BRAHAM YOGA, RISHIKESH

Fasting Therapy
Fasting refers to complete abstinence from food for a particular period pertaining to a specific purpose and this is nature`s oldest, most effective and yet least expensive method of treating diseases, recognized as the achievement of natural healing. By depriving the body of food for a specific period of time, the organs of elimination such as the bowels, kidneys, skin and lungs are given opportunity to expel, unhampered the overload of accumulated waste from the system. Thus, fasting is merely the process of purification and an effective and quick method of cure, assisting nature in her continuous effort to expel foreign matter and disease producing waste from the body, thereby correcting the faults of improper diet and wrong living.

Water Therapy
Bathing has been used as a valuable therapeutic agent and is also considered an important measure for the maintenance of health and prevention of disease, in all major ancient civilizations. Bathing was also valued for its remedial properties, since time immemorial and the ancient Vedic literature contains numerous references to the efficiency of water in the treatment of disease. Beneficial effects are exerted by water on the human system. It equalizes circulation, boosts muscular tone and aids digestion and nutrition. It also tones up the activity of perspiratory gland and in the process eliminates the damaged cells and toxic matter from the system.

Mud Therapy
Earth was used extensively for remedial purposes in ancient times as well as the middle ages. In modern times, it again came into prominence as it was discovered to have remarkable effects to refresh, invigorate and vitalize the human body; especially during the night. It was believed that for wounds and skin diseases, application of clay or moistened earth was the only true natural bandage. Thus, the sleeping or lying on the earth at night became customary in the curing of diseases. By doing this, the entire body is aroused from its lethargy to a new manifestation of vital energy, so that it can now effectively remove old morbid matter and masses of old faeces from the intestines, and receive a sensation of new health, new life and new vigour and strength.

Water Therapy
The largest constituent of human body is water. About 60 to 70 per cent of the total body weight consists of water. Thus, the body of a 65-kg person contains approximately 40 liters of water. Of this, about 25 liters are within the cells and the remaining 15 liters in the extra cellular fluids. Versatility is the most important property of water. Both inside and outside the body water can be effectively used. Liquid, solid or steam any three forms of water can be used according to the need. It can be used hot, cold or lukewarm, for the smooth functioning of all the body processes.

The water consumption is mainly through drinking water, other fluids and the water content in the food consumed. Some of our common vegetables contain as much water as milk and even more. Thus, 100 grams of melon, tomato, and radish contain over 90 per cent of water. For the maintenance of good health, an adult should take eight to 10 glasses of pure, fresh water daily, whether one feels thirsty or not. This quantity is enough to flush the body and meet all internal needs. However, it is bad to drink excess of water since it weakens the kidneys and stomach. Drinking water along with meals is not healthy, for it dilutes the gastric juices and hampers digestion. Water should be drunk ha an hour before or one hour after a meal. Drinking a glass of water early in the morning after a mouthwash is good for health. Scientifically, drinking water early in the morning helps, saliva formation, which together with some useful enzymes helps in effective cleaning of the intestinal tract. The age-old practice of drinking water in copper vessel early morning is one of the oldest methods with the same principle.

A bath is very necessary not only to wash off these poisonous matters from the skin, but also for keeping the skin in a healthy condition. Cold water or water at body temperature should be used for bathing. The application of cold water followed by friction facilitates rush of blood to the skin. This gives the skin its necessary exercise and keeps it healthy and capable of normal functioning for the rest of the day. But the water to be used for drinking, cooking and bathing, should be safe, clean and free from bacteria, dissolved mineral impurities and suspended matters. Rainwater, purified water from a river, spring, well or a lake is good for the same, if is further treated properly. If bacteria contaminate the water, then it should be rendered harmless by boiling.

Massage Therapy
An excellent form of passive exercise is massage. A massage involves the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, which if done correctly, can be highly stimulating and invigorating. Massages have been used from the ancient times, as old as 400 B.C and yet been used as a mode of treatment for many ailments, since it has restored many a sufferer to health and vigour.

Colour Therapy
The method of treatment of diseases by colour is called Chromotherapy. Along with other natural methods of preserving health such as correct diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise, yogic asanas and so on it is best used as a supportive therapy. According to practitioners of chromotherapy, the lack of a particular colour in the human system can cause various diseases. Colour therapy is a technique of restoring imbalance by means of applying coloured light to the body.

Sleep Therapy
Sleep is one of nature`s greatest inventions and blessings of life. It is a periodic rest of the body, which is absolutely essential for its efficient functioning. It has been called “most cheering restorative of tired bodies,” since sleep repairs the wear and tear of the body and mind incurred during waking hours. Sleep is thus a vital element in man`s mental as well as physical life, since the loss of sleep exerts seriously detrimental effects upon the nervous system. Long periods of wakefulness may cause profound psychological changes such as loss of memory, irritability, hallucination and even schizophrenic manifestations.

Acupressure
This is a special form of massage in which fingers or finger-like simple wooden instruments are pressed on certain points of the body to minimize aches, pains, fatigue, tension, stress and various other symptoms of disease. Unlike acupuncture, in which sharp needles are pierced into the points in the skin, Acupressure is non-invasive, safe and simple. In fact, it is a very natural form of physiotherapy, which follows anatomical guides and motor points, stimulation of which relieves various disabilities.