Ayurveda, the Indian stream of medical sciences, is considered to be gifted to people by God himself. Earlier restricted to the ancient scriptures, the science is now being researched upon to find cures to several ailments that afflict people. Ayurvedic essential oils are the pure essences of several herbs and plants that have been identified with medicinal qualities. Ayurvedic treatment differs from the conventional cures in the sense that it aims at curing the sick rather than the sickness. It is considered that the person as a whole must be treated if one wants to find a potent cure of the sickness. The ayurvedic essential oils help a lot in healing the person from inside. The herbs and plants used to prepare ayurvedic essential oils are mostly of Indian origin. The ancient scriptures have a mention of the qualities of each of the herb. Moreover, one can find the method of preparing the ayurvedic essential oils to keep the essence of herb intact. The natural state of the body is considered at equilibrium. A healthy person enjoys equilibrium, wherein doshas, agni (digestive fire), dhatus (tissues), normal functioning of mala (waste products), cheerful state of atman (soul), sensory organs and mind are working well. Doshas find a special mention in the ayurvedic studies. There are three types of doshas or faults within the body- vata, pitta, and kapha. When the functioning of these three doshas is impaired, then human body takes up diseases. Vata is identified with the cosmic element of air and ether, which regulates all types of movements. The person with a vata nature is likely to be ill with diseases of the neurological system, particularly the motor functions. Elderly people are more likely to have vata disorders. For the correction of vata dosha, ayurvedic essential oils will be very helpful. The ayurvedic essential oils used will be moist, calming, and warm to successfully cure the disorder. Some of the important essential oils used to treat vata imbalances are bergamont, orange, sandalwood, turmeric, frankincence, vetivert, camphor oils etc. Essential oils clear blocked passages of the body. They are also beneficial to prevent dryness of skin and loss of water in the body tissues. Another dosha is of the pitta type. Agni or heat forms the primary constituent of pitta. Maintaining body heat is the primary responsibility of pitta. Hence, Pitta is responsible for metabolic process in the organ and tissue systems, in addition to the cellular metabolism. One can identify persons of the pitta type by their sharpness, prompt action and their intellectual capacity. Diseases of the digestive and metabolic systems largely affect the pitta type people, which is visible more during the middle ages. Ayurvedic essential oils that help in treating pitta disorders must have a cooling effect to let excessive heat out of the body. The essential ayurvedic oil must be essentially dry. The ayurvedic essential oils that best suit this type of imbalances are sandalwood, jasmine, lavender, neroli, tea tree oils. The last type of dosha is kapha. Kapha is made up of earth and water. The body form and structure, inclusive of fluids, fats, muscles, bones etc. come under kapha. Respiratory system is more prone to kapha imbalances, which results into phlegmatic disorders. Such disorders are mostly visible in the children who may complain of chest pain or problems in breathing. Ayurvedic essential oils help healing these disorders. The essential ayurvedic oils used to treat kapha disorders will be opposite to the ones used in pitta disorders. This is because kapha has cold qualities unlike pitta, which is concerned with heat. Therefore, the ayurvedic oils will be light, warm and dry. Ayurveda aspire to bring the person back to its normal natural state, by facilitating healing from inside. Ayurvedic essential oils further this object of ayurveda by using the pure essence of herbs and plants. |
