Ayusanjivani Chikitsa
Dr. Prashant Sawant's
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The Cold Truth
By - Dr. Prashant Sawant, M.D (Ayu.)
Article Published in “The Times Of India” on Saturday, October 11, 2003
The end of rainy season marks the beginning of ‘sharad rutu’, one of the six seasons experienced in the Indian subcontinent. This -two months long- period (September - October), is characterised by a sudden climatic transition from the wet, humid and comfortably cold monsoon, to dry and annoyingly hot weather. Understandably enough, this sudden climatic change takes toll on the health and certain types of diseases threaten the susceptible individuals.
During this period of transition, the rain gradually decreases and the temperature begins to rise. As a result, at the peak of this season, the pitta dosha (a body humor), which is accumulated, as a natural consequence of the earlier varsha- rutu (monsoon), gets vitiated leading to number of related symptoms like acidity, giddiness, insomnia, excessive thirst, burning of the eyes, palms and soles, etc. Though the appetite is improved in the beginning, as the season advances, this vitiation of pitta dosha, throws the digestion out of gear.
Further, due to the close relationship of the pitta dosha and the rakta dhatu (blood), the diseases related to vitiation of blood, like all types of skin diseases, boils, viral skin eruptions, certain types of fevers, conjunctivitis, jaundice, etc. become evident. To avoid these ailments, living up to its fundamental objectives - to protect the health and to alleviate the disease- ayurved advocates ‘rutu-cahrya’ (regimen of the season). This unique concept of ayurved, is a set of dos and don’ts for the particular season that are based on the knowledge of the physiological variations and the disease susceptibility.
The most important tool in this endeavor of maintaining health, by pre-empting the disease process, is the virechana (therapeutic purgation) and the raktamoksahan (therapeutic blood-letting), two of the five powerful purification methods (panchakarma), used to eliminate the accumulated toxins. The virechana eliminates toxins related with vitiated pitta dosha, where as the raktamoksana eliminates those related with the blood. Both the therapies are very effective and gentle, however they must be administered under expert’s guidance. Further, the pitta dosha can also be kept under control by eating food that is sweet, bitter and astringent in taste and by avoiding salty, sour and spicy food.
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By - Dr. Prashant Sawant, M.D (Ayu.)
Article Published in “The Times Of India” on Saturday, October 11, 2003
The end of rainy season marks the beginning of ‘sharad rutu’, one of the six seasons experienced in the Indian subcontinent. This -two months long- period (September - October), is characterised by a sudden climatic transition from the wet, humid and comfortably cold monsoon, to dry and annoyingly hot weather. Understandably enough, this sudden climatic change takes toll on the health and certain types of diseases threaten the susceptible individuals.
During this period of transition, the rain gradually decreases and the temperature begins to rise. As a result, at the peak of this season, the pitta dosha (a body humor), which is accumulated, as a natural consequence of the earlier varsha- rutu (monsoon), gets vitiated leading to number of related symptoms like acidity, giddiness, insomnia, excessive thirst, burning of the eyes, palms and soles, etc. Though the appetite is improved in the beginning, as the season advances, this vitiation of pitta dosha, throws the digestion out of gear.
Further, due to the close relationship of the pitta dosha and the rakta dhatu (blood), the diseases related to vitiation of blood, like all types of skin diseases, boils, viral skin eruptions, certain types of fevers, conjunctivitis, jaundice, etc. become evident. To avoid these ailments, living up to its fundamental objectives - to protect the health and to alleviate the disease- ayurved advocates ‘rutu-cahrya’ (regimen of the season). This unique concept of ayurved, is a set of dos and don’ts for the particular season that are based on the knowledge of the physiological variations and the disease susceptibility.
The most important tool in this endeavor of maintaining health, by pre-empting the disease process, is the virechana (therapeutic purgation) and the raktamoksahan (therapeutic blood-letting), two of the five powerful purification methods (panchakarma), used to eliminate the accumulated toxins. The virechana eliminates toxins related with vitiated pitta dosha, where as the raktamoksana eliminates those related with the blood. Both the therapies are very effective and gentle, however they must be administered under expert’s guidance. Further, the pitta dosha can also be kept under control by eating food that is sweet, bitter and astringent in taste and by avoiding salty, sour and spicy food.
Next >>