I had a skiing accident twenty years ago and suffered from it for a very long time. As soon as the humidity set in or the rain threatened, I would feel knitting needles in my legs, in the exact spot of my old fractures. I almost became a weather forecaster, since my bones helped me to predict the weather! But thanks to Ayurveda and sesame oil, the pain faded away, until it disappeared, and my brilliant meteorological destiny paid the price.
During my first theoretical courses on ayurveda, at the Kaivalyadhama center in Maharashtra (India), I was particularly apprehensive about learning how the dhatus work. The elements present in nature were easy. The doshas and their characteristics, I loved. But these strange dhatus (pronounced dhatouze) I was dreading the ordeal. I was wrong. The whole thing is very simple. The dhatus are the body tissues. There are dhatus for everything that is essential in the human body: blood, muscles, fats, nerves, reproductive system. For bones, hair and nails, it is the asthi dhatu.
The dhatus have a rather special existence. Dr. Vasant Lad explains in The Science of Self-Healing: "When one dhatu is defective, it affects the next dhatu, each receiving nourishment from the previous dhatu. When there is a disturbance in the balance of the Vata-Pitta-Kapha doshas, the dathus are directly affected." In other words, in order to have perfectly healthy bones, hair and nails, one must take care of the preceding dhatu: fortifying asthi is therefore the same as taking care of Meda, the dathu of fats, which maintains the lubrication of all tissues. And if, on the other hand, your bones, hair or nails cause you problems, the Majja dhatu (marrow and nerves) will pay the consequences.
220 bones or 360?
According to Ayurveda, all organisms are unique. The bones do not cut it. No skeleton is identical to another. Contrary to Western medicine which counts an average of 220 bones in the human skeleton, Ayurveda is more lavish.
The Sanskritist Michel Angot, in his French translation of the Charaka-Samhita, the founding text of Ayurveda, counts 360 bones, happily including nails, teeth and gums in the lot, pardoning the hair! This Vedic vision subtly confused the number of bones and the number of days in the year,Ayurveda originally mixing numerology and spirituality with anatomy.
Today, from the longest (the femur) to the smallest (the stapes, one of the three ossicles of the middle ear), the bones have been more precisely catalogued. Note that the number of bones varies from childhood to adulthood. Many bones fuse together as the years go by, because bone is an evolving body. Bone is permanently irrigated by blood, solid as a rock at 20 years old, more friable at 80 years old.
Bones have essential responsibilities in our metabolism. Without them, our bodies would be very similar to that of a jellyfish, a sea sponge or an oyster without the shell. Bones allow us to stand and move. It is therefore understandable that Vata energy, the energy of movement, is very present in our muscular structure.
Moral: perfectly functioning bones, hair and nails require constant and careful lubrication. Of course, an Ayurvedic way of life is of utmost importance in this regard. Balancing the energies of Vata, Pitta and Kapha promotes overall good health - chewing, breathing, lubrication, and meditation on constant red alert.
Specifically, daily applications of sesame oil to the skin, nails and joints maintain good bone structure.
Sometimes enriched with ayurvedic plants (shatavari and ashwagandha in particular), it is the only oil that effectively nourishes the three doshas, ensuring their singular balance and their common harmony. Sesame oil softens the joints and lubricates every tissue down to the bones, preventing them from becoming inexorably necrotic with age. The more porous bones become, the more fragile they become like Prague crystal. You might as well take the initiative.
The ravages of time and the vagaries of life have repercussions on the health of our bones and joint comfort. Not to mention heredity, which plays a significant role in the degeneration of bone cells. Osteoarthritis develops, osteoporosis sets in, rheumatoid arthritis crucifies you. These are not diseases, but mainly wear and tear or inflammation, especially if your mother suffered from them before you. The daily solution exists to prevent these ailments. We have seen how the virtues of regular applications of sesame oil can help. It is not so long ago that a fractured femoral neck was the signal for the beginning of the end. Let's consolidate!
Ayurveda teaches that the bones and the colon are related, having in common the Vata element. Gas waste from the colon migrates into the bones and worsens the conditions for the development of osteoarthritis. Pomegranate juice and alfalfa salad, blessings of the colon, thus help to maintain bones and joints. As part of the Panchakarma, an Ayurvedic purification system, sesame oil enemas also strengthen the colon by lubricating it - the oil is kept internally for two hours and then evacuated: it then takes with it a good part of the toxins that make up ama, a tissue of toxins that cause many diseases. If the skin is dry, so is the inside of the body, and it is very useful to remember this!
For pity's sake, hunt down sugar assiduously if you want to maintain your joints as soon as they show signs of weakness. When the cartilage becomes capricious, the bones rub against each other, which has several consequences: pain, deformations, creation of crystals. Sugar, precisely, creates crystals, which are added to other crystals: you see the discomfort! Therefore, give up everything that is acidic, raw tomatoes, yoghurts, especially if they are sweetened, ice creams even if it is hot, frozen sodas and always so sweet. This is not a punishment, nor a hellish discipline, but an Ayurvedic way of life adapted to the maintenance of good health.
If the pain intensifies, you should use Boswellia - Shallaki in Sanskrit, to experience relief. The flexibility of your joints is always greatly helped by Boswellia. This small tree grows in the forests of western and central India. Its resin is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory used for ages to soothe joint pain and regain mobility. Long disdained in our countries, the virtues of Boswellia have recently conquered Western countries.
When starting up in the morning is tedious, multiplying stiffness and joint swelling, a course of Boswellia capsules has excellent effects. In addition, you should enrich your food with turmeric powder, an excellent anti-inflammatory, warmly recommended by Ayurveda since time immemorial, and now recognized by all medicines.
Massages are not to be outdone. They also contribute to the control of the Vata dosha. Daily self-massage, or regularly under the hands of Ayurvedic therapists. For one or two hours, massages promote longevity and well-being, flush out toxins and alleviate back and joint discomfort. The stimulation of the marmas (energy points) is one of the keys of ayurveda.
In India, sometimes unusual care
In Kerala (southwestern India), kalaripayat centers have a very Ayurvedic way of soothing accidental joint or bone pain.
Kalaripayat is the ancestor of most martial arts. It is an extremely physically demanding discipline. The choreography is finely tuned, using all kinds of weapons - sticks, daggers, swords, etc. Often incidents occur and the fighters limp towards the druids of the kalari, who have a radical way of healing bruised joints.
The great master Krishnadas, chief facilitator of Vallabhatta-kalari in Chavakkad (Trishur district), told us his secret: "The main thing is to avoid edema and restore blood circulation. Even if it hurts!" A paste made of egg white and plants from the garden is then applied to the wound. A rudimentary bandage is applied... and rehabilitation begins instantly. The healing of the affected joint takes about three times less time than a plaster cast applied in the hospital. Ayurvedic medicine is sometimes rudimentary, painful, but fantastic for repairing bones and cartilage that have been abused or overworked.
Think about yoga
If you are not lucky enough to live in Kerala, you can always use Hatha yoga, yoga therapy and choose a physical exercise that is not too violent. A regular practice will promote breathing and blood circulation. Dare the sun salutation, you will enter your days with an alert foot.
Eric BHAT
