Kerala   

Comfort cure

Ayurveda is a traditional and divine form of medicine, which is practiced mainly in the Indian subcontinent, and widely in Kerala. It stresses mainly on prevention of a disease rather than curing it. And it believes that to cure a disease completely it has to be uprooted.

With the changing lifestyles, the food we eat and the environmental pollution, our body becomes the storing ground for a lot of toxins. It decreases our body immunity and thereby our health. Rejuvenation therapy as per the ayurveda norms is the best way to regain our vigour and vitality. And the best time specified for this is monsoon. As per ayurvedic belief, our body functioning goes through two cycles during a one-year course. Adana kalam, from January to June, and Visarga kalam, from July to December. Our body decreases in its immunity from January, and reaches the peak of weakness during June. Which is why monsoon season is chosen for the rejuvenation therapy. Moreover, during the rains the atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.

The common treatments done during this time are pizhichil , dhara , shirodhara , takradhara , atyangam and rasayana chikilsa . Pizhichil includes head and face massage with medicated oils and creams. The body massage is generally done with herbal oil and powder, by hand and foot. This treatment is ideal for spondilosis, rheumatic diseases, nervous weakness and disorders. Dhara is the slow soaking of the body in essential medicines and oils. This is best suited for chronic headaches, insomnia, mental tension and cases of hysteria, hallucination and insanity. The dhara done on the head which is the centre of our being, is shirodhara . It clears up our brain, and gives and overall invigouration. When the dhara is done using medicated buttermilk, it is called thakradhara . This is particularly effective in memory loss, severe headache, insanity, etc. Atyangam is also oil massage of the body.

But one thing to be noted is that the mode of monsoon treatment should be done under the strict guidance of an ayurvedic physician. The type of treatments and the necessity for one would differ from person to person. An ayurvedic physician will be able to decide on a separate programme for every individual after evaluation. So it is always better to take the advice of a physician before venturing into this.

Monsoon season is the time one has to take oushada (medicine) as food. And so the most important part of the monsoon treatment is karkidaka kanji . This is rice porridge medicated with herbs and fenugreek. This should be had for a minimum of one week, but for optimum results it should be taken for a month. During this period, it is better to follow strict vegetarianism, avoid cold food and always keep the body clean. Doing this increases the immunity of the body and keeps our nagging ailments at bay.

In all, a thorough ayurvedic comfort treatment during the monsoons would be the ideal way to cool our battered body and overworked mind.

Ambika Varma

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