“Hey, Jai, could just tell me about Ayurvedic therapies?" I asked my physicians at Ananda. He looked at me and stared for a while." Bill, do you want to take my job?" he asked " Just joking, but it's nice to see that you are interested in knowing about Ayurveda" he added. " See, sufferings and ailments are due to some doshas (some impurity) in the body and these ayurvedic therapies helps in preventing or eliminating these diseases." he informed.

He aquianted me with the fact that the main objective of these therapies is to treat the body doshas and prevent diseases. In fact, he also told me that in Ayurveda, therapy is defined as the method that involves balancing the doshas.

"Bill, the ayurvedic therapies are divided into two main categories- Santarpan or the strengthening and the Aptarpan or the emaciating" he enlighted me with his knowledge. He updated me about Panchkarma, Shamana, Shodhana-elimination therapy used for curing the diseases.

"Bill, shamana means to suppress or balance and it is used to treat diseases that are not chronic." informed Jai. "And yes, in shamana therapies a special diet, opposite to the qualities of the increased dosha is prescribed to the patient for suppressing or balancing the aggravated doshas." he added.

Jai told me about the Shodhana therapy, that is needed when the diseases are chronic. It treat the dosas that are deep in the body as it helps in expeling the aggravated doshas from the body by the use of different types of elimination therapies called the Pancha Karma.

Initially few preparatory treatments are first induced in order to soften the dosha and move it to either the stomach or the intestine from where the dosha is eliminated. Shodhana is also used as a preventive treatment to gain positive health. He told me that cleansing technique are involved in curing the disease.