Shamana- Balancing
Therapy
Literally the word Shamana means to suppress or balance. Incase the doshas
are not deep rooted and the disease is not chronic these therapies are
advised. On the other hand the elimination therapy is time taking and time
is an important factor for curing ailments in this modern age. In Shamana
therapies a special diet, contradictory to the qualities of the increased
dosha is prescribed to the patient for suppressing or balancing the
aggravated doshas.
Example: Cooling diet to decrease the Pitta dosha.
Different types of herbal powders, tablets, decoctions, jams, medicated oil
or ghee are used in this type of treatment. It is a noticeable factor that
in shamana therapies medicines are not always the way to cure but sometimes
a very simple diet, or an activity can help to alleviate the aggravated
dosha.
This type of therapy involves following types of activities to cure the
ailment:
- Fasting
- Exercise
- Sweating
- Exposure to sun or air