» The role of Shodhana for health strengthening in the context of Svasthavritta

Year: 2020
Language: English, German

Human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by natural environment. The secret of good health lies in successful adaptations to changing realms around the body. But somewhere on the go, we have forgot that we still remain to be one among the creations of nature. Slowly we started drifting away from nature and tried to get identified as a supreme creature who can do anything and everything within nature. From real world we started loving and living more in virtual world. From true nature we moved away, so far away, so that nature itself has to remind us how and where we belong to. We have ample examples to understand same, I guess the present situation can even be related to same.

Ayurveda, the true science of life guided us being healthy happy and content. Being a part of nature makes it obvious for any creature on its surface to get influenced by every change that happens across. Ancient Indian sages very clearly observed these subtle changes that happened in human body. They translated and recorded it in the principle of Dosha and its imbalances. As the seasons vary there can be accumulation of these Doshas by nature and spilling out when exceeded beyond limits. These can be observed as minor or major symptoms of Doshic expressions or even as disorders. One who is aware about these can prevent the accumulation or spilling out even before it happens by seasonal adaptation of specific Shodhana (Purification) indicated. Shodhana or purification has been beautifully elaborated in the context of Panchakarma by the ancient seers.

Scientific Studies have evidenced that the complex intervention of Panchakarma may be effective in assisting one’s expected and reported adherence to new and healthier behaviour patterns.1 Studies even reported PCBs and Beta-HCH levels were reduced by 46 percent and 58 percent respectively in Panchakarma group. Without this intervention, the expected drop in PCBs and Beta-HCH over two months would be only a fraction of one percent. Previously, no method had been scientifically verified to reduce levels of these lipid-soluble toxicants in the human body without causing negative side effects.2 In yet another study, pathway analysis suggests that the Panchakarma intervention results in change of metabolites across many pathways such as phospholipid biosynthesis, choline metabolism, and lipoprotein metabolism. The observed plasma metabolomic alterations may reflect a Panchakarma-induced modulation of metabotypes. Panchakarma promoted statistically significant changes in plasma levels of phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins and others.3

It is very clearly evident through scientific literature too that, Panchakarma therapies can not only remove systemic accumulated Doshas from body, but at the same time prevent the forth coming diseases and also significantly improve the health status of an Individual’s perusal of harmony to body mind and spirit – “Swasthya”. In this paper, will try to detail the intricacies and reality behind the relevance of Shodhana in improving health with special reference to “Swastha”.

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1 Conboy L, Edshteyn I, Garivaltis H. Ayurveda and Panchakarma: measuring the effects of a holistic health intervention. ScientificWorldJournal. 2009;9:272-280. published 2009 Apr 27. doi:10.1100/tsw.2009.35
2 Alternative therapies in health and medicine (2002) vol 8 (5) 93-95
3 Peterson, C., Lucas, J., John-Williams, L. et al. Identification of Altered Metabolomic Profiles Following a Panchakarma-based Ayurvedic Intervention in Healthy Subjects: The Self-Directed Biological Transformation Initiative (SBTI). Sci Rep 6, 32609 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32609