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.
