Rejuvenation at ANHC GOA INDIA

In the Ayurvedic text books, rejuvenation has been termed as Rasayana. A definition of Rasayana in Ayurveda is described as : "That which destroys the old age and disease is called Rasayana."

That means by taking Rasayana you always remain healthy and young. But I did not say you will not die. It means that even when you are in your 80's or 90's you are able to perform your normal duties and you don't have to depend on others. One branch of Ayurveda out of the eight branches deals only with Rasayana.

Rejuvenation or Rasayana is not made for sense gratification as many of us think today. According to Ayurveda rejuvenation is taken so that after taking it you become healthy and give your services for others. It is taken so that you can explore the spiritual aspect of life and help the society, the sick, the hungry, the poor and the handicapped.

You can learn how to maintain a balance between material and spiritual aspects of life and help others also to understand it. This will help in establishing permanent peace, happiness and love for which we are always hankering and for which different governments are spending millions of dollars to achieve this. At present, we are using a wrong approach to achieve these things, that's why we are getting frustrated.

Aim of Rasayana
The rasayana or rejuvenation therapy aims at keeping the enzymes in the tissue cells in their normal functioning condition. These cells are to be revitalised and their composition has to be changed.The tranquility of the mind has to be promoted and the nerves as well as bones are to be kept soft and soothened. This prevents the process of ageing and makes the individual free from any disease even during an advanced age. He will be able to see things like before and the sharpness of hearing and vision continues. The glow in his face and the colour of his skin remains as before. It is with this in view one has to resort to rejuvenation therapy.

Method of taking Rasayana
The Rasayana therapy is taken in two different ways: 

Kutipravesika: In this the person has to stay indoor while taking the Rasayana. Elaborate arrangements are made for the construction of a special type of cottage where the individual is to be confined. The person has to strictly follow the diets and other instructions of the physician. He should undergo Panch Karma therapy before taking the rejuvenation. This type is, therefore, not suitable for a person who has to carry on his profession or job. 

Vatatapika: This method is best for people who don't have time to stay in the Ayurvedic clinic to take the first kind of rejuvenation. This type can be taken while doing your normal work. It comprises of different types Ayurvedic herbal preparations which are taken as prescribed by the doctor.

Panchakarma:
Ayurveda’s mantra of rejuvenation
From time immemorial, mankind has sought health and youth in its quest for immortality. Tireless effort and ceaseless thought, across vast spectra of time and space have been devoted to this pursuit. The great seers of ancient India have enriched the world with two impressive legacies, ayurveda and yoga, which have made significant contributions to the art of healing and rejuvenation.

Ayurveda, the science of life and longevity epitomizes the harmonious blending of the body, mind and spirit of the individual with the cosmos.

This ancient therapy, which is as old as the civilization that treasured it and which it nutured, continues to flourish in the land south of the Himalayas. In a region rich in biodiversity, this herbal therapy has stood the test of time and proven itself nature’s panacea for all ailments of body and mind.

Composition of the human body
The human body is composed of ‘doshas’, ‘dhatus’ and ‘malas’.

Doshas (somatic humours)
A ‘dosha’ is a humour that regulates the human body. Vata, pitta and kapha, the three somatic humours, are called ‘tridoshas’ because of their predisposition to vitiation for a variety of reasons. ‘doshas’ connotes fault or error. These humours, which originate from the pancha maha bhutas (five great elements) regulate all the functions of the human body. The concept of pancha maha bhutas derives from the Indian philosophy of the evolution of the physical world.

Though they pervade the whole system, each humour tends to dominate a particular part of the body. The vata is responsible for the lower part, the pitta for the middle portion and the kapha for the upper part.

When in equilibrium, the vata, pitta and kapha are called ‘dhatus’. An accumulation of ama (toxins) in the system vitiates them. An excess or deficiency in any of the doshas disrupts its equilibrium.

Dhatus (body tissues)
The word ‘dhatu’ can also be used to mean ‘body tissue’. When used in this sense there are seven and these are called ‘saptadhatus’. These body tissues are formed from and nourished by the essence of food called which is ‘aahara rasa’. Plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscle (masna), fat (meda), bone (asti), majja (bone marrow) and semen/ova (shukra) are the seven kinds of dhatus. Each dhatu is a metabolic refinement of the previous one.

Malas (wastes)
Faeces (purisha), urine (mutra), and sweat (sweda) are the three malas.

The three stages of panchakarma therapy

Panchakarma or the shodhana therapy is always performed in three stages-purva karma (pre-treatment), pradhana karma (primary treatment) and paschat karma (post treatment). The patient who intends to undergo all the three stages.

Disease management in ayurveda
Shamana and shodhana are the two concepts of disease management in ayurveda. Shamana means elimination and shamana methods mitigate the disease and its symptoms. Shodhana means elimination and shodhana methods aim at the elimination of the basic cause of disease.

Panchakarma and rejuvenation
The word ‘panchakarma’ means ‘five-actions’. This is a five- pronged method of treatment designed for shodhana, the expulsion of disease causing toxins (ama). Panchakarma is intended not only for the elimination of toxins but also for the replenshiment of the tissues. Often tonics are prescribed after panchakarma to rebuild the organism and rejuvenate the patient.

Purvakarma therapies

Snehana (oil therapy)

‘sneha’ means oil. ‘snehana’ is the term used for oleation or the application of oil. Oil may be administered either internally or externally. Application of herbal oil in either way saturates the body and loosens up the glutinous ama (toxin) that has accumulated in the tissues/dhatus. Vegetable oils, ghee (clarified butter), animals fats and fat from bone marrow are used for certain diseases.

Snehapanam (abyyantara snehana)

In snehapanam, a presequisite in panchakarma, tikta ghritam or ghee infused with herbs is orally administered to the patient for a specific period. This ghee is made from clarified butter (obtained from cow’s milk) from which the protein content has been removed. It is then cooked with various herbs. Snehapanam is done in the morning after attending to the calls of nature, on an empty stomach. The health, age, dosha condition and digestive capacity of the patient need to be taken into consideration when determining the dosage. The treatment lasts between five and seven days depending on the condition of the patient and the illness being treated.

Abhyanga

‘abhyanga’, means oil massage. While a person may perform abhyanga on his own as part of his daily routine, trained masseurs are required to perform this therapy when it is used for disease management. In abhyanga, medicated oil is massaged all over the body. The abhyanga that is part of the daily routine lasts for five to fifteen minutes where as that which is performed for treating diseases may take 45 minutes.
Massages in abhyanga is done on the patient who lies on the droni. The droni is the wooden bed. Padabhyanga or feet massage is done. The marmas or vital points on the soles of the feet are closely related with certain internal organs.

Podikkizhi (choornasweda)

Podikkizhi is a method of therapeutic sweating. The body is fomented thoroughly with linen bags (kizhis) containing drugs in powdered form. Horsegram, blackgram, sesame seeds and curative ingredients are powdered and tied up in bundles. As moderate heat is required to sweat the body, the kizhis have to be warmed up by heating them in a pan smeared with castor or neem oil to prevent the kizhis from charring.

Navarakkizhi

Navarakkizhi, involves fomentation of the body with a bolus of cooked rice. Shastika or navara, a particular kind of rice known for its nutritional valve, is cooked in milk and a herbal decoction made of sida rhombifoila.

Pizhichil

‘pizhichil’ and sarvangadhara are technically the same. Pizhichil means squeezing. Here warm medicated oil is squeezed over the patients body from a piece of cloth that is periodically dippe in a vessel containing the oil.

Dhara

Dhara is the pouring of warm medicated oil or a herbal decoction over the body.

Dhanyamladhara

An infusion prepared from the cereals (dhanyam) and vinegar (amlam) obtained from citrus fruits is called as dhanyamlam. Navara rice, horse gram, millet, sliced citrus fruits, dried ginger and so on are bundled separately in pieces of linen and then immersed in a large pot containing water. The water is then boiled for a specific period during which the extracts mix with water to make vinegar. A dhara treatment with this liquid is called dhanyamladhara.

Ksheeradhara

Netradhara

Extracts of herbs that possess preventive and curative properties are used for netradhara. A stream of herbal extract is gently poured into the eyes of the patient who lies on the droni.

Avagaha sweda

‘avagaha’ means immersion. Avagaha sweda is sweating by immersion.

Bashpasweda

Bashpasweda (steam sudation) is a type of sudation therapy. Here, herbal steam is applied evenly to the entire body.

Pradhana karma therapies

Nasya

The nostrils are the entrance to the head and the effect of the drugs administered through the nostrils spreads and alleviates the illness thereby protecting the upper as well as the lower regions of the human body.

The administration of herbal oils, decoctions and powders through the nostrils is called nasya. The therapy is used not merely as a nasal decongestant but also to cure many serious ailments like loss of consciousness, stupor, insomnia, hysteria, hemiplegia, and facial paralysis.

Vamana (emesis)

Vamana is a process of drug-induced vomiting to expel mainly the vitiated kapha dosha from the body. Purvakarma procedures like oleation and sweating are essential for this therapy.

Oleation, internal as well as external, liquefies the ama (toxins) trapped deep in the dhatus (tissues).

Sudation dilates the bodys subtle channels and allows the liquefied ama (toxins) to move to the gastro-intestinal tract. When the body is thus prepared properly, emesis becomes painless and effortless.

Vamana is an effective treatment for chronic colds, bronchial asthama, arthritis, and certain skin diseases. However, the therapy is not recommended for pregnant women, the elderly and the weak, and those suffering from certain diseases of the heart and liver.

Virechana

Virechana or purgation therapy facilitates the elimination of vitiated pitta from the body.
Virechana acts on the main domain of pitta dosha-the stomach, especially the small intestine.

Vasti

Vasti is the most important of the therapies in panchakarma. It involves the introduction of herbal oils and decoctions into the colon through the rectum.
Of the three humours, only vata, the prime abode of which is the large intestine (colon), has the power of mobility. When its movement is affected, the functions of the other two humours are alos adversely affected. The herbal fluid is allowed to remain in the colon for a specific period for proper absorption. When it is let out, toxins from the tissues are eliminated along the faecal matter.
Vasti is not recommended for patients suffering from diarrhea, asthama, piles or diabetes.

Other therapies

Kativasti

Netravasti

Nertavasti is a treatment for the eyes. A receptacle is built around the eyes with black gram dough for the retention of the medicated ghee (ghritam) used in the therapy.

Shirovasti

This treatment is prescribed for disorders like facial paralysis, cataract, deafness, earache, insomnia and other diseases that afflict the cranial nerves.

Pichu
The treatment is for ailments affecting the region above the neck, especially due to disrupted vata dosha. Pichu is used to treat some ailments of the cranial nerves.

Urovasti

Urovasti is administered to the chest to treat pain in the sternum. As in kativasti, a small receptacle is made on the chest with black gram paste. Oil is poured into this and allowed to remain there for some time.

Upanahasweda

An ‘upanahasweda’, or poultice is a local application of a medicinal paste to treat pain associated with swelling.
A medicinal paste is prepared out of various substances. Seeds having anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties are ground in herbal oils or herbs are cooked with grains like wheat or navara rice to make the paste.
A moderately thick layer of the hot paste is applied to the affected part. Often the area is then bandaged with cloth or leaves.

Thalam

Medicinal paste applied on the crown or forehead is called talam.

Talapotichil

Covering of the head with medicinal paste is known as talapotichil. It is an important treatment for minor and major diseases that afflict the head.

Karnapoorana

Karnapooranam literally means filling the ears.

Lepana

Lepana is the external application of medicinal paste on the body where pain associated with inflammatory condition persists. The ingredients of the paste vary according to the nature of the ailment.

Udwartana

Udvartana means to elevate or to promote. The name is attributed to the treatments ability to improve the body’s condition.

Rejuvenation and Kudipraveshika