Ayurveda, India’s traditional healthcare science, has strongly re-emerged as a holistic approach to life and beyond. It suggests an easy-to-follow lifestyle based on the effects of surrounding natural elements on the body. During my recent Ayurveda tour (pre-Kerala Travel Mart fam), I had an awakening experience of how this ancient health science has emerged as a complete solution thanks to continued study, application, and trials.
Proven more than 12,000 years old (as per available records), Ayurveda was propagated through generations of healers. The practice was disrupted by foreign invasions that lasted for more than a millennium. Its knowledge recovery and revival started during the last century. Study through available ancient texts and trials has since been continuous, thanks to the growing demand for alternative therapies that use natural products as medicine. An exciting feature of Ayurveda is that it empowers the body to tackle the disease rather than acting on the disease itself. Thus offering a permanent cure with no side effects.
Dr Arjun, PNNM Ayurveda College.
Ayurveda’s journey from its known history is presented at Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda Museum near Trissur in Central Kerala. Magdelene Gigova, from Prague, who was with me on the tour, said during our visit to this first-ever Ayurveda Museum: “It’s amazing to learn about the profound history of Ayurveda through life-size depictions here. Their presentation about different branches of this science, their therapeutic approach, and the methods used in curing disease was easy to follow, even to me, a first-time visitor to India.”
The museum’s diorama presentation tells the interesting history of Ayurveda from Vedic Samhita, including an exclusive section on Sushruta, the father of surgery. The museum, housed in a traditional two-story building, is home to millennia-old texts on Ayurveda. It also has a multimedia touchscreen digital library with a large collection of videos on Kerala Ayurveda treatments.
Dr E T Yadu Narayanan Mooss, Executive Director, Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College and Hospital, said: “Our complex adjacent to the museum has a 200-bed hospital. Students can graduate after five and half years of study and do masters for three more years.” Ayurveda research institute and an Ayurveda medicine manufacturing unit (started in 1941) are part of the complex. Mr Mooss is a descendant of one of the traditional healing families of Kerala. Title Vaidyaratnam, meaning ‘Jewel among healers’, was bestowed upon his grandfather by the colonial rulers of India.
The Indian state of Kerala pioneered the adoption of Jara Chikitsa, or the Rejuvenation Therapy branch of Ayurveda, into tourism, and it was accepted quickly by tourists visiting the ‘God’s Own Country’. Today, the remaining seven branches, part of Ashtanga Chikitsa or eight branches of Ayurveda that include Kayachikitsa (General Medicine), Bala Chikitsa (paediatrics), Graha Chikitsa (Psychiatry), Oordhvanga Chikitsa (Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology), Salya Chikitsa (Surgery), Damshtra Chikitsa (Clinical Toxicology), and Vrusha Chikitsa (Reproductive Medicine) are also well defined to treat particular diseases. They are much sought after by visitors to the state.
A typical Ayurveda treatment room.
Dr Arjun, Vice Principal, PNNM Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital, said: “We have undergraduates, masters and research students pursuing their education for a career in Ayurveda. A student specialises in one of the eight branches of Ayurveda during their Masters study. We recently have a full-fledged operation theatre where any surgery can be performed.” Thirty students from Japan were currently pursuing a short-term course in ayurvedic medicine preparation. There are 20 such colleges in the Indian state of Kerala alone. A traditional Ayurveda healers family also established PNNM Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital at Shoranur.
An interesting feature at the PNNM campus was an isolated, thatch-roofed cottage amidst the green surroundings. It’s specially reserved for anyone intending a complete rejuvenation of 10 months. Dr Arjun said, “One has to stay isolated with no outside communication except for the in-house staff. The person will emerge as a new being with flawless skin, new hair and rejuvenated internal organs.” Their last guest here was a Canadian who visited a few years ago.
Very few of us have that time, patience, or urge, right? No worries. Ayurveda is not always that lengthy. Following a specific daily regimen advised in this well-evolved health knowledge is enough to keep the doctor away.
Dr Chitra at Au Revoir resort, Palakkad, said: “As doctors, we must first educate people on prevention, as it’s better than cure. There is no need to be burdened with information overflow online that might sometimes be contradictory. Proper Dinacharya, or a good daily regimen once thoroughly understood and followed, is quite simple (may initially seem difficult due to its deviation from the modern lifestyle) and ensures optimum health.” Dr Chitra has been practising Ayurveda for 15 years.
Ayurveda recommended ‘Dinacharya,’ which includes waking up before sunrise, deep breathing in the fresh air, and drinking a glass of hot water that will create a natural urge to defecate—followed by cleansing of teeth with a bitterish (most toothpaste according to Dr Chitra, are glucose-based and support tooth decay) tooth powder, massaging gums and gargling with a warm concoction of Triphala (powder made from three curative berries). Dr Chitra said she was astonished when her client got rid of persistent toothache by following the mouth cleansing and gargling ritual three times a day for three days.
Healthy lunch.
Up next, thoroughly cleanse all the sensory organs-eyes, mouth, ears and nose. Sunbathing is essential every day. Vyayama (exercise) or yoga, according to one’s capacity, lubricates the joints and increases energy through metabolic rate. Sweating is an indication to end the exercise. Abhyangam, oil application on the whole body, followed by a thorough cleansing(bath) are to be performed before breakfast. A healthy breakfast should follow a fruit intake. Lunch should be the heaviest meal of the day as digestive power peaks along with the sun’s heat. A light dinner before sunset aids the body in complete digestion before sleep. Pathya or sattvic(mild) healthy food is recommended.
Daily meditation helps relax the mind. The time gap between sunset and breakfast the next day creates intermittent fasting, which gives space for the body to cure itself of any functional abnormalities.
Additionally, Anjana, an eyeliner made from natural products, protects eyes from exposure to screen time. Nasyam, with a drop of anu tailam, helps cleanse the nose from pollutants in the air we breathe.
If dinacharya is missed due to unavoidable circumstances and a disease condition sets in, one can seek the help of a doctor; according to Ayurveda, the human body is made of tri doshas, or three key internal elements: Vata(air), Pitta(fire/energy), and Kapha(water). An Ayurveda doctor will diagnose the problem through nadi pareeksha, or a pulse test, to determine the extent of the imbalance of the three elements in particular organ/s of the body and suggest therapy accordingly.
Pancha Karma or Virechana (body detoxification) is the primary treatment in rejuvenation therapy. Total body cleansing requires a minimum of 8 days. It also becomes part of the initial treatment for any chronic disease. Much of the cure comes through this step. It’s followed by the administration of relevant medicine to prepare the freshly cleansed body to get rid of the disease.
Therapy usually involves external massage (through medicated oils) and herbal medicine that may be ingested in tablets, liquids, powders (consumed with water or milk) or herbal teas. Unhealthy or blocked channels cause disease. Ayurveda massages help open up blocked channels (srotas) that facilitate fluid transport in the body. Different medicated oils are used based on a person’s body composition—Swedana or fomentation after the massage aids in the absorption of the medicine through pores.
In the next story, we shall look at a few good places in Kerala that are popular with visitors coming to the state for Ayurvedic rejuvenation and treatment.
Written by: Madhura Katti
