Yoga for Health Treatment and Remedies

Yoga for Health Treatment and Remedies

July 2 2013

YOGIKA CHIKITSA (Yogic Treatments)

The more you learned yoga. The more you know how supreme it really is.

.::ASTHMA::.

Symptoms:

Difficulty in breathing, caused partly by kapha and partly by Vayu, is the 

symptom of this disease. The attack is usually felt towards the end of the 

night.

Causes:

When the fine bronchial tubes through which air flows to the lungs become full 

of phlegm or mucus due to weakness of the glands connected to the Anahata Cakra, 

(*) the passage of air becomes obstructed. Due to contraction of the weak

bronchial tubes, the carbon dioxide of the body cannot come out as it should, 

and that poisonous gas, trapped in the body, is to a large extent responsible 

for the breeding of disease germs.

The weakening of the glands connected to the Anahata Cakra cannot alone be 

responsible for permanent respiratory trouble. When weakness of the glands 

related to the Manipura Cakra (*) -- as a primary cause -- and of those related 

to the Vishuddha Cakra (*Psychic‑energy centres located at the mid‑point of the 

chest, the navel an the throat, respectively.)-- as a secondary cause-- is added 

to the weakness of the glands of the Anahata Cakra, then only does a respiratory 

disease express itself. If, due to weakness of the digestive fluids, the blood 

gets contaminated by acids, or if one is suffering from constipation, then 

different organs of the body also become weak. In such a condition, due to

weakness of the lungs, the nervous system controlling the lungs also suffers 

from debility and finally the bronchial tubes as well become weak. That is the 

time when asthma becomes fully manifest.

Diet:

For breakfast patients should eat local sweet or sour fruits, or meoya fruits

soaked in water for a few hours. A little lemon juice should be consumed a

number of times during the day. The patient should never completely fill the 

stomach. The bowels should be cleared carefully, because constipation aggravates 

asthma. As for food, a small quantity of hot boiled rice or ruti, together with 

sufficient leafy‑vegetable soup, milk, curd (yogurt) or curd‑water should be

used. In fact all alkaline foods are beneficial in this disease. Ghee, oil, 

rice, pulses, rutis, and all non‑vegetarian foods are acidic, therefore the less 

these are taken the better.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Milk should be the main drink for asthma patients. It is better for them to 

finish the evening meal as early as possible, certainly by an hour and a half 

after sunset, that is, by 7:30 or 8 PM, because it will keep the stomach light, 

having digested the food well before dawn. Then acute asthmatic spasms cannot 

occur. Remember that asthmatic spasms cannot occur when one's stomach hungers 

for food, so in a severe attach of asthma, the more one fasts, the better.

Asthma patients should strictly abstain from all sorts of intoxicants. Anyone 

who drinks less than three‑fourths seer of milk a day should not drink even one 

cup of tea. Also, all non‑vegetarian types of food are to be rejected.

For a person who cannot avoid eating non‑vegetarian food, a little soup of small 

and freshly‑caught fish is permissible. In those countries where it is almost

impossible to obtain vegetarian types of food, patients should use myrobalan or 

some other laxative agent after meals in order to save themselves from 

constipation. In summer, winter and in all seasons, patients should take a long 

walk in the open air.

Some remedies:

1. Excellent results can be achieved if the patient takes on tola of the branch 

roots of white punarnava ground together in river water with 2 1/2 pieces of 

black pepper. Do this on an empty stomach while sitting facing north, on any 

Monday, after bathing.

2. Boil 5 tolas of cow's ghee in a kansa pot. In another pot heat 2 1/2 tolas of 

ginger extract, and mix it into the boiled ghee and cover with a Kansa plate. 

When the mixture has stopped simmering, take about 2 tolas and pour it into 1/8 

seer of hotmilk and give it to the asthma patient to drink when his/her 

suffering is acute. Plenty of mucus and phlegm will immediately be brought up, 

and the patient will feel relieved. If the mixture can be taken continuously for 

fifteen days, the disease will be completely cured.

3. Catch a frog and take out its heart. Cut the heart into four parts. For four 

consecutive mornings, after having a bath, eat one piece together with a banana 

on a completely empty stomach. It will bring good results.

4. Catch 6 or 7 cockroaches and boil them in half a seer of water. When the 

water has boiled down to 1/8 seer (10 tolas), strain it carefully and drink it

hot twice a day, 5 tolas each time. This relieves asthma.

5. Burn a peacock feather to ashes and take 1/16 tola of the ashes by slowly 

licking with honey. This will relieve the suffering of asthma within a short 

time.

6. Aged raw cane sugar and pure mustard oil mixed in equal quantities 

(preferably one tola each), if taken by licking them each day early in the 

morning for twenty‑one days continuously on an empty stomach, will give 

excellent results in asthma.

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.::ACIDITY::.

Symptoms:

Physical weakness, acidic or watery belching, dizziness, burning stomach, 

heartburn, etc.

Causes:

Oxygen inhaled in breathing enters the body and eventually turns into carbon 

dioxide. Through the influence of this carbon dioxide, the digestive 

fluid‑secreting glands are activated. If food is taken irregularly and 

excessively day after day, or if food is forced down with little or no appetite, 

or if eating rich food becomes a steady habit, it becomes impossible for the 

digestive fluid to digest the food properly. then, just as one the one hand the 

undigested or partially‑ digested food turns into poisonous gas, so on the other 

hand the secreted digestive fluid gradually turns into harmful acid.

The digestive fluids are themselves acidic, but under normal conditions when 

they digest food they themselves are digested. When, however, as a result of the 

aforesaid irregularities, they are unable to digest the food, the fluids 

themselves also remain undigested.

The cause of acidity, therefore, is the poisonous gas being produced by the 

decomposed food, together with the putrid acid produced by the deterioration of 

the undigested fluids.

The putrid acidic gas and fluids cause a burning sensation in the stomach. When 

they rise up to the chest they cause heartburn; when they reach the throat, 

burning is felt in the throat; when they rise further they cause dizziness.

Due to this excessive acidity, the blood becomes acid‑ dominated. Being 

overworked, the blood‑purifying organs of the body also become weak, and the 

patient feels weak.

This over‑acidity of the blood also causes swelling and consequent pain in 

different parts of the body, especially the joints. The name of this condition

is 'rheumatism.'

When a strong and continuous effort is being made by the body's organs to purify 

the over‑acid blood, this condition is called 'colic' or 'shooting pain.'

Diet:

In acidity boiled old rice (grains a few years old), soup of green vegetables 

(no vegetables fried, parched, or taken in large quantity), juicy sweet or sour 

fruits, and curd‑water are especially useful. Curd (yogurt) alone is not 

particularly beneficial for acidity patients.

Do’s and Don’ts:

For patients of acidity it is particularly important to walk in the open air, to 

eat less food than the appetite demands, and to drink plenty of water, in small 

amounts, at intervals throughout the day. Coconut and coconut foods and 

medicines are especially useful in this disease. Patients should refrain from

eating breakfast and snacks. If the hunger is unbearable, the patient may eat a 

little bit of juicy fruit. A frequent symptom of this disease is that, due to 

old habits, the digestive glands discharge an excessive quantity of fluids, as a 

result of which the patient suddenly feels an extreme hunger at odd times, which 

is called 'demon hunger.' That is why we find that a patient who is often in a 

depressed mood about his/her disease or goes around talking about the disease to 

everyone, when he/she sits down to eat, eats excessively. This symptom is the 

result of the secretion of digestive fluids at a particular time in accordance 

with the old habits of the patient. It is therefore desirable to be cautious 

about this 'demon,' detrimental hunger. An acidity patient should never violate 

these do's and don'ts.

If due to the over‑secretion of digestive fluids the patient suffers from 'demon 

hunger,' it can be relieved by drinking a large glass of water. When the acidity 

patient feels pain, it is advisable to drink orange or tangerine juice mixed in 

tepid water. After the pain has subsided, lemon juice in cold water should be 

taken. As with dyspepsia, during mealtime and for an hour thereafter breath 

should be flowing through the patient's right nostril.

At the time of severe colic pain, the dominant flow of breath should be changed 

from the nostril through which it was flowing at the time the pain started to

the other nostril. allowing the bile to accumulate by not taking something when 

one is hungry should never be permitted, because in that even the undigested 

bile itself will become the cause of acidity.

Some remedies:

1. Eat some shredded dry coconut along with a prepared betel (Piper betle Linn.) 

leaf, or some flesh of mature coconut along with aniseed.

2. To get immediate relief from a distressing colic pain, equal quantities of 

chalk and atapa rice powder should be ground together, and 1/2 tola of the 

mixture should be taken.

3. Take with cold water 1/16 of the white portion of the ashes of the tamarind (Tamarindus 

indica Linn) pod.

4. Take 1/16 tola of the ashes of white akanda leaf and rock salt after burning 

them together in equal quantities in an enclosed earthen pot.

5. As with dyspepsia, it is desirable for acidity patients to observe fasting on 

Ekadashii days and regulation of diet on Purnima and Amavasya.

----------------------------------------o0o----------------------------------------

.::DIABETES::.

Symptoms:

Incessant desire for urination, burning sensation in the urinary tract, 

continuous thirst and sweet taste in the mouth, attraction of flies and ants 

towards the urine, headache, dizziness, pale and dry skin, becoming old in

appearance at a young age, discomfort all over the body, etc., taken together, 

are the indications of diabetes. It is often found that diabetic persons suffer 

from cataracts.

Causes:

It is not always the case that sugar is present in the urine of diabetes 

patients. Diabetes with sugar in the urine is called 'somaroga' or 'madhumeha'. 

Diabetes without sugar is called 'muratisara' or 'udakameha'.

The debility of the Manipura Cakra (* Psychic‑energy center located at the 

navel.) is the main cause of diabetes. Amongst the pancreatic juices, one 

secretion helps in the digestion of food, and another separates the sugar 

content from non‑vegetarian and starchy types of food. The sugar is then stored 

in a particular section of the liver and according to body requirements it is 

dissolved to generate heat and vital power to run the body mechanism. Chronic 

indigestion, constipation (here also the stool usually turns into pellets), and

excessive seminal waste-- all weaken the vitality of the liver. When such 

weakening takes place, the sugar contents of the food, failing to find a storage 

place in the liver, are assimilated into the blood and gradually accumulate. As 

a result, the blood gets polluted and loses its immune properties to a great

extent. The natural reaction of the body in such a situation is to try to purify 

the blood by separating out its sugar content and expelling it with the urine. 

To dissolve the sugar, the human body needs plenty of water, and that is why 

diabetes patients suffer from a continuous thirst. Sugar emitted with the urine 

in a large quantity gradually reduces the vital energy of diabetes patients.

Diet:

As diabetes is basically a disease of liver and pancreas, care has to be taken 

to keep these organs in a healthy state, and to do so patients must select food 

that will keep their bowels clear, yet which is nutritious and easily 

digestible. All types of fruits are good for this disease, especially ripe 

bananas. Non‑vegetarian food must never be eaten. Vegetable proteins are also 

acidic, hence they are to eaten as sparingly as possible. It is therefore 

advisable to reduce the intake of rice and ruti (made of wheat flour) and 

instead to use more foods such as vegetable soup, plantain soup, patol, okra, 

dhundula, palta, squash (Lagenaria vulgaris Seringe), plantain spathes and

flowers, figs, etc., which contain alkaline properties.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Diabetes is the disease of intellectuals. Those who do physical labor seldom 

suffer from this disease. Undergoing mental exertion, remaining indoors for a 

long period, physical laziness, constipation, intemperance, etc., are reasons 

for the contraction of diabetes. As has already been said, diabetes is basically 

connected with the liver and the pancreas, hence only those foods should be 

selected which do not over‑stimulate those vital organs. Similarly, work and 

exercise which will help to bring these organs into their normal state of health 

must be pursued more and more. For those who are adverse to physical labor, a 

cure from diabetes is next to impossible.

The human body also needs the nutrients offered by starchy and non‑vegetarian 

types of food; therefore foods which are not acidic but rather alkaline, yet 

contain those nutrients, should be taken in greater quantity to meet those 

needs. This will include coconut, peanuts, curd (yogurt), bananas, etc. A drink 

of peanut extract and water without sugar and with little or no honey is ideal 

as both food and medicine for this disease.

Remember that insulin may increase the vitality of a patient but can never cure 

the disease. 

Generally diabetes patients are a bit greedy, and sometimes they eat too much 

sweetened food, which brings on the disease. Diabetes patients must keep control 

over such temptations and should practice fasting.

In the severe state of the disease a continuous fast for two or three days 

taking nothing but a little juice of lemon or other fruit will definitely reduce 

the sugar content of the urine.

Sometimes sugar is completely absent in the urine. In this respect one has to 

remember that sugar may be found temporarily in the urine if the urinary 

bladder, kidney or some other internal organ is subjected to a blow. If in such 

cases insulin is given, it will actually harm the patient. Under such 

circumstances the best thing to do would be to treat the injury of the concerned 

organ appropriately, and then the urine of the patient will automatically become 

sugar‑free.

Some remedies:

1. Boil myrobalan, mutha, lodha and banyan fruits in equal quantities and drink 

2 tolas of the extract early in the morning for a few days regularly. This will 

bring a good result.

2. Crush about 1/8 seer of guava leaves in water at night. The next morning 

strain the leaves out and drink the water. This will bring good results during 

the severe state of diabetes.

3. (a) 1 tola of yajina dumura juice with honey; or

(b) 1 tola of telakuca leaf extract taken with honey early in the morning by

licking it; will relieve diabetes.

4. (a) 1/16 tola of the inside of jam seeds with honey; or

(b) Dry shimula root crushed with powder, to be licked with honey in a quantity 

of 1/16 tola; will yield excellent results with diabetes.

5. When the disease is worsening, 5 tolas of bansha leaves in half a seer of 

water, boiled down to 1/8 seer, and the leaves strained out, should be drunk for 

immediate results.

6. Boil gente durba, vahina dumura, emblic myrobalan (emblica offinalis Gaetrn.), 

myrobalan, coriander seeds and gandha‑mutha in equal quantities in half a seer 

of water. When boiled down to 1/8 seer, drink it. Do this every day for a week 

at break of dawn. This will bring beautiful results.

---------------------------------------o0o----------------------------------------

.::RHEUMATISM::.

Symptoms:

Swelling and contractions of the muscles or of different joints, acute pain or 

deformity of the swollen parts, etc., are the symptoms of this disease.

Causes:

The causes of this disease are just like those of acidity. That is to say, 

rheumatism occurs when the vayu bodily air is disturbed due to excess of 

poisonous acids in the body.

Treatment: Same as for acidity.

Rheumatism patients should drink a sufficient quantity of water (say four to 

five seers a day, but not much at a time), and should also observe he bathing 

and sun‑bathing procedures. First the diseased limb should be exposed several 

times to the rays of the sun, and finally the entire body. The prescribed 

procedure for sun‑bathing should be carefully followed, i.e., exposing the 

particular limb or the entire body to the sun for fifteen to twenty minutes at a 

stretch at the time fixed for summer or winter months (see Appendix). When the 

particular limb or the entire body, as the case may be, has become sufficiently 

warm, the patient should retire to the shade and wipe the area with a wet towel. 

This can be repeated several times.

Diet:

When a person's system becomes acid‑dominated rheumatism is the consequence. 

Hence the more a patient takes alkaline types of food, the better. If 

three‑fourths of the food is alkaline, it will cure rheumatism completely within 

a very short time. That is to say, all kinds of sweet and sour fruits and roots, 

are good for a rheumatism patient. Fasting with lemon juice and water on 

Ekadashii, Purnima and Amavasya days must be observed. Instead of cooked rice, 

it is better to take relatively dry food like ruti at night. But it is always 

better for rheumatism patients to take as little as possible starchy and acidic 

food such as rice, ruti, luci, etc., and instead to take fruits, roots, 

vegetable soups, etc., which are alkaline.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Just as for acidity; special care must be taken to clear the bowels regularly.

Some special remedies:

All remedies prescribed for acidity are also applicable in this disease. In 

addition-- 

1. When rheumatism first starts expressing itself, a mild purgative will cure it 

quickly. 10 or 12 tender leaves of sodala fried in ghee; or

2. 10 or 12 tender leaves of bichuti fried in ghee-- either of the two eaten 

with rice, will yield good results in the initial stages of rheumatism.

3. Castor oil with a little salt; or

4. Akanda gum with a little salt; rubbed on the rheumatic limbs, will give good 

results.

5. Rheumatism can be cured by placing a warm solution of sajane gum mixed with 

water and a little asafetida (Ferula foetida Regel) on the affected limb, or by 

applying

6. Garlic, ginger and the root of apamarga, pounded together, to the affected 

limb.

7. Fry some pork in mustard oil and rub that oil on the limbs. This will ease

the pain.

8. Tiger fat rubbed on the limbs will work similarly.

9. Either anantamula extract with honey: or

10. Gulainca extract; duly cooled and taken in 5 tolas quantity every morning 

will yield good results within a very short time.

11. Boil 2 tolas of triphala in half a seer of water; and when it has boiled 

down to 1/8 seer and is still warm, add 2 tolas of ginger extract. Drinking this 

for three days will surely cure rheumatic fever as well as elephantiasis, 

filaria, or any similar condition.

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measurement: 1 tola = 12 gm.

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