India celebrates the National Sports Day every year on August 29 in honour of Major Dhyan Chand, one of the greatest hockey players. As we are approaching the National Sports Day, we need to create awareness about the relevance of sports in life. Ayurveda is something that can be utilised to bring out the best in our athletes.
Ayurveda has always put forward that deha (the body) and manas (the mind) exist together. The two substratum of disease is deha and manas. The affliction with one over a period would have the manifestation in the other.
Hence, taking active part in sports is a method for disease prevention too. The dincharya (the daily regiment) as ascribed by ayurveda mentions getting up early in the morning, engaging in needful exercises after proper excretion. It is followed by undergoing abhyanga (oil application over head and body).
The rules of dietetics like having nutritious and easily digestable food would pave way for improved physical and mental agility. Practices of Kalari (the martial art) was always accompanied by various massage techniques being practiticed by trainers to improve specific muscle group strengthening. Regular oil application helps to ease the continuous physical strain.
That is why abhyangam is included under dinacharya which means to be a part of daily regiment. Every day abhyangam for 15-30 minutes before bath will improve endurance and agility of muscles. Yearly purification of biotoxins through panchakarma would definitely improve the strength of the individual bestowing the bala(strength) to the body and mind.
The panchakarma is selected according to the individual nature and strength specifity. Internal use of various preparations like ghee, special rasayana are given for the overall strengthening of muscles, bones and joints. Various bandhan (bandaging techniques ) on different parts of the body according to the nature of sport are also recommended.
Marma are the vital energy points in the body as mapped by ancient medical scientists. There are 108 marma points mentioned in ayurveda samhithas which have to be considered as special locations in the body that are prone to injuries. Different therapies like pinda swedam (massage therapy that uses warm medicated oils in a cloth bag), jambeera pinda swedam(lemon used as main ingredient), patrapinda sweda (various leaves with medicinal properties), shashtika pinda swedam(special rice used) are utilised variantly.
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