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Glossary
Agni: Digestive ‘fire’ – related to enzymatic action in the stomach, tissues and cells
Ama: Undigested food – sticky, white and toxic
Asthi: Bone tissue
Basti: Literally means ‘container’ - used for enema treatments
Dhal: Split yellow lentils made by de-husking and splitting Mung beans
Doshas: The energetic principles of Vata, Pitta & Kapha
Gh ee: Clarified butter – the milk solids and water are boiled away to leave pure milk fat
Dashamula: A famous Ayurvedic herbal formula using ten roots and barks
Dhatus: The seven tissues of the body – lymph, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerve, reproductive
K a p h a : Th e en ergetic principle of cohesion – made from the elements of water and earth
Kichari: A thick soup of basmati rice and split yellow lentils
Mala: Waste products
Majja: Bone marrow or nerve tissue
Mamsa: Muscle tissue
Matra basti: A small, nourishing oil-b a sed enema
Meda: Fat or adipose tissue
Nasya: Therapeutic cleansing of the sinus and nasal passages
N i r u h a b a s t i : A cleansing and eliminating enema with a mixture of herbs and oil
Panchakarma: The five (pancha) actions (karma) used to cleanse the body and r estor e balan ce to th e doshas
Prana: Th e essen tial life-force of the body responsible for all movement and communication
Peya: A thin soup of rice water
Pitta: The energetic principle of heat and digestion – made from the elements of fire and water
Purvakarma: Pre-treatment to main Panchakarma therapies using oil and ghee
Prakruti: Ayurvedic constitution (vata, pitta, kapha etc)
Rakta: Blood tissue
Rasa: Lymph tissue
Rasayana: R e j u v e n a t i v e
Snehana: Oleation
Shirovirechana: A purgative treatment for the head, nose and sinuses
Shrotas: Channels of the body
Shodhana: Cleansing or eliminating
Shukra: Reproductive tissue
Svedana: Sweating therapy
Shamana: Palliation therapy aimed at reducing symptoms
Vaman a: Therapeutic vomiting used to cleanse the upper body of ama and excess mucus
Vata: The energetic principle of movement and communication – composed of air and space
Vilepi: A thick porridge-type soup of rice, water and spices
Virechana: Purgation therapy to reduce pitta and excess acidity in the body