Usha Paana Chikitsa, Water and health

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Water is one of the foundation stones of a healthy body. Yogis and

Naturapaths use water as a basic medicine. Father Sabastian Kneipp

wrote a famous book "My Water Cure" long ago outlining the use of

water in healing from disease.

 

Another famous book is Dr. Foreydoon Batmanghelidj's "Your Body's

Many Cries for Water" - that book is mainly dealing with dehydration -

which is a common disorder - there are a few points about

dehydration that one should keep in mind.

 

The most negative aspects of dehydration have to do with the

resulting concentration of fluids that results. Two important issues

of concentrated fluids are the concentration of acid toxins and the

concentration of ama. Concentration of acid toxins can lead to many

bad consequenses -

 

1- When the body fluids are condensed the acid PH in the blood shifts

to more acidic - this makes the PH of the saliva, stomach,

intestines, more acidic this obviously disturbs natural digestive

functions and creates even more acid through long fermented food in

the tract.

 

2- condensed acid in the liver, gall bladder (stone complications in

worse cases), and grahni severely disturbs digestion as the bile

should be base not acid. Protein digestion is essential and will be

severly disturbed in the face of acidic bile and acidic pancreatic

enzymes.

 

3- Condensed acid in the blood interferes with kidney function. It

even contributes to the formation of stones. Diabetes is made worse

in the light of poor kidney function. Also the elimination of kidney

and adrenal byproducts such as adrenaline, rennin, prostoglandins,

etc. The role of these substances in the most common type of high

blood pressure is clearly established.

 

4- Whenever the blood is dehydrated ama is also concentrated. It

becomes thicker and more sticky - which makes all of the issues of

ama worse. Simple examples are the problems associated with thick

difficult to move ama - sinus problems, genital congestion,

congestion and stickiness in the organs - (heart example)- stickiness

at the sites of hormone and enzyme production, stickiness in the

bones where the red blood cells are being formed - the list of

complications caused by thicker stickier ama are endless and this can

exasperate most physical malfunctions.

 

All of these problems can be solved by reducing acid forming diet,

improving digestion, and drinking more water. Proper PH, viscosity,

and hydration of the blood can relieve many severe problems and

correct many of the above problems.

 

I always suggest anyone suffering hypertension - to drink plenty of

water to thin the acids and relive the kidney stress.

 

Of course those with kapha prakruti or kapha diseases should

carefully evaluate their need for more water. Also those with

advanced kidney disease should evealuate their ability to handle more

water.

 

Western research shows that those who chronically take less water

have a shut down of the water regulating hormone - this is harmful as

the body stops responding properly to water needs. This can be easily

corrected by reseting the hormone to be released in appropriate

quantities - this is done by drinking 64 ozs. of water per day in

small doses throughout the day (example 1/2 to 1 oz. every half hour).

Only water - no other liquids as substitution. If their is any

hypometabolism or other cold symptoms the water should be drunk warm.

for this I recommend carrying the water in a flask at all times -

perhaps for some it will be necessary to keep a timer as this

schedule is difficult to follow as we forget what we are doing.

 

 

Brahmins, yogis and others use water in many processes of

purification and ritual - it is as important as food in health and

many times more valuable than the most costly medicines.