The Ayurveda texts advise "complete cessation of activity" during the Ayurveda treatment processes like panchakarma, snehapana, shirodhara, pizhichil, shirovasti etc.; many of the advice continue to be applicable for several days after the treatment is over till the healing process is complete.
Some advice that our physicians give during your stay in vaidyagrama (for all treatments) include -
BATH Please do not take bath on your own during the entire period that you are in vaidyagrama. Generally the therapist will give you a bath after your treatment using a paste of green gram powder. They use warm water for the body and lukewarm medicated water for the head.
CUTTING OF NAILS Please do not cut your nails from the day of commencement of your treatment till the last day.
DAY SLEEP Our physicians advise you to avoid sleeping during the day during the treatment process. However if you are unduly exhausted on arrival, please take 1-2 days to recover during which period you can sleep for as long as you want whether night or day. But after that, please avoid sleeping during the day.
EXERCISE Exercise or exertion in any form is to be avoided for the duration of your stay in Vaidyagrama. After you leave here, you can slowly build your exercise routine over a period of a few weeks. While at Vaidyagrama, if you need to, you can do 10-15 minutes of slow walking along the covered walkway in a day.
EXPOSURE TO SUN, WIND, RAIN Exposure to sun, wind, rain and other natural elements should also be avoided during the period of the treatment. Your body becomes very tender during this process and is susceptible to the influence of external elements. Hence the more you stay indoors and well protected, the better will be the benefit from the healing process
FOOTWEAR Please ensure that you do not walk barefoot while you are at Vaidyagrama. Always wear footwear; in the satsang hall, you can wear socks
HAIR DYE Our physicians advise that hair dye should not be used during the period of your stay here as also for a few days after you leave here.
MUSIC During the treatment, our physicians advise complete physical and mental rest. However since this is difficult for most of us, they advise us to listen to soft, gentle soothing music or devotional songs or mantras whenever we feel like some activity.
NATURAL URGES Do not suppress natural urges like the urge to urinate or the urge to pass wind or stool; it is important that these urges are immediately attended to. Thus even during the actual treatment, if you feel the need to relieve yourself, please do tell your therapists and go ahead.
REST Complete physical and mental rest is advised during the treatment; the more the rest, the greater the healing benefit. The less we use the telephone (or mobile phone) and computer (or laptop or ipad), the better it is for the healing process.
SHAVING / CUTTING OF HAIR Please do not shave or cut hair from the day of commencement of your treatment till the last day.
SLEEP It is good to go to bed early at night by around 9pm; in the morning, you will be required to be awake by 5.45am to drink your morning medicine.
TALKING / LAUGHING Complete physical and mental rest also means that you should minimize your interactions and reduce talk/laugh to the bare minimum.
TRAVEL We strongly advise you to desist from travelling during the treatment as well as for a few days after the treatment.
NOTE - If the above advice or the advice given by the physicians is not strictly followed, we may be forced to discontinue the treatment in the interest of your own health. We seek your whole-hearted co-operation to enable you to get the full benefit from the treatments that you undergo at vaidyagrama.
REASONS FOR THE ABOVE ADVICE The Ayurveda texts clearly describe the probable side effects that can occur by violating the prescribed regimen. Please do remember that it is not absolutely compulsory that all these side effects occur in everyone who violates the regimen. It is only that there is a greater probability for occurrence of these problems in all those who violate the dietary and lifestyle regimen and that is why these restrictions need to be strictly implemented to ensure that the patient gets the best treatment and consequently maximises the benefit. Briefly put, they are as follows :
Excessive talking gives rise to insomnia, headache, piercing pain in the temples and ear, obstruction in ear, dryness in the mouth, palate and throat, defects of vision, thirst, fever, feeling of darkness, lockjaw, stiffness in the carotid regions, need to spit often, pain in the chest and sides, hoarseness of voice, hiccups and breathlessness.
Too much of sleep and travelling in vehicles will lead to laxity in big and small joints, pain particularly piercing one in the jaw, nose, ear and head, irritation in abdomen, gurgling sound in the abdomen, obstruction in the heart and senses, pain in the buttocks, sides, groins, scrotum, waist and back; weakness in joints, shoulder and neck, distress in the body, swelling in the feet, numbness, tingling sensation etc.
Walking can cause pain in the feet, shanks, thighs, knees, groins, buttocks and back; weakness in legs, piercing pain, cramps in the calf muscles, bodyache, distress in the shoulder, dilatation of veins and arteries, breathlessness, cough etc.
Excessive sitting will lead to the same problems as those while travelling in a vehicle and in addition, giddiness, nausea and immobility may develop.
Intake of food during indigestion and before the previous meal has been digested will lead to dryness of mouth, flatulence, colic, piercing pain, thirst, lassitude, vomiting, diarrhoea, fainting, fever, tenesmus and food poisoning.
Indulging in irregular and unwholesome diet will lead to loss of desire for food, debility, abnormal complexion, itching, eczema, lassitude and disorders caused by vitiated vata such as dysentery, piles etc.
Intake of uncooked food will cause the production of toxins, vomiting, fever etc.
Day sleep can lead to aggravation of kapha and its complications like enlargement of the spleen, anaemia, oedema etc., loss of appetite, indigestion, loss of digestive fire, feeling of wetness; paleness, itching, eczema, burning sensation, vomiting, bodyache, heartblock, dullness, drowsiness, excessive sleep, appearance of nodules, debility, smearing in eyes, palate etc. There can also be complications of jaundice etc. by day sleep.
Indulgence in excessive copulation can lead to instant loss of strength, lassitude in the thighs; pain in the head, pelvis, anus, genitals, groins, thighs, knees, shanks and feet, palpitation in the heart, pain in the eyes, laxity in body parts, genital bleeding, cough, breathlessness, feebleness of voice, weakness in the waist, scrotal swelling, retention of flatus, faeces and urine, dullness, trembling, deafness and depression. There can also occur life threatening diseases like convulsions and hemiplegia, a feeling as though consciousness is fleeing or pain as if the rectum is being torn or a feeling as though hot smoke is coming out of the genitals or as if the mind is going into darkness.
By suppressing the natural urges like need to pass flatus, urine, faecus etc. the vata moves in the upward direction causing trouble to the entire body.
Mental turmoil like a fit of anger agitates pitta and produces pitta originated problems like thirst, burning sensation etc.; grief causes a distracted state of mind.
The use of cold water and other cold things tends to aggravate the Vata and brings on an aching pain in the limbs, feeling of fullness of stomach, distension of abdomen and shivering.
Undue exposure to the sun and wind produces fever and discolouration of the complexion.
It is actually said that these restrictions are applicable for not just the duration of the treatment, but for double the period after the treatment or till the disease is completely cured whichever is later.