Nature Cure

Nature Cure:

The 3 basic ideologies of Nature

Recognize and promote the self-healing power of nature
Identify and remove the root cause, rather than eliminate or suppress symptoms
Educate, inspire rational hope and encourage self-responsibility for health

Understanding the basics of nature cure:

The power to heal itself is within. If we get accidentally bruised and don’t do anything about it, soon a blood clot forms. Within a few days, it heals. The body heals itself without any outside help. But for some people, the healing does not occur. Why? The capacity to heal itself, also known as प्राण शक्ति/life force/vital energy/vitality has become weak. Life force or प्राण is the force due to which the body is alive. It is the force responsible for functioning of the body. When it leaves the body, the being is dead; when it is weakened there is the state of ill health that leads to what we understand as disease. Why does it become weak? It is so due to some obstruction in its functioning caused by accumulated wastes and toxic matter in the body which function as resistance in the flow of life force that runs in subtle channels called as nadis/meridians. Nadis run parallel to different blood vessels and nerves in the physical body. Life force or प्राण (prana) belongs to the subtle body. Gross and Subtle body are intricately connected, one affecting the other. Gross means that which is perceptible to our senses. Subtle means that which is not perceptible to our senses but exists.
In India, everybody understands the concept of प्राण/Prana. In common parlance we hear statements like, ‘His pranas left peacefully’, ‘His pranas have become weak’ etc. Where does this knowledge come from? Our culture has been based on the knowledge given in our shastras, Vedas. It has been so deep rooted that even when people are no longer in touch with Vedas, the words and their understanding remains. Tattva BodhaH, a small text based on the knowledge of Vedas, gives the definitions of many words like स्थूल शरीर, सूक्ष्म शरीर etc. In English they have been translated as Gross body and Subtle body etc. Gross body is made up of five gross elements/ स्थूल पञ्च भूतs: आकाशः, वायुः, अग्निः, आपः, पृथिवी; usually translated as Ether (Space), Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Gross body is a product of what we ingest; as the material, that is the food taken by us, so is the product, the body. Subtle body consists of five subtle elements/ पञ्च सूक्ष्म भूतs, five sense capacities/ पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियs (capacity to hear, experience touch, see, taste and smell), five capacities to act/ पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रियs – (capacity to speak, grasp, walk, excrete feces and procreate), five pranas/ पञ्च प्राणs (prana, apana, udana, vyana, samana; responsible for various functions like breathing, digestion, elimination, circulation etc), mind/ मनः, and intellect/ बुद्धिः. At some other places there is also mention of five minor pranas that are responsible for minor functions like cough, sneezing, hiccups, burps, vomiting, blinking of eyes etc.
Once the cause is removed, the body heals itself. When life force or प्राण शक्ति is strong, the body is healthy and has good immunity. Functioning of all organs is optimal. There is good co-ordination between different systems of the body. There is harmony within the body, harmony between the body and mind. The body heals itself naturally, when the need arises.
The cause of disease is also within which is the waste and toxic materials accumulated in the body, usually resulting from wrong eating habits, wrong postures, or drugs taken to suppress symptoms etc. Let us see this situation: the boss, who had cold, cough and fever, called everyone for an urgent meeting. Later, some of the persons who attended caught the symptoms while others didn’t. If the cause were the germs that were outside the body, in the air of the closed room, everyone should have got it. But that didn’t happen. Why? The cause of disease also lies within, which everyone did not have.
Germs are scavengers of nature. Contrary to popular belief, the germs are not the cause, but the result of diseased condition of the body, for example, spores of fungi are everywhere in the air but they grow only on food that has gone bad, ie, the food that has started to decompose, and is not good for consumption. Fungus sets on it to dispose it off. It is one of the scavengers of nature. But we think that the food has gone bad because of the fungus! In reality it is vice verse, the fungus sets in because the food has gone bad!
What we understand as disease is actually body’s effort to heal itself through acute means like loose motions, vomiting, different discharges from the body (in the form of catarrh) and inflammation etc. The body is trying to get rid of some unwanted materials inside. During such efforts, more vital energy is utilized in that particular area so the distribution of vital energy in other parts of body becomes less; therefore, one usually experiences weakness, fatigue and loss of appetite etc. When the process is over, the body returns to its normal state of health and appetite along with strength reappears. What it cannot throw out, it tries to burn by increasing body temperature commonly understood as fever.
When we take medicines and suppress these symptoms, what the body was trying to get rid of remains within, and there is an abnormal accumulation of toxins inside the body; suppose food goes bad in a container and we don’t throw away the bad food or don’t wash the container properly, what happens to the fresh food that is kept in the same utensil later? That food also goes bad! Imagine the condition of the stomach where the food remains for some time before moving to intestines through duodenum to get digested and assimilated. If the stomach already has remnants of bad food inside, fresh food first becomes bad/toxic and then, it enters the body through blood, distributing toxins to different parts of body; metabolic activities of anabolism and catabolism at cellular level also generate toxins. Later, these toxins are carried to the excretory organs by the blood stream. If the toxins exceed a certain level, excretory organs are overburdened and they become sluggish over time. As the level of toxins increases in the blood, the body’s intelligence system assesses them to be above danger levels to vital organs like brain etc, and these toxins are deposited in less critical places like joints etc. The cells of the organ where toxins are temporarily deposited often get inflamed, accompanied by pain. This tells us that more attention is needed in that area. Taking medicine only for inflammation does not cure the body; it only removes the inflammation. The cause remains within.
The cause has to be removed, not just the symptoms. Symptoms are just warning signals of our body. They say, “Something is wrong here. Pay attention!” When we only take measures to alleviate the symptoms, it is like turning off the burglar alarm in the house and feeling happy, and NOT looking for the burglars and getting rid of them!
The person as one entity has to be seen, not just the affected parts; the whole body is connected. Organs and systems work in co-ordination, as do the cells and tissues that compose them. Even the mind and body are connected to each other. Suppose a mother hears the news about the accident of her child who was riding the school bus; she might be so disturbed on hearing the news that she could faint/ get loose motions/ begin to tremble/ or develop some other symptoms. What does it reveal? The news was processed by the mind, but the reactions showed in the body, that too, not in everyone, and not the same in everyone. This is just a crude example to show that body and mind are connected. We also see that people suffering from long, serious illnesses tend to become depressed, irritable, or develop suicidal tendencies; an example of body affecting the mind.
The body is an intelligent entity. Body has its own intelligence; it has all the knowledge needed for a harmonized functioning of organs and systems. It knows how to digest food, assimilate it, and circulate it to different parts of the body. It knows how to remove waste products. It even finds ways to deal with abuse given to it in the form of unhealthy food items, smoking, drinking of alcohol etc to a certain limit. We, as an individual, don’t give it any commands or instructions about how to do all this. It knows how much it has to grow, when to grow etc. Similarly, in case of scarcity of food it looks for food stores within, and mainly uses that which it considers to be most harmful first; toxic materials, waste products, fat etc. Muscle tissue is used in the end in the state of starvation. Not that it happens one after the other but the proportions vary. This knowledge becomes very helpful in getting the body rid of materials that cause disease.
Nature Cure looks at the individual as a person. Dr P Narasimha Reddy, the founder of the hospital, always said, “Nature cure not only looks at the symptoms but at the individual as a whole; at the physical level, the mental/emotional level, and also the spiritual level, as the three are interconnected.” Not only physical symptoms are taken into consideration, the mental state and health level of the person are also seen. One’s attitudes also play an important role in dealing with the disease. Negative emotions manifest as stressed muscles in the body and the process of nutrition and elimination is obstructed in that particular area causing accumulation of wastes, the cause of disease. The person has to be counseled about the same.
All diseases are curable through nature cure, but not all persons. Many factors play an important role in healing; how much and many organs have been affected, how much life force is left in the body, how determined the person is to make an effort, how much willing one is to adopt a nature cure way of disciplined life etc, where food itself becomes the medicine. Dr P Narasimha Reddy used to say, “All changes in the body are reversible, unless an organ has been perforated or physically damaged but we can't say how much time it will take. It depends on the extent of damage to the body, determination of the person, and the support available.”

PANCHATANTRA (5 golden rules for good health By Dr. B. Venkat Rao)

Drink 10 – 12 glasses of water daily
Two meals a day
Fasting once in a week
One hour exercise daily, preferably yoga
Prayer daily

Additional Note:

Conventional medicine typically approaches the disease with a treatment plan that HANDLES the SYMPTOMS, rather than curing the disease as there is no cure available. It includes the use of corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anti-malarial drugs, and chemotherapeutic agents (all have side effects in the long run). The results vary and safety is questionable, although some of the alternative medicine approaches have shown to provide some benefit in SLE studies, not total cure though.

Curative tools of Nature Cure:

The Five Elements:

Fasting helps in cleansing the body of unwanted materials. It also gives rest to organs and systems, which, in turn, improves their functioning. It also affects the mind in a positive way. It is one of the most effective practices for cleansing of the body. (आकाश तत्त्व).
Air bath invigorates the entire system. Air is essential to our life, not only for breathing in oxygen but also for improving the functioning of our skin which is one large organ of excretion, besides being a covering for the whole body, and an instrument for touch. Lots of toxins are excreted through the skin along with sweat. The air, especially morning, fresh air, also contains life force or प्राण; when we breathe in fresh air or when we exposed our bare body to fresh and clean air, we also absorb a lot of life force through nostrils and pores in the skin, which strengthens the life force within. (वायु तत्त्व)
Sun bath or exposure to sunlight plays an important role in maintaining good health or recovering from a chronic disease. Dr Babbit put it beautifully, saying that sunlight is the principal curative agent in nature’s laboratory and where light cannot enter, disease does. We all know about how sunlight is a natural source for vitamin D to our body, but it helps us in many more ways. It contains all the colours of the rainbow; all colours have different, stimulating and beneficial effects on the human system and mind; eg blue is cooling, soothing, sedative, alleviates pain, reduces bleeding and inflammation, heals burns, brings down high temperature and blood pressure etc, and sunlight also contains pranas. (अग्नि तत्त्व)
Hydrotherapy helps in cleansing and healing the body through enema, different baths, and compresses at different temperatures; hot, cold, neutral or alternate. In general, hot relaxes and cold tones up. Drinking water is also good for us. It is an essential nutrient; it improves circulation, muscle tone, and helps in eliminating toxins from the body. Natural sources of water like a clean stream also contain pranas. (जल तत्त्व)
Natural Nutrition in the form of whole grains and sprouts, seeds and nuts, vegetables and fruits, and small quantities of unrefined natural oils, nourishes the body properly. Nutrition depends on the food that we take, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form. Oxygen and water are the topmost essential nutrients for human body. We have all heard of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. All of them have different functions and all are needed in specific proportions (as a building needs specific and quality materials in certain proportions for it to be strong and lasting, so does our body). Why natural nutrition? It is for two reasons; one, natural products have these nutrients sufficiently; two, our system is such that natural nutrients are absorbed easily and happily by the system. When we take synthetic nutrients, our system reads them as chemicals and is therefore, reluctant to accept them. Once the foods have been refined or processed, they lose most of the nutrients. Thus we only appease our hunger without supplying what is actually needed by the body; the body remains hungry for what it needs. Deficiencies caused by improper eating habits are one of the major causes of disease as the systems are not able to function properly, thus leading to a diseased state. (पृथिवी तत्त्व)

2. Supportive Non-invasive Treatments:

Fasting is an important tool in Nature Cure. In fact, it is nature’s own tool; nature wants us to abstain from food during diseased condition. It is very apparent in case of all animals and small babies who refuse to eat when unwell. Loss of appetite is like a sign-board saying, closed for repairs. But grownups force their kids to eat and they lose the natural instinct to fast when unwell. How does it work?
When we deprive food from outside, the workload of all organs is reduced- the internal organs are rested and work much better after the fast; excretory organs like liver, lungs, kidneys, and skin being rested, expel the overload of accumulated waste more efficiently; rest to digestive tract, assimilative and protective organs greatly improves digestion of food and assimilation of nutrients.
Then how does the body survive? Our bodies contain enough stores in the form of protein, fat, sugar, minerals and vitamins in different places like liver, glands, bones, bone marrow, blood, lymph and in individual cells. These stored reserves are made available for use in times of need through the process of autolysis. Being an intelligent entity, the body also uses toxic wastes, diseased, damaged, aged or dead cells, and burns them for fuel; the amino acids released from the diseased cells help in building new, healthy cells.
All this has constructive effect on physiological, nervous and mental functions, thus righting the wrong done by unhealthy diet and faulty living habits. The blood is regenerated, internal organs and various tissues are rejuvenated. Tissues of vital organs and muscles etc are not at all damaged during proper fasting. Only when the reserves are over and the body reaches the stage of starvation, there is damage to healthy and vital tissues.
Traditionally, fasting meant total abstinence from food, only water was taken during the fasting period, but after much research, juice fasting is being considered to be far superior by the leading authorities on nutrition. Dr Rangar Berg, a world famous authority on nutrition said that when we fast the body excretes and burns up large amounts of accumulated wastes, and at that time intake of alkaline juices in place of water helps in elimination of uric acid and other inorganic acids; natural sugars in juices provide the essential energy required for functioning of vital organs and strengthening of heart.
We all know that fresh, raw, vegetables and fruits juices contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes and trace elements. These are extremely beneficial in normalizing all body processes. They supply essential elements for the body’s healing process and cell regeneration. It is important that all juices are prepared from fresh fruit and vegetables, immediately before drinking, as not only do they contain critical nutrients which begin to disintegrate soon, they also have प्राण/prana/life force in them which helps strengthen the weakened pranas inside the body. Canned or frozen juices do not serve the purpose of healing.
A water enema should be given before the beginning of fast to expel excrements from food taken previously as it could lead to formation of gas in the system causing discomfort. These days, Colon Water Irrigation System has come up; it irrigates and cleanses the whole big intestine whereas an enema cleanses only the rectum. (Traditionally, the kriya/क्रिया of Shankhaprachchhalana (शंखप्रच्छालन) was done to achieve the same result as that of colon water irrigation in case of severe constipation). During fasting, plain water should be taken in between as it helps in elimination of waste products and is also an essential nutrient.
During the process of elimination, toxic wastes enter the blood stream rapidly, to be thrown out of the system through kidneys, liver and skin etc; this often causes dizziness, headache, and nausea, sometimes resulting in vomiting or diarrhea; sometimes fever is also experienced. This stage is called the healing crisis- nothing to be afraid of, but needs to be handled by the person under whose supervision the fast is being done. That is why long fasts should not be done without proper supervision and guidance.
Once a week fast is safe though- but in cases of diabetes, pregnancy, advanced stages of tuberculosis and extreme cases of neurasthenia, no fasting should be done at all. In general, fasting is helpful in almost all sorts of problems- like issues related to stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, and various nervous disorders etc; it also helps in inflammatory conditions of the body.
Ending of the fast is as important as the fast itself. Proper solid food has to be introduced very gradually, not to overburden the resting system. If a fire is weak and suddenly a lot of wood is added to it, it extinguishes the fire instead of making it stronger. Similarly, our जठराग्नि (digestive fire)/digestive juices are made weak and diluted during fasting by the body, to avoid any damage to the digestive tract lining. So coming back to the normal diet is of vital importance; food should be added gradually and it should be appropriate food otherwise the total process of fasting may go waste.
Fasting between meals is a healthy habit. Only water is consumed between two meals; nothing else is taken orally. A small amount of water taken more number of times is better than drinking a lot of water at one time. It is better to avoid drinking water along with the food, before or immediately after food as it dilutes the gastric juices. Drinking (warm) water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is also a very healthy habit as it helps in cleansing of the colon thus flushing out waste matter. Clean intestines absorb nutrients better and the body gets more nutrition leading to better health.
Massage is an important treatment. It is a sort of passive exercise. As in exercise, here too, the blood circulation increases, the stagnant venous blood is pushed out of blood vessels and capillaries in tissues. They receive fresh, pure blood that is full of nutrients and oxygen, so the tissues are rejuvenated, the cells become healthier. Cells are like the bricks in a building; healthy cells mean healthy organs and healthy body. Muscles become stronger and more active. The health of skin also improves as friction increases blood supply to it. During massage, endorphins are released by the brain, central nervous system and the pituitary gland; these are natural pain killers, stress busters and have a soothing effect on nerves and brain. That is why, after a massage the body and mind both become relaxed and refreshed. It is especially good for bed ridden patients who cannot take any other form of exercise. Patients with hypertension should avoid vigorous massage; a light massage with movements away from the heart can be taken though.
Steam bath exposes the body to moist heat. It activates cutaneous glands (sweat and sebaceous), which help in eliminating toxins from the body. It increases heart rate giving it a passive exercise which is beneficial for heart; improves functioning of air-sacs and air passages in the lungs that help in lung expansion due to which more air is purified in the lungs at the same time, making the blood more pure and oxygenated. This blood is supplied to different tissues and organs in the body. Steam bath also increases the metabolic rate which is good for hypothyroidism; it helps in weight reduction also. It is good for skin disorders, and to improve the general functioning of skin. It benefits the kidneys by expelling sodium and water in the form of sweat, reducing the workload of kidney; it is helpful in reducing edema.
Regular walking is very helpful in maintaining or improving health, and to enhance one’s stamina. It is easy and beneficial, no external aids are required. During a walk heart rate increases which increases blood circulation in the body, there is sweat on the skin and toxins from the body are expelled through it, breathing rate increases so lungs function more and the body gets more oxygenated blood. Regular walking also helps in improving balance and coordination of body. It is especially beneficial for diabetes, hypertension, stiffness and other inflammatory conditions of the body.
Usually walking is done early in the morning and in natural surroundings, air is pollution free and contains more oxygen. Exposure to early morning sun shuts down the function of Pineal gland during the day; this helps it in functioning better at night and produce melatonin, responsible for good sleep, maintaining of circadian rhythm, the internal 24 hour body clock, and regulating other hormones in the body that are responsible for various functions in the body. The mild sun rays also help the body create vitamin D which activates gene cells that release dopamine and serotonin. This impacts the mind in a positive way which calms down and relaxes. Thinking of happy memories while walking is further helpful in the release of these neurotransmitters. Dopamine, serotonin, endorphin and oxytocin (oxytocin is secreted during social bonding or togetherness) have been called as happiness hormones by many scholars.
Different types of walking affect the body differently; eg slow and steady walk is good for improving mood and functioning of heart in cases where more harsh exercise has been forbidden; brisk walk is recommended for weight loss, it also improves the health condition of bones and muscles. If starting to walk at a given time in life, it is better to begin with small walks which should be gradually increased in time and pace. For walking to be really effective, it is imperative that it be done regularly. In case of any serious health conditions, it is better to seek the advice of your doctor before starting.
Exercise, done regularly, has the same effects on body and mind as walking- increase in respiratory rate, heart function, blood circulation, lung expansion, increased stamina, and more muscle strength, removal of toxins through sweat and soothing of nerves. It improves the flow of nutrients to the brain thus it slows down brain aging and enhances production of brain cells.
It is more beneficial when done in pleasant circumstances. When done outdoors like jogging, running, cycling or yoga, it increases the production of hormones like serotonin, endorphins, melatonin and dopamine in the body. These are powerful, natural, anti-inflammatory agents so their natural secretion in the body reduces the need for intake of corticosteroid and immunosuppressant.
Physiotherapy is a way of treating disease, injury or deformity by physical methods without using medicines. In some cases massage is beneficial, sometimes mechanical force is used; certain movements are repeated or certain manipulations are done to improve the condition. These may be preceded or followed by hot fomentation or cold applications depending upon the condition. Certain exercises are prescribed for long term effects, all without the use of harmful drugs. These days, use of infra red radiation to relax and heal, ultra sonic therapy to heal internal injury, IFT, vibration, and traction etc (all being non-invasive techniques) has also been included. Sometimes after healing of a fracture hot wax treatment is given to relax the tissues before taking exercise to regain movement.
Acupressure and acupuncture recognize the presence of life-force in the body flowing in invisible (subtle) channels in the body called as meridians. The term they use for life-force is chi or ki (we call it prana, and call the meridians as nadis). Similar to our understanding, obstruction in the flow of life-force is the cause of disease/discomfort according to them also. Acupressure and acupuncture are techniques to restore unobstructed flow of life force in meridians in the body and regain health. The basic difference between the two is that in acupressure only pressure is applied to certain points in the body, in acupuncture needles are inserted at certain points. Usually one needs many sessions for it to be effective.
Combined with nature cure where cleansing of the body is also happening simultaneously, it becomes much more effective and beneficial. Not only does it produce results in the body, it works on the mind as well. It is helpful in treating anxiety, insomnia, stress etc as it helps relieve the nerves and mind besides physical ailments connected to different organs. These days the concept of electro-acupuncture has also come up where two needles are connected to a machine through which a small electric current is passed to further stimulate the points. Endorphins which are natural pain and stress fighters are released in the process and this helps in alleviation of pain and stress, as well as stress based ailments. Endorphins also help in modulation of appetite, enhancement of immune system, extremely positive sense of happiness/wellbeing and release of sex hormones.
Magneto therapy is based on the theory that since all living beings exist in earth’s magnetic field (the reason why a compass always rests in north- south direction) it has a specific influence on the human body. The human body also has its own magnetic field, an electromagnetic energy field. In case of any disorder/complaint in the body, this energy field gets disturbed. The purpose of magneto therapy is to correct this and restore it to its normal condition which has a direct impact on the physical health. Also, we know that our blood contains iron, and blood is everywhere in the body in blood vessels and capillaries; one can only guess that blood circulation might get affected as there is iron content in blood, increasing blood circulation to the area where a magnet is applied; or it could be that due to the presence of the magnet, there is an ion exchange in blood causing increased blood flow leading to more oxygen to the area which is helpful in the healing process. Whatever the reason, magneto therapy has shown positive results as a supportive therapy along with nature cure, especially in chronic diseases to relieve pain and to accelerate the process of tissue healing. Depending on the condition, sometimes electric magnets are also used to intensify the effect.

References:

Nature Cure- A way of Life; Dr. S. R. Jindal

A complete handbook of Nature Cure; H. K. Bakhru

The Scientific Theoretical Nature Cure; Dr. Sankaran Manipuzha

Fasting Can Save Your Life; Hebert M. Shelton

Tattva BodhaH; Shankaracharya

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita English translation; Swami Gambhirananda; https://www.gitasupersite.

SE_Magnet_Therapy: https://scribd.com/document/365524781/SE-Magnet-Therapy-pdf