Karkidaka Chikitsa in Trivandrum Kerala
Saatwika Ayurveda offers Best Karkidaka Chikitsa in Trivandrum Kerala. These Ayurvedic Monsoon Treatments in Trivandrum Kerala are performed in the months of July and August every year.
Our Karkidaka Chikitsa Packages in Trivandrum Centre
Saatwika offers specially packaged Karkidaka Chikithsa or Karkidaka treatment Packages to you at our Trivandrum Centre in Sasthamangalam, Kerala.
The treatment packages will be completely customized for each person
Karkidaka Rejuvenation Packages
5 to 28-day Rejuvenation Karkidaka Packages
- Abhyanga
- Kizhi
- Pizhichil
- Udwarthana
- Dhara
- Pancha Karma
Karkidaka Therapeutic packages
Karkidaka Treatment Packages for diseases
Features of Karkidaka Chikitsa Packages in Trivandrum Kerala
Saatwika Ayurveda offers a individualised Karkidaka chikitsa in Trivandrum Kerala
It can vary from individual to individual.
The Ayurvedic Physician decides on the no of days, the treatment procedures and medicines best suited for each person as per the constitution and health of each individual.
Usually, the standard treatment packages range from 14 to 21 days.
In the case of Sukha chikitsa, it can be limited to 7 days, and for a complete Panchakarma therapy in certain conditions, it can go up to 28 days also.
The package includes various preventive treatments and rejuvenation therapies.
The primary aim of Karkidaka chikitsa is to detoxify and rejuvenate the body and mind. These preventive treatments also boost immunity and prevent diseases.
What is Karkidaka Chikitsa
After the scorching sun of summer starts, the heavy downpour spreads the intoxicating smell of Mother Earth,
Karkidakam, the month of Monsoon, comes in mid-July to August is considered the last month of the Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham).
Karkidaka month is called the month of epidemics, poverty, and misery due to heavy rains and floods in Kerala.
To overcome and protect ourselves from the inauspiciousness and ill effects of Karkidaka month, people observe and indulges in certain rituals and regimens.
Taking a Karkidaka Chikitsa are some of the routines followed in the month of Karkidaka.
Importance of Karkidaka Chikitsa in Kerala
Kerala has always been the hub of the age-old wisdom of life – Ayurveda. This explains, in short, why there are quite a handful of traditional Ayurvedic therapies to the assets of Kerala Ayurveda.
Karkidaka chikitsa is one of these heritages of Kerala Ayurveda.
During monsoons, the sudden heavy rains after the intense heat in summer triggers infectious diseases and intensify individuals’ existing degenerative conditions.
According to Ayurveda, humans are considered the lowest Sareera Bala (innate immunity). This period also causes an imbalance in Tridoshas ( the three senses of humour – Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which are our body’s functional units).
As the season impairs the Agni ( digestive fire) and lowers the immunity, Ayurveda instructs to follow strict dietary regimens and customized Panchakarma therapies to detoxify oneself, augment the Agni, and regain and maintain the balance of tridoshas.
This holistic approach of regularized diet and regimen, along with Panchakarma therapies during the season of karkidaka, is popularized as Karkidaka Chikitsa.
The holistic approach of Karkidaka Chikitsa Or Kerala Monsoon Treatment
Ayurveda emphasizes a conglomeration of diet, regimen, and treatment modalities to revitalize an individual’s overall health in the month of Karkidaka.
An Ayurvedic physician decides the treatment protocols, diet, and no days of treatment needed for a person based on the individual’s constitutional examination and health status.
Diet in Karkidaka Chikitsa
Agni is the essential factor that controls our body’s overall metabolism and functioning. In the month of Karkidaka, the central element affected in our body is Agni. Therefore, to kindle its function and revitalize the metabolism, a regularized diet that is easy to digest processed with herbal augmenters of Agni is instructed as per the individual’s general constitution.
General dietary advice in Karkidaka are
- Avoid potatoes, cabbages, cauliflower, curd excess garlic.
- Avoid junk foods and cool drinks.
- Follow a vegetarian diet.
- Drink only boiled water ( with ginger/ cumin seeds)
- Include different types of soups (veg/ pulses)
- Mastu – a drink prepared from the clear upper part of the curd processed with suvarchala salt and panchakola(group of five carminative drugs) should be regularly used.
- Grains like wheat and barley are mainly used to prepare food due to their easily digestible property.
- Karkidaka kanji– the herbal gruel is an inevitable part of Karkidaka Chikitsa treatment. The recipe for this gruel is listed below.
Karkidaka Kanji -Medicinal Porridge Prepared as Part of Karkidaka Chikitsa in Kerala
It is a famous culinary preparation, traditionally followed in Kerala as part of Karkidaka Chikithsa or Monsoon Treatment, to augment the impaired Agni and regain the Sareera Bala.
This recipe rightly proves the statement “Aharam even Mahabheshajam”- Food is the most excellent medicine.
This recipe is formulated in Peya (gruel- the lightest form of Sahara), the staple food in Kerala.
The peya form has a comprehensive therapeutic action, and the same process with herbal ingredients makes it a unique combination, compatible with a low Agni and a weak body.
Ingredients for Karkidaka Kanji
Njavara rice (Shashtika) – 100gms
Chandrasoora (Garden cress)- 10gms
Dasamoola choornam – 5gm
Trikatu choorna – 5gm
Dasapuspa choorna – 10gm
Broken rice – 10gm
Medhika (fenugreek) – 10gm
Jeeraka(Cumin seeds) – 10gm
Ghee – Qs
Coconut milk -Qs
Jaggery – Qs
Water – Qs
Method of preparation
Boil one glass of water with ten gms dasamoola choorna.
Add 100 gms of Njavara rice to it and continue boiling by adding Jeeraka, Trikatu choorna, medhika, broken rice. Once the rice gets cooked, add dasapushpa powder and a sufficient quantity of Coconut milk, jaggery and ghee.
In conditions where the person is associated with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, or any other ailments, the physician instructs restructuring of the ingredients to customize the recipe after examining the person’s health status.
Karkidaka Kanji Recipes for some common ailments
Diabetes & Hypertension
Njavara rice (Shashtika) – 50gms
Broken wheat – 50gms
Chandrasoora (Garden cress)- 10gms
Dasamoola choornam
– 5gm
Trikatu choorna – 5gm
Amlaki choornam – 5gm
Dasapuspa choorna – 10gm
Broken rice – 10gm
Medhika (fenugreek)
– 20gm
Green gram – 20 gm
Jeeraka(Cumin seeds) – 10gm
Rock salt – Qs
Ghee – Qs
Coconut milk -Qs
Water – Qs
Njavara rice (Shashtika) – 100gms
Chandrasoora (Garden cress) – 10gms
Moringa leaves – 5 gms.
Thazhutama – 5gms
Curry leaves – 5gms
Dasamoola choornam – 5gm
Trikatu choorna – 5gm
Dasapuspa choorna – 10gm
Broken rice – 10gm
Medhika (fenugreek) – 10gm
Jeeraka(Cumin seeds) – 10gm
Ghee – reduce
Coconut milk -Qs
Jaggery – Qs
Water – Qs
Hyperlipidemia & Asthma
Njavara rice (Shashtika) – 100gms
Chandrasoora (Garden cress)- 10gms
Tazhutama -5gm
Curry leaves -5gm
Small grated onion – 5gm
Dasamoola choornam
– 5gm
Trikatu choorna – 5gm
Dasapuspa choorna – 10gm
Broken rice – 10gm
Medhika (fenugreek)
– 20gm
Green gram -10gm
Jeeraka(Cumin seeds) – 20gm
Coconut milk -reduced
Jaggery – Qs
Water – Qs
Njavara rice (Shashtika) – 100gms
Chandrasoora (Garden cress)- 10gms
Dasamoola choornam
– 20gm
Trikatu choorna – 10gm
Dasapuspa choorna – 10gm
Broken rice – 10gm
Medhika (fenugreek)
– 10gm
Jeeraka(Cumin seeds) – 10gm
Ghee – Qs
Coconut milk -reduce
Jaggery – Qs
Water – Qs
Importance of Karkidaka Kanji
- With its solid content, it soothes the hunger
- Its liquid portion alleviates the thirst
- It relieves exhaustion and weakness through its nutritional and mineral content.
- Relieves abdominal discomfort by its carminative drugs.
Regimens in Karkidaka Chikitsa
Not just diet but also strict and regularized regimens also play an essential role in realigning the body’s imbalanced doshas.
- Go to bed early at night and wake up early in the morning
- Practice yoga and pranayama regularly in the morning and evening
- Bath in hot/ lukewarm water (use only cold water to wash the head)
- Keep up the correct time for taking the meals.
- Observe celibacy
- Sleep for at least 8 – 10 hrs at night.
- Regularly fumigate the house and premises.
- Regularly pray and recite mantras.
- Avoid strenuous exercise, swimming, cycling etc.
Ayurvedic Treatments as Part of Karkidaka Chikitsa in Kerala
Karkidaka Chikitsa treatments in Trivandrum Kerala have two primary criteria.
Sukha Chikitsa Or Preventive Therapy
It is intended for healthy individuals to preserve their health these days, soothe and relax the exhausted muscles, tissues, and nerves, and revitalize their general wellbeing. It comprises of
- relaxing hot oil massages ( abhyanga) to relieve the stress and tensions of both mind and body
- different kinds of poultice treatments( kizhi/ sudation) to restrengthen the tendons and ligaments
- Hot oil pouring into the body( pizhichil
- Oil pouring in the head( Shirodhara )
- Oil enema if needed
- mild laxation( virechana) at the end.
Panchakarma therapy
If the patient needs Detoxification, doctors suggest panchakarma along with rejuvenation.
All the procedures included in sukha chikitsa and the following add-ons are blended skillfully as per personalized requirements.
- Poorva Karma ( Preparatory procedures for dislodging the toxins)
- Snehana (Oleation therapy)- ghee intake in progressing quantity/ small amount to absorb the toxins from even the body’s minute channels.
- Swedana( Sudation therapy)- any form of heating up(poultices/ steaming or even hot water bath) to liquefy the toxins and bring them to the alimentary canal for easy elimination
- Pradhana Karma ( Main detoxification procedures)
- Vamana – emesis
- Virechana – purgation
- Anuvasana vasti – oil enema
- Kasaya Vasti – Decoction enema
- Nasya – nasal instillation
- Pascha Karma (Regaining the Sareera Bala and regularizing the diet)
After the tedious detoxification procedure body is debilitated and exhausted, and food regimens are charted to regain the sareera bala and kindle the Agni back for metabolism.
Based on the intensity of purificatory procedures, the diet starts with gruel to a thicker form of gruel with pulses, thick porridges and then to easily digestible food.
The concept of Detoxification in Karkidaka Chikitsa
Let it be mind or body toxins are anything that interferes with your health.
The indisciplined lifestyle, eating habits, and diet amounts to toxins in our body.
Stress, negative thoughts and ego can make the mind toxified.
These toxins aggravate during the monsoon season, triggering various discomforts and ill health during this period, along with the body’s seasonal derangements.
This year is considered the ideal month for detox treatment in Ayurveda.
The toxins are eliminated, the Agni augmented, and the doshic balance brought to normal.
Yoga and Pranayama in Karkidaka Chikitsa
Spiritual and mental health is always on par with physical health regarding an individual’s overall wellbeing.
So equal care and attention need to be rendered to mental health to make a person emotionally and socially healthy.
Benefits of Karkidaka Chikitsa in Kerala
- Prevents and protects the body from the ill effects of the season.
- Detoxification of the body
- Increases the immunity of the body
- Rejuvenation of the body
- Improves and normalizes the metabolism of the body
- Initiate weight loss
- Healing massages
- Clarity of mind and senses
- Spiritual well being
People contraindicated for Karkidaka Chikitsa
- Pregnant ladies
- Bedridden cases
- People with severe ailments should do the same only after consultation with the doctor.
Can Karkidaka Chikitsa be done at home?
To avail of the exclusive benefits of Karkidaka treatment, he should avail a detailed personalized consultation from a qualified Ayurvedic Physician and take the same on his advice alone.
The treatments are usually customized for each individual and may vary in no days, types of procedures and medicines.
You can follow some natural tips to remain healthy at home during this season, but never treatments.
Natural Tips to follow at home for Karkidaka Chikitsa
- Drink boiled water with dry ginger, and cumin seeds
- Take preparations made with husk (Thavidu) and jaggery cooked in charcoal.
- Take a lot of leafy vegetables as curry and side dishes ( They are rich sources of iron and vitamins)
- Drink mastu processed with the carminative drugs regularly to take care of the Agni.
- Take Ousadha kanji/ Karkidaka Kanji regularly for fourteen days at night.
- Take Jeerakarishta for the betterment of Agni and Rasnerandadi kashaya with a teaspoon of dhanwantaram ghritam/ Guggulutiktakam ghritam to take care of your joints during this season.
- After the intake of Karkidaka kanji to replenish the tissues, Ajamamsa Rasayana 1 tablespoon at bedtime ( for lean/average physique) and mutton soup for obese individuals are instructed.
- Application of oil on body and head half an hour before a hot shower will relax your body and mind. Dhanwantaram tailam/ Pinda tailam on your body and ksheerabala tailam on your head are ideal choices.
- Have a good and sound sleep
- Wake up early in the morning
- Practice yoga and pranayama.
Importance of Karkidaka Chikitsa in Kerala in The Post pandemic world
In this COVID 19 scenario, when all the major countries have found lockdown uneconomical, the inclination to prevention measures has grown high to keep oneself healthy.
The WHO has proclaimed to resort to all methods to boost one’s immunity and accept all measures to prevent oneself from getting affected by the pandemic virus.
In the month of Karkidaka, when the innate immunity and the body’s strength are at risk, the body would be vulnerable to such infections if we are not fit to fight them.
Our Agni should be at its best, all systems functioning to their fullest with sound mind and physique health.
Since the primary aim and ultimate benefits of Karkidaka Chikitsa are the need of the hour, we have to include it as an integral part of COVID 19 preventive Measures.