Sattvavajaya Chikitsa (SC) (Ayurveda Psychotherapy)

                     Sattvavajaya Chikitsa (SC) (Ayurveda Psychotherapy) is one among the brainchild concepts of Acharya Charaka (father of Indian medicine). In Ayurveda, SC is considered to be having the psychospiritual approach with a nonpharmacological treatment modality which solely deals with the mind and its related attributes.

Ayurveda has its own identity as the most ancient and Traditional System of Medicine in India. It deals with the whole life of human beings starting from birth to end of life because Ayurveda describes the art of living and it is a science of life that reveals what is appropriate as well as auspicious for a happy and long life.

Ayurveda describes three guna of Mind and named as Satwa (Balance), Raja (Arrogance) and Tama (Indolence). Mind is called ‘Manas’. Ayurveda describes that a possibility for disease is due to imbalance of the ‘tamas’ or ‘rajas’ in the mind which are the reactive tendencies which vitiate the mind and leading to emotional imbalance, also results in psychological disturbances, hence Rajas and Tamas are termed as ‘Doshas of mind’. Tridosha are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These terms literally mean the darkness and brightness of the mind or negative thoughts in the mind or the clearness of mind. These impurities or imbalances are called ‘doshas’. The reason for any unhealthy condition is the toxins created by the accumulated ‘dosha’. These negative feelings are emotional toxins that accumulate in the mind. If they are not driven out of the body in a stipulated period of time, they give rise to or may lead into various chronic mental disorders like anxiety, neurosis, depression, insomnia, etc., If this is further ignored, it turns into permanent disorders like Unmad; unreasonable and irrational state of mind like hysteria, Apasmara (epilepsy) is also categorized as a mental disorder, Atatwaabhinivesh and other Manas roga under the Manovaha srotas or psyche centre. In Ayurveda, there are some different types of sets of behavioural alteration such as Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Bhrama, Tandra, Murchha, Sanyans, Maddattaya etc.

Satvavajaya’ or Psychotherapy is one of the three principal categories of the approach to the patient's care as described in Ayurvedic classics. In principle, Satvavajaya is applicable in varying forms in all kinds of diseases, but it is essentially indicated in mental diseases. The classical Satvavajaya is based on three principles viz.,Replacement of emotions,  Assurances and Psycho–Shock Therapy. Ayurveda conceives a set of emotions like Kama (Lust), Krodha (Anger), Lobha (Greed), Moha, Irsya, Dwesa, Harsa (Happiness), Visada (Grief), Mana (Pride), Cittodveqa (Anxiety) etc., These are considered as basic components of psychopathology. Some of them are contradictory to certain others viz., Kama is contradictory to Krodha and Harsa is contradictory to Visada and vice versa and so on. In Satvavajaya, the psychotherapist attempts to know the state of these emotions causally associated with the illness in his patient and then develop strategies to replace the pathogenic emotions with the opposite ones. Simultaneously, he also uses assurance therapy and in case of severe manifestations the psych shock therapy is indicated. Although in current times comprehensive Satvavajaya is not practiced by many Ayurvedic physicians, there is a potential scope of its revival and development into a suitable psychotherapeutic model.

Amrita Ayurveda and Naturopathy Hospital provides 7,14,21,41 and 90days treatment packages to cure various mental disorders like depression, anxiety, mania, schizophrenia, sexual disorders, alcoholism, sleep disorders, ADHD, infertility.