Bāhya Snehana

• Bāhya Snehana, or External Oleation, is a therapeutic oil massage performed simultaneously on both sides of the patient’s body with strokes synchronized in the same direction. The motion and speed of strokes are set to match the flow of doṣas inside the body.
• The objective of Snehana is to pacify the doṣas, contain the spread of āma, or toxins contaminating different parts of the body, liquefy them and direct them to a central location. Toxins are then excreted by the system during Pañcakarma, the main treatment. Snehana provides relief from ailments, and soothes the patient, both mentally and physically.
• Āyurvedic massage therapy is not just the simple application of oil, it involves therapeutic considerations, such as Doṣa (Bio humors), Dhātu (tissues), Prakṛti (constitution), and pharmacological considerations.

MARDANA

         Definition

• Mardana is a variety of bāhya Snehana.
• Mardana is a method of applying pressure over the body after application of sneha.
• तं कॄत्वा अनुसुखं देहं मर्दयेच्च समन्तत: | (a.h.su.2/12)
• Vagbhata has mentioned mardana in chapter dinacaryā – he says after vyāyāma mardana has to be done.
• Sushruta has mentioned mardana in vātavyādhi cikitsā.
• स्नेहाभ्यङ्ग उपनाहश्च मर्दनालेपनानि च |

          त्वङ्मांसासॄक् सिराप्राप्ते कुर्यात् चासॄग्विमोक्षणं ||(su.chi.4/7)

Indication

• Twakgata vāta
• Māṃsagata vāta
• Asṛkgata vāta
• Sirāgata vāta
• Snāyugata vāta
• Sandhigata vāta
• Asthigata vāta

Here the application of pressure on the body is in the direction of body hair.

UNMARDANA

     Definition

     हस्ततलेन मर्दनम्।   (आ.म​.को.)

   Application of pressure on the body against the direction of body hair.( Pratiloma Gati)

      Indication

•  Twakgata vāta
• Māṃsagata vāta
• Asṛkgata vāta
• Sirāgata vāta
• Snāyugata vāta
• Sandhigata vāta
• Asthigata vāta

PĀDĀGHĀTA

       Introduction

• पादाघात – पादेन मर्दनं (अरुणदत्त, अ हृ सू 3/10)
• Pādāghāta – pada + aghata
• Pādāghāta is a bāhya snehana procedure where patient is subjected to abhyaṅga and is made to lie down in prone position and mardana is done to the body with the help of pada.
• Traditional known as Keraliya chavitti thirumal.
• Ācārya Vagbhata has mentioned about pādāghāta in ṛtu charya, mentioned as a regimen to be followed in hemanta ṛtu.
• Ācārya Vagbhata mentioned that pādāghāta has to be done after undergoing

1. Abhyaṅga with vātahara taila
2.  Śiro abhyaṅga
3.  Mardana

• Sushruta has mentioned about pādāghāta in cikitsāsthāna.
• One has to do vyāyāma upto his half capacity, when he starts sweating after vyāyāma, should undergo pādāghāta i.e mardana with the foot.

    Benefits

• The person undergoing pādāghāta wouldn’t be effected by any vyādhi.
• A simile is explained where a deer will not come near a lion similarly a disease will not affect a person who undergoes pādāghāta.

    Pūrva karma

• Sambhāra saṅgraha

1. Tailas needed for abhyaṅga like kṣīrabāla , mahā nārāyaṇa tailaṃ etc
2. Ātura parīkṣā

• Check whether person is yogya for the therapy
• Prakṛti and vikṛti is assessed

1. Materials needed for pādāghāta

• Droṇi
• Therapist
• Taila for abhyaṅga
• 2-4 thick ropes for tying to the ceiling bars of the roof or wooden rods constructed from end to end.
• 2 ropes are used if 2 therapist are doing the treatment.

1. Ātura siddhata

• Abhyaṅga has to be done before pādāghāta with vātahara taila like kṣīrabāla taila, nārāyaṇa taila, etc.
• Swedana has to be done after abhyaṅga.

     Pradhāna karma

• Person who has undergone abhyaṅga and śiro abhyaṅga is made comfortable in the therapy room.
• Svastivacana and prayer to Lord dhanvantari is done.
• Patient with minimal clothes is advised to lie down on droṇi on prone position.
• The therapist has to give mardana over the back, lower back with his pada by holding the rope hanging from the ceilings.
• The rope would help the therapist to balance their body while doing the therapy and also would help them from slipping down due to the oil over the patient’s body.
• The pressure can be altered depending upon the location of the pādāghāta performed.
• Pressure can be reduced when pādāghāta is done on the legs, calf region.
• When 2 therapists are conducting the procedure, one can take care of the one side of the body and similarly the other.

     Paścāt karma

• After the procedure the body of the patient has to be wiped with cloth
• Patient is advised to take snāna.
• Nitya virecana can be administered with gandharvahastādi taila, gandharvahastādi kaṣāyam etc.
• Points to be noted

1. The treatment should be carried out by well-trained therapist who have mastered in pādāghāta since many years.
2. It is considered as one of the most difficult treatment as it needs perfect synchronizing and art of varying pressures at different points.
3. Foot of the therapist should be free from skin diseases, neurological, infectious diseases, cracks and fissures of foot.
4. Feet should be washed and cleaned before the treatment.
5. The therapist should be healthy and fit but shouldn’t be obese or over weight.

SAṂVĀHANA   

Introduction

• Saṃvāhana means Sukhakara sparśa (comfortable touch).
• Squeezing with gentle pressure after application of taila is called Saṃvāhana.
• संवाहनं – सुखकरस्पर्श (डल्हण, सु. चि. 4/24)

    Benefits

•  वृष्यं
• कफवातश्रमापहम्
• मांसरक्तत्वक्प्रसादकरं
• सुखं

    Actions

•  Prītikara (Affection), Nidrākara ( Induceed sleep), Vṛṣya ( Aphrodisiac)
• Mitigates Kapha, mitigates Vāta, relieves tiredness and does prasādana (normalization) of Māṃsa, Rakta and Twak.

    Indication

•  Vātarakta
• Nidrānāsa
• Vāta Vyādhi