The Ayurvedic method
The Ayurvedic Treatment is based entirely on the principle 'Like increases Like'. Once the Prakriti (your nature) and your Vikriti (the present imbalance) are determined, the treatment is focused on reducing the dosha or the doshas in excess, by working with the specific qualities of the Dosha which initially generated the imbalance.
The ayurvedic procedures aim to reduce the imbalance of the excessive Doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) in order to reach and maintain a state of health of the body, mind and spirit. Light symptoms such as headaches, nausea, heartburns, difficult menstruation etc. are often ignored or given less importance by the western medicine which tends to deal mostly with the acute health issues. Those symptoms are most of the time signals of a certain imbalance which needs to be addressed and corrected before it aggravates into a disease.
Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of prevention and teaches us how to address the health issues and remove the cause of those symptoms through natural and holistic methods before they aggravate into a disease. Ayurveda suggests that the state of health is maintained by regular cleansing procedures (sucha as Pancha Karma) and by periodical treatments of palliation or reduction of the Doshas that tend to be in excess (Prakriti). Considering our life style and the unnatural rhythm of our lives, periodical treatments consisting in Abhyanga, Shirodhara and Swedhana are a necessity for all the Doshas.
Similarly, specific constitutions benefit from specific periodical treatments to keep their excessive dohas in balance. More specifically, a person with a Vata constitution should do periodical colon cleansing or Bastis (at least 2 times a year). Traveling, especially by plane, is a source of Vata imbalance. Preparation for a travel is a good way to prevent any discomfort during the trip and any further aggravation of Vata. A Basti treatment should be considered before departing in order to keep the Vata in the colon pacified.
Ayurveda states that our health cannot be separated from what we eat, what we do and what we think and it teaches us how those daily living practices are related to our health condition. In the same time, some factors tend to aggravate the Doshas more than others. For instance, it is said, that what we take internally is affecting us more that what we are being exposed to externally. This means that the eating habits would affect the Doshas more that the climate that we are exposed to. Also, the mental and the emotional factors have more impact on our Doshas that the physical factors. This means that anger, will tend to aggravate Pitta Dosha, even though the person is not of a Pitta Constitution.
In other words emotional/ stress factors would could imbalance our Doshas even though we are following through a diet adapted to our specific Constitution. For this reason, generally speaking, it is recommended that an Ayurvedic treatment should be considered in times of great stress, fatigue or when we feel that our body or mind have been exploited to the maximum, in order to prevent the aggravation of the Doshas into a disease.
In general, for the healing process and for the general health maintenance Ayurveda proposes:
- A change of diet and life style according to the individual constitution;
- A series of Ayurveda procedures such as purification or Pancha Karma techniques, external oleations such Abhyanga,
External Basti, Shirodhara, etc.
- Yoga practices such as pranayama (breathing) exercises, asanas (physical posture ) and meditation practices through which the energy
potential within can be unfold.
- A variety of herbal preparations (such as powders, herbal jellies, pills and mineral preparation);
Special procedures such as Pizzichili (application of warm oil all over the body and on the major marmas), Grashana (a purification technique using a mix of salt, oil and fresh herbs meant to purify the aura), Pinda Sweda (a massage of the body using rice cooked in milk and herbs), Marma therapy, Shiropichu (application of oil on the head) are also available and can be applied when necessary.
