Embrace Ayurveda and experience happy and pain free days by Dr. Swati Ambulkar

Are anxiety, depression and irritability becoming regular phenomena prior to your periods? Do you require postponing your studies, meetings, tasks, and weekend's plan for the sake of those painful 2-3 days? Our mothers and grandmothers never experienced such worries. Then why we experience a burden before and during the menses, so much so that it feels like an atrocity to our kind. When you allow your busy brains to think on this, you will find an answer; we are losing our natural physiological balance and uniqueness which nature has gifted to us.

Let’s see what Ayurveda says on Womens’ beauty and health.

A woman’s beauty and health lies in regularity and purity of menstrual cycle. The signs of pure menstruation are:

It should be regular and commence within 28-30 days of time. It should be without much pain. It should have a color similar to shoe flower. It should not have offensive odor. It should not leave a stain after washing with water on a cotton cloth.

 

In converse to this, if it possesses the following signs, then it is impure form. Presence of impure menstrual flow is said to be inefficient for conception. It may be one of the reasons for infertility in women with everything normal in patho-physiological reports. According to different Doshas in the body the signs of impure menses are as follows.

 

If the menstrual blood is vitiated by the three Doshas, Vata , Pitta, Kapha each seperately,  by their combination in two, or all together, becomes incapable of conception. Features like excessive pain with scanty menses are suggestive of Vata and Pitta. Features with excessive pain initially, difficulty during menstrual and suddenly excess bleeding is suggestive of Vata. Moderate pain, texture of menses is like thin blood, profuse in quantity, indicates Pitta vitiation. Pus traces or foul smell in menstrual discharge is indicative of Pitta –Kapha. Menstrual discharge with clots or coagulated blood and heaviness, fatigue in lower abdomen, thighs is indicative of Kapha and Vata vitiation.

 

How do the three Doshas dominate the menstrual cycle?

 

After a detailed study on signs and symptoms some Ayurvedists have divided the menstrual cycle into three parts dominated by three doshas. The period after the completion of menses till the ovulation belongs to Kapha. During this period you feel refreshed and enthusiastic. The body parts are felt more soft and healthy than usual ; the period from ovulation till the end of the secretory phase belongs to Pitta, which explains the raised body temperature during ovulation, your energy levels are good. After the secretory phase when the hormone levels start falling Vata symptoms start to appear, you feel fatigued, a little sleeplessness, dryness of skin, emotional fragility and menstrual bleeding starts due to Vata aggravation, during the 4-5 days of menstruation Vata dominates the body until it calms down by itself after 4-5 days. This is a normal cycle, things are of more concern when the symptoms described above are more exaggerated before the menses that is during Vata period.

 

Symptoms of Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)

 

PMS refers to a set of symptoms that tend to

• Start during the second half of the menstrual cycle (14 days or more after the first day of your last menstrual period)

• Go away within 1 - 2 days after a menstrual period starts

The most common physical symptoms include:

 

Bloating, breast tenderness, clumsiness, tendency of constipation or diarrhea, food cravings less tolerance for noises and lights confusion, difficulty concentrating, or forgetfulness, fatigue, sluggishness, feelings of sadness or hopelessness, feelings of tension, anxiety, or edginess irritable, hostile, or aggressive behavior, with outbursts of anger toward self or others, loss of sex drive (may be increased in some women), mood swings, poor judgment, poor self-image, feelings of guilt, or increased fears, sleep problems (sleeping too much or too little). All these symptoms appear due to aggravation of Vata, along with Pitta and Kapha which in turn are vitiated due to Vata.

 

Causes of Pre- menstrual syndrome as per Ayurveda

 

1. Improper diet and lifestyle

Vata aggravating foods like wafers, dry, and cold foods, not eating at regularly and at fixed timetable, intake of alcohol, smoking, tea coffee in excess 

 

2. Myths

Myths like during menses one can continue the regular hectic work, or can do physical exercises like Yoga, exercises, heavy physical work or stressful work.

When you are not used to heavy physical work and suddenly you do heavy strenuous work it leads to Vata aggravation suddenly and profuse bleeding, or stoppage of normal bleeding leading to imbalance in the menstrual cycle. In reverse to this excessive relaxation, oversleep no work at all,  sleeping in the day leads to Kapha aggravation and leading obstruction of menstrual flow, clot formation.

 

3. Nutritional issues.

Improper nutrition is a major cause of Pre menstrual syndrome, out of which missing morning breakfast, lack of proteins, fibrous vegetables in diet, obesity, weight loss, anemia are eminent among them.

 

4. Ignorance regarding care to be taken during menses.

In Ayurveda a diet and lifestyle regime is described as follows.

From the first day of menses the female should observe celibacy. She should avoid excessive running, weightlifting on of a sudden if she is not used to it She shouldn’t take a bath in public pools, should not anoint any sort of body packs, scrubs, oils over the body. Anointing anything over the body during the menses leads to interference in the normal physiological Vata dominance in women, which either leads to more aggravation or suppression of natural urge to menstruate. Taking rest is recommended; this doesn’t mean sleeping in the day, or getting up late in the morning. Do not indulge in stressful activity, or exciting adventurous outings. During menses food should be light and comparatively less than regular intake since the Agni/ digestive fire during the menstruation becomes low due to Vata aggravation. Excess intake often causes heaviness, nausea, vomiting, similarly not eatng anything is also not desirable, it induces weakness constipation and more aggravation of Vata.

 

5. Psychological stress.

It is also visible that psychological factors affect the menstrual cycle very much. It results in aggravation of symptoms like continuous feeling of fatigue, anxiety, depression, occular disturbances, irritability, increased temper are the symptoms related to stress .  

 

Managing the Pre menstrual syndrome

 

A healthy lifestyle is the first step to managing PMS. For many women, lifestyle approaches are often enough to control symptoms. Make a diary to observe symptoms for at least 3 months. Record the type of symptoms you have, how severe they are, and how long they last. This symptom diary will help your Ayurveda physician to decide the proper management required. 

 

Check your nutritional status and dietary intake, ensure that you eat really what is required, for this you can consult a good Ayurvedic physician to know suitable meals for your body constitution and seasonal changes in diet, which is equally important.

 

Joining the yoga classes is a good idea, than doing it awkwardly or wrongly. Pranayama is beneficial to keep calm mind and achieve sound sleep. Regular Pranayama reduces the menstrual pain considerably.

 

Yashtimadhu, Shatavari, Asoka, Arjuna, Sariva, Aloevera, Dashamoola, are recognized herbs which help balance the menstrual cycle naturally.

 

Ayurveda therapies beneficial in the management of Pre-menstrual syndrome include the therapies which calm down vitiated Vata along with the associated Pitta or Kapha in Menstrual disorders .

 

Shirodhara

 

The rhythmic flow of oils over the fore head helps calm down the irritated nerves. Oil is the best remedy for Vata. Vata expresses itself by the sense of touch; the touch of oil is thus felt to be most calming and pacifying for Vata.

 

Marma abhyangam

 

The Prana is considered to be vital of all types of Vata. It flows through the 108 vital points in the body called Marmas. Massage at this these vital points ensures a smooth flow of Prana throughout the body. It is felt in form of relaxed body and mind and subtle ease in the body.  

 

Avagahanam

 

Avagahanam is the Ayurvedic tub bath in herbal decoctions of Bramhi, Dashamool, Jatamansi, Usheera etc. and milk. It is considered to be deeply relaxing and best for relieving anxiety. 

 

Nasya

 

Application of oil through nostrils is direct way of supporting the nervous system. Strength to the nervous system promotes better efficiency to deal with stress. Moreover it promotes the harmony of the endocrinal system.

 

Basti

 

It consists of the medicated herbal oil enema and herbal decoction enema. It is one of five detoxification therapies. It is considered to be best for management of Vata.

 

Ksheeradhara

 

The rhythmic flow of cold medicated milk soothes the symptoms of aggravated Vata along with Pitta. It reduces burning, fatigue, anxiety issues.

 

Virechanam

 

Virechanam is also one of the detoxifying therapies of Ayurveda for Kapha and Pitta by purgation. Purgation also disciplines the downward flow of Vata which relieves obstruction and uniform function of Vata during menstruation.