The Use of Vyäyäma or Physical Exercise, Prescribed in Ayurveda: Special Reference to Sri Lankan Medical Text

Abstract

Vyäyäma or Physical Exercise is quite essential for a person to maintain his normal health. Also it helps to carry out daily tasks with energy and attentiveness, without undue tiredness, and with ample vigor. Ayurveda also has given an importance to the physical exercise or Vyäyäma considering the maintenance of good health. The consequences resulting from physical exercise are not only lightness of body, capacity for work, collectedness, power of enduring hardship; but also it removes of all imperfections and augmentation of the digestive fire, which is very much need for the balance of three humors which otherwise causes illness. Nevertheless, the intelligent person should never indulge in physical exercise as, according to Ayurveda, it results in fatigue, faintness, loss of vigor, thirst asthma, consumption, fever and attacks of cold. Further, the time, when the physical exercise to be done, is also to be highly considered. The use of the physical exercise, according to Ayurveda, can be included in both preventive and curative methods. We, therefore, hope to discuss in this paper the use of physical exercise according to Ayurveda, mainly the Vrddhatrayi (the Carakasahhitä, the Sugrutasamhitä and the Astäigahrdayasafflhitä) with special reference to Sri Lankan medical texts like the Särärthasahgrahaya, the Bhesajamanjüsä and the Yogärpa vaya and the Prayogaratnaväliya).