners use holistic approach during diagnosis and therapy. An important aspect of Ayurvedic treatment says that there are channels (srotas) which transport fluids, and that the channels can be opened up by massage treatment using oils and swedana (fomentation). Unhealthy, or blocked, channels causes disease.
Ayurveda tends to stress attaining vitality by building a healthy metabolic system and maintaining good digestion and excretion. It also focuses on exercise, yoga, and meditation with prescription of sattvic diet.
Ayurveda follows the concept of dinacharya, which says that natural cycles (waking, sleeping, working, meditation etc.) are important for health. Hygiene, including regular bathing, cleaning of teeth, tongue scraping, skin care, and eye washing, is also a central practice.
Abhyanga literally means “Motion in different direction”. It is defined as an Ayurvedic procedure of application of snehadravyas (medicated oils) over body.
Warm oil is pre-medicated with different herbs according to health condition and massaged all over your body in even, rhythmic strokes by therapists. The massage will be of mild to moderate pressure.
Benefits:
- It helps in alleviating Vata Dosha or reducing pain.
- Improves hydration of body in general helps in skin disorders.
- Treating joint disorders, arthritis and improving general Improves overall blood circulation, lymphatic drainage, reduces muscle spasm and pain.
- It improves the nervine tonocity as it directly acts on neurons.
- Good relaxation therapy that help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mental stability.
Ayurvedic foot and calf massage. Ayurveda says that five marmas (vital areas) out of 107 marmas are located in each foot. The feet are very important part in our body as it contains nearly 15,000 nerve endings. Padabhyanga releases negative energy from these marmas. It is considered central to our health and wellbeing.
Benefits:
- Helps to calm the mind and promotes good sleep
- Relaxes and revitalizes the central nervous system
- Helps maintain eyesight and hearing
- Improves peripheral circulation
- Removes fatigue of the lower limbs
A complete massage of the head, neck, and shoulders using Ayurvedic herbal oils. Warm herbal oil with a sequence of specific massage strokes helps to open up the channels in the head and neck.
Benefits:
- Improves the senses, mental clarity, memory, and concentration.
- Helps to alleviate tight neck and shoulders.
- Stimulates the scalp to detoxify the hair follicles thereby reducing baldness and premature greying.
- Treatment of Insomnia as profoundly soothing and relaxing.
- Prevents degenerative diseases by calming the Vata
- Prevents inflammatory diseases by calming the Pitta
It is a process of inducing sweat with the help of steam, generated from medicated herbal decoctions. It is the pre-operative procedure in various Ayurvedic detox therapies. The objective is to dilate the channels of the body to detach the toxins from the tissues. Swedana is usually given after an oil massage.
A steam session clears the skin, relives tension, removes toxins, reduces stress, and promotes healthy blood flow. It is very beneficial to do along with abhyangam.
Benefits:
- Clears lymphatic stagnation.
- Opens pores allowing herbs/oils to enter into deeper tissues.
- Releases toxins from blood and skin
- Helps with Kapha weight loss & Vata hydration.
Kizhi ,in general, means the process of stamping, rubbing and massaging the body with hot pouches made of medicinal powders, leaves or other suitable ingredients like cooked rice or sand.
Stamping the body with pouches disturbs and breaks stored and hardened inflammation / swelling inside muscles and tissues especially in joints such as shoulder, neck, knees and lower back.
It helps to relieve inflammatory pain. Kizhi also reduces associated stiffness by loosening up the muscles. It is considered nutritive to the body depending on the ingredients used.
“Podi” means “powder” and “kizhi” means “pouch”. Podikizhi is stamping and massaging the body (whole or a specific affected part) using pouches containing powdered herbs.
This can be done after applying oil or without oil application as prescribed by physician. Usually done by two therapists, the pouches are heated and applied over the body in stamping and long strokes. The pouches will be reheated and used maintaining a constant temperature.
Benefits
- It is an excellent anti-inflammatory therapy.
- Used for reliving pain, stiffness, cramps, swelling and inflammations.
- It enhances fluid circulation and opens the micro channels.
“Aavi” means “steam” and “kizhi” means “pouch”. Medicinal herbs are powdered, made into a pouch and heated using steam from a herbal decoction. This heated pouch is stamped all over the body in rhythmic strokes by therapist.
Benefits
- Helps to open the micro channels and pores of the body and thereby expelling inflammation and swellings.
- The rhythmic stamping helps to mobilise and disseminate hardened swellings and the potency of the medicine used helps to remove inflammation from the body.
- This is also an excellent treatment to reduce pain and stiffness of muscles.
“Dhanya” means “grains,” “amlam” means “sour » and “kizhi” means “pouch”.
This procedure is similar to aavikizhi, but the pouches of herbs are heated by dipping in heated “dhanyamlam” (fermented decoction) and are applied all over the body or an affected part in stamping strokes by therapist.
Benefits
- Useful in treating painful swellings as in conditions like arthritis.
- Good for easing spasms and stiffness in body.
“Ela” means “leaves” and “kizhi” means “pouch”. This involves massaging the body with pouches containing medicinal leaves. It is done only after oil application. A gentle abhyangam is done at first. The pouches are made by frying medicinal leaves which have anti-inflammatory properties in oil and tying them up in a cotton cloth.
The pouches are heated by dipping them in warm oil and applied over the body in long, circular and stamping strokes. The procedure is done in different positions as in abhyangam.
Benefits
- Used for treating pain associated with arthritis and other joint and muscle disorders.
- Helps to reduce pain, inflammation and prevents degeneration.
“Naranga” means “lemon” and “kizhi” means “pouch”. It is done only after oil application.
Pieces of lemon along with some powdered herbs are fried in oil and tied together in a cotton cloth. These pouches are heated by dipping in warm oil and applied over the body in long, circular and stamping strokes.
Benefits
- Helps to reduce inflammation and pain.
- The processed lemon in the pouch will increase local circulation by dilating blood vessels and thus promoting healing.
- Relieves acute joint pain, pain related to disc prolapse, arthritic pain and pain due to injury.
Fomentation of indigenous variety of rice. Massage with bolus of the cooked rice with milk along the body.
Benefits
- Boost immune system and improves digestion
- Nourish and reduce emaciation of the muscles
- Improve the luster and texture of the skin
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Enhances body nourishment and rejuvenates
Simple and unique Ayurvedic therapy which involves retaining warm oil over the affected area bordered with herbal and dough paste, followed by a gentle massage. Oil and the herbs will be chosen depending on the bodily constitution and the health disorder of the person.
Benefits
- Improves blood circulation in the affected area.
- Lubricate joints.
- Cures degenerative diseases.
- Relieves chronic backaches.
- Treats slip disc and other vertebra disorders.
- Strengthens bones, muscles, ligaments and nerves.
Pouring & pooling medicated oils for a fixed duration of time in a compartment constructed around the knee joints using wet flour of black gram.
Benefits
- Reduced knee pain and inflammation
- Relieves stiffness in knee joint
- Removes spasm and rigidity of muscles
- Stops degeneration of knee joints
- Lubricates and blood circulation in knee area
- Protect the cartilage of knee joint
- Nourishes muscles, bone and nerves of knee area
Naval filling of herbal oil with a dough prepared out of black gram flour/ wheat flour.
Benefits
- Acts on solar plexus
- Balances digestive fire
- Strengthens power of digestion & absorption
- Reduce abdominal bloating
One among the panchakarmas, nasyam is a powerful cleaning method for the head region. It cleans mainly the Kapha dosha from the upper body. It is done by administering medicine through the nose. Medicinal powder, specially prepared oils, juices of herbs etc are used for nasyam.
Benefits
- Used for various conditions like stroke, facial palsy, insomnia, mental diseases, hormone problems, sinusitis, frozen shoulder, migraine, hairless etc.
Procedure in which the medicated fumes are inhaled and exhaled out. Medicated dhoomavarthis for dhoomapana are made according to the disease condition.
Benefits
- Removes mucous toxins to rejuvenate mental status and provides freshness.
- Lowers pain-causing inflammations of the sinus cavities and respiratory tract.
- Smoke acts as medicine to cure ENT diseases.
“Siras” means “head” and “dhara” means “continuous flow”. This is flow of oil / decoction / milk or buttermilk over the head in rhythmic and continuous fashion.
A mild abhyanga is done initially. The patient will lie supine on the table underneath a small hanging vessel filled with warm oil. Luke warm oil will flow in a small stream to the forehead from the vessel. The therapist will move the vessel back and forth over the patient’s forehead.
Benefits
- Effective treatment against mental tension, sleeplessness and depression.
- Regulates hormonal imbalances by activating the hypothalamus of the brain.
- Enhances brain function. Also strengthens nervous system.
Snehana (oil massage) and Swedanam (fomentation, sweat inducing, sudation) treatment involves pouring of herbal oils over the body for a fixed duration of time and inducing sweat.
Benefits
- Improves overall blood circulation
- Strengthens immunity system
- Completely rejuvenated body
- Keep diseases at bay
- Helps in quick healing of fractured bones, Improves muscle development
- Reduces stress, anxiety and tension, Improves skin quality
- Eliminates nervous weaknesses and disorders
- Treats paralysis, arthritis and rheumatic diseases
- Helps in diabetes, asthma and even in tuberculosis
A medicated herbal powder is applied to the patient and rubbed vigorously. The therapist will work in an upwards motion in order to open the sweat glands.
Benefits
- Opens skin pores and cleanses it.
- Fat burning treatment helps to reduce weight, drain out excess retained fluid in the body, increase fat metabolism and reduce cellulite.
- It also addresses diabetes.
Utsadanam is massaging the body with medicinal paste. Powdered herbs are made into a paste by mixing with herbal decoction or oil which is applied over the body.
This paste is rubbed over the skin with moderately high pressure.
Benefits
- Beneficial for cleansing the skin
- Mobilising and reducing fat and cellulite.
Pouring fermented medicated liquid over lower limbs.
Benefits
- Works as an inflammation treatment for pain relief
- Reduce water retention and swelling.
Bandage with herbal powers covering knee joints.
Benefits
- Increases stability of joints
- Reduce pain.
