AYURVEDIC STRESS MANAGEMENT

Now-a-days many simple and easily curable diseases are becoming into complicated and incurable just because of mis-management and in later stages even after spending lakhs of rupees in superspeciality hospitals one may not get fruitful results. As an alternative therapy then the patients in last stages bow down to the Ayurveda with great hopes, but even in this stage many patients get better improvements and are living normal life because of panchakarma therapy.
Those who are working under stress, are prone to suffer with lack of sleep, restlessness, mental disturbance, and physical diseases like diabetes, hypertension etc. Among the Ayurvedic treatments the Body Massage and Shirodhara are very much useful in such who spend most of the time in stress. These treatments rejuvenate our body, strengthen our body, relax both body and mind and thus lead us to a better life. These treatments can be done in a specific course of days or sittings with a special time period gap.

Benefits of Massage
General –
• Massage makes good and feeling pleasurable experience.
• Massage restores stress, tension and anxiety levels.
• Massage calms the nervous system and has produces equilibrium.
• Massage relaxes, focuses and clears your mind.
• Massage boosts self-esteem and a general feeling of well being.
• Massage restores self-awareness.
Muscular system
• Massage relaxes muscles, effectively reducing spasms, tension and cramping.
• Massage reduces and breaks down adhesions (knots) and fibrosis.
• Massage helps to re-establish proper muscular tone.
• Massage relieves muscle and soft tissue pain.
• Massage increases the vascularity and nutrition to various muscles.
• Massage helps muscles recover more quickly from exertion and fatigue.
• Massage supports increased work capacity and encourages your metabolism.
• Massage helps to wasting from injury and paralysis
Skeletal system
• Massage reduces joint strain and compression through releasing tight muscles and tendons.
• Massage increases the ease and efficiency of your movements.
• Massage helps to increase the retention of nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulphur in the bones and this aids in fracture healing.
• Massage improves the circulation and nutrition of the joints and helps increase range of joint movement.
Circulatory system
• Massage enhances the elimination of the waste products of metabolism.
• Massage helps to reduce any swelling and contusions.
• Massage increases the number of red blood cells in circulation.
• Massage has the overall effect of lowering your blood pressure and reduces pulse rate.
• Massage facilitates tissue healing through the enhancement of circulation.
• Massage increases tissue fluid and assists lymphatic circulation thus reducing swelling and enhancing the immune and filtering activities of this system.
• Massage increases both venous and lymphatic flow
• Massage increases the nutrition of the tissues via an increased exchange of fluids and materials.
• Massage, via the mechanical actions on the soft tissues, produces a dilation of the blood vessels, which helps to improve circulation.
• Massage helps to reduce the lack of blood and by direct pressure and stimulation reduces pain due to the irritation of nerves that control circulatory system.
Nervous system
• Massage relaxes the muscles.
• It helps to re-establish proper tonus through its effect on the neuromuscular reflex pathways.
• Massage is known to affect the neurotransmitters of the brain and increase endorphin secretion in particular by means of natural painkillers.
• Massage can help reduce nerve entrapment through the release of soft tissue or muscular binding.
• Massage can reduce nerve root compression caused by muscular tension
• Massage can have a sedative, stimulating or even exhausting effect on the nervous system depending on the type and length of treatment given.
Excretory system
• Massage can facilitate elimination through the large intestines by mechanically stimulating peristalsis and improving tone.
• Massage stimulates peristalsis and can reduce cramping or spasm in the digestive tract.
• Massage aides the normal movement throughout alimentary canal assisting with many dysfunctions through its stress releasing effects.
• Massage increases the excretion of fluids and waste products from protein metabolism, inorganic phosphorous and salt in normal individuals.
Skin
• Massage helps to reduce tension in the skin and adjoining tissues as well as increasing its circulation and improve its nutrition.
• Massage depending on the medium used to apply it can help to re-moisturize, and soften dry skin.
• Massage can help with some skin conditions like eczema.
Respiratory system
• Massage deepens and normalizes the breathing pattern.
• Massage can help to relieve congestion from respiratory organs like lungs through percussive and compressive movements.
• Massage increases the action of the heart, stimulating the blood flow to different organs and peripheral vascular system, helping with the elimination of waste and the absorption of oxygen.





30 reasons why you should practice Shirodhara regularly


Shirodhara has been shown to help with many conditions commonly affecting persons in today’s stressed lifestyle:
• It reduces fatigue
• Decreases mental exhaustion
• Decreases anxiety
• Shirodhara reduces nervousness
• Beneficial for curing long standing insomnia
• Helps in some mental disorders
• Decreases or cures headache
• Shirodhara Reduces excessive thinking
• Regulates mood and depression disorders
• Ultimate mental and emotional relaxation therapy
• Stimulates the nervous system
• Gives sturdiness to the body
• Improves concentration, memory
• Improves confidence and self-esteem
• Beneficial in Schizophrenia when used in conjunction with other medicines
• Beneficial for fits in epilepsy when used in conjunction with other medicines
• Improves the health of the skin and complexion
• Rejuvenates the entire face and softens worry lines
• Disperses negative electrical impulses that accumulate at the skull and hairline from stress
• Increases spiritual awareness
• Shirodhara session Cools the body and relieves pain
• Invigorates the body and mind
• Reduces hypertension
• Increases intuition
• Improves bad digestion when related to stress and anxiety
• Prevents hair loss, premature graying and cracking of hair when used with specific oils
• Increases wellbeing
• Shirodhara Sharpens the sense organ
• Balances the secretion of endocrine glands
• Regulates breathing rythm


By:
Dr. Ushakiran, BAMS, DYN