October 27, 2011
School of Medicine, Kochi
 

A seven-day awareness camp on yoga and naturopathy was organized at the Amrita Community Health Centre, Njarakal, during September 26 – October 2, 2011.
 

Sponsored by the National Institute of Naturopathy of the Department of AYUSH, Government of India, the camp offered free consultation and treatment to out-patients who came to consult at the Community Health Centre.
 

A total of 83 patients availed the benefits of the camp over the course of the week.
 

“By living in accordance with the laws of nature, man can stay healthy and strong,” stated Drs. Jyothi K.V. and Shine Babu, Consultants for Yoga and Naturopathy at Amrita, and chief organizers of the camp.
 

“If we had taken pains to follow the laws of nature in our lives, our lives would not have been as difficult as they are now-a-days,” they elaborated.
 

Yoga sessions for participants included lessons on different yogasanas and stithilikarana vyayama (loosening exercises).
 

Dr. Aswathy, Professor in the Department of Community Medicine spoke on the management of cardiovascular disorders.
 

“Our heart pumps blood to each and every cell of our body, working non-stop, from the time we are born till we die,” she stated. “It is more efficient than any machine man has created. So take care of your heart and the heart will take care of you.”
 

“Most of the cardiovascular disorders result from our sedentary lifestyles and habits of eating junk food, smoking and alcoholism. What we eat, determines the state of our blood vessels.”
 

Dr. Cijith, Consultant at the National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune, who was invited to participate in the camp, further explained the importance of diet. “Intake of well-balanced diet is of utmost important for the maintenance of good health,” he reiterated.
 

Participants were offered treatments such as partial or full body massage, acupuncture, pack and compress and mud therapy for the treatment of several ailments.
 

While general massage helped boost blood circulation and metabolic processes, other treatments such as mud therapy relaxed muscles, opened pores of the skin, drawing blood to the surface and relieved inner congestion and pain.
 

Acupuncture treatments were offered to patients who suffered from headaches, back pain, sinusitis, migraine and osteoarthritis.
 

“My lower-back pain was completely cured after the acupuncture treatment sessions,” shared Mrs. Pushpalatha, a homemaker from Njarakal, who participated.
 

“We are happy that through the camp, we were able to educate participants about the benefits of following naturopathic principles in their lives to ensure sound health,” stated the organizers.
 

“Physical exercise, consuming balanced diet, proper rest and sound sleep is the solution to most disorders of the modern day,” they added.