Age old secrets.

It’s an irony that for treating new-age ailments, we are going back to the age-old Ayurvedic remedies, Says Anita Iyer.

Ayurveda is a living science and one of the oldest scientific medicinal systems providing varied remedies through the ages. Owing to the fast-paced lives today, many professionals are turning towards Ayurveda to rejuvenate themselves. Dr. Prashant C P, an Ayurvedic consultant says, “Earlier these Ayurvedic treatments were only opted by people belonging to the elderly age group. But today, increasingly youngsters and professionals are looking it as a means to rejuvenate their body. We have many stress releasing massages, which relieves them from stress, refreshes their mind and promotes sound sleep, enhances memory and helps them to resist stress”.

Mr. Srikanth Nair, Director of Kerala Ayurvedic Center says, “Today it is noted that especially more and more youth are getting treated for stress and insomnia, chronic problems, arthritis, lower back pain, gastro problems, etc. Due to deviation of lifestyle, many new-age disorders are seen and youngsters are taking up Ayurveda for assured results with no side effects”.

According to Ayurveda, a human body is composed of five elements- fire, earth, air, water and ether. Ayurveda is based on ‘The tridosha (or three elements) theory’. The tridoshas here comprises Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water). In human body, vata is considered to be present below the navel, pitta between the heart and navel and kapha is positioned in the chest, throat and head area. A person is fit only when all these tridoshas are in a balanced state. Ayurveda not only stresses on physical well-being of a body but also mental and spiritual happiness.

The curative massage treatments in Kerala Spas enhances the nervous and immune systems, relaxes the aching muscles and joints, smoothens and improves the quality of skin, and revives the mind and rejuvenates the body. The Ayurvedic massages are useful in treating ailments like Bronchial Diseases, Rheumatism, arthritis, hypertension, paralysis, nervous debility, sinusitis, Slip Disk and Spondylitis, Nervous debility, obesity and stress related problems etc.

Ajo Tominic, an Ayurvedic consultant and massager for past six years says, “There are treatments in Kerala Ayurvedic Spas for various ailments like Arthritis, respiratory problems, beauty treatments like slimming and body firming treatments. In Ayurvedic spas, the body is massaged with mediated oil made from valuable herbs with healing properties like Bella, Hibiscus, Bhringaray, Aswagandha, Sandalwood, Triphala, Eucalptus, Tulsi, and Lemon Grass which rejuvenates the body”.



These herbal oils are used as they have medicinal benefits and also a medium for smooth massaging the body and to give proper massage strokes. It is a known fact that Ayurvedic treatments have slow but long lasting benefits for human ailments. “For headaches, we normally use a pain killer as a temporary remedy, the headache might subside for the moment but may reoccur. In Ayurvedic Spas, we have a treatment called ‘Shirodhara’ where oil mixed with medicated milk is poured on the forehead for 40 minutes in a day for a period of 7 to 21 days continuously. This treatment relieves mental tension, headache or migraine and relaxes your mind and body”, adds Ajo Tominic

After the massage, the patients go through a process of herbal steam bath and a warm shower following it. Lemon grass or Eucalyptus oil is essentially used in the bath. The steam bath after the massage treatment detoxifies the body and improves the blood circulation. The medicinal properties of the herbal oils are absorbed by pores in the skin and relieve the body from pain and anxiety.

Ayurveda is the science of life and shows a way to eliminate disorders, stay healthy and attain longevity. In Alopathy, diseases are treated the disease after the symptoms are seen but in Ayurveda the root cause of the disease is treated thereby giving long lasting effects.

Dr. Prashant C P says, “Ayurveda is a living science with age-old remedies of about 5000 years. Ayurveda removes the cause of disease and re-establishes balance to our system. In Ayurveda massages, our emphasis is on relaxation and rejuvenation of the body”.

The concept of Kerala Ayurvedic Spa is popular even among the foreigners, as they have seen the wonders of this age-old Indian tradition. Ana Sachs, a 52-year-old lady from USA says, “It was deceptively simple and at first I didn’t think it could possibly work, but by the third day I was walking like I did when I was twenty. I found profound result from each of the different treatments, which is a real testimony to the efficacy of this ancient method. The herbs used in treatment are fabulous and did miracles to the body”.

Mrs. Janani, a PhD Yoga Therapist in Ayurvedic Treatment, USA says, “The oils used were qualitatively superior and helped in rejuvenating my body. My age is 48. I had chronic low grade to severe back pain daily since long due to repeated auto accidents and other injures. But after 3 days treatment of Abhyangam, Shirodara and Swedana, the pain completely disappeared”.

"This spiritual science offers numerous health benefits with no side effects and healing through Ayurveda becomes fun not a punishment for the patient", Concludes Mr. Srikanth Nair.

However, there are others who think otherwise. Like Dr. Manju Ghildiyal, a consulting physiotherapist says, "For chronic pain, massages are useful to give healing effect but for acute Spondylitis, Slip disc or arthritis, massage is not a viable idea. Patients prefer Ayurveda because it has no side effects but in case of acute diagnosis, Alopathy is the only remedy as Ayurveda takes time to heal".