Can’t breathe properly due to frequent nasal problems?
You tried all the procedures but none of them solves your issues, right?
Well, you haven’t completely tried everything. Today, Ayurlife explains about an effective ayurvedic treatment for all your head and nose related issues, which is Nasya.
What is it?
Nasya is an ayurvedic treatment that involves the instilling of herbal oils & substances into the nose via nostrils. It is one of the five ayurvedic treatments that deal with cleansing the body of toxins. ayurvedic treatment
The word Nasya means ‘through the nasal route’. Nasya treatment clears sinus congestion removes toxins from the head & neck region. Nasya is one of the most important holistic treatments that promote internal detoxification.
Oils for Different Doshas
The common type of Nasya oil is herbal infused oil that is both nurturing and nourishing. Other than the herbal oil, other types of oils, ghee, etc are also used for the treatment. However, the ingredients for Nasya treatment are different for each body type.
According to Ayurveda, a person’s body type is a unique mixture of the elements or doshas. These are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Thus, when doing Nasya treatment, the oils are different for each body type. The following shows the recommended oil formulas for each dosha type.
Vata Dosha: Ghee, Sesame oil or Vacha (calamus) oil
Pitta Dosha: Brahmi ghee, sunflower or coconut oil
Kapha Dosha: Vacha oil
Timing is everything
Like different oils for each dosha, there are specific timings at for the procedure. For people with Vata imbalances, the preferred treatment time is in the evening.
People having pitta imbalance, the right time for them is at noon. For Kapha imbalances, the right time for treatment is in the morning. If you are unsure about your body type, consult with an ayurvedic doctor to determine the right body type.
Different types
Based on the person’s body type such as Vata, Pitta and Kapha, the appropriate type of Nasya treatment. When giving the treatment, it must be correctly given for the right body type. The following are the types of Nasya treatment.
Shodhana Nasya(Cleansing Nasya)
This type of Nasya is for people suffering from Kapha related issues. This includes headaches, nasal congestion, skin disease, itching, loss of taste, epilepsy, etc.
The main oil ingredients for this type of Nasya treatment consists of ghee or oil. The oil is then processed with appropriate herbs in the form of a paste or as a decoction that’s mixed with honey, salt, and fermented infusion.
Since Shodana Nasya removes imbalanced Kapha excess from the head and the body, it is thus considered a detoxifying procedure.
Snehana Nasya(Nutritional Nasya)
This Nasya treatment is ideal for people suffering from Vata issues. This include migraine, loss of sleep, dryness of the nose & mouth, frozen shoulder, etc.
The ingredients for the Nasya oil are oil or meat juice. The oil is then mixed with plant extract resins such as camphor or gum.
Shamana Nasya(Sedative Nasya)
This type of Nasya treatment is for people with pitta issues. This includes wrinkles, hair loss, redness of the eyes, discoloured patches on the skin etc.
The type of Nasya utilizes milk, meat juice or water as the main ingredients. When compared with the other Nasya treatments, this treatment nourishes the nervous system.
The list of procedures
If you have thought that Nasya is a single treatment of instilling the herbal oils, then you are wrong. It involves three stages of treatment which are:
- Purvakarma (Pre-measures)
- Pradhanakarma (Main procedure)
- Panchakarma (Post-measures)
In the Purva karma stage, the Ayurvedic practitioner chooses the patient & performs diagnosis. The next process involves selecting the right oil for Nasya treatment.
Choosing oil depends on the person’s body type & current health condition. Before the main procedure, the patient gets a herbal oil massage. The next process involves the application of steam to face, forehead, head, ears, and neck.
In the pradhan karma stage, the patient lies down in a supine position. After that, the ayurvedic practitioner covers the eyes with a clean cotton cloth. The practitioner raises the client’s tip of the nose with the left thumb & drops the herbal mixture into both nostrils using the right hands.
After administering Nasya, a licensed massage therapist gives a mild massage on the palms, soles, shoulders, neck, and ears. The patient sits upright & spits out the medicine entered via the oral cavity through the nose.
In the Paschatkarma stage, the patient gargles the mouth with warm water. This is to remove the smell of the herbal oil. After that, the patient inhales medicated smoke. It should be ensured that no portion of the medicated oil gets left behind in the mouth.
Who should not do
If you are suffering from fever, acute indigestion or stress issues, etc must not do the procedure. If you had heavy meals, it is better to do the procedure. Make sure that you have followed a lite diet.
If you have decided to get the Nasyam treatment, it’s great for improving your health. Get it done by qualified ayurvedic practitioners at Ayurlife, the best ayurvedic clinic in Singapore.