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Ayurvedic treatment for stress and anxiety

Ayurvedic treatment for stress and anxiety

What is being HEALTHY?

Being healthy is not only a focus on physical wellbeing, whereas it also incorporates healthy mental status. As per ayurveda many ailments caused in the body also have the contribution of disturbed mental status/health.

In today’s world, stress has become a part of daytoday life. Stress, as such, if intensive is helpful to keep an individual physically and mentally active,but if its influence is extensive, in such conditions individuals physical as well as mental health will be disturbed.

Stress may lead to anxiety or depression, both being extremely opposite , can cause a lot of mental disturbances, which inturn is responsible for other ailments caused to our body.

What are the causes that leads to STRESS?

  1. Instability in workplace.
  2. Emotional insecurity.
  3. Financial insecurity.
  4. Increased responsibility
  5. Disturbed health conditions like infertility, suffering from chronic disorders, injuries etc.,
  6. Pandemic conditions
  7. Following Unhealthy lifestyle
  8. Career Concern
  9. Relationship challenges

Signs and symptoms

  1. Disturbed sleep.
  2. Increased irritability.
  3. Headache.
  4. Lack of concentration.
  5. Loss of interest.
  6. In severe depressed cases one may become prone to suicidal thoughts.

What are the effects of stress on physical body?

  1. Digestive disorder.
  2. Extreme weight gain.
  3. Hypertension.
  4. Heart diseases
  5. Disturbed menstrual cycles in women leading to PCOD/PCOS, Hypothyroid, infertility etc
  6. Palpitations.

What are the changes happening in our body according to AYURVEDA?

According to ayurveda,physical (shaaririka) and mental ( manasika) health is maintained with balanced doshas i.e., Vata ,pitta ,kapha of body and sathva ,rajas and tamas of mind respectively. Due to above mentioned causes the doshas will be disturbed leading to multiple physical and mental disorders which inturn leads to “STRESS”.

What are the dietic regimens(Ahara) PATHYAS and APATHYAS to be followed?

Role of properly balanced and healthy diet is major in maintaining healthy lifestyle in an individual. Along with intake of balanced diet,timely intake also plays equal importance in it.

Diet should include wholesome food and with proper quantity.

Intake of previously leftover foods, partially spoilt foods, half cooked food etc should be avoided.

Intake of food in untimely hour should be avoided.

Intake of food in hygienic and healthy atmosphere should also be equally considered to maintain healthy lifestyle.

Ayurveda also emphasises regarding seasonal diet to be followed to maintain healthy lifestyle.

What are the lifestyle regimens(vihara) to be followed?

One must follow practice of yoga ,pranayama and meditation which helps in keeping physical and mental health active and relaxed.

Regular practice of physical activities like walking, cycling , playing games etc should be followed.

Involving in some extra curricular activities/hobbies  like dancing, singing, sports, playing instruments, reading books ,listening to music  etc which releases stress and also helps in keeping oneself calm.

Ayurveda also accentuates regarding the daily routine (dinacharya) to be followed for maintaining healthy lifestyle.

How is the Approach of ayurveda (Aushada) to such conditions?

Ayurveda approaches through both the ways, i.e.,

Internally through medications (Abhyantara chikitsa)

Externally through therapies (Bahya chikitsa)

Internal approach through medications like Ashwagandha , brahmi , shankapushpa , jatamamsi , vacha , bringaraja etc herbs helps to maintain mental stability and helps in managing the stress.

 As the mind comprises of all the components to control entire body ,so nourishment to mind monitors the normal functioning of whole body.

External approach through therapies like ,

  1. Shiro abhyanga which means massaging of head, neck and shoulder using oil which helps in calming .
  2. Shiro dhara ,which means pouring of medicated oil or medicated Kashaya over the head continuously with very mild massage.
  3. Shiro vasti ,in which medicated oils are poured and retained on the head using an elongated cap for a specific time under the guidance of ayurveda physician.

Apart from these external therapies ,some of the shodhana therapies (cleansing therapies) like  virechana ( Detox) , Basti ( medicated enemas ), Nasya (Instillation of medicine through the nostrils) also plays a very important role in maintainance of physical as well as mental stability by removing the toxic factor from body.

So, by following these regimens one can not only manage stress but also maintain the healthy mental and physical stability throughout life.

FAQs

No, ayurveda doesn’t have anything as sleeping tablets, it uses the combinations of herbs which helps to reduce the causative factors affecting the sleeping patterns. It helps to calm the mind and relax so that they get sound sleep.

Yes, stress is the major causative factor for insomnia but stress is not the only reason for causing insomnia. Some of the bodily factors or dosha imbalance causes insomnia.

If insomnia is neglected and untreated long term, gradually it affects and hampers the quality of life which can lead to many other complications.

Stress related insomnia usually may be one of the causes for hair loss due to certain disturbances affecting the equilibrium of the body.

Shirodhara plays a major role in management of insomnia.

Both oil and kashayams are equally potent and effective in their own ways which will be decided based on the requirement or necessity of the patient’s condition.

It helps by improving the blood circulation, relaxing the nerves allowing the whole body to relax.