Acute Diseases are not Enemies but Friends

Gandhiji gave a name ‘Arogya ki Kunji’ to Prakritik Chikitsa. Nowadays there is continuous exploitation in the name of treatment. In the one hand the allopathic treatment system claims to have controlled over the diseases, in the other hand, new types of diseases are mushrooming.

Naturopathy not only cures the diseases but also makes one disease-free forever by the means of reforming his diet, and other healthy habits. We know of the far off things like that of stars, mountains, planets and rivers etc but we are oblivion of the nature and structure of our body and its surroundings.

Our body is made up of five basic elements: sky, air, fire, water and earth. Any disturbance in their proportions results in diseases. Due to our wrong habits there happens to be imbalance in them and the body becomes unable to remove the filth out of the body which is a necessary act for health.

To cop up with the problem, our body tries to remove the garbage, known as toxins, in the form of diseases known as acute diseases. Acute diseases are those which happen suddenly, remain for a short period but hard to endure.

Naturopathy believes in the healing power of the nature.  Our body itself cures the diseases when provided suitable environment. Thus the acute diseases are not enemies but they are friends to us and we should help the body to remove the toxins. 

We are ruined by the unnatural habit of taking medicine to cure the diseases which is enough to ruin the body itself. That’s why instead of taking recourse to allopathic medicines, we should try to create suitable atmosphere in the body and help to cure the disease by means of the application of the five elements. 

Cold Friction

Naturopathy is the system of treatment based on the theory of Panch Mahabhutas (five basic elements), i.e. our body is made up of five basic elements and also run by them. They are: earth, water, fire, air and sky. The right proportion these elements are required for the proper maintenance of the body and mind. When there is imbalance, it appears as diseases in us. Based on the use of these five elements, copious therapies are there to deal with the ailments. One of them is water therapy which is also known as hydrotherapy. 

Even hydrotherapy involves multifarious treatments using water. Here all the three states of water are used for curing diseases. Of them cold friction is one of the best treatment especially for hypertension and fever without rigors.

Requirements:

A hot water bag, a glove made of turkish cloth, a blanket and a bucket of cold water.

Water temperature:

18-23 degree centigrade

Procedure:

The patient is made to lie down on his abdomen on the bed with a hot water bag at his feet. The attendant dips the glove in cold water and applies brisk friction to the patient, starting from the feet and working upwards, part by part, including the front and back. Each part should be rubbed, and covered with blanket.  A short, cold shower is given after the treatment.

Contraindications:

It should be avoided in extreme weakness, fever with chills and open skin wounds etc.

Chitta vrittis (Fluctuating States of Mind)

Stop for a moment and observe your mind. You will find thoughts upon thoughts rising one after another. The mind is always oscillating. Its fluctuation never stops as it continues even in the dream-state. If you go through Patanjalis Yoga Sutras, you will find how he describes the fluctuating states of the mind.

Patanjali  divides them into five catagories. They are Pramana (right knowledge), viparyaya (wrong knowledge), vikalpa (imagination), nidra (sleep) smritaya (memory).

Pramana: it’s the right perception of things, i.e. to understand the things as such. In other words to understand the underlying deep reality is right knowledge. This comes either from deduction or from valid testimonies like sacred scriptures.

Viparyaya: it’s the erroneous perception of things caused by avidhya (ignorance). It is due to this avidhya we suppose ourselves as body and run after physical comfort for happiness. This can be removed when there comes right knowledge.

Vikalpa: its that state of mind where there are merely concepts not the real objects. Concepts of virtue, vice, good, bad etc all are vikalpas.

Nidra: it’s the state of deep sleep where there is no object in connection with the mind. The mind without pratyaya, i.e. without any object to get attached to, is nidra. It is the deep sleep where no dream appears.

Smritaya: the faculty of mind which stores the previously  experienced things is memory. In another way not letting escape the experienced matters from the mind is memory.