Abhyanga - oil massage
In India, massage is usually always done with oil, in rare cases, with kapha imbalance (excess mucus), massage is done without oil, or with herbal powders. This is done because oil, most often sesame oil, has the property of penetrating into the smallest pores of the skin and delivering medicinal substances from the herbs included in the oil to the tissues of the body (Dhatu). Herbs usually have a bitter and pungent taste and help remove and burn ama. Oil has the properties of moisture, oiliness (snigdha), softness (mridu), opposite in properties to hard and dry muscles. Sesame oil is hot, warming up cold Vata or Kapha dosha. Sesame oil makes a fat person thinner, and a too thin person fatter, if used correctly, it cures all diseases. This is written in the Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita. For Pitta, coconut oil is used, as well as sunflower and olive oil, and especially ghee. For Vata - sesame, olive, mustard and also ghee. For Kapha - sesame, mustard. That is, in Ayurvedic Massage, in addition to the massage itself, a huge role is played by oil, specially selected taking into account the state of the doshas of a person. In addition to the fact that oil balances the doshas, it also softens and separates ama from tissues (Dhatu) and helps remove toxins from the body. Throughout the course of panchakarma, usually lasting 28 days, at least 21 days, abhyanga, oil massage is done every day. That is, massage is one of the most important, if not the most important, method of treating a person. Manual massage removes all blocks in muscles and tissues. Also, to eliminate these blocks, various oil procedures are used: molds with oil, rubbing with bags of herbs and herbal powders heated in oil.
Kati Vasti, Uro Vasti, Griva Vasti
Kathi Vasti is a procedure using oil (usually sesame). A mold for butter is made on the patient's lower back from dough made from wheat or chickpea flour, then hot oil is poured into this mold, hot enough so that the patient can tolerate it. When the oil cools, scoop it out and pour hot oil back in.
The procedure lasts 40-50 minutes. With the help of Katya Vasti, spinal diseases, intervertebral hernias, and protrusions are effectively treated. The same procedures are also performed on the chest area (Uro Vasti), thoracic spine, neck area, 7th cervical vertebra (Mane Vasti), on the navel, on the knee area, and shoulder joints.
Navarakizhi - massage with rice bags
A special variety of rice (grows only in India) is boiled in a decoction of medicinal roots and herbs with milk. Then it is packaged in bags and literally rubbed into the patient's body with the bags. The procedure works very well for Vata disorders (wind disorders) and Pitta disorders (fire disorders, bodily bile), but is not used for Kapha disorders (disorders caused by mucus). This procedure is used effectively for muscle dystrophy and paralysis.
Podikizhi - massage with herbal bags
Herbal pouch Massages can be made with fresh herbs or with powdered herbs. In order to Massage the complete human body, we will utilize herbal powders and pouches that have been heated in oil. Muscle and joint issues, Vata disorders (excess dryness and cold), and Kapha disorders (excess mucus, fat, including cellulite) are all extremely well treated by this method. Since the powders contain hot herbs, they are not used for Pitta problems.
Svedana - steam bath
Sveda means sweat in Sanskrit, svedana means sweating. Usually svedana is done in combination with the procedure of snehana, oiling, internal and external. Internal oiling is done by taking oil, usually melted, ghee with bitter and pungent herbs. And external oiling is done during abhyanga, oil massage. Oil, penetrating the dhatu (tissues) from the inside and outside, softens them and separates ama (toxins) from the dhatu (tissues). During sweating, svedana, ama is set in motion and removed from the body with sweat. We use a cedar barrel for the procedure. A person sits in the barrel, the head is outside, and steam is supplied to the barrel, possibly with herbs. The whole body is warmed up to the bones, toxins are released with sweat, the body is healed, since the Vata Dosha settled in the joints and muscles is driven out by hot steam, since it has properties opposite to Vata: hot and moist. Muscles and tissues soften, joints are freed from stiffness, energy channels are opened due to the fact that the ama settled in them is set in motion by hot steam and oil and excreted from the body with sweat. The fact that the head is outside helps to better warm the body with moist heat, since the head cannot be heated too much, this leads to an imbalance of Pitta in the head area, increased intracranial pressure, eye diseases, etc. Usually during Panchakarma , snehana and svedana, oiling and sweating, taking oil internally, oil Massage and a steam bath are done for the first 7 days. Only after 7 days do they begin cleansing procedures. In total, Panchakarma lasts at least 21 days, usually 28 days, but sometimes more. But oil Massage , abhyanga are done every day throughout Panchakarma . Thanks to cleansing procedures, the body is healed and all chronic diseases are treated.
Tarpana - eye baths made of warm ghee and triphala
Shiro Vasti
A special leather cap is placed on the patient's head, and holes where oil can leak are sealed with dough. Warm oil is poured in so as to completely cover the head and held until liquid mucus and toxins flow from the patient's eyes, ears, and nose, which are removed with the help of oil. Typically, head diseases are associated with the accumulation of kapha (mucus), which clogs the channels of the head. The procedure improves the functioning of the senses, memory, concentration, and eliminates headaches.
Shirodhara
The Shirodhara procedure involves pouring oil onto the patient's forehead in a continuous stream for 20-50 minutes. This procedure is especially indicated for Vata disorders (air disorder in the body), stress, and even treats mental disorders. Complete relaxation of the body occurs, the person falls into another dimension, deep relaxation and calming of the mind occurs. The root of all diseases, our mind, is treated.