Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
It is universally accepted that human being and diseases were born simultaneously. Of the four Vedas i.e. The Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sam-Veda and Atherv-Veda, the Atherv-Veda is related with disease cure. The Ayur-Veda is considered as sub-division of Atherv-Veda, because it includes drugs, therapies and procedures of living a long life. The Ayurveda also speaks of Ayurvedic Water Therapy. The Ayurveda is the oldest health care science and, it is believed to be around five to six thousand years BC old. The ‘Ayush’ means life and ‘Veda’ means science so ‘Ayurveda’ means science of life. There are many therapies mentioned but they are mainly classified in two types i.e. ‘Ashudha Therapy’ and ‘Natural Therapy’. ‘Ashudha Therapy’ is based on drugs and ‘Natural Therapy’ includes among others, the water Therapy. Many effects are shown of Water Therapy in Vedas. Water is the base of life so it is necessary to maintain its balance in the body. ‘Yajur-veda’ describes water is good for eye problems and energetic. Up till now in day to day practices, most of the eye problems are cured by rinsing eye with water. ‘Atherv-veda’ says water is the medicine of heart diseases.
We are in a health care crisis. Water Therapy is advocated by proponents as alternate medicine. Water Therapy is Naturopathy, where water acts as cleaning agent. It purifies body’s internal system. Our Hindu philosophy says that human body is composed of ‘Panchbhuta’ the five elements, which are Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether or Akasha. These five elements manifested itself into 22 ‘Tattva’ (Material) which all go towards creation of a body. The Devi-Gita which comprises of last nine chapters of seventh book of the twelve books of the ‘Devi Bhagwat Puran’ describes that eighty four lakh species of living beings have manifested from these five elements. A balance of these five elements keeps the human in perfect health condition. The human body require imperative element as water and its composition in the body parts is in greater quantity than other elements. Our muscles that move our body are 75 per cent water, blood that transport nutrients is 82 per cent water, lungs that provide our oxygen are 90 per cent water, our brain, the control centre of our body is 76 per cent water and our bones are 25% water. Similarly 70 per cent earth’s surface is water. However most of it 98% is salt water only 2 per cent is the fresh water which we actually utilise. Water is the basis of all life that includes our body. As the water is vital role playing element in human body on the one hand and on the other water is very important for all the rituals in Hinduism. It has integrated into most Hindu rituals, as it is believed that the water has spiritually cleansing power. The some of the Hindu rituals associated with water use are:
* Jal-Abhishek – Bathing of deities and such water after bathing the deities is offered as Teertha to devotees commonly known as Charnamat.
* Kalsha – No Hindu prayer begins without keeping Kalash an earthen part filled with water and some mango leaves.
* Tarpan – means sprinkling water with sacred grass as symbolic gesture of recognition and pleading God.
* Hindus sprinkle water before starting meal around the plate in which the meal is traditionally eaten.
* Achaman- is an important ceremony of sipping water thrice with recitation of Mantras before taking up Sandhya-Vandana which is meditation and concentration.
* Jalanjali – is offering of full hand of water to God.
* Prokshana – sprinkling of water over one’s body to purify, when a bath is not possible.
* For purifying an object water is sprinkled for the purification on the object.
It is the water flowing in all the sacred rivers, in all sacred ponds and other resources where people take bath for emancipation. The Hindu pilgrimage sites are mostly constructed on the banks of rivers, sea shores, springs and temples constructed with ponds nearby. Thus the significance of the water is linked with Hindu rituals as well as for good health conditions. The life is almost restless without water as being source of agriculture productivity, electricity and number of other daily requirements.
As it goes the nature, Gods creations can only be felt and enjoyed and religious places can be visited if one is physically fit. The century old tradition of Ayurveda treatment contributes lot for health condition of a human being. In Ayurveda the water treatment has a significant role and it is known as Usha Paan Chikitsa’ (Early morning water treaty) ‘Usha means early morning, ‘Paan’ means water and Chikitsa means therapy (treatment). Our health is truly dependant on the quality and quantity of water we drink. The water therapy is well known and practiced in number of countries. Most adopted is in the Japan. Japanese medical society has found water therapy to be 100 per cent cure for arthritis, epilepsy, bronchitis, tuberculosis, meningitis, diarrhea, throat diseases and many other ailments. Water therapy alleviates constipation, diabetes and hypertension.
What the Water Therapy is? It is cure to many diseases by way of water treatment without involving a single penny and without any harm or side effects, which all other medicines have less or more. Immediately upon waking in the morning drink 1 to 1.5 liters of water. Do not drink anything else for one hour prior to and after drinking the water. Some of the benefits of water therapy are: –
* Drinking water on an empty stomach purifies the colon, making it easier to absorb nutrients.
* It increases the production of blood and muscle cells.
* It also helps weight loss.
* Chilled water can increase metabolism.
* Water helps to purge toxins from the blood which keeps the skin glowing and clear.
The external application of water therapy is to cure bodily pains such as:
* Baths and shoves used to treat number of health problems. Hot baths relieve the person of joint pain, constipation and respiratory ailments.
* Foot baths are useful to get relief from tired achy feet.
* In-hailing the steam is beneficial to the chest congestion.
* Hot and cold compresses and body wrap used alternatively help to heal sprains, joint and muscle injuries.
* One can easily come over the problem of de-hydration, which is not decease but a stage to prove fatal for the life.
The intake of warm water in the morning with addition of lemon juice enhances the reactive benefits as lemon is big source of vitamin – C, B-complex, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.
The adding of few droplets of honey in the warm water for intake in the empty stomach in the morning not only enhances the benefits of water therapy but adds to them by giving helping hand to the immune system and saying good-by to the acidity and allergies and by increasing the good cholesterol reduce cardiovascular strain. Combination of both lemon juice and honey in warm water as Water Therapy is also acceptable.
Concluding a water cure in the therapeutic sense is a course of medical treatment by Hydrotherapy formerly called Hydropathy, is a part of medicine and alternative medicines in particular of Naturopathy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. The very best thing one can do for his health is to use water therapy. If one is committed to a healthy life style, he should make drinking enough natural water a habit in his life. It won’t take long to feel its benefit. This zero cost cure is available at all the places at all the times and without any consultation from the doctor or physician.
