De-stressing Through Panchakarma
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School of surgery emphasized greatly by Acharya Susrutha, Father of Surgery in Susrutha Samhita opens a wide range of treatment modalities. Even though modern surgery shows advancement, Ayurvedic surgical methods are of immense relevance with high success rates today.
How to de-stress through panchakarma ?
Panchakarma is a highly sophisticated procedure which includes a set of treatment protocols which are patient specific in nature. Panchakarma is useful in both healthy and diseased individuals where it maintains the health and cures the disease respectively.
Stress is a burning issue in the present life scenario which hampers all spheres of an individual’s life ie. family, education, career, health etc.
Causes of stress :
The triggering factors for stress vary from person to person. The most commonest among them are related to work, family issues and studies.
Reasons in working atmosphere includes :
- Unsatisfactory job
- Long working hours and Less salary
- Time bound completion of work
- Insecurity in the job
- Harassment at the work place
Stress due to issues in the personal life is highly prevalent in today’s world. It includes
- Chronic or life threatening illness
- Divorce
- Financial crisis
- Loss of job
- Traumatic events in life like love affairs, theft, rape, natural calamities, death of a loved one, violence etc.
In student life, stress has a great impact on their academic performance. It may be due to
- Pressure from parents to score good marks
- Studying in areas which are against their interests
- Stress from the institutions for low performance
- Stress from friends for scoring less marks, influencing to use drugs etc.
- Unhealthy relationship of parents
Effect of stress on the health :
When the body is stressed, it tries to manage the condition with the help of various body systems resulting in ‘fight or flight response’. In short term stress, therefore it can be observed that the Blood Pressure increases, breathing and heart beats gets faster, muscles become tense and sweat profusely. This condition is temporary and the body recovers quickly from it.
The various physical signs which can be observed during this stage are :
- Stomach upset
- Irritability
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Poor concentration
- Emotional disturbances/ mood swings
- Loss of appetite / hunger etc.
Long standing stress is a serious condition as it can cause various hormonal changes in the body resulting in wear and tear of various bodily organs and systems. It can result in serious health problems including.
- Depression/Anxiety
- Weight gain/loss
- Cardiac dysfunction
- High Blood Pressure
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Irregular sleep-wake patterns, eating habits
- Lack of interest in routine activities
- Emotional outbursts
- Flaring up of pre-existing health problems etc.
Role of Ayurveda in Stress Management :
The science of Ayurveda approaches the condition in an holistic way which includes a set of treatments based on the roots which lead to stress in the individual. It includes
- Yoga & Pranayama :
Practising yoga daily helps in physical and mental relaxation. It helps the person to achieve control over his emotions, thereby attaining a peaceful mind. Yoga and pranayama provides the combined benefits of stretching exercises, breathing exercises, fitness programs and meditation.
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Panchakarma treatments : Abhyanga and Swedana Oil massage followed by sudation techniques plays a major role in both physical and mental relaxation.
It helps to :
- Improves circulation
- Relaxes muscles
- Removes toxins out of the body
- Relieves stress
- Increases metabolism
- Enhance immunity
- Improves sleep
- Relieves fatigue etc.
3. Shirodhara : Shirodhara is a highly sophisticated Panchakarma procedure which has direct impact over the Nervous system. It influences the functioning of various structures of the brain and neurotransmitters.
It is beneficial in :
- Relieving stress, anxiety and depression
- Various Psychiatric disorders
- Controls Hypertension
- Improves concentration
- Improves quality of sleep
4. Shirotalam and Shirobasti : Shirotalam and Shirobasti are the Murdhni taila procedures which are very effective in managing the diseases affecting the Central Nervous system.
It is useful in :
- Neurological diseases
- Insomnia
- Anxiety/ Depression
- Vision problems
5. Medicinal plants: Ayurveda books explain about various single drugs which can be included in the day to day diet for improving the wellness of the brain and Nervous system in general. It includes
- Brahmi
- Ashwagandha
- Jatamamsi
- Sarpagandha
- Vacha
Conclusion :
The science of Ayurveda adopts a holistic approach in managing conditions like stress through Yoga & Pranayama, Panchakarma therapies and maintaining proper dietary patterns. Therefore, in the present life scenario Ayurveda has a major role is managing individuals who are suffering from stress related problems.