Means of Healing

People are prone to back pain nowadays irrespective of their age factor. It is considered as a common illness for everybody. Those who are in the cities tend to get this disease due to improper exercise. And those in village suffer because of their hard core work. It has been difficult for the sick people to follow their schedule of working. Modern treatments suggest surgical procedures. Besides Ayurveda is an ancient form of treatment for good health without surgeries. The treatment in Ayurveda includes massage with herbal oils. The centers were set up based on a complete research in order to establish a modern ayurvedic center. They look up to maintain the health of the healthy and sick person for well being. The centers specialize in Spinal Treatments and Diabetic Neuropathy with skilled professionals. The cases treated are osteoporosis, gastritis, slip disc, diabetics and hypertension. Many of the treatments require a pair of therapists in a synchronized order. A holistic form of detoxification therapy is done through Pancha Karma. The Ayurvedic panchakarma is the treatment for disordered spine and slip disc are Kati Basti, Greeva Basti and Abhyanga.

Kati Basti is a soothing treatment in which warm herbal oil is applied to the lower back. A trough made of sticky black gram dough is placed on the affected area. The warm medicated herbal oil is poured in and maintained at a particular temperature for effective results. The oil will soak into the affected area. It is beneficial for low back ache, prolapsed disc, lumbar spondylosis, osteoporosis and sciatica. The hot therapeutic herbal oil gets penetrated deeper into the tissues. This softens the tight and aching muscles of the patients. It is followed by a warm herbalised oil bath of increasing heat on the lower back and upper spin. These treatments have been effective for people who suffered from back problems with Kati Basti for lower back and Whole back for 20 to 30 minutes.

Greeva Basti is bathing the back of the neck area with herbal decoction oil .The oil is poured in the dam with is made of black gram dough on the affected area for 20 t0 30 minutes. The stream of medicated oil is poured in over the back of the neck. This is beneficial for cervical spondylosis, chronic pain in the neck region, compression fractures. The medicated oil has to be maintained on the back of the neck in a particular temperature which will relieve neck and shoulder pain. It is similar to the Kati Basti treatment here the treatment is for the spinal cord.

Abhyanga is a whole body massage with herbal oils customized to your body type to detoxify, nourish and revitalize the body tissues. It is a treatment of deeply relaxing and the penetration of oil into the tissues with the impurities being separated from the cell structure. This treatment is useful for obesity, loss of skin luster, sleeplessness and fatigue. Improves tissue strength, blood circulation, removes cellulite, and sound sleep. This treatment promotes good health, muscle flexibility, removing fatigue and reducing stress. The healing effects are by naturally harmonizing body, mind and spirit. This massage is performed symmetrically for one hour and followed by a medicated steam bath. It is a journey of being in a state of deep relaxation and healing.

The ancient system of Ayurveda provides relief for a variety of illnesses and those created by our modern lifestyle. The Ayurvedic health centers are hoping to be recognized in the future as a center for its forms and practices.

Kalamandalam Cultural Trade Mark

Kalamandalam is the renowned institute of cultural art forms at the Cheruthuruthy village of Thrissur District in Kerala was established in the year 1930 by the renowned poet Padmabhooshan Vallathol Narayana Menon. Training at Kalamandalam adheres to the ancient Gurukula sambradaaya. Kalamandalam has the Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Mohiniyaatam and Thullal Troupes performing in India and abroad for programs and workshops. It is the only state endowed with a spectacular heritage of performing ritual, folk and classical arts. The traditional arts of Kerala had been on the verge of extinction at the fag end of nineteenth century. Kalamandam is an Academy of Arts that imparts training and conducting performance of Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Mohiniyattam and Thullal. Beside the regular courses they also offer crash courses in different art disciplines. Kalamandalam has attracted national and international tourists to the inner aesthetics of traditional arts. So Kerala has been part of cultural tourism for its fascinating art and culture. Thus cultural dance forms of Kerala reach the world like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Ottamthullal. Kathakali is the only dance form in which the entire body is used to portray a story. It is considered as a highly stylized classical dance drama. This dance drama has been referred as the first theatre of imagination in the world. During mid of seventeenth century the King of Kottarakkara composed eight plays from the epic Ramayana named them as Ramanaattam . The twenty-four basic hand gestures of a Kathakali actor has developed a language comprising of more than six hundred words. They enact the many different characters in Kathakali using stylized hand gestures, facial expressions and body movements. It is in five different rhythms and four different tempos through the context of a play on stage. Chenda, Maddalam and Edaykka are the instruments used. The Chenda is played with two sticks, Edaykka with one stick and Maddalam with both hands. Chenda and Maddalam are the two major instruments that provide audio effect to the performance by tracing the character behavior. The instrumental music is linked to the performance of the actors. The Kathakali artistes wear elaborate costumes ornaments and facial makeup. It takes three to four hours for an actor to transform into a character in the greenroom. Green and red are predominant colors in the Kathakali make up. The costumes and ornaments used are gorgeous and colorful. Curtain or Thiraseela is used on Kathakali stage for the entry and exit of characters and to denote change of scene. The screen is pulled up to show emotions of sringara which means love, veera means majesty and raudra which is anger. There are two hundred Kathakali plays composed by well-known playwrights. Kathakali plays are composed from the great Indian Epics, The Ramayana, The Mahabharata, and the Bhagavatha. The play synchronizes on stage Nritta is the pure dance and Nritya is the Expressional Dance. The text of the play is sung by the principal and supporting vocalists. Kathakali characters are divided into noble, wicked and grotesque. Love, Separation, virtue Vs vice, comic-relief, emotional struggles, gruesome-war and murder are common scenes in the Kathakali plays. Koodiyattam is the form of Sanskrit drama which is associated with temple rituals. It is the oldest form of classical arts performed by women artists. The plays of great playwrights such as Bhasa, Kalidasa, Sakthibhadra, Bodhayana and Kulasekhara form the text of the Koodiyattam plays. Edakka the instrument with one stick gives excellent sound-support to the evocation of subtle facial expressions of a Koodiyattam actor. The life-story of Lord Krishna is extensively enacted mostly by the artists. Famous plays in Koodiyattam ascharachoodamani and subhdaradhananjayam bhagavadajjukam. The Makeup and costuming in Koodiyattam are unusually impressive. Angika is the hand gestures and body movements, Vachika is the Verbal acting and Satwika is the Facial Expressions in Koodiyattam are highly stylized. The main characters in Koodiyattam customarily enact Nirvahana a recollection of past events in the play of female characters.Mohiniyattom is the classical female dance form evolved in the eighteenth century. This form of dance is flourished along with Bharatanatyam the classical dance of Tamil Nadu. The make up and dressing of Mohiniyaattam is simple and semi realistic. The dancer’s face is making up of yellow and pink paste. And Jasmine flowers are adorned on the tied up hair. The traditional theme of Mohiniyaattam is devotion and love of God. This dance form explores the hand gestures and suggestive facial expressions. Mohiniyaattam is known as cholkettu. Mridangam, Violin and Edaykka provide the sound effect to the vocal music of Mohiniyaattam. It is performed as a solo dance as well.Ottam Thullal is a dramatic form of dance in which the actor is dressed in colorful costume reciting the verses. It was evolved in 18th century by Kunjan Nambiar as a poet who had composed forty or more Plays focused on the replete with humor, sarcasm and social-criticism, Thullal are divided into three divisions Seethankan, Ottam and Parayan. Thullal reflects the literary, artistic and cultural life of the medieval Kerala. The episodes are from the Indian Epics in simple Malayalam poetry. Thullal is a solo performance with a semi-stylized dance. The performer establishes rapport with the audience through verbal acting which is full of humour and social references. Kalamandalam grows as a hub of dancers, artists and musicians from all over the world.