🌺Shirodhara🌺
👉You must have seen pictures of Shirodhara in the advertisements of most Ayurvedic clinics or hospitals as it has become synonymous with Ayurvedic therapies nowadays.
👉Most of the people think that it is a simple oil therapy which one can take for relaxation, sometimes patients themselves decide that they need shirodhara but it is not just relaxation therapy and by going for shirodhara first you should consult an ayurvedic doctor.
🤔What is Shirodhara?
👉Shir means head and Dhara means flow or pouring liquid in stream hence Shirodhara is an external treatment where oil, milk, buttermilk, kwatha or other prescribed liquids are poured on the head for a prescribed period of time.
The human body is considered to be an upside down tree because its root is in the upward direction which is the head, just like giving water to the root of a tree gives nourishment to the whole tree, similarly if the head of the human body is nourished properly it works smoothly and all the parts of the body are nourished themselves and work properly.
The head controls all the systems of the body, so in Ayurveda it is called Uttamanga or the best organ, so in most diseases of the body and mind, if we give treatment to their controller i.e. the brain, then the disease gets cured rapidly and effectively.
What are its health benefits or in what situations shirodhara is beneficial?
It prevents and treats many physical and mental diseases-
✅It improves immunity.
✅It gives physically and mentally strength
✅It has anti ageing effects.
✅It improves quality of skin, relief dryness and itching
✅It prevents hair fall, remove dandruff and prevent premature greying.
✅It is useful in 80 types of vata disorders.
✅It’s is beneficial in disorder of head like pain, burning, inflammation, boils etc in head.
✅It protects sense organ, strengthen them and also helps in treating their diseases.
✅Shirodhara is beneficial in psychosomatic disorders.
✅It is effective in condition sleeplessness.
✅It is prescribed in paralysis and hemiplagia.
✅It is very important part of treatment of depression in Ayurveda.
✅Useful in managing high blood pressure
✅It helps in reducing stress over Heart and better blood circulation.
✅Useful in Migraine.
✅Loss of memory.
✅Shirodhara helps in better hormonal function.
✅It halt inflammation process in body.
✅It increases blood circulation and nutrition to brain, reduces its stress and help in its better functioning.
✅It is useful in condition where head injury leads to loss of voice, cervical pain, loss of consciousness, lock jaw, stammering etc.
✅Relaxes, soothes and calm mind and body
✅Prevent diseases of body, mind and sense organs.
🤔For how long is the fluid poured on the head?
👉45 to 60 minutes.
🤔For how many days can Shirodhara be done?
👉According to the condition of the patient, after the advice of the doctor, it can be done for 7 days to 21 days or more.
🤔Can a healthy person take Shirodhara?
👉Yes.
The doctor will decide whether you need Shirodhara or not and if needed with which liquid and for how many days.
🤔Which substances are used for Shirodhara?
👉Medicinal oil, ghritam, milk, buttermilk or kwath are used for Shirodhara. Only one type of liquid or a combination is also used.
🤔What is the process of Shirodhara?
👉After proper examination the Vaidya will advise for Shirodhara with specific liquid for specific time and days.
Sometimes Shirodhara is suggested along with other treatments.
👉For Shirodhara, the patient is asked to come to the center in the morning or after having a light meal.
He is then asked to lie on his back on a special table called Droni, cotton pads were placed over his eyes, then prescribed hot or cold liquid filled in a vessel with hole in the bottom is poured into a swirling stream over his forehead, intermittently light massage is done on the head. When the process is complete, the excess oil is removed from her hair.
The whole process takes 45 to 90 minutes.
After the treatment some precautions should be followed like do not come in contact with cold air, take only hot water for drinking, take hot water bath and take light food.
Avoid cold, spicy, heavy food.
Avoid over exertion, heavy exercise, talking louder and talking in excess.
Avoid anger, grief and stress.
👉Some spas nowadays also offer Shirodhara but it should always be done under the guidance of Vaidya.