According to ayurveda, in a living
body all the ailments and sufferings are due to the disharmony and
disequilibrium of the doshas. Hence the ayurvedic therapies' main aim is to
treat disorders, prevent disease and rebalance the
body doshas,
dhatus,
malas and mind gunas. Apart form the above said activities the ayurvedic
therapies eliminate toxins from the body, increase immunity and soothe the
senses thereby enhancing general physical and mental well-being.
In ayurveda the therapies are directed to eliminate the disease completely,
permanently. To understand the ayurvedic therapies completely step by step
understanding of the following is necessary:
- Balancing the dosha
- Increasing the power of digestion
- Maintaining proper elimination of wastes
- Enhancing immunity
- Developing a spiritual temperament.
- Types of Therapies
Ayurveda defines therapy as any method that involves the process of
balancing the doshas.
Therapies can involve activities like:
- Balancing diet
- Methods to increase the weight and strength of weak patients
- Reduce obesity
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Internal cleansing
- Use of gems
- Herbal pastes and compresses
- Sweating
- Massage
- Herbal medications
Types of therapies
Ayurvedic Therapies are divided into two broad types:
- Santarpan or strengthening
The ayurvedic strengthening therapies are basically the rejuvenation
therapies like (Rasayana) and aphrodisiacs (Vajikarana). These therapies
further aim at enhancing the immunity, Ojas, happiness, peace of mind
and longevity.
- Apatarpan or emaciating
These therapies refer to the removal of toxins from the body and
balancing the aggravated dosha. Internal medicines and specialized
cleansing therapies are included in this.
According to
Charaka Samhita the therapies depend on the status of the doshas. Such as:
- If the disease is new and the aggravated dosha are not very strong,
fasting on its own may be sufficient to balance the dosha.
- If the dosha are medium in strength, specific medicines are induced
to balance the dosha inside the body and this type of therapy is termed
as shamana therapy.
- If the disease is in a chronic stage and the dosha aggravation is
strong, shodhana therapy is applied to eliminate the excess dosha from
the body.
