Introduction

Beauty...! When you read or hear this word it fills you with the infinite sense of pleasure because it is an immortal goal for every human that exists in this universe. True beauty comes from within therefore beauty is the state that reflects from your body as well as from your mind. Nefertiti the queen of ancient egypt or the lady of grace is known for her endless beauty and the her art to use the natural products to enhance her charm. Similarly in ayurveda there is Nasaya a natural method that plays a key role in fulfilling your desires of allure... Nasya is the salient organ of panchakarma which enhances your beauty by bringing the best possible version of yourself in terms of outlook and intellection.

नासा हि शिरसो द्वारम् तेन तद् व्याव्य हन्ति तान् II अ.हृ.सू २०/१

Accordingly the Acharya Vagbhata postulates the above shloka, elucidating that nose is considered as the entrance gate of the bonce (head) and all the diseases related to the head region vanishes by this nasya karma thus proffer you a perfect health internally as well as externally (balanced tri doshas).
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Nasya

औषधम् औषध सिद्धं सनेहो वा नासिकाभ्याम् दीयते इति नस्यम् II सु.चि ४०-२१

Among five detoxifying methods of panchakarma nasya is third treatment which adds well being to your life. As per Acharya Sushruta nasya is the instillation of the herbal medicines or medicated oils through nose (नासा). It is also defined as नास्याम् भवं नस्यम् II according to Acharya Arun Dutta i.e the artefact which is beneficial for nose and administered through it is called as the nasya. Acharya Charka also represents his thoughts about Nsaya as “नस्त: प्रच्छर्दनं” the process of purification through nose is termed as the nasya. Chakrapani remarked nasya as Shiro Virechana (शिरोविरेचन).

Indications: उर्ध्व जत्रु विकारेषु विशेषान् नस्यम् पश्यते II
Nasya is indicated in the diseases related to the the region above the clavicle (head and neck collectively).

What is Nasa !

Nasa means nose which is one of the cardinal sense organ among the five senses. Its is also baptized as an olfactory organ as it is a medium for sense of smell and also helps in conditioning of inhaled air by warming it and making more favourable to the body. Nose is also the door or the pathway to the brain. The brain and nose are separated by the cribriform plate and above the cribriform plate there is little extension from the brain that is known as the olfactory bulb (bundle of nerves) that sends its projections into the olfactory epithelium. The olfactory epithelium receives the impulse from the odour and send it to the olfactory nerves in the olfactory bulb which further send the signals to the mitral or tufted cells of brain. Hence we can say that the nose is directly connected to the brain. Similarly in ayurveda it is said that nose is the door or the direct pathway for the brain. In nasya therapy medicated oils show their direct effect on the target organ in less time and less dose is required.

Drug used for nasya are as follows:

Achyranthes Aspera, Piper longum, Piper Nigrum, Emblica ribes, Moringa pterygosperma, Brassica nigra, Cumin cyminum, Carum roxburghianum, Salvadora Persica, Nigella sativa, Ocimum sanctum, Chitoria Terneta, Albizzia lebeck, Allium sativum, Cureuma longa, Berberis aristata, celastrus paniculata, Zingiber officinale, Boswellia serrata, Zanthoxylum alatum, balanites roxburghii, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Solanum melongena, Elettaria cardamom, Raphanus sativus, Calotropis procera, Calotropis gigantia, Saussurea lappa, Croton oblongifolius, Acorus calamus, Clerodendron serratum, Citrullus colocynthis, Hydrocotyle asiatica, Aconitum heterophyllum, Symplocos Racemosa, Randia dumetorum, Alstonia scholaris and many more...

Types of nasya

1. Navana nasya (नावन नस्य): Snehan and shodhan
2. Avpeed nasya (अवपीड़ नस्य: Shodhan and stambhan
3. Dhmapan nasya (धमापन नस्य)
4. Dhoom nasya (धूम नस्य): Prayogik, virechanik and sanehik
5. Prati Marsha nasya (प्रतिमर्श नस्य): saneh and virechana

Navana nasya

This is an important type of nasya that can be used regularly or in any season.

Navana saneh nasya (नावन स्नेह नस्य):

According to Acharya Sushruta the type of nasya which cures the cognitive lethargy, strengthens the head, neck, shoulder, thorax region and also enhances the eyesight is called as the navana nasya.

Material used: Medicated oils such as Anu tail (अणुतैल) and shadbindu tail (षडबिंदुतैल).

Indications: Headache (वातज शिरोरोग), weak teeths (दंतपात), hair fall (केशपात), mustaches hair loss (श्मश्रुपात), earache (कर्णशूल), tinnitus (कर्णक्ष्वेड), defects of the vision (तिमिर), diseases related to nose (नासारोग), dryness of mouth (मुखशोष), frozen shoulder (अवबाहुक), wrinkles (अकालज वली), greying of hairs (अकालज पलित).

Navana shodhana nasya (नावन शोधन नस्य:)

The navana shodhana nasya is used when kapha (कफ) is accumulated in the neck, head and in nasal region moreover for the persons who suffers from anorexia, feeling of heaviness in head, rhinitis, epilepsy, anosmia and the diseases of the head region.

Material used: Pipliyadi saneh (पिपल्यादि स्नेह) and Anu tail (अणुतैल).

Avapeed nasya

Avapeed means compression and the nasya therapy in which the herbs are compressed to obtain the savaras (स्वरस) and kalk (कल्क) to administer in the nostrils is called as the avapeed nasya. It is of two types stambhan and shodhana nasya.

• Shodhana nasya (शोधन नस्य): Shodhana nasya is a type of avapeed nasya in which cleansing of the head region is done. Acharya Sushruta called avapeed nasya as the other option for shiro virechana because of its purifying nature.
• Stambhan nasya (स्तम्भन नस्य): A type of avapeed nasya which is used as a styptic. Saindhav pippalyadi kalk, milk, sugarcane juice, clarified butter, meat soup, dorva svaras are used in this type of nasya.

Dhamapan nasya

Dhamapan means to blow, it is a type of shodhana nasya in which powder of drugs are blown in the nostrils i.e fine powder. It is also known as the pradhaman nasya (प्रधमन नस्य).

Nasya netra is used to execute the dhamapan nasya. It is tube approximately of 6 angul length and open from both the ends. The narrow end of the tube is filled with medicated powder while the air is blown from the other open end. The dose of the drugs depends upon the diseases and the type of drug used. Dose of dhamapan nasya is generally 3 muchyuti. Dhmapan nasya can be execute in other ways such as take shukti prman of fine powder and bind it into the bale and ask the patient to inhale through the bale.

Indication: It is indicated in mania, epilepsy and various mental ailments.

Dhoom nasya

Dhoom means smoke in this type of procedure through nostrils the medicated smoke is inhaled hence it is termed as the dhoom nsaya. It is of three types as follows -
Note: When the medicated smoke is inhaled from the nose it is called as the dhoom nasya while when undertaken through the mouth it is called as the dhoompan.

1. Prayogik nasya: Prayogik nasya means to subside. It basically subsides the vitiated doshas in the region above the clavicle and the nasya netra which is used for this type of nasya is of 36 angul.
2. Sanehik nasya: Sanehik nasya is the type of nasya which provides the moisture to lubricate the head region and in this type of therapy nasya netra used is of 32 angul.
3. Virechanik nasya: In Virecahnaik nasya the word virechana means cleansing and the type of nasya which is used to purify the senses located in the head region is called as the virechanik nasya. The nasya netra used for this is of 24 angul.

Note: According to Acharya Vagbhata if in head and nasal regions impurities are already in enhanced state then inhale the smoke from nose first and then from mouth but in other case if you want to aggravate the impurities in the head region so that they easily get their way to exit then take the smoke from the mouth first then from the nose.

Indication: It is indicated in the head, nose and eyes related diseases.

Dhoom netra here proves to be very beneficial, now ask the patient to keep the medicine at the wide end of the dhoom netra and procure 3 puffs from the narrow end of it. Inhale puff alternatively 3 times.

Prati Marsha and marsha nasya

Pratim marsha nasya and marsha nasya are the types of saneh nasya i.e in which saneh is administered through the nostrils. There is just a difference of dose between them.

• Marsha nasya (मर्श नस्य): This type of nasya is administered in bahu dosha avastha/बहुदोष अवस्था (vitiated doshas) and the drugs used here are clarified butter, oils etc in saneh from. It can be administered all the time except in durdin/दुर्दिन (rainy day when sun is covered with clouds).

• Prati marsh nasya (प्रतिमर्श नस्य): This nasya can be administered throughout life. It is very much beneficial just like marsh nasya. The dose of marsh nasya is 2 drops in each nostril (Total 4 drops). Acharya Charaka said that this type of nasya never build complications. It should be given two times a day in morning as well as in evening. It do not enhances the doshas and nourishes the mind as well as the body.

Nasya procedure

The patient is allowed to sit in the clam, smokeless and dust free room for nasya karma. The nasya table and nasya yantra is prepared for the patient. The nasya yantra that is used for instillation of the oil is 6 angula in length and wider from one end while narrow from the other. The length of the nasya yantra varies according it the type of nasya therapy.

• Virechanic dhoom nasya - 24 angul
• Sanehik nasya - 32 angul
• Prayogik nasya - 36 - 40 angul

Ask the patient to lie down on nasya table in supine position by tilting head in downward direction approximately at 45 degrees from the body and then cover the eyes of the patient with hands or cotton swab. Now the physician lifts up the columella of the patient by the index finger of his left hand and close his other nostril with his thumb.

Now pour the nasal drops or herbal medicines through nasal dropper (go karn/गोकर्ण ) in nostrils of the patient. Pour the medicine into nostril with gradual pace nor too fast neither too slow i.e. it should be poured drop by drop. Ask the patient to take deep breath so that whole of the medicine pours down into the nose and now repeat the same procedure on the other side as well. This procedure is for medicines that occur in liquid state but if nasya is to be given in the form of churn then instead of nasal dropper, nasya netra or dhoom netra is used for the procedure. There are different types of nasya according to their dose, drugs types and given according to seasons along with diseases from which the patient is suffering.

After administration of medicine the patient should lie in the supine position upto 100 count and then conduct the massage in the neck, head and facial region moreover give tap saweda/ताप स्वेद by cloth dipped in the hot water or by hands. At last ask the patient to spit out the nasal or oral secretions into the spit box that comes after the action of nasya herbal medicines. Dhoompan, kaval and gandush, etc are administered to remove the excess doshas from the nose if left after nasya karma.

After the completion of nasya therapy the patient feels lightness in the whole body, have sound sleep, there is decline in the symptoms of the disease for which nasya karma is performed. It also purifies the channels of the head and make the person more ebullient.

Succinct

Nasya is a unique purifying method that separates it from the other cleansing techniques. It is a simple and salient treatment with strong results along with solely success. Nasya brings mind and body harmony moreover facilitates the self treatment. The desire of poise (balanced doshas) is like a dream but nasya helps to make it true as your destiny. So develop an intimacy with nasya, enjoy the healthy and energetic body and experience the transcendence forever...

Realize nasya it’s really a real treatment for you…