Panchakarma Treatment at Santhigiri Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyasala

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Sources : http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005091001640100.htm & date=2005/09/10/ & prd=mp & Panchakarma relieving stress Ayurveda, one of the oldest medicinal techniques, is gaining immense popularity especially for its long-term benefits to tackle such stress related health problems PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK HEALING TOUCH Shirodhra therapy That

Monday morning feeling again! This time you have firmly made up your mind to hand over the resignation letter and end an excruciating phase of stressful overdose of work. But once again, insecurities haunt you and you step back. Now consider this. After a stressful day at the work place, you go back home only to be welcomed with a series of non-stop insinuations from your partner for not living up to his or her expectations. Regular ego battles at the work place, niggling issues at home and strained inter-personal relationships have become common in today's lifestyle of most people. A steadily rising workload, irregular food habits and an intense competitive ambience have generated many stress-related health problems and metabolic disorders. Ayurveda, one of the oldest medicinal techniques, is gaining immense popularity especially for its long-term benefits to tackle such lifestyle related health problems, metabolic disorders and chronic ailments. Famous for its tranquil beaches and bewitching backwaters, Kerala has also blossomed as a hip destination for the spa set. This technique even gave a boost to tourism in Kerala, where the Panchakarma therapies are quite a craze amongst the urban populace. Various places across India have begun to clone the Kerala experience down to `pizhichil' or oil massage. In 2002, Santhigiri Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyasala in coordination with Tourism Development of the State Government, set up the first Panchakarma centre in Seethammadhara. Since then, it has been administering the magic of the Kerala ayurvedic therapies to tourists and the local people. It has about 50 branches all over India. The therapies include five packages that run for seven days duration, and range from rejuvenating programmes of herbal baths and synchronised massages, to a more daunting regime called panchakarma, which favours purgation and enemas. What can be more relaxing

than a body massage? Renowned for the rejuvenating therapy called 'Abhyanga', the centre offers other medicinal therapies that help to cure various health ailments. "We have a small centre at the APTDC Yatri Nivas where we offer oil massage therapies and medicated steam baths to the tourists," says Dr. Senguttuvan of Santhigiri Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyasala. As the name suggests, the therapy helps to rejuvenate the mind and the body. "It keeps the body healthy, delays the ageing process and also helps to reduce stress." It is a simple process of an hour's duration that includes oil massage and medicated steam bath and is charged Rs.500 per sitting. There are different types of external therapies that include Pizhichil (oil message), Nzhavarakizhi (message with milk soaked boiled rice) and Padikizhi (fermentation with herbal powder). Each therapy has a seven-day course. In the Shirodhara therapy, highly medicated special oil is poured in an even

stream on the forehead. This improves memory and rejuvenates the neuro-muscular system. This treatment is also good for preventing and curing diseases like paralysis, senile dementia and other neurological ailments. Further, with appropriate medicines, this procedure can also be employed in psychiatric and psychosomatic diseases, insomnia and even in general debility. It relieves tension, provides peace of mind and checks stress and strain. But for chronic aliments like asthma, arthritis, migraine or even paralysis, the Panchakarma purification internal therapies are useful, says Dr. Senguttuvan. The treatment duration for the therapies is for about a month, and after that the patient kept under medication for three-to-six months depending on the gravity of the problem. The five therapies that come under this category are - nasal therapy, vomiting therapy, purgative therapy, blood-letting therapy and enema therapy. When the time tested age-old

therapies from God's own country are right here at your doorstep, what more do your need? Just barge in and get some herbal or massage therapies done to drive away the blues. NIVEDITA GANGULY © Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

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