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Ayurveda > Ayurvedic Treatment > Ashtang-Ayurved: Shaman
By Dr. Satish Kulkarni
So far, we have
discussed pre-procedures like snehan
(olation therapy) and swedan
(fomentation therapy). We also have
discussed the panch-karma
(five main procedures) i.e. vaman
(emesis therapy), virechan
(purgation therapy), basti
(enema therapy), nasya
(administration of medicines through
nose) and rakta-moksha (blood
letting). All these are slightly
harsh treatments and executed when
radical removal of aggrieved dosha
(basic body constituent) is a
must. These treatments require
preparation of the body in order to
achieve better results.
However, it is
often seen that the body is not fit
for harsh treatment like shodhan
(thorough cleansing) i.e. the panch-karma
mentioned above. Sometimes adequate
time is not available and this is a
problem because it is one of the most
important aspects of the shodhan
treatment. This is where shaman
(soothing treatment/cooling
treatment) comes into play. Shaman
is a milder way of treating the
aggrieved dosha and a good
step towards achieving a state of
health.
The difference
between shodhan and shaman
is that shodhan drives
aggrieved dosha out of the
body whereas shaman tries to
achieve a state of balance within the
body itself, either by adding to or
by subtracting from the aggrieved dosha.
The drawback of
shaman is that with a few
variations in the situation, the dosha
can go back to a state of ill health.
Thus shaman needs follow up
whereas shodhan does not
require this. Shodhan definitely
gives better and more long-term
results than shaman.
Seven types
of shaman:
- Deepan
(creating appetite):
consuming food or mild
medicines which help in
empowering agni (body
fire). This includes
consuming ghee, oil and
spices. It also includes
consumption of hot drinks and
warm food. Monitored deepan
reduces increased dosha
or adds to decreased dosha
and achieves balance.
- Pachan
(digesting): This helps in
digesting ama (toxins).
This is a preferred treatment
in digestive disorders.
Substances like dry ginger
and sweet kernel help
digestion when eaten after
lunch or dinner.
- Kshudha-nigrah
(hunger control/fasting):
When dosha balance is
disturbed but radical removal
is not possible this is the
choice of treatment. Total/
partial/ selective fasting
until recovery helps in
settling the disturbance on
its own. If vaat dosha
is aggrieved avoiding
food/lifestyle which
aggrieves vaat can be
a good solution. Similarly
avoiding things for pitta/kafa
in case of pitta/kafa
aggravation can be an
appropriate treatment. This
treatment provides rest to
the digestive tract focuses agni
(body fire) on restoring
the vaat-pitta-kafa
balance.
- Trushna-nigrah
(thrust control): This
treatment helps when water
retention is a problem. In
case of anasarca (generalized
oedema) or ascitis, if water
intake is monitored, the
urinary tract gets an
opportunity to clear the
accumulated fluid in the
body.
- Vyayam (exercises): This is the
prescribed treatment in
conditions like obesity,
diabetes, etc. It helps in
reestablishing balance
without medicines or with the
lowest possible dose.
- Atap-seva
(sun bath): This is a
preferred treatment in vaat
disorders. It is a
treatment recommended for
many skin disorders where
solar energy works as a
medicine. This treatment also
works well in cases of
arthalgic pains and rheumatic
conditions.
- Marut-seva
(consumption of fresh air):
This is the prescribed
treatment in case of
tuberculosis, asthma, etc. It
helps in the functioning of
and in pumping energy to the
respiratory tract.
To summarize, shaman
is recommended when shodhan is
not possible. Shaman is a
milder form of treatment that
believes in soothing/cooling rather
than in radical removal. It relieves
restlessness and gives a soothing
effect to the body. Shaman is
a preferred treatment in conditions
like tuberculosis, cancer, severe
anemia and typhoid, i.e.
immuno-compromized conditions of the
body.
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