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→Importance of Abhyanga in the festival of Deepavali
== Importance of Abhyanga in the festival of Deepavali ==
== Importance of Abhyanga in the festival of Deepavali ==
Deepavali or Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm all over Bharata. The festivals comes towards the end of ashvin masa which marks the beginning of the winter season. Thus multiple traditions or rituals in this festival are designed as the guideline to the recommended lifestyle so as to well adopt to the upcoming season. Abhyanga snana is one of such rituals. On the days of Deepavali it is customary to wake up early in the morning, do abhyanga (oil massage to the body) , apply herbal scrubs known as udwartanam and then take a bath with luke warm water. There is a specific set of logic behind these rituals which can be understood with the help of Ayurveda and science.
Deepavali or Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm all over Bharata. The festival comes towards the end of ashvin masa which marks the beginning of the winter season. Thus multiple traditions or rituals in this festival are designed as the guideline about the recommended lifestyle for upcoming season. Abhyanga snana is one of such popular rituals. On the days of Deepavali, it is customary to wake up early in the morning, do abhyanga (oil massage to the body) , apply herbal scrubs known as udwartanam and then take a bath with luke warm water. There is a specific set of logic behind these rituals which can be understood with the help of Ayurveda and science which is discussed below,
'''Winter and blood circulation, body temperature mechnisms'''
When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it’s produced. Lengthy exposures will eventually use up your body’s stored energy, which leads to lower body temperature. Peripheral vasoconstriction is one important physiological response exhibited by humans exposed to cold. During whole-body cold exposure, the vasoconstrictor response is not limited to the hands, but is widespread throughout the peripheral shell. during cold exposure, central core temperature defense occurs at the expense of a decline in skin temperature. The reduction in blood flow and consequent fall in skin temperature contribute to the etiology of cold injuries. <ref>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research; Marriott BM, Carlson SJ, editors. Nutritional Needs In Cold And In High-Altitude Environments: Applications for Military Personnel in Field Operations. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1996. 7, Physiology of Cold Exposure. Available from: <nowiki>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232852/</nowiki></ref>
'''Winter and skin'''
Skin plays an essential role in the perception of environmental temperature. There are specific neural receptors for cold and warmth. The skin is also an important effector in maintaining thermal and fluid homeostasis. In thermoregulation the skin carries out a major part of rapid autonomic thermophysiological responses as the body adjusts the insulatory capacity of its surface. In normal conditions, over 90% of the total heat loss (radiation, conduction, convection and evaporation) occurs through or on the surface of the skin. the primary function of the skin circulation concerns thermal balance. the skin may either dissipate or conserve heat by its vasculatory regulation. <ref name=":1">Eero Lehmuskallio, Juhani Hassi & Päivi Kettunen (2002) The skin in the cold, International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 61:3, 277-286, DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v61i3.17475</ref>
Cold-related skin problems, e.g. winter xerosis of the hands and face together with dryness and chapping of the lips occur quite often during winter-time. This is at least partly due to the low atmospheric humidity both outdoors and indoors, where effective central-heating dries the air. <ref name=":1" />
The problems of dry skin, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, are supposed to be more severe during the cold season<ref name=":1" />
'''Effect of abhyanga and udwartana'''
Udwartana-
In the cold the skin (and peripheral parts of the extremities) will adopt a new role as a “bark” or “shell”. If the cold exposure lasts for a long time or is harsh enough, this “bark” will be rejected as unnecessary for the life of human being.<ref name=":1" />
== Difference between Abhyanga and modern day body massage ==
== Difference between Abhyanga and modern day body massage ==