Mother nature and its power to heal

The dilemma. Not every remedy to a health problem will be found in a hospital or clinic, with endless diagnostic efforts, doctors, medicines or surgery. At one point either the medical practitioner will suggest surgery or run out of options. You will hop from one hospital to another across cities, towns and even isolate districts of repute and promise and at the end, you are bound to have a difficult time deciding which to pursue from the myriad of suggestions you will have collected from all the doctors you meet, each with their own belief and plan.

The process of seeking medical treatment is in itself an exhausting one, set aside the major task at hand- your medical issue. Assuming you have a robust support system and care from family, relatives, friends or hired professionals coupled with financial resources, this aspect of your treatment- zeroing in on what is right for you, which hospital and doctor, often makes or breaks your case. The journey will most certainly be far from a cheery one if you come across doctors who capitalise on fear to propose invasive, expensive, or risky procedures. Their words will cause you to have sleepless nights if not rob you of your self- confidence with the likely outcome that you will relent sooner or later.

A wise man once told me, “You can’t afford to be impatient with yourself (be in a hurry to get to the bottom of things just for the sake of not having to deal with the problem), lazy (to explore all your options) or without faith (that there is a solution somewhere out there) if you have a medical issue. The quest for a medical alternative should be an ongoing one till you come across a solution that does you good.

It was in this quest that I discovered naturopathy after most of the conventional alternatives failed to get me beyond a certain level of fitness. Not one to jump with excitement on the prospects of going under the knife after two unpleasant experiences from a Caesarean-section and laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder stones, naturopathy offered relief and respite from mental agony, only concern being the million- dollar question of its effectiveness.

Introduction to nature, the healer. Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (S.D.M) Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital situated at Pareeka in Udupi district in Karnataka was recommended to me by a distinguished associate of mine who had a similar medical issue as mine several years ago and has recovered completely. The hospital managed by Shanthivana Trust offers nature cure treatment through yoga, special boiled, raw or juice “Sattvic” diet, a plethora of nature cure treatments and therapies including massages with different types of essential oils and herbs, counselling and most importantly, demonstration, education and inspiration to make lifestyle changes and turn to nature. S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital works on the belief that human body has the capacity to provide cure for its own ailments through drugless therapies.

The doctors here are specially educated and trained in Naturopathy which is a system of alternative medicine based on the theory that diseases can be successfully treated or prevented without the use of drugs and surgery by techniques such as control of diet, exercise and massage emphasizing the use of natural agents (air, water and herbs) and physical means (tissue manipulation and electrotherapy). S.D.M College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, Ujire located about 88 km from the hospital and affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka offers undergraduate, post graduate and doctorate studies recognised by Department of AYUSH, Government of India where Bachelor Degree in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences (BNYS) is a five and half year’s course including one year internship.

A hospital with a difference. The sprawling hospital is spread over 16 acres of land amidst greenery, solitude in the lap of nature providing premier amenities and a sense of calm. It offers different types of accommodation from general ward, corporate section shared by group of ten people, special rooms (non-AC), deluxe rooms (AC and television), cottage and VIP cottage. Patients are taken in for a minimum of ten days, some extending their stay and treatment as per their progress. Admissions are reliant on submission of medical reports on the website and on getting a positive response from the hospital management whereby only those requests are accepted which fall in the purview of the list of diseases it cures like bronchial asthma, nasal allergy, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, thyrotoxicosis, obesity, high and low blood pressure, ischemic heart diseases, migraine, tension, headache, anxiety neurosis, depressive neurosis to name a few.

The nature cure treatments include

(1) colon hydrotherapy which clears the large intestine, relieves constipation, promotes healthy intestinal bacteria and enhances immune system;

(2) massage therapy which is full or partial massage with salt or oil for rejuvenation, improving the blood circulation, reducing muscle stiffness and improving range of joint movements, salt and oil massage gives glow to the skin by removing dead cells and reduces stress;

(3) steam bath/sauna bath/reclining steam bath or hydro therapy improves blood circulation, open up sweat pores thus improving skin function, improves fat metabolism and reduces muscle stiffness;

(4) cold circular jet stimulates nerves and relieves pain;

(5) hip bath improves fat metabolism, blood circulation to abdominal organs and genitals, digestion and reduces appetite;

(6) under water massage/immersion bath has an analgesic effect, neutralises gastric secretion, increases fat metabolism, improves blood circulation;

(7) douches reduce pain, stimulates spinal nerves, reduces stiffness of muscles;

(8) full mud bath gives a cooling effect to the body, improves blood circulation, increases fat metabolism and reduces appetite;

(9) Ganji turmeric bath adds glow to the skin and has an anti-allergic effect;

(10) face and hair treatments where fruits and vegetables paste are applied to treat skin texture, hair growth, and other skin and hair and scalp related problems.

Detoxification and diet therapy. The core treatment at S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital is centred around diet and detoxication through food based on the theory, “Thy food shall be your medicine. Medicine thy not be your food.” (Hippocrates). The principle is reduced portions, low carbohydrates diet, different varieties of millets, lots of fruits and vegetables, either raw or partially cooked, little or no oil used in cooking and the way the meals are spaced out with the last meal getting over before 7 pm.

Detoxification therapy uses the purifying properties of various fruits, vegetables and herbal juices to clean the body of unwanted and accumulated toxins which are a result of unhealthy lifestyle. The diet therapy aims to bring in dietary modification depending on the patient’s ailment. On an average patients lose 4-5 kgs weight in a 10-days period at S.D.M Hospital as an outcome of the rigorous diet, detoxification and yoga therapy. However, the best practice is how sustainability of the learnings on diet and life style modification is ensured through regular counselling by the doctors, and on discharge as discharge summary card inscriptions.

The three kinds of diet that are served are boiled (BD), raw (RD) and juice diet (JD) depending on what the doctor has allotted to the patient as per the ailment. The types of juices and beverages include ash gourd, bitter gourd, goose berry, lemon with honey and chia seeds, pineapple, carrot, beetroot, cucumber, watermelon, pomegranate, buttermilk, finger millet or ragi ganji, barley water.

Boiled diet meals cooked without or with very little oil serve dishes like coriander rice, vegetable pulao, foxtail millet and peas pulao, millet bisi bele bath or spicy rice, rava idli, spinach/dil leaves/radish/beetroot chapati, vegetable soup, vegetable curry made of pumpkin, chickpeas, green peas, dil leaves and drumstick, fenugreek and tomato, dal, sambar, groundnut chutney, beetroot peanut chutney, with handsome portion of fruits like water melon and papaya, and buttermilk as a side drink to be consumed with the meals. Healthy breakfast is made up of ragi ganji/upma with buttermilk and evening snacks is essentially sprouts and barley water. Raw diet consists of only fruits, sprouts and select vegetables like cucumber, carrot etc. Individuals keen on weight loss often opt for juice diet and consume only juices.

Acupuncture, Physiotherapy (exercise therapy, magnetotherapy and electrotherapy). Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese system of medicine through which various painful conditions and diseases are treated by inserting fine needles into the specific points on the body. This has major impact on balancing the vital energy flow throughout the body.

On the other hand, physiotherapy can help to restore movement and function when a person is affected by injury, illness, disability or after surgery and can also help to reduce the risk of injury and illness in the future. The physiotherapists provide useful tips on things that affect our daily lives such as posture, correct way of lifting objects to help prevent injuries, movement, tailored exercises and physical activity to improve our general health and mobility and to strengthen specific parts of our body, and manual therapy using their hands to help relieve pain and stiffness, and to encourage better movement of the body.

Reflexology. The reflexology track located outdoors within the premises is a circular walking area with four concentric compartments which give pressure to the feet of those who walk on the different materials laid in the track. Walking through the reflexology track takes about 20 minutes; the first and innermost compartment allows patients to walk over hot and cold water, the second compartment allows patients to walk on rough sand, the third compartment is laid with 2- inch sized marble stones with smooth surface while the outermost and forth compartment is laid with sea sand.

The exercise is meant to provide natural healing based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears and their referral areas within zone related areas, which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Through application of pressure on those reflexes, the feet being the primary area, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related areas of the body and heal and repair on its own.

People from different parts of India and other countries come to S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital. The format of treatment such as practising yoga together, eating meals in the dining hall, going for walks, lectures and nature cure therapies together, all foster a sense of community and builds friendship for life among patients. 

For 70 years old Maithri hailing from Mysore, a trip to S.D.M Hospital every year isn’t related to any ailment but a gift she likes to give herself for the detoxification she enjoys there since the last six years. Two middle-aged women from Bengaluru, Shreya and Urvashi recovered fully from Tinnitus which causes ringing in the ears and Vertigo which causes acute giddiness and imbalance. Many people come for weight loss while others come for more serious ailments related to back pain and spine.

A trip to Udupi can serve to have double bonus for the naturopathy treatment at S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital and for the historic significance of the renown Krishna Temple where according to the legends, the statute of Lord Krishna turned around for a devotee, Kanakadasa, offering his prayers from behind the temple because he was barred from entering due to belonging to a low caste.

We are part of nature and by consuming food that is natural and living a life close to nature to how human beings used to live before modernisation, we gain good health by defeating many ailments which are a result of contemporary life style. Self- healing is the most sustainable healing.

Ps: This article written by Urmila Chanam was published on the leading newspaper in Manipur, The Sangai Express 7th-9th February 2024.