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An Ayurvedic Guide for Beautiful Skin
by Dr. Savitha Suri
Naturally fresh and healthy skin is protector of body and a thing of beauty. Ayurveda our ancient science of medicine has suggested many herbal remedies and natural methods to protect our skin from pimples, acne, dark circles, wrinkles and marks left by pimples and to increase the fairness of the skin. Pimples, acne dark circles, wrinkles and marks give a dull and unhealthy look. Here is a herbal guide for naturally fresh, fair and glowing skin.
Structure of Skin
It is essential to know about structure of skin before analyzing the causes which make changes on skin. Skin is made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues. Microscopic section of the skin shows two distinct parts. Epidermis is the top most layer. The upper layer of epidermis contains dead cells which gradually cast off. These cells are gradually replaced by fresh new cells produced by basal layer which is the lower layer of epidermis.
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An Ayurvedic Guide for Beautiful Skin
Best Ayurveda Physician Hakim Ajmal Khan Global Award 2008
Dr. Rajesh Kalwadiya, The chief physician of Maharshi Charak Ayurveda Clinic & Research Center, Bani Park, Jaipur was awarded for Best Ayurveda Physician, Hakim Ajmal Khan Award 2008.
The Award is from Hakim Ajmal Khan Memorial society and was presented by Dr. Farooq Abdullah (Honorable Union Minister for new & renewable energy, Govt. of India) on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 in New Delhi.
Stress management Programme in Ayurveda
Short and power packed program for one day for those of you who are stressed out due to heavy work schedules, meeting deadlines, long hours in work load. The therapeutic procedure in this package is specially formulated for those who get the ‘burnt out feeling’ and for super stressed-out businessman. The package consists of a free consultation with our Ayurvedic doctor, synchronized body massage with traditional Ayurvedic oils, Herbal steam bath & Shirodhara. contact
Marma Massage
Marma Therapy Massage is a healing massage using the specialized pressure point techniques on the energy gateways, the palms and soles, of the body. Massage with warm herbal oil on the body with concentration on the marma points, promotes a feeling of complete physical and mental well-being.
Abhyanga (Head, Face and Body Massage)
Abhyanga is a specialized whole body massage performed by therapist using specific herbal oil selected according to the body type. The treatment brings about improved physical consistency, induces deep relaxation and is very beneficial for vigor and vitality.
Panchakarma
Panchakarma includes three parts namely:
Poorva Karma (Preparatory Methods), which includes:
• Paachana (Digestion)
• Snehana (Internal and external oleation)
• Swedana (Fomentation)
Pradhan Karma (Main methods), which includes:
• Vamana (Induced vomiting)
• Virechana (Induced purgation)
• Anuvasana (Medicated oil enema)
• Asthapana (Medicated decoction enema)
• Nasya (Drug administration through nose)
Pashchat Karma (Post-Therapeutic Measures) which includes:
This includes Sansarjan Krama (Specific diet), DhumaPana (nasal smoking of medicinal cigars) and some rules to follow specific activities.
What is Panchakarma?
Panchakarma is the cornerstone to Ayurvedic management of disease. Pancha Karma is the process, which gets to the root cause of the problem and re-establishes the essential balance of ‘Tridosha’ (three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha) in body. Pancha Karma is not only good for alleviating disease but is also a useful tool in maintaining excellent health. Ayurveda advises undergoing Pancha Karma at the seasonal changes in order to clean the body and improve the digestion and metabolic processes.
Panchakarma is a Sanskrit word that means “five actions” or “five treatments”. This science of purifying the body is an ancient branch of Ayurveda. The Treatment in Ayurveda consists of two main types.
One is Shaman Chikitsa, used to subdue the vitiated Doshas, which may cause any ailments. It is administered by using various medicinal herbo-mineral preparations.
However, if the Doshas are vitiated beyond a particular level, they give rise to various toxins, which have a tendency to be accumulated in the minute channels. These are beyond the level of pacification and hence need to be eliminating from the body. In such cases, the second type of treatment, which is Shodhan Chikitsa or cleansing therapy, is indicated. Since it consists of the five types of main therapies, it is known as the Panchakarma.
Panchakarma has been given a special place in all ancient Ayurvedic texts. Aacharya Charak, the author of the most important ancient text on internal medicine, has described a wide use of Panchakarma therapy in almost all major diseases. Two separate sections, Kalpa Sthanam, and Siddhi Sthanam in Charak Samhita describe in details special decoctions and other preparations used for Panchakarma therapy.
Way of Treatment in Ayurveda
The treatment in Ayurveda can be classified broadly into two-
1. Shamana Chikitsa (Alleviating Therapy)
2. Sodhana Chikitsa (Purification Therapy)
Samana Chikitsa
This is specially done after the sodhana therapy and in less vitiation. Herbal medicines are used internally and externally to correct the derangement of functions of Doshas, Dhatus, Malas and Agni and also to increase the Immunity. The restoration of normality is brought about without any elimination.
Sodhana Chikitsa
The main aim of this treatment is to eliminate the internal causative factors of the disease. A large quantities of toxic bi-products are formed in the body as a result of continuous metabolic process. All though most of these toxins are eliminated naturally by the body’s excretory system, some may get deposited in the various tissues of the body, which ensures the vitiation of Doshas, Dhatus etc. and then the normal functioning of the system is impaired. Similarly disease causing toxins accumulate in the body as a result of various factors like wrong body habits, wrong food habits, incompatible combination of food items, suppression of the body urges, emotional imbalance etc. Panchakarma therapeutic procedures are used to facilitate the elimination of such harmful factors.
Diagnosis in Ayurveda
There are three main methods mentioned in Ayurveda for diagnosing the Dosha imbalance and disease process in a person. They are –
1. Darsana Pareeksha – By observing the patient’s physical signs and symptoms, Example – colour of skin, hair, eyes, behavior, body condition etc.
2. Prasna Preeksha – By asking minute questions regarding the imbalance of each Doshas.
3. Sparsana Pareeksha – By touching the patient. The pulse diagnosis, palpation, percussion and auscultation are included in this method.
Nadi Pareeksha (Pulse diagnosis) is a very important tool for diagnosis. The physician feels the radial artery pulsations on the wrist of the patient and through his experience he can get a clear picture of the milieu interior.
Diseases and their Causes According Ayurveda
The harmony and the balance of the Doshas, Dhatus, Malas and Agni in the body is the primary condition of the health. The equilibrium is maintained through a life in conformity with the laws of nature.
A wrong behavior and food habit disturbs the harmony and lead to diseases.
The vitiated Doshas are the prime causative factor for a disease. Because they are the only causative factors for the vitiation (derangement) of other body elements like Dhatus, Malas, Agni etc. Both under pathological and healthy conditions, the Doshas behave in different patterns and elicit various signs and symptoms in regard to their vitiation, direction of spreading area of localization and manifestation.
The Doshas can be vitiated mainly by two ways normally and abnormally. The normal vitiation is produced by the inevitable and natural factors like seasonal variations, diurnal variations, various stages of digestion. This type of vitiation is easy to treat and often it does not require any treatment as the condition subside automatically. Abnormal vitiation of Doshas is caused by deliberate exposure to specific etiological factors, both external and internal. That is abuse of functions of sense organs, wrong bodily habits, suppression of body urges, ill food habits, avoidance of seasonal and daily regimes. Incompatible combination of food, lack of body care and preservation of health, constant exposure of mind to bad feelings like greed, jealousy, anger etc.
Having a through knowledge of the signs and symptoms produced by the vitiated Doshas and Dhtus, and through careful examination one can know causative factors of a disease.
This very much helpful in aspect of treatment. The basic principles of treatment in Ayurveda is to eliminate the internal disease causing factors of disease, also to bring back the vitiated Doshas, Dhatus, Malas and Agni to normal functioning state.
