Stress management through Ayurveda by Dr Pranit Ambulkar

In the US, $300 billion are spent annually on an average on stress related problems; nearly half of the health insurance claims are for stress related disorders. In the UK 6.7 million working hours are lost annually due to stress related problems and around 60% of absenteeism at the work place is due to stress. More than 100,000 persons commit suicide in India every year due to stress and the number is growing at alarming rate. Stress has become the intrinsic part of the jobs in certain professions.

 

Stress is a physiological and psychological imbalance. It arises due to the demands on a person and that person’s inability to meet these demands. Stress is the body’s way of reacting to any situation and it can have serious repercussions on individual’s life. Ayurveda can help in many ways to get rid of the stress and its consequences. But most serious problem is that people do not recognize the importance of stress management and come to a physician at later stage. Effective time management, work planning, good diet, adequate sleep, exercise, yoga, massage etc can prevent stress related problems. Various herbal medicines and treatments like Shirodhara, Tarpana, and Rasayana are proved to be very effective for the treatment of serious stress related disorders.

 

What is stress?
The stress in individual is defined as anything that disrupts the normal person’s physical or mental well being. It occurs when person faces extra ordinary demands. A person caught in traffic jam while rushing to office, is under stress. A student preparing for examination is under stress. An employee working on computer for longer hours, a businessman trying to make profits in a competitive market are under stress. Stress is everywhere and influences everybody.

 

A stressor is a factor or stimulant that creates stress. A stressor is not itself either positive or negative or good or bad, it is how one reacts to it that determines its positivity or negativity. For example, one person may perceive stressor as a motivator, whereas another person may perceive it as a constraint. Positive stress is called as eustress and negative stress is called as distress. A little stress is essential to keep the person motivated, but distress if left unchecked, can have a serious effect on the body and mind over a period. Some of these problems are sleeplessness, eating disorders, heart problems, hyper tension and suicidal tendencies. Stress represents the wear and tear of the human body. At beginning every stress acts as a motivator. Later person starts feeling this stress as a problem; at this stage he tries to overcome the stress. Later if he could not overcome the stress it turns into distress and when distress last for longer period it results into burnout. The health issues at the burnout stage are hard to manage, hence it is always better to be proactive than reactive about the distress.

                              
Sources of stress

 

Internal stress
Human being have tendency to worry about actions that may or may not take place. Internal stress happens when individual worry about things outside their control. The personality of the individual plays an important role in stress management. Every individual can be categorized into Type A and Type B personalities. A type A has a continual sense of urgency and has an excessive competitive drive. He is always in hurry and impatient. They are obsessive about winning and do not have ability to spend leisure time. Vata and Pitta dominant Prakriti people as stated in Ayurveda, exhibits Type A personality. Such people are likely to be under stress even in minor situations. People with type B personality never sense the urgency of time. They work at their own pace. These people are less likely to be under stress. Type B personality exhibits the characters of Kapha dominant Prakriti.

 

External stress

This type of stress is the result of environmental influence on an individual. This can be stress from family, health issues, job incompatibilities, peers and friends. Physical conditions such as poor lighting, loud noise, poor seating arrangement, uncomfortable workplace temperature and long work hours are also stressors. Now days we carry an unnecessary stress that is techno stress. Technological innovations like mobiles, laptops, game stations and social network sites are adding to the stress levels of individuals. E-stress or techno stress is a physical and physiological reaction to the changing technological environment. Computer vision syndrome is a well known example of techno stress.

 
Effects of stress on health

Physical effects

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure.

• Sudden increase or decrease in weight, obesity, malnutrition.

• Change in appetite and digestion.

• Frequent head ache, fatigue and respiratory problems.

• Nervous weakness, e.g. biting nails, over sweating etc.

• Insomnia

• Reduced immunity to common cold and cough.

• Tooth and gum disease, Ulcers and weak digestive system, irritable bowel syndrome that may turn into severe problems like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease etc.

• Sexual dysfunction impotency and sterility.

• Menstrual disturbances in ladies, frequent miscarriages and difficulties in conceiving.

• Arthritis, other orthopedic and neuromuscular problems.

• diabetes hyperthyroidism

• hair loss

• Even cancer

Psychological effects

• Difficulty in concentration

• Depression

• Unable to spend leisure time productively

• Always anxious, obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder

• Bad decision making

• Mood swing

• Increased usage of food, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs

• Developing fears and phobias

• Feeling out of control and confused

• Suicidal tendencies

How Ayurveda can help cope up stress?

 

Many times we are biased about rationality of our behavior. Hence, sometimes it is better to discuss your issues with someone third who can professionally guide you overcoming your problems. This will help reducing internal stress. Ayurvedic Prakriti Parikshana includes evaluation of both your physical and psychological constitution. Thus we can predict the stress factors to which a person is more susceptible. For example, Vata Prakriti people are more stressed in cold weather, dryness, sound pollution, physical and mental exertion, etc. The people of Pitta Prakriti are hot tempered. They cannot tolerate hot weather, hot and spicy food, they can’t sustain with anger; on the other hand Kapha Prakriti people are more stable in emotional and physical stress.

 

Detail history taking of the problem and health status examination makes most of the stressors revealed. Person’s physical weakness is many times responsible for some factors to become stressor to the individual. For example, underlying anemia, malnutrition reduces physical exertion tolerance.

Ill effects of stress as per Ayurveda
Ayurveda has  blamed stress as cause of depletion of vital resources of body called Dhatus. For example depletion of Rasa dhatu (plasma) makes person irritable and intolerant to noise. Doing sedentary jobs produces stagnancy and deposition of toxins in the blood. This causes liver and kidney related problems, chronic skin problems, anemia and even auto-immune diseases. Continous strain on eyes, brain and nervous system causes depletion of Majja Dhatu (bone marrow and nervous system) produces symptoms like fainting, tingling, nervous dysfunctions etc. Stress and fatigue seriously affect the Shukra Dhatu (Vitality and fertility) causes sexual dysfunction, impotency, sterility etc. A person under stress from long time starts losing immunity, he is susceptible to diseases even due to minor reasons, problems like Diabetes, Auto immune disorders, allergies, incompatibilities with different proteins and foods etc. Hence identifying the problems and rectifying them with appropriate remedy helps individual to stay unaffected by the stressor. 

Avoiding stress factor is the best way to stay away from the stress. But many external
stressors are beyond control of an individual. Many people have to undergo the stress as a part of their job structure or lifestyle. In such case identifying the stress factor and developing ones resistance power is only way. As we know, the stress can have positive as well as negative effect on us and this depends upon the way we take the stress. Stress can be a motivation, in prolonged stress condition our body tries to win upon stress. And when we lose the battle serious problems and emotional breakdown occurs. Hence building ones strength over the stress or and developing high spiritual levels minimizes the effect of stressor.

Stress busters

Exercise is a good stress buster. It keeps the individual physically and mentally alert. Regular exercise lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, reduces tension and help to remove toxins from body.

Whole body massage with medicated oils provides passive exercise as well as muscle relaxation.

On regular practice, Yoga Asana like Surya Namaskara, Chakrasana, Tadasana, Shalabhasana, Naukasana, Mayurasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana helps to build upon ones physical and mental strength. It provides good stretching to muscles and strengthens the joints.

Pranayama like Bhastrika, Bhramari, Kapalbhati and Shodhana Kriya like Shankha Prakshalana, Neti, and Basti detoxifies your body and strengthens visceral organs. Also it improves concentration, will power and peace of mind.
 
Diet

A good balanced healthy diet plays a vital role in reducing stress.
· Have your breakfast, lunch and dinner on time. Don’t miss your meals
· Have freshly cooked warm meals. Avoid reheated food.
· Avoid fast food, junk food, spicy, oily and food with little nutritive value
· Include salad, roughage rich food and fruits in diet
· Avoid heavy to digest food.
· Have a gap of one to two hours between dinner and bedtime.
· Have healthy beverages like milk, buttermilk, fruit juices and herbal tea.
· Avoid over intake of tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages etc.
· Strictly avoid nicotine, cigarette and drug abuse.

Sleep

During sleep a person prepares himself to face another day. One should take adequate sleep. Time of getting to bed and waking up should be regular. One should neither work late night nor sleep till noon. Not only sleep hours but sleep quality is also important. If one is suffering insomnia or poor quality sleep it is going to worsen his stress levels. The peace of mind is essential for sound sleep. Shirodhara, Abhyanga can relax you so that you sleep sound. Also some herbs like Ashwagandha, Sarpagandha, Jatamansi, Brahmi, and Shankhapushpi are useful to have sound mind and sound sleep. Some of the above herbs are also useful in overcoming depression.

Relaxation

Relaxation is the best strategy to reduce stress. Relaxation is not being idle; it is doing what one wants to do. Spending time with children, listening music, talking to friends, having a break etc. Ayurveda has got some wonderful ways to relax your body and soul.

Importance of Panchakarma Treatments

Panchakarma therapy is a unique line of treatment to keep you safe from the adverse effects of stress. As per Ayurveda many therapies are described in Dina charya (Daily Regime) and Ritu charya(Seasonal Regime) to prevent diseases caused due to minor mistakes of diet and lifestyle in daily life. These include Kawal dharan, Gandusha, Karnapooran, Nasyam, Anjana , etc. These therapies decrease the burden of stress and rejuvenate the function of senses and brain. It is mentioned in Ritucharya for every healthy person to do a purificatory Panchakarma with respect to every season. Like Basti Karma/ enema in Rainy Season,  Virechana Karma/purgation in Autumn Season , and Vamana Karma/ emesis in Spring Season. It is mentioned that due to unhealthy diet and lifestyle, the Doshas in the body start to aggravate in everyday life. They are aggravated in little amount which we are unable to experience, but over a period of time they accumulate in a large amount to show symptoms. For this we try to manage the symptoms only by suppressing them or treating them just for the time being. These suppressed or untreated Doshas begin to interfere in the normal functioning of biological processes of body leading to decreased stamina, fatigue, headache, and even decreased power of senses. This is where we relate to free radicals accumulated in the body which cause the symptoms due to stress. Seasonal purification through Panchakarma ensures the removal of these Doshas or you can say free radicals out of the body to cleanse the biological channels and allow smooth physiological functions.
Thus it is rightly described in Ayurveda that seasonal purification by Panchakarma prevents early aging and longevity of life.

What is Panchakarma?

The Panchakarma treatments involve the five purificatory procedures of

· Vamana (Emesis therapy)- a procedure for removal of excess or impure Kapha Dosha
· Virechana(Purgation Therapy)- a procedure for removal of excess or impure Pitta         Dosha
· Anuvasan Basti- a procedure for controlling Vata Dosha by oil enemas
· Niruha Basti -a procedure for controlling Vata Dosha by decoction enemas
· Nasyam-   a procedure to balance doshas in Head (Brain and Nerves)

The above procedures are done after proper Oleation and Sudation therapies. They are done under the observation and care of Ayurvedic Doctor for approximately 14 days or more.  

Some other useful procedures which can be done to cope up stress and done on daily basis are

Marma-abhyanga(Marma point Massage)

An Ayurveda way of oil massage with Marma therapy. Marma are vital points of the body which contain Prana energy. Gentle pressure on Marma while doing massage provides channelization of Prana energy to the body and mind which gives ultimate healing. 

Shirodhara

Popularly known as third eye treatment of lord Shiva, a therapeutic Marma head masage with herbal oils is done and herbal oil, medicated milk, buttermilk or herbal decoction is poured in gently and steadily over the forehead in a continuous stream using a special rhythmic swaying movement. This results in a fantastic sense of deep relaxation and inner peace. Stress related psychological problems, anxiety, anger , hypertension and headaches like migraine are well managed with Shirodhara.

Awagahanam

A dip in warm soothing aromas of herbal decoctions and milk is invigorating. It helps to achieve calm mind, gives sound sleep, provides cleansing and opening of skin pores all over the body. Thus the doshas are evacuated from the skin providing deep relaxation.

Pizichil

In Pizhichil/ Sarvangdhara, pieces of linen, dipped in comfortably warm medicated oils, are squeezed on to the body of the person, who lies on a specially made wooden plank. Pizhichil is an effective remedy for optimum relaxation. Pizichil help to calm down Vata all over the body, especially the persons with neuropathy i.e. pain and increased sensitivity towards touch all over the body.

Udwartanam

The whole body is gently massaged with medicated powders prepared with various herbs. This helps to reduce fat patches from the body known as cellulites, tones the muscles, improves blood circulation and eases joint pains. It is specially recommended for the persons who work continuously sitting all the time. Regular Udvartanam is good for not only cellulites but it helps to lose weight by increasing the basal metabolic rate.

Patra Pinda Swedanam

Patrapinda Sweda is beneficial for every one for any type of muscular pain.  It is most beneficial for frequent travelers and people who drive continuously. It is done in a localized part of the body or all over the body.

Tarpana

This treatment aims to provide optimum rejuvenation to eyes. Dough of Urad (black gram) is put around the eye ball in such a way that a dam like appearance is seen. Then herbal healing ghee (clarified butter oil) is put in this groove to lubricate eye and surrounding areas which will be kept warm for 30 – 35 minutes. This provides improved vision with beautiful eyes and strengthening of eye tissues. It also helps in under eye circles if done regularly for few days. Stress related intra-occular diseases like glaucoma, lacrimation, pain in eyes, myopias-hypermetropias are well managed with the help of Tarpana. 

Nasyam

Nasya is particularly useful in the treatment of diseases occurring in the organs situated above the clavicle. It will promote the functions of the sensory and motor organs above the clavicle. It specifically provides strength to the head, nose and neck apart from cleansing the sinuses.   Indirectly it works on the whole body by improving the functioning of the endocrine glands. It will prevent premature wrinkling, graying and falling of the hair.

Indications:

Stiffness in the head, neck, teeth and jaw
Pain in the shoulders
Chronic coryza (sinusitis)
Diseases of mouth, nose, ear, eye and head
Facial paralysis
Hoarseness of voice
Tooth ache and other tooth disorders

Rejuvenation-Kayakalp Chikitsa

This is the prime treatment in Ayurveda for reducing ageing processes, arresting the degeneration of the body cells and increasing the immunity of the body.  Giving RASAYANA (very special Ayurvedic medicine) internally is the main part of this therapy, along with the Panchakarma treatments. This treatment is best effective if taken before the age of 60, for either sex. Rasayana therapy includes first detoxification and nourishing therapies like Tarpana, Awagaha, Udwartana, Ksheera dhara along with rejuvenating herbs for internal nourishment. Rasayana herbs are rich in antioxidants and hence rejuvenate your body, improve immunity, replenish your stores of energy, keep diseases away and nourish the body. Chyavanaprasha, Brahma Rasayana, Amrita Bhallataka, Triphala, Shatavari Kalpa and Amalaki Rasayana are the examples of some popular Rasayana remedies.

Also Ayurvedic medicines for the complications of stress like acid peptic diseases, hair loss, insomnia, loss of appetite etc should be administered with consultation of your physician. Self medication is not advisable in such cases.

Stress in unavoidable factor of today’s life. Hence one should be alert about the stress and follow all possible measures to avoid ill effects of stress. Stressed person ruins not only his own life but also it makes his family, work, social relations, education affected. Hence if you feel stressed it is the high time to correct it.