Herbal Swedana
his breaks down into two types of preparatory treatment: "Snehana" and "swedana."
Snehana involves massaging herbal oils into the skin to help eliminate toxins. Blended oils treat specific disorders such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, arthritis, or circulation problems. Oils can also be massaged into the scalp for depression, insomnia, and memory problems. Snehana can sometimes involve lying in an oil bath, which is thought to be even more effective for you to absorb the herbal oils' properties.
Swedana means sweating. It is sometimes used with the oil treatment, but on a separate day. Steam baths encourage the elimination of toxins through the pores and together with the oil treatments, they make the detoxification more effective. (see the description above).
Herbal Swedana Ayurveda oil massage is often followed by a herbal steam bath with specially selected medicinal herbs. This loosens the vessels and thereby helps the detoxification of the entire body system. The Swedana therapy includes many different forms of heat treatment. The heat to the body can be applied dry or damp, locally or to the whole body.
Herbal Swedana is the Ayurveda therapy for revitalising the skin. Herbal mixtures are prepared with various herbs and medicated powder. Your entire body is massaged with these specially for you made mixtures after they are warmed in medicated oils. This promotes circulation and increases perspiration of the body thus resulting the skin to eliminate the wastes and so the skin tone improves.
After the application of medicated oil, your entire body is made to perspire by the external application of medicated rice packs in the form of small bags. This ayurveda treatment vitalize your skin and makes it glow. A gentle application of warm special herbal oil is first applied to the skin. The massage of the body helps eliminate toxins from the skin's surface while the oil protects the pores from becoming too loose during the Ayurveda steam treatment. The individual therapy taker is made to perspire intensively inside a steam chamber that lets out herbal steam from aromatic herbs that promote cohesion between cells. Through this Ayurveda application the steam will open up the very small pores of the skin thereby removing all wastes. An excellent therapy for toning the skin and giving it a special long term glow.
Swedana
Though Swedana procedures are a pre-requisite for Panchakarma, they also give relief from health problems like asthma, catarrh, hemiplegia and many other diseases caused by Vata disorders.
There are various sweating methods in vogue. Prominent among them are :
- Pinda Sweda / Navarakizhi
- Ooshma Sweda / Bashpasweda
- Avagaha Sweda
- Patresweda
Avagaha Sweda
Avagaha means immersion. Avagaha Sweda is sweating by immersion. Here, the patient is made to sweat while seated in a large tub. For treating diseases like hernia and painful micturition, warm medicated liquid is filled up to the navel and for cases of severe rheumatism or other disorders of the Vata Dosha, up to the neck. In some cases, a blanket is kept as a hood over the patient and tub to increase sweating.
The liquid used is usually water that has been boiled with anti-Vata herbs. Dhanyamla (see Dhanyamla Dhara) is also used.
