Ayurveda. Kim Inglis
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Diagnosis
Before any Ayurvedic treatment is prescribed, patients first of all undertake a consultation with an Ayurvedic physician to ascertain their body type and present health status. “Body type is the variation in percentage of vatha, pitta and kapha (air, fire and water) in our body,” explains Ayurvedic physician Dr Yogesh. “Based on the present dosha state or vikruti, suitable therapies, oils, medications, advice or more may be prescribed.”
Most Ayurvedic physicians point out that Ayurvedic treatments vary from place to place, doctor to doctor and according to the nature of the client/doctor relationship. This makes it confusing to many, and difficult to analyze, research and compare with other medical systems. “However, the purpose is always the same,” explains Dr Renja Raphel, “Each body has its own defined constitution from birth to death that is affected by many different things. We doctors try to bring the body back to equilibrium: we find out what is lacking and modify it, we add things and we request changes in diets, climates, stress levels, lifestyle habits and more.” He goes on to add that the body has the power to help itself; Ayurveda simply helps it with the healing process.
Shirodhara or the pouring of medicated oil on to the forehead or “third eye” is one of Ayurveda’s best known therapies outside India.
A student of the Vedas seeks understanding through a copy of one of the treatises in Sanskrit.
The use of agarabathi or incense sticks to promote clean air is an age-old practice.
Diagnosis is an extremely important part of Ayurveda. In a clinic or hospital, it is undertaken first thing in the morning before the patient has consumed anything. The doctor inspects the tissues and the skin; examines the “nine doors” (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth and throat, anus and penis or vulva) and their secretions; takes faeces and urine samples to assess the analam or digestive fire; takes the patient’s pulse and assesses body temperature; interrogates the patient on their sleep patterns, health, lifestyle habits, climate preferences and more; and generally takes a great deal of time to consider the patient as a whole. Nothing can be prescribed without this extremely thorough consultation.
Many visitors to India aren’t seeking medical treatment, but are intrigued by this ancient wellness system and want to try a treatment. This is perfectly possible in a spa whre the consultation is shorter, but still important. “At a spa, we look at darshana or appearance, sparshana or touch ie pulse and body temperature, and undertake prasnai or discussion,” explains Dr Yogesh, “this gives us enough information to decide on a patient’s basic imbalances and which medicated oils we should use in a treatment.”
A leaf from the Ramayana in Mahalayam called “Medicine Mountain”: it depicts the monkey god Hanuman using a mountain of medicinal herbs to help his fellow monkeys. Even in the Epics, much is made of India’s healing heritage.
Ayurvedic equipment from Kerala: medicine box, oil containers, mortar and pestle.
Prognosis and Treatment
After the diagnosis, the doctor decides whether the disease falls into one of four categories: Curable with ease, curable with difficulty, ameliorable, or incurable. At this point an astrologer may be consulted to find the best time and place for treatments to take place. Sri Krishnakumar, the managing director of one of the most famous Ayurvedic hospitals in India, the Arya Vaidya Chikitsalayam in Coimbatore, says that every avenue must be pursued for the benefit of the patient. “Everything is inter-related,” he explains, “the mind and the body, the person and the universe, the disease and the lifestyle. A consultation with an astrologer may bring up something that the doctor has not noticed.”
This is one example of how Ayurveda may be difficult for non-Indians to grasp. Skepticism of such practices runs high in the West, even though looking holistically at patients and problems is increasingly gaining credence. Another difficulty may be had with some of the treatments.
These are literally multi-faceted and depend on a huge number of factors including disease, client personality and habits, work practices, dosha imbalance, climate, and many more. The basic premise is to cleanse and detoxify the body and balance the doshas, restoring them to their original state of equilibrium. But how this is achieved varies hugely. There are hundreds of levels of practice, from official to folk, and thousands of prescriptions — and no treatment is a panacea. One thing is for sure though: a course of treatments is rarely shorter than three weeks, and after the course is completed, follow-up is very important.
India is home to a vast cornucopaeia of healing plants; many of Ayurveda’s ancient recipes are now supported by modern scientific research.
Ancient form of pressure point massage.
In the following pages, information on some common therapies is given, but if you visit an Ayurvedic doctor, you may expect to be prescribed any — or many — of the following: purification therapies, medication, special diet, herbs and minerals, massage and other body work, exercise, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, flower and gem essences, advise on lifestyle, work and climate change, and acupressure.
All the medicines, oils and powders used in treatments are 100 percent natural and rely on India’s huge pharmacopoeia. “Ayurvedic texts contain the details of a staggering number of plant ingredients, minerals, metals and other natural substances, along with their properties, their methods of collection and extraction, as well as specific combinations of complementary herbs,” says Shahnaz Husain, herbal ambassador and producer, “The specific processing methods and well-known combinations enhance the efficacy of the treatments. Many of the formulations are still used with great success today.”
Ayurveda in Spas
Even though some treatments are less common nowadays, many are still to be found both at grassroots level and in the country’s 2,100 Ayurvedic hospitals. They are also increasingly finding their way into spas and retreats. Husain notes: “Ayurvedic treatments are ideal for spa treatments, because they counteract degenerative processes, environmental pollution, toxic build-up and mental stress, all of which have become undesirable features of modern life.” She notes that many people visit a spa particularly to address such modern-day afflictions, and with Ayurveda taking total wellbeing into consideration, its treatments are in line with the aims of most spas.
Some diehard Ayurvedic doctors, with their emphasis on authenticity and historical accuracy, frown on this relatively new spa phenomenon. They believe that Ayurveda should remain in the realm of medicine. Others, however, feel it is a trend to be encouraged — as it advertizes the benefits of this ancient healing system. “As long as the doctors who run such spas differentiate between the clinic and the spa, it is fine,” one doctor told me. He also admitted that the country’s Ayurvedic experiences ricochet wildly from by-the-book, clinical treatments to unhygienic, СКАЧАТЬ