Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Grasp Charaka has given 5 greatest ideas for prevention and efficient administration of psychological issues. They’re additionally the most effective treatments to heal the thoughts and to convey the doshas of thoughts i.e. rajas and tamas to a state of stability. They’re – Jnana, Vijnana, Dhairya, Smriti and Samadhi.
Context and reference
वायुः पित्तं कफश्चोक्तः शारीरो दोषसङ्ग्रहः|
मानसः पुनरुद्दिष्टो रजश्च तम एव च||५७||
There are three sorts of sharira doshas i.e. bodily doshas – they’re, vata, pitta and kapha. The manasika doshas i.e. psychological doshas are two in quantity – they’re, raja and tama. (Charaka Sutra Sthana, Chapter 1, Verse 57)
Within the very subsequent verse, Grasp Charaka supplies treatments / remedy for each units of doshas and therefore the illnesses brought on by them.
प्रशाम्यत्यौषधैः पूर्वो दैवयुक्तिव्यपाश्रयैः|
मानसो ज्ञानविज्ञानधैर्यस्मृतिसमाधिभिः||५८||
The disturbances and imbalances occurring within the bodily doshas are pacified by daiva vyapashraya i.e. divine therapies and yukti vyapashraya chikitsa i.e. rational therapies. However, the psychological doshas are handled with the assistance of –
– Jnana – information of self
– Vijnana – scientific information
– Dhairya – temperance or restraint, braveness
– Smriti – reminiscence and
– Samadhi – focus and focus / focus (Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana, Chapter 1, verse 58)
Right here, it’s attention-grabbing to see that Grasp Charaka has not talked about Sattvavajaya Chikitsa – psychotherapy, the third principal kind of remedy which Ayurveda has accepted. Later, in Sutra Sthana Chapter 11, verse 54, whereas mentioning three sorts of remedy modalities i.e. daivavyapashraya, yuktivyapashraya and sattvavajaya chikitsa.
त्रिविधमौषधमिति- दैवव्यपाश्रयं, युक्तिव्यपाश्रयं, सत्त्वावजयश्च| तत्र दैवव्यपाश्रयं- मन्त्रौषधिमणिमङ्गलबल्युपहारहोमनियमप्रायश्चित्तोपवासस्वस्त्ययनप्रणिपातगमनादि,युक्तिव्यपाश्रयं- पुनराहारौषधद्रव्याणां योजना, सत्त्वावजयः- पुनरहितेभ्योऽर्थेभ्यो मनोनिग्रहः||५४||
On this context Charaka provides examples of Daivavyapashraya and Yuktivyapashraya Chikitsa and ends the verse by defining Sattvavajaya Chikitsa as ‘a remedy or strategy by which the thoughts is withdrawn from dangerous and unwholesome objects’.
Taking all these contexts in dialogue, we are able to mathematically conclude that the Jnana, Vijnana and many others talked about earlier in chapter 1 are the measures included beneath Sattvavajaya. He has given examples or measures firstly in chapter 1 and outlined Sattvavajaya in chapter 11. He has additionally talked about the phrase Sattvavajaya within the reference given from chapter 11, which he had missed out in chapter 1.
So, the 5 measures – Jnana, Vijnana, Dhairya, Smriti and Samadi can collectively be thought of as elements of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa, completely different measures which can be utilized to deal with the thoughts and produce it right into a state of stability.
So, Jnana and many others might be thought of as particular person therapies contributing in the direction of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa and collectively contributing in the direction of complete thoughts therapeutic and treatment of psychological issues.
So, we are going to talk about these 5 elements / remedy measures of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa in short.
5 elements of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa
1. Jnana – Non secular Information / Non secular Understanding – Perception oriented remedy strategy
Jnana is outlined as ‘Adyatma Jnanam’ which suggests religious information or figuring out about self. Whereas bringing Jnana as a remedy into play in psychological issues, the individual is educated to introspect and look inwards. It’s positively a recreation changer in how an individual begins himself and the world round himself. It is rather necessary to introduce the individual to himself or herself and the life ingredient or atman in them and the relation of atman with the larger life vitality i.e. paramatma. Jnana, similar to its different counterparts, is therapeutic in addition to preventive remedy. Jnana additionally means consciousness, conscience, information, knowledge, thought course of or intelligence.
Jnana, as a remedy, goals at enhancing these entities associated to thoughts.
On this remedy, the doctor guides the affected person or wholesome individual looking for psychotherapy to develop and enhance the perception about themselves. This may be achieved by self-monitoring and evaluating regularly which can in flip assist them to adapt to traumatic conditions.
The information which helps an individual to grasp and notice that Brahma or absolute atma is the one reality and nothing else is called Adyatma Jnana, which is an important a part of Jnana remedy. The software for attaining this Adyatma Jnana in line with Grasp Charaka is ‘Satya Buddhi’ i.e. true information. This true information will assist in eliminating one’s egoism which in flip destroys upadha i.e. untoward needs – which is the foundation reason behind every kind of miseries. By doing so, the individual will eliminate all psychological illnesses and also will obtain rajas-tamas stability.
Associated Studying – ‘Jnana – religious information, function in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
2. Vijnana – Scriptural / Particular Information – Educative strategy
Vijnana is outlined as ‘Shastra Jnanam’ which suggests scriptural or textual information. Vijnana can also be scientific information. In Ayurveda, the scriptures and texts are thought of as crucial testimonials. They characterize ‘true and unadulterated information’.
Vijnana is a information in the direction of attaining this true information. From a thoughts ‘s perspective, it helps in understanding the nuances and subtleties of the thoughts, the imbalances occurring therein, the stress elements – their causes and triggers. It additionally trains one and improves functionality to manage up with stress, unfavourable feelings and thoughts imbalances.
One will get to be taught the paths of indulgence, attachment or engagement or renunciation with respect to worldly pleasures and in addition to discriminate between good and dangerous and in addition imbibe them into their life from Vijnana. The identical information will practice the individuals in regards to the appropriate methods of responding and behaving to numerous stimuli.
Vijnana helps in balancing rajas and tamas doshas of the thoughts. It’ll additionally improve the sattva high quality and in addition assist in eliminating psychological issues. Vijnana is a remedy falling within the class of sattvavajaya and seeing its advantages it may be correlated with Cognitive Behavioural Remedy.
Totally different meanings of Vijnana are – comprehension, notion, judgment, profane understanding, discernment or consciousness. And Vijnana goals at enhancing these virtues.
Associated Studying – ‘Vijnana – Scriptural, Scientific or Worldly Information – Educative strategy and its function in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
3. Dhairya – braveness, endurance, controlling energy, endurance – Supportive strategy
Dhairya is outlined as ‘Dhairyan anunati chestasaha’. It means ‘a state whereby one has capability to keep up a state of psychological stability regardless that she or he is beneath an immense traumatic state of affairs’.
We are able to see that individuals with alpa / hina sattva i.e. weak minds lack braveness and are timid by nature. They have an inclination to blow easy issues out of proportions. They can’t tolerate any sorts of bodily or psychological illnesses or hardships of life. They want fixed encouragement, by medical doctors, household or mates as a result of their braveness and tolerance energy is just too low.
The affected person is reassured and counselled repeatedly as part of dhairya remedy. The doctor ought to put all potential efforts to exchange the unfavourable ideas of the affected person with optimistic ones. He additionally ought to attempt to channelize the thought means of the sufferers in a optimistic route. Even in fashionable drugs we are able to see that counselling is an important and necessary a part of psychotherapy. This may be equated with the dhairya part or strategy of sattvavajaya chikitsa.
The primary intention of dhairya remedy can be to relax the hyper-excitation and disturbances of the thoughts and in addition to convey power, stability and firmness to the thoughts.
The endurance and braveness of the affected person might be elevated with the assistance of counselling and meditation that are included in dhairya remedy. With the assistance of this braveness, the individual would collect braveness to tolerate ache, grief and different hardships and challenges that she or he would encounter of their lives.
The sound remedy which is part of thoughts therapeutic periods these days, can assist in creating optimistic vibrations to relax the thoughts. This may create a pathway in the direction of regeneration of braveness and hope within the affected person. From the doctor or therapist’s perspective, dhairya remedy supplies most encouragement, empathy and a spotlight to the affected person. This remedy creates a belief worth and in addition a matured stage of consciousness and judgment. It additionally improves a big quantity of endurance and consciousness of self-worth.
Associated Studying – ‘Dhairya / Aashvasana Chikitsa – reassurance and braveness remedy, Function in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa’
4. Smriti – reminiscence, recall – Cognitive Strategy
Smriti is outlined as – ‘Smritih Anubhuthartha Smaranam’ which suggests remembering or recalling the item of previous expertise. Right here, the doctor adopts completely different measures to appropriate the reminiscence means of the affected person and in addition to boost and restore the reminiscence.
Recollections are recordsdata in our unconscious layers. They floor when wanted. Some could also be good, many could also be dangerous and unwholesome. The doctor also needs to assist the affected person to eliminate dangerous and undesirable reminiscences and substitute them with new and good reminiscences. They need to even be guided how to not create and save reminiscences of dangerous experiences, to disregard, forgive, neglect and transfer on.
Herein, as part of remedy, in smriti, the affected person is helped to withdraw and extract the dangerous reminiscences and hidden conflicts from deep inside, which can be mighty dangerous in the long term and expel them completely. By continuously doing this with will or being guided, the individual will be taught to manage up together with his or her issues and can attempt to stay away from the dangerous and unfavourable feelings, stimuli or triggers and develop a way of positivity inside.
Provided that the individual remembers the true nature of issues, he can eliminate his reminiscences. There are eight causes for enchancment of Smriti in a optimistic route. This may be readily practiced as a therapeutic measure if the individual has low reminiscence and if she or he requires reminiscence to eliminate their illnesses. Smriti can also be wanted to comply with the directions given by the doctor in the direction of repeatedly taking medicines, life-style modifications, behavioural modifications, what to do and what to not, which is the bottom for whole restoration from any ailment. To vary right here
5. Samadhi – focus, restraining the thoughts, meditation – Psycho-philosophical strategy
Samadhi is outlined as ‘Vishayebhyo Nivruthya Atmani Manaso Niyamanam’ which suggests ‘restraining the thoughts and detaching it from its affiliation with worldly objects and diverting it in the direction of the atma in order to have it beneath religious management and in addition meditating on the religious dimension of 1’s character’.
The primary intention and objective of samadhi is to get indifferent from numerous temptations of trivial nature, unwholesome sights, attachment with undesired issues and numerous sorts of stressors, to make the individual to appreciate the significance of self and self-worth and diverting the thoughts inwards in the direction of the internal self and making an affiliation with the internal self.
Samadhi is taken into account as the last word stage in Yogic practices. It’s a state of attaining and being in a state of unwavering focus.
As a remedy, Samadhi might be included in treating the illnesses. The objective can be to reduce the psychological fluctuations and scale back the wavering of thoughts. This may finally result in enhancement of focus and institution of a tranquilized thoughts. The stage of Samadhi might be achieved by diverting the senses i.e. indriyas in the direction of and into the thoughts i.e. manas in order to realize a stage of nonetheless and balanced thoughts. This finally results in full destruction or cessation of every kind of vikaras – illnesses and dukhas – grief.
To sum up
The 5 remedy measures detailed above are extremely efficient in remedy of psychological issues and type integral elements of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa – the Ayurveda model of Psychotherapy. They not solely heal the thoughts however may also instill braveness, endurance, calmness, confidence and stability within the thoughts and can preserve the rajas and tamas components in a state of stability. They may also improve the sattva attribute of the thoughts.
Subsequently, sattvavajaya chikitsa with these 5 remedy measures included beneath its umbrella is very helpful in prevention and treatment of psychological issues and balancing the psychological attributes. It additionally strengthens the thoughts and modifications the angle of pondering, making selections and coping with not solely psychological but in addition psychosomatic issues. It’s of the very best ordeal and strategy in coping with weak minded individuals.
Amongst these 5 entities the successive ones are mentioned to be extremely helpful than the earlier in that order. So, Vijnana is best than Jnana, Dhairya is best than Vijgnana, Smriti is best than Dhairya and Samadhi is best than Smriti. With this, we are able to perceive that Samadhi is the last word software in dealing with psychological issues by Sattvavaja Chikitsa and it encompasses the qualities of all the opposite Jnana and many others strategies. However, Jnana is taken into account as having lesser advantages and privileges compared to the opposite 4 measures.
So, the perfect approach of planning Sattvavajaya Chikitsa and implementing it’s making very best and customised combos of two or extra of those approaches or taking all 5 in consideration in order to offer complete and full profit in coping with the thoughts imbalances as and when wanted. As particular person approaches, they type very best therapies however when successfully mixed, the outcomes can be unparalleled and extra secure.
So, all these 5 steps of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa assist in balancing the psychological signs and normalize the physiological capabilities. That is achieved by the stability of doshas, hormones or neurotransmitters that’s led to by their implementation. These 5 points of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa as specified by Grasp Charaka comprise in all of them the opposite therapies suggested for treating the imbalanced thoughts and the illnesses brought on by them. We are able to additionally inform that the fundamentals and fundamentals of your complete fashionable psychiatry might be included into these 5 therapies which represent the Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa and these 5 measures needs to be thought of and carried out in complete remedy of psychological issues primarily, but in addition needs to be included within the remedy of bodily and psychosomatic issues. It’s because physique and thoughts are the 2 sides of the identical coin. When one is disturbed, it disturbs the opposite one. Equally, when the thoughts is healed, the physique too will get healed and the vice versa can also be true. Ayurveda scientific follow isn’t full with out contemplating ‘the thoughts stability’ and for this to realize, Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is a very powerful and necessary software.