Ashmaghna Sveda
Ash Sudation on a Stone Slab

This treatment is one of the most ancient of the svedana therapies. A stone slab 6 feet long by 4 feet wide, is heated by building a fire right on it. A few piles of wood kindling and sveda herbs are strategically placed over the surface of the slab. The piles are then lit, and the fore is allowed to burn until reduced to ashes. The hot ashes are then carefully removed from the slab , and the remaining ash dust is brushed off. Cool water or herbal decoction, i.e., amla decoction, is sprinkled on the stone's surface to moderate the heat of the stone. Woolen blankets are then laid out on the stone and the subject lies on the stone, covered with silk or woolen sheets. The hides of such animals as deer and antelope, acquired after they had succumbed to a natural death, were traditionally used to cover both the slab and the subject during ashmaghna sveda.

Continue