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Here's a cure, the natural way

Disease vanishes when efforts are taken to improve one's overall health. That's the crux of nature cure, says Dr. Arun Sharma

At the first sign of illness, what is our instinctive reaction — to reach out for the medicine chest and pop some pills or head to the nearest drug store and get some over-the-counter medicines and swallow them without batting an eyelid? Time now to do a rethink. For, there is something called nature cure.

Variously described as naturopathy and natural hygiene, it is based on Vedic tenets.

Says Arun Sharma, Director, Institute of Mahayoga and Natural Hygiene, Florida, and grandson of Acharya Lakshmana Sarma of Pudukottai, regarded as the Father of Nature Cure in India, "Nature cure teaches individuals to adopt hygienic laws of Nature which help improve their mental and physical health. In naturopathy, the cure of disease is regarded as a concomitant reaction in the process of improving health. Like darkness disappears in the presence of light, disease vanishes when we take measures to improve our overall health. In nature cure, we use the five basic elements, namely ether, air, sunlight, water and earth, for healing the sick, because our bodies are made of these."

How does it work? "When a patient comes to me, I not only make it a point to know the complete history of the ailment, the family history and details of the drugs being taken but also do a physical exam and run through a set of questions to know the patient's likes, dislikes, lifestyle, work style and family structure. Then I introduce a discipline routine which is intensified depending on the patient's capacity to adapt to it without too much strain."

A vegetarian diet and mild exercises are prescribed. Sunbathing, hydrotherapy and periodic short fasts are recommended on a case-by-case basis.

Most of us would shudder at the thought of a cold shower, but it helps relieve pain, says Dr. Sharma.

The bottom line is that no medicine, herbal or otherwise, is prescribed for any disease.

A major part of the treatment involves studying the mental outlook of a patient and altering it to treat disease as a process of cure instead of something to be dreaded or fought.

According to Dr. Sharma, nature cure has many advantages. It's safe and without side effects since no medicines are used; it's time tested, easy to follow and cost effective.

To a question on the ailments that can be treated, Dr. Sharma says, "We are not qualified to answer this question directly, because we do not have any nomenclature of diseases in our system. However, in my experience, we have helped patients suffering from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, psoriasis, and Parkinson's disease recover."

How long does it take to recover? "Most patients recover within weeks, while some take a few months."

SUDHA UMASHANKER

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