Inner Health, Outer Beauty

The Wisdom of Ayurveda

Researches have been going on for centuries, and shops are flooded with market-driven ideas about creams and gels to make you young. But no-one has yet found the formula of eternal youth. Perhaps it is time to look for the answer in ancient wisdom. We are talking about Ayurveda – the ancient medical science developed by the seers and sages of India thousands of years back.

While modern cosmetology still searches for truly an anti-ageing cream, Ayurveda insists that physical beauty comes from a not-so physical source, it radiates from within. An Ayurvedic physician will not be so concerned about the gels and soap you are using, but will ask you simple questions like, do you feel hungry? How energetic you are? Do you sleep well? When was the last time you met yourself? These questions reveal the depth of beauty and health – physical, mental and spiritual.

Ayurveda has cures for the diseased but for the healthy individual it has much more to say. Ayurveda aims at making a healthy individual aware. It helps in creating a deeper awareness of the relation of man to nature. It makes you aware to live life of totality.

PRE-MEDITATION THERAPIES IN AYURVEDA

In the hectic-paced times of today no physician can help the patient to cope with his problems, beyond a certain limit. This is because the conflict is from within. For such a type of patient it is not so important how many times they meet their doctor, but how many times they meet themselves. This process of meeting oneself can be developed through meditation.

Ayurveda has more to say on this subject. Before his game begins, a sportsman does some warming-up exercise so that he can ease his body into the strenuous activity that lies ahead. In the same way, Ayurveda advises us to have a clean body before we start our active meditation.

A constipated man will not experience the great feeling of Meditation as the normal healthy man will! For this, Ayurveda recommends five methods of purification normally called Panchakarma.

Panchakarma is the oldest scientific method of detoxification and re-nutrifying the body in the whole world today. I will be introducing them to the readers one by one.

NETRA BASTI (EYE BATH)

From the modern ophthalmology to any other complimentary medical systems, no program offers a preventive eye care therapy like Ayurveda!

Eyes are one of the important sense organs. The beauty of an individual depends not only on his outer beauty, but on what his eyes are projecting. This is because eyes speak the language of the mind.

Netra basti means washing the eye with medicated oils, medicated milk or herbal decoctions. It is an ancient Ayurvedic treatment to relieve tensions that are trapped in the eye socket that can result in poor eye sight, pain, fatigue, sunken sallow look, burning and all problems due to excessive strains on the eyes.

Traditionally this treatment is used to improve eyesight and nourish the nervous system via the eyeball as it connects directly to the brain. It brings a rich lustre to the eyes, sooths away wrinkles, reduces dark circles and creates a sense of ease and acceptance and promotes a feeling of deep contentment.

This treatment is deep acting and the emotional results are great. The therapy is particularly helpful to people who feel eye strain. It is beneficial for everyone to beat the heat in summer and protect your eyes from toxic pollution.

THE TECHNIQUE

For Netra basti use special oils, ghee (clarified butter), or some herbal water to relax your eye muscles leaving them with a proper supply of oxygen and graining away the waste products like lactic acid. A proper Ayurvedic massage is administered to facilitate the drainage of toxic waste from the eye muscles surrounding the eyes. After the facial massage, a dove (usually wheat flour is used) is made round the eyes, and medicated ghee is poured on so as to cover the eye completely. This is kept on for 10-20 minutes. The therapy is usually done in dark, cozy room, preferably at night.