In the time of Kaliyug, when the need of the hour is to spiritualise society, the role of the householder seeker is a crucial one. Juggling career, family, multiple relationships and traffic jams, the householder must bloom like the proverbial lotus in the muck of everyday life More>>
The cause and the cure of all disease is born with the body itself. This
is what therapist of yore have based their remedies onlong before
the advent of conventional medicines we know of todayand undoubtedly,
they have worked wonders. Traditional healing techniques, with their origins
especially in the East, have created ripples in the Western world of allopathic
medicine. These techniques aim at treating the whole body and not just
the symptoms, ultimately going to the root of the problem to address the
source and symptoms of the disease.
They are referred to as "traditional" therapies, since they
may have derived from spiritual traditions or health practices of indigenous
groups outside the contemporary recognized medical establishments. These
therapies are now being recommended by many in the medical establishment
as having potential to improve the efficacy of conventional approaches
to cancer cure.
The traditional explanation is that the body contains vital energy or
Qi or prana, which should flow smoothly over channels, or
meridians or energy centers (chakras) that run throughout the body.
When the Qi or pranic energy is stagnant or blocked in the
meridians or energy centers from physical, mental, emotional or spiritual
causes of disharmony, or when there is an imbalance in the yin
(female) and yang (male) forms of energy, then symptoms of ill
health or disease are expressed. Acupuncture, moxibustion, herbs and vital
energy therapy helps to rebalance, reintegrate and reconnect the yin
and yang in order to restore good health.
Ayurveda
is an ancient Indian medical science. It is a natural health care system
thought to be the "mother of healing". Unlike modern western
medicine, which focuses on treating the symptoms of an illness, Ayurveda
concentrates on the source of the disease using natural treatments to
eliminate the root cause and promote the patient's inherent self-healing
abilities by improving immunity. The most extreme example of illness caused
by lack of purpose is cancer. Ayurveda considers cancer an emotionally
caused disease.
According to Vaidya Balendu Prakash
(Hony. Physician to the President of India), cancer can easily be defined
within the philosophy
of Ayurveda. The combination of diet, lifestyle and medicines play an
important role in the prevention and treatment of the cancer. There are
certain guidelines in ayurveda that are necessary to be followed to keep
a person healthy. Either less or excess or untimely diet or lifestyle
factors that disturb vata-pitta-kapha
(tridosh), that is, the body metabolism, can cause cancer.
Vaidya Balendu Prakash says that the rising incidence of cancer can be
attributed to the drastic changes in our lifestyle and dietary habits,
especially the use of chemical and synthetic food items, which deprive
us from adequate mineral intake. Rasayna
Shastra, one of the eight clinical specialties of ayurveda emphasizes
on the balance of the seven metals (gold, silver, copper, tin, zinc, iron
and lead). These metals help in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.
The food items that we consume today are deficient in many minerals. This
deficiency causes acidification, which further leads to poor absorption
of the metals by our bodies. Moreover, eating disorders, untimely eating,
exertion, anxiety,
stress,
depression
and other lifestyle factors contribute towards the formation of acids
and toxins in the body, which in turn results in the inflammation of the
gastro-intestinal track. The accumulation of toxins and the gradual suppression
of the immune system lead to abnormal activities in the different tissues
of the body, ultimately leading to cancer.
Ayurveda
takes a different approach to achieve good health. It looks at the whole
person to eliminate the cause of disease through natural therapies. It
can improve health and help prevent serious illness through simple dietary
changes, lifestyle changes, and purification techniques that restore balance
to your body.
Ayurveda is also compatible with Western medicine. An increasing number
of doctors are incorporating ayurveda into their regular practice to provide
a synergistic effect.
Diagnosis according to ayurveda is to find out the root cause of a disease.
It is not always necessary that the root cause be inside the body. The
cause could be some stress causing factors in the surroundings or the
family or the work place. To give permanent relief the root cause (physical-pain
or psychological-stress
/fear) has to be removed. The treatment of a disease according to ayurveda
is not just curing a person of his physical symptoms. The person is treated
as a whole (the body and the mind).
Different
kinds of examinations are made to find out the root cause of a disease.
One of them is pulse examination. By checking the pulse, the ayurvedic
physician finds out the position of Tridosha i.e. find out the
predominant dosha. This is known as the 'Naadi Pariksha'
(nadi or pulse and pariksha or examination). So once the
physician knows which dosha is aggravated or out of balance, the main
job is to bring it under balance by using different kinds of therapies.
The mental situation, family relations and other outside factors are thoroughly
examined.
Treatment is three-way. Through medicines, diet control and Panchakarma.
The medicinal treatment mainly comprises of powders, tablets, decoctions,
medicated oils etc. prepared from natural herbs,
plants and minerals. Because the medicines are from natural sources and
not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body without creating
any side effects when they are used properly in the right proportions.
Along with medicine, proper diet and living style is also advised. Ayurveda
advocates a diet depending on the constitution of a person and the area
of inhabitance.
Panchkarma
therapy involving therapeutic cleansing of the body is also used as a
treatment in many diseases.
Fundamental principles, health rules, knowledge of individual constitution
of our body, use of various herbs, minerals and specially Panchkarma therapy
can be very safely used by one and all, all over the world to promote
good health, prevent
diseases and acquire longevity.