JOIN USThe change in weather aggravates all three doshas. As it gets cooler, the impact of the increased vata dosha results in aggravating painful conditions and ailments. Rains also increase the acidity in foods and vegetables, increasing the pitta dosha, which causes fevers, acidity, digestive problems and inflammations.
Contaminated water and food during the rainy season, along with the colder weather, also worsens the kapha dosha, in turn causing cold, cough, allergy and other skin diseases.
Karkidaka chikitsa is a time-honoured preventive ayurvedic therapy that is specifically administered at the beginning of this season to prevent ailments that arise during aadi or karkatagam season. Karkidaka chikitsa regularises the bodily
functions, provides physical and mental rejuvenation, and helps prevent ailments like asthma, bronchitis, osteoarthritis, joint aches, fevers, coughs, colds, skin ailments and digestive problems.
To bring back the dosha equilibrium in our body, the aggravated or weakened doshas have to be expelled out of the body. This is done by performing special purification therapies. Classically, they are called panchakarma treatments. Usually treatments like elakizhi, abhyangam, herbal steam, vasti and the like are carried out.
There’s also detoxification with external and internal therapies such as snehapanam (medicated ghee). Thereafter, the body is purified and strengthened with ayurvedic herbal kanji (gruel), rasayana drugs and diet. Foods that are easily digestible, such as pulses, juices, soups, old grains and gruel, are recommended. Appetite is also reinforced with specially medicated rice gruel called karkidaka kanji kootu or oushadha kanji.
(The writer is medical officer, Sanjeevanam Ayurvedic Therapy Centre, Bangalore)