Water therapy has been known in India for ages. The ancient Indian text and traditions describe it as “uSapana” (meaning: drinking water in the early hours before sunrise). It used to be an integral part of people’s daily routine. It continues to be so in the villages and among the people who know and adapt to live in consonance with Nature’s disciplines. Unfortunately, in the blind imitation of western culture and hypnosis of comfort-driven artificial life style, most people in urban and semi-urban India have forgotten this simple yet
remarkably beneficial key to healthy life.
USapana: It is most effective to drink water empty stomach early in the morning. If you get up late due to work in the night or some other constraints, you may do whenever you get up. For best effects, drink water soon after leaving the bed and attending to nature’s call of urination, etc. May have one gargle to clean the fluids in the mouth if any, but do not brush your teeth before drinking water. Sit and drink water slowly; drink as much water as you can, till your tummy is stretched. In normal case it is advised that an adult having body-weight about 60kg should drink at least 1 kg (= about 1000 cc) water in one sitting. Those weighing few kilograms more should drink about 1.25 kg and so on.
Initially you may find it difficult to drink that much water. But don’t worry! Try to drink only as much as you can without any difficulty. With regular practice your capacity will gradually increase in few days. Needless to say that the water should be of drinking quality and be kept in a clean utensil. There will be added advantage if the water is stored overnight or for several hours in an utensil made up of copper.
Most beneficial sitting posture (esp. for those suffering from acidity or constipation) during this practice is supposed to be ukaDu position: sit with only the sole of feet touching the floor, there should be minimum possible gap between the legs and these should be folded such that the knees face upwards; hips would point downwards but should not touch the floor. However, any comfortable sitting posture is also good provided the back is kept straight and there is no pressure on the tummy.
Please Note:
1. One should not eat or drink anything for at least 45 minutes after uSapana.
2. If one feels cold or has throat-pain, fever or weakness, then one should not drink cold water. Lukewarm or slightly less or more warm water will be better.
3. If one feels warm or has some burning sensation (in the stomach or chest for example,) then one should preferably drink the water at its normal temperature (as stored overnight).
4. For the beginners, the quantity or frequency of urination might increase after starting the practice of uSapana. But it would normalize within 10 to 15 days.
5. Those suffering from arthritis or any other vat related problem (e.g. gastro), should repeat this practice of uSapana 2 to 3 times a day (e.g. morning, afternoon, night) for good therapeutic effects. Later on, when their ailment has subsidized they may also switch over to the average practice of once a day.
6. It is advisable that one takes a slow stroll (preferably outside in the fresh air of morning) for at least 10 to 15 minutes after uSapana. If one has a tendency or problems of gases or acidity, one should roll the hand gently on the stomach in a circular fashion to distribute the consumed water uniformly (and thus check out the air deposited in the stomach or G.I. tract). To get rid of sever acidity, gastric problems or chronic constipation, one may also practice “katimardasan”, as guided below.
KaÚimardanasana: Lie down straight on the back. Fold the legs so that the knees face upwards and the heels touch the buttocks. Both the legs should touch each other; soles should be touching the floor (carpet or cloth sheet being spread on it to lie down). Spread the arms sideways at 180i to the shoulders. Both the hands and shoulders should be in one straight line and palms facing upwards. Now close the fists. Attempt, as much as can be done without any problem, to tilt both the legs (in folded state) towards the left and the neck towards the right side. (Back and soles should not be lifted above the floor and hand should also not be disturbed). Then attempt to tilt the legs towards the right and the neck towards the left. This completes one round. 25 to 30 such rounds are recommended on an average. The number may be increased as per the yoga – teacher or doctor’s guidance.
7.1 Food, Water and Health:
It is well-known that the quality of our food and our eating habits play a crucial role in sustenance of health. But less known is the scientific fact that healthy metabolism1 is essential for healthy effects of a balanced diet. Apart from selecting proper type and quantity of what one should eat, one should also know the necessary rules of how to eat. Most crucial and beneficial rules are:
(i)Keep a gap of at least 4 hours in successive rounds of eating (breakfast, lunch etc).
(ii)Eat little lesser than your hunger and chew it thoroughly.
(iii)Drink a glass of water sometime before eating. Do not drink while eating. If it is a must, you may take a few (say, 4 to 5) sips of water.
(iv)Drink adequate amount of water about 1 to 1.5 hours after eating.
7.1.1 Improved Health by uSapana:
Water plays significant role in several vital activities in our body. Water therapy is an important component of naturopathy. Ayurveda, the most ancient science of medicine refers water as nectar for sustenance of vigor and verve. It also prescribes uSapana as an important healing technique against the excess or imbalance of the three doshas (vat, pitt, kaph), which it regards as the root cause of most diseases and disorders. This Indian science is still in use and is gaining new recognition worldwide. According to Ayurveda, for desired therapeutic effect of uSapana, the following disciplines of diet should also be observed:
Those suffering from vat related ailments should avoid eating hard grains (e.g. black-gram). Should also restrain form eating certain leafy vegetables in rainy season.
In case of excess of pitt, stop eating fried food, spices, pickles and sour substances. Also restrain from drinking tea, coffee etc.
In order to minimize the excess of kaph, avoid eating fine flour, horse-bean seeds and rise, and vegetables like potato, Colocasia roots (arbi), lady’s finger (bhindi) and bananas.
Ayurveda affirms water as best remedy of indigestion. Its therapeutic principles specify that substantial amount of water should be drunk at appropriate phases of metabolic reactions.
It emphasizes use of adequate water in preparation of food and having juicy and liquid-diet components in meal. But at the same time, it warns against drinking water during or immediately after having food, as doing so disturbs the natural process of digestion; hence the rules (iii) and (iv) listed above for drinking water.
7.2 Healing Benefits:
The technique described as “uSapana” in the ancient Indian text and revived as part of Pragya Yoga, is also an integral component of Naturopathy. Japan’s organization for health awareness named “Sickness Association” has thoroughly experimented and verified the positive effects of this water therapy. It has propagated this easy-to-practise technique in a big way. Millions of people across the globe have benefited by this.
Major diseases or health problems for which this is said to give definite remedial effects include the following.
1. Vata DoSa (vat dosha) related problems: Headache (without any pathological conditions), high blood pressure, anemia, obesity, arthritis, general joint pain or body-ache, sitica, muscular spasm, drowsiness.
2. Kafa doSa (kaph dosha) related problems: Cough, chronic cold, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis.
3. Pitta doSa (pitt dosha) related problems: Meningitis, (hyper) acidity, liver-ailments,
4. Problems due to vat and pitt doshas: Constipation, gastritis, weak digestion.
5. Problems due to vat and kaph doshas: Nasal, throat and chest ailments of several kinds.
6. Eye-infections or eye-straining or related problems in the eyes due to kaph and pitt doshas.
7. Problems due to genital infections or related imbalance in the three doshas: e.g., irregular menstrual cycle, leucorrhoea, cancer of uterus, etc.
8. Ailments due to disruption in the balance of three doshas or due to hereditary or anatomical abnormalities: urine-infections, renal diseases (including nephritis and kidney- malfunction).
In general, the average durations of treatment (by water-therapy with other recommended precautions) of several ailments/ diseases are also found quite consistent — about ten days in case of constipation and gastritis; one month in case of high blood glucose; one to two months in case of hypertension or high blood pressure; three months in case of bronchitis or tuberculosis.
7.3 Scientific Justification:
The stomach, likewise the other organs of the body are physically dull during the 6-7 hours of sleep. However, all the physiological and biochemical activities continue as per the normal biological clock. In particular, the metabolic activities that take place during this period digest the food intake. The vital chemicals thus produced are also distributed in different parts of the body through blood flow during this phase. Discarding of dead cells and nurturing of the new ones is also a part of metabolism. As we don’t drink water during the long stretch of sleeping time, some of the rejected elements, dead cells and other rubbish inside the body that are harmful to it do not get drained out completely.
Drinking of water immediately after getting up, that too in adequate amount to fill the empty stomach helps its excess supply necessary to flush out the harmful substances remaining in the body. Thus uSapana processes natural and timely cleansing inside the body every day. In fact not only the digestive problems, but also a wide variety of other disorders and ailments – including bladder or kidney stones, abscess and even tumors – are caused by these harmful deposits in different organs and canals of the body. Continuing the practice of uSapana regularly even in the apparently healthy state is therefore necessary as a preventive measure.
7.3.1Why drink without brushing the teeth?
Saliva produced during the night also contains certain kinds of unhealthy substances. A layer of these remains coated on the teeth and the tongue even when we spit and gargle after getting up. Drinking large amounts of water in this state takes these substances inside in a very diluted form. The small quantities of the antigens (the toxic or pathogenic elements) thus consumed act like vaccines and help the body learn to produce antibodies to counter their toxic/hazardous effect in future too.
This way uSapana before brushing the teeth is also good for naturally enhancing the efficiency of defense machinery (the immune system) of the body.
Most importantly, this is the only therapy as well as preventive measure which is almost free of cost. The rich and the poor, the old and the young, all can benefit from this simple and wonderful practice of uSapana.
Source: Pragya Yoga for Healthy & Happy Life (Chapter 7)
Author: Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya