CULTURING THE SEED
BEEJ SHUDDHI THROUGH AYURVEDA
BEEJ SHUDDHI THROUGH AYURVEDA
Dusting, sweeping and mopping is part of our daily cleaning routine. Yet, we thoroughly clean every corner., furniture and utensils in the home in the run up to special occasions. Similarly, the body is designed to discharge toxins through urine, stool and sweat at regular intervals. So, for the control of disorders caused due to imbalance of body (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) Panchakarma cleaning is required.
This tells us the importance of complete and deep cleaning of the body and its needs. This need of deep cleaning becomes more important at the time of conception and in that Panchakarma is Brahmastra in Ayurveda. The first step towards a successful conception is purification of the body.
Let’s understand the process of Beej Shuddhi, how it is done, how much time it takes and is this mandatory for all couples planning to start a family ?
What is Beej Shuddhi ?
Beej Shuddhi or the Shodhana Samakara is the process of attaining the best quality sperm and ovum, by following a certain healthy diet as well as regime.
It is a preconception procedure, which is done even before the sexual intercoure. This practice and procedure prepares the body of the couple to have a healthy reproductive system and results in the formation of a healthy progeny.
How can it be attained ?
By suitable purificatory therapies, internal as well as external we can achieve Beej Shuddhi or the best quality sperm & ova. Ayurveda plays a vital role in cleansing the reproductive apparatus & helping in the formation of the best quality sperm & ovum. Conception is a complex process involving fertilization of the sperm & ovum followed by its implantation of the embryo in the uterine cavity.
Aim of Beej shuddhi
Beej shuddhi aims to get Shudha Artava (Ovum) as well as Shuddha Shukra (Sperm) for the conception. Various detoxification or panchakarma therapies have to be chosen wisely to attain Beej shuddhi
- Healthy offspring
- Educate & create awareness to the couples for a healthy reproductive life.
- Assuring optimum health conditions in the body of the couple.
- Rule out & treat the identified medical conditions before conception
The intervention before conception is very important for attaining Beej Shuddhi. It is a conglomeration of psychological, spiritual as well as physical entities. Physical interventions may be grouped into panchakarma therapies, pranayama, diet & regimen prescribed as per Ayurveda rules. Let us discuss the importance of panchakarma or purificatory therapy first.
For a successful conception to take place, there should be some contributing factors:
Ritu, it can be correlated as the season, or the ovulatory period, Kshetra, can be correlated to the uterine cavity, Ambu, can be compared to the ahara rasa, beej, the sperm & ovum.
This is compared to the growth of a plant from a seedling by the acharyas. By the proper combination of all these, Garbha or the conception occurs in a female.
Before conception, the parents should attain purity of body as well as mind. The reproductive apparatus, circulatory channels, & mental state, should be in harmony for a healthy progeny. In the preconception preparations explained in Ayurveda, the body, as well as the mind, is made prepared to welcome the pregnancy. The deep internal purifications balance the doshas by removing the ama in the body.
Panchakarma for Beej Shuddhi (Purificatory Therapies)
Panchakarma eliminates the body toxins by balancing the dosha, dathu, & mala. It enhances the body’s defense mechanism & prevents diseases. It is a combination of Poorva karma (preliminary therapy), Pradhana karma (main therapy) & the Paschat karma (post purificatory therapy). By the oil therapies & fomentation therapies, the vitiated doshas or the toxins distributed in different parts of the body gets liquified & are brought towards the main channel. Then by implementing suitable Vamana or virechana therapies they are ready for elimination from the main channels. The type of purification has to be determined by the physician following the Prakriti, strength, season, & dosha status of the couple. It purifies the body channels & enables the normal function of Vata and enlightens the body & the mind. It also positively energizes the couple.
For females, Uttara vasti is done to regain uterine strength & power. It purifies the uterine cavity & energizes the uterine structures. It is a very good option for maintaining a healthy reproductive apparatus. After the above-said therapies, the couple has to follow a sattvic – wholesome diet for at least 3 months before conception. This preparatory therapy makes the body systems work in harmony.
Diet :
The dietary practices are equally important during the pre conceptional period. The diet or regimen will have an impact on the couple’s physiological functions. Food is considered one of the important pillars of life.
For male partners, it is recommended to consume Ghee, milk, green vegetables, cereals, & herbs. All these foods enhance the vitamin- mineral proportion in the body. This in turn impacts the development & nourishment of bodily tissues. So, good quality sperms are produced in the body. The nourishing milk & ghee promote strength & vigor. The sperm quantity, as well as the quality, is greatly improved by following the diet recommendations.
Females are advised to take sesame oil, & black gram. They are a rich source of proteins & provide nourishment to the body tissues. It is best to consume wholesome & balanced food. Sesame oil is best for Vata vitiation. As Vata is the controller & regulator of reproductive functions & fetal delivery, Vata has to be in a balanced condition. It also pacifies the 3 doshas. It purifies the reproductive apparatus. It also corrects the menstruation & ovulatory cycles. It is a strength enhancer & aphrodisiac too.
Likewise, black gram is also a rich source of vitamin b12, calcium, iron, magnesium, & folic acid. These nutrient elements contribute to effective conception
Benefits of Beej shuddhi
- Couples attain good health before conception.
- Any underlying diseases are identified as well as corrected
- Healthy offspring are produced leading to a healthy generation
- Prevention of bodily diseases by boosting body immunity
- It is a holistic rejuvenation for the body, mind & soul
- It cures all body ailments by balancing the dosha, dhatu, & mala.
- It is a safe & very effective therapy devoid of any side effects.
- It improves the health of the community & society.
This phase of life is utmost important and beautiful for couples. We can enjoy it more if we are healthy and happy in life.
