Snehapana is a crucial remedy in Ayurveda, which includes the oral consumption of medicated ghee or oil. The Sanskrit time period “Sneha” refers to grease or medicated ghee, and “Pana” means ingestion, therefore the identify “Snehapana”. It’s accomplished as a preparatory course of for Panchakarma.
In Snehapana remedy, a particular amount of medicated ghee or oil is consumed on an empty abdomen within the morning, adopted by a particular weight-reduction plan and life-style routine. This remedy is used for each preventive and healing functions in Ayurveda. It’s believed to assist enhance digestion, increase immunity, improve pores and skin well being, relieve joint ache, and enhance total well being and well-being.
On this article, we’ll delve deeper into the idea of Snehapana in Ayurveda, its advantages, how it’s carried out, and the precautions that should be taken whereas present process this remedy. We will even discover the various kinds of medicated ghee or oil utilized in Snehapana and their therapeutic advantages. So, let’s get began and discover the world of Snehapana in Ayurveda.
Idea of Snehapana in Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a holistic system of practices that emphasizes the significance of steadiness between the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Any imbalance in these doshas can result in numerous well being issues. Snehapana is a remedy that’s utilized in Ayurveda to steadiness the Vata dosha.
Snehapana is an inner oleation remedy, which includes the consumption of medicated ghee (clarified butter) or oil to lubricate the inner organs and tissues. The idea of inner oleation remedy is predicated on the precept that oil can penetrate the physique tissues and transport the therapeutic properties of herbs and minerals to the deeper tissues.
In Ayurveda, the elimination of poisons from the physique is achieved by a course of known as Panchakarma, which includes a sequence of therapies that goal to take away toxins and impurities from the physique. Panchakarma consists of primarily 5 therapies
- Vamana (emesis remedy)
- Virechana (purgation remedy)
- Basti (enema remedy)
- Nasya (nasal administration of drugs)
- Raktamokshana (bloodletting remedy).
Snehapana in Ayurveda is a preparatory remedy that’s usually carried out earlier than essential Panchakarma remedy to assist loosen toxins and put together the physique for elimination. It significantly enhances the therapies of Vamanamm (emesis remedy) and Virechanam (purgation remedy) therapies.
Using Snehapana is to arrange the physique for the method of expelling toxins. It ensures that the physique’s cells are soaked with sufficient oil to the purpose the place they’re set to evacuate all of it on the earliest alternative. It helps to flush out toxins from the physique by lubricating the digestive tract and growing the effectivity of the elimination course of.
How Snehapana Helps in Balancing the Doshas?
In Ayurveda, the Vata dosha is accountable primarily for motion. It’s related to dryness, coldness, and roughness. When the Vata dosha is imbalanced, it may possibly result in numerous well being issues corresponding to constipation, dry pores and skin, joint ache, anxiousness, and insomnia. Snehapana is used to steadiness the Vata dosha by offering lubrication to the physique tissues and calming the nervous system.
Snehapana helps deal with quite a lot of sicknesses, together with arthritis, urinary points, psoriasis, and gastroenterological illnesses like peptic ulcers, indigestion, bowel points, constipation, and diarrhoea.
Sufferers present process this therapy are given medicinal ghee ready from cow milk (or, in sure circumstances, medicinal oil), which have to be ingested orally on an empty abdomen. The medicated oil or ghee is repeatedly consumed till it begins to seep out of your pores.
How Snehapana is completed?
Snehapana is a therapeutic process. It includes session with a certified Ayurvedic practitioner who assesses your total well being, determines your Dosha (physique structure), and prescribes the suitable kind and amount of medicated ghee or oil for you.
Right here is the step-by-step process for Snehapana therapy:
- Affected person Evaluation: The therapy is completed below the supervision of a educated and certified Ayurvedic physician/practitioner. The physician observes the overall situation of the affected person, the ailment for which the therapy is getting used, and different components like medical historical past, habits, addictions, and common life-style of the affected person.
- Dedication of Medicinal Ghee/Oil Amount: The physician determines the amount of medicinal ghee/oil to be consumed by the affected person based mostly on the affected person’s situation and the meant therapeutic end result.
- Preparatory Section: The affected person is requested to take a reasonable quantity of heat, liquid meals someday earlier than the ghee consumption to arrange the physique for the therapy.
- Lukewarm Ghee/Oil Consumption: The medicinal ghee/oil is heated to a lukewarm temperature and given to the affected person on an empty abdomen, normally within the morning hours. The affected person is requested to sit down comfortably on a chair whereas consuming the ghee/oil.
- Commentary and Monitoring: After the affected person drinks the ghee/oil, the physician displays for indicators of full digestion, which helps decide the time wanted for the ghee/oil to be digested and assimilated into the physique.
- Day by day Consumption: The ghee/oil is consumed as soon as day by day by the affected person for your entire course of the therapy, as prescribed by the physician.
- Therapy Cessation: As soon as there are indicators of improved bodily features, the therapy is stopped by the physician.
Typically, Snehapana remedy can final for 3 days to 2 weeks, with the frequency and length of the remedy being decided by the Ayurvedic practitioner based mostly on the distinctive analysis, physiology and wishes of the person present process the therapy. Throughout this length, the medicinal ghee needs to be consumed as soon as every day and the amount can be determined as per the digestive skill of the affected person.
To find out how lengthy it should take for the affected person to digest the ghee, the physician will search for signs of full digestion after the affected person has consumed it. The Sneha has been totally digested if there isn’t any sneha odour in belching.
The above process is called Achapana or Acchapeya Snehana which comes below inner oleation remedy or abhyanthara snehana.
One other type of Snehapana is bahya snehana whereby oleation is carried out by numerous ayurvedic massages corresponding to Shirodhara, Abhyanga, and so forth.
Very often, you is likely to be requested to undergo Swedana which is an ayurvedic detox remedy for encouraging the discharge of sweat. You’re additionally given massages recurrently to launch the toxins on the muscle groups and stimulate the lymphatic system.
Advantages of Snehapana Remedy
Snehapana is sort of well-known remedy in Ayurveda for detoxing as a consequence of its strategy of eliminating toxins from the digestive tract, blood cells, and GI tract. By eradicating the toxins, you’re primarily establishing your physique to get nourished from recent blood, stimulating the digestive and elimination course of, and ensuring that your doshas morbidities are minimized.
Owing to the above, listed here are some advantages of present process Snehapana remedy:
- Improves the efficacy of digestion and stimulates the digestive agni.
- Nurture your physique’s tissues.
- Controls metabolism and lessens inside dryness.
- Inside physique cleaning helps to stop continual ailments.
- Improves well being and enhances immunity.
- Makes the pores and skin comfortable and reduces ageing signs together with wrinkles and lack of pores and skin suppleness.
- Minimizes the stress and anxiousness ensuing from a aggressive and fast-paced life.
- Aids in weight reduction by saturating the physique with further fats from the ghee, which prompts them to expel the surplus fats together with any toxins that will have been current.
Sorts of Sneha utilized in Snehapana
Typically, 4 forms of Sneha are utilized in Snehapana remedy: ghee, sesame oil, animal fats, and bone marrow. Out of those, ghee is probably the most preferable as it’s suitable with all of the doshas, simply digestible, doesn’t trigger a burning sensation, and enhances the opposite substances that you simply devour.
The time of 12 months {that a} affected person receives therapy impacts which sneha substances they need to devour. Ghee has been steered for the autumn, utilizing oil is favoured within the winter, and utilizing fats and bone marrow has been steered for the spring.
Since bone marrow is the toughest and heaviest substance to digest, chances are you’ll not discover many ayurvedic practitioners utilizing this for snehapanam.
Dosage and frequency
The best length for snehapana is 3-7 days, with the amount of ghee proportionately growing every day. Nonetheless, it additionally largely depends upon the bodily response, physiology, and analysis of the affected person.
The dosage of the sneha can differ from low to most based mostly on the ailment of the affected person or the intention of taking the process.
The utmost Dose is given to those that are used to consuming numerous sugary meals recurrently, can deal with starvation and thirst, and have sound immune techniques. The sneha is usually digested inside 24 hours.
Issues like constipation, dysentery, and digestive system irritation might be thought of for max dose.
Medium Dose is really helpful for individuals who have medium energy, are accustomed to consuming in reasonable portions, and have gentle bowel patterns. The sneha is usually digested inside 12 hours.
A reasonable dose treats circumstances together with gout, obstinate urinary ailments, vesicles, itching, and rashes on the scalp.
Low Dose is really helpful for these with much less energy, seniors, children, folks with weaker constitutions, individuals who can’t deal with starvation, and folks with impaired digestion. The sneha is usually digested inside 6 hours.
Unctuousness in a decrease dosage is suggested in circumstances of continual sicknesses together with fever, diarrhoea, and cough.
One other classification is a really gentle dose or a take a look at dose. The Sneha consumed right here might be digested as quickly as 3 hours. That is typically prescribed to check a person’s digestive capability and intestine. Based mostly on this take a look at dose, additional therapy plans and dosage can be determined.
Meals to eat throughout Snehapanam
All through all days of Snehapana therapy, you’ll solely be consuming heat meals solely while you really feel hungry. There is no such thing as a designated time for dinner so when you really feel hungry at midnight, you’re allowed to eat.
Make it possible for no matter you eat is gentle corresponding to rice congee, soup, or porridge. It shouldn’t have too many elements, not be too oily, and have to be liquified to a sure extent.
Furthermore, you need to drink water solely in sips all through the day as an alternative of a full glass. And it ought to be heat as an alternative of room temperature or chilly.
You have to enquire concerning the meals you need to eat together with your ayurvedic practitioner.
Signs of Snehapanam
Folks not often expertise any damaging results from this Snehapana.
Nonetheless, in response to the consumption of ghee, indigestion might come up in some sufferers, which might result in burping, belching, and flatulence as a symptom. Moreover, complications, nausea, and vomiting might happen.
Hardly ever, low power and temper swings are seen when receiving the ghee in Snehapana remedy. This happens because of your physique going by a radical cleaning course of. By practising solitude, participating in meditation, getting loads of relaxation, or studying inspiring literature, temper fluctuations might be managed.
It’s also regular to expertise the urge to throw up or expertise unfastened stools. A chunk of lemon can be provided for sucking on this scenario, which is able to support to reduce the unpleasantness.
Contraindications of Snehapana
Whereas Snehapana is taken into account secure and efficient when carried out below the steerage of a certified Ayurvedic physician, there are some contraindications to bear in mind. The next circumstances or conditions might stop an individual from present process Snehapana remedy or require particular precautions:
- Being pregnant or breastfeeding: Snehapana will not be really helpful for pregnant or breastfeeding ladies.
- Weight problems: Sufferers with extreme weight ought to keep away from Snehapana remedy as it could improve their weight additional.
- Diabetes: Snehapana might trigger a rise in blood sugar ranges, so sufferers with diabetes ought to keep away from this remedy.
- Liver issues: Sufferers with liver issues corresponding to cirrhosis or hepatitis ought to keep away from Snehapana remedy.
- Cardiovascular issues: Sufferers with coronary heart illness or hypertension ought to endure Snehapana remedy solely below shut medical supervision.
- Kidney issues: Sufferers with kidney illness ought to keep away from Snehapana remedy.
- Bronchial asthma: Sufferers with bronchial asthma ought to keep away from Snehapana remedy as it could set off respiration difficulties.
- Menstruation: Snehapana will not be really helpful throughout menstruation as it could trigger discomfort and different issues.
Precautions to take throughout and after the process
The under precautions ought to be strictly adhered to all through the process and even for a number of days after the completion. That is to make sure that you get the utmost advantage of snehapanam.
- Use solely scorching or heat water for all functions corresponding to ingesting, bathing, and even whereas going to alleviate your self in the bathroom.
- Be sure to are curbing the pure urge to urinate and defecate.
- Don’t carry out any strenuous exercise or train.
- Sleeping throughout the day is prohibited.
- Your weight-reduction plan ought to solely embrace heat liquid or candy meals. Uncooked fruit and veggies, bitter meals, quick meals, or any type of stimulant are to be strictly averted.
- Abstain from all sexual actions in the course of the process.
- Be sure to shield your self from chilly, solar, breeze, wind, mud, and smoke. Maintain your self lined if it’s a must to exit.
- Keep away from participating in actions that sap your power, corresponding to speaking loudly, swimming, long-distance walks, fights, dropping your mood, worrying excessively, and utilizing digital units like laptops, tablets, and cell phones.
Conclusion
In Ayurveda’s Panchakarma remedy, snehapanam is a vital process. Earlier than starting further Ayurvedic therapies, Snehapanam is run to nourish each bodily element. It’s a methodology of inner oleation with both plain or medicated ghee relying on the affected person’s circumstances.
This process is crucial as a result of it loosens the toxins and Doshas within the physique, making it simpler for them to be expelled throughout the first stage of therapy. To trace enchancment and modify the therapy technique, frequent follow-up classes with the Ayurvedic practitioner are additionally required.
By flushing out toxins deeply from the physique, it removes the basis reason for many issues and paves the way in which for higher immunity, metabolism, and total higher well being.
