‘Dhumpaan’: Preventive Ayurvedic treatment for respiratory disorders !

‘Dhum’ means ‘smoke’ and ‘Paan’ means ‘drink’. ‘Inhaling ayurvedic medicinal fumes through mouth and nostrils and exhaling them through the mouth is called ‘dhumpaan’. The treatment called dhumpaan is suggested to either not suffer Respiratory and phlegm related disorders or to get early relief from them, e.g. cold, cough and asthma.

1. The method of dhumpaan (inhaling medicinal fumes)

Immediately after getting up in the morning and after brushing your teeth, and before going to bed at night, inhale the medicinal fumes through nostrils and mouth and exhale it through the mouth. Exhaling smoke through the nose is harmful to the eyes and sense of smell so it should not be exhaled through the nose. Do this process of inhalation and exhalation of fumes only three times at a time. Sometimes if there is more phlegm in the respiratory tract, this can be done 5-6 times at a single sitting; But avoid doing it more than that at single sitting.

2. Care to be taken during dhumpaan

In the summer, as well as in the autumn (I.e. in the month of October) do not practice dhumpaan in the afternoon.

3. Types of dhumpaan, medicines used for it and process of doing it.

3 a. Mild dhumpaan

It uses ghee and mild medicinal fumes. This type can be used regularly as a preventive measure. Use any one of the following actions.

1. Slightly heat a hollow spoon or ladle on the gas and when it gets hot, put camphor pieces in it and inhale the fumes of camphor when it evaporates. (As camphor is flammable, do not add camphor while keeping the gas on.)

2. Heat a small pan over medium heat, turn off the heat and put ghee in it and inhale the fumes coming from the it.

3. Apply ghee to a liquorice stick and burn it. Once it starts burning, it should be extinguished. After doing this process, the fumes that comes out from burnt stick should be inhaled.

3 b. Intense dhumpaan

If there is more phlegm in the respiratory tract, intense dhumpaan is used to clear the secretions.. Use one of the following process for this.

1. Apply ghee to a dry turmeric piece, burn it and once it starts burning properly extinguish the fire, and inhale the fumes coming out from it. Or heat ghee in a frying pan and add turmeric powder to it and inhale the fumes emanating from it.

2. Fill the caraway (ova) powder in a clean white paper, and burn this role and inhale the fumes coming from it.

3. Ayurvedic ‘Cigarettes’ called ‘Nirdosh dhumpan’ from the company ‘Mans Products’ is available. It is available in Ayurvedic drug stores, as well as in most dispensaries (medical stores). These tobacco-free cigarettes contain medicinal ingredients such as basil, liquorice, turmeric. This too can used. ‘

-Vaidya Meghraj Madhav Paradkar, Sanatan Ashram, Ramnathi, Goa. (15.5.2020)

   If there is a likelihood of getting viral colds, coughs, etc., then
then every day in addition to dhumpaan, do dhupan (purification of environment
with sattvik incense stick )to purify the atmosphere in the house!

If there is a likelihood of catching up viral colds, coughs, etc., then dhumpaan should be done daily as a precautionary measure or in order to get early relief from colds and cough. As a precautionary measure, use ‘mild’ dhumpaan, and if one has cold or cough, then use intense dhumpaan to get early relief from it. To purify the indoor environment, burn incense in dhupatane (i.e., in a pot that holds embers. This vessel can be made of clay or metal.) at the time of sunrise and sunset. After lighting the embers put either incense, neem leaves, onion peel, caraway seeds, vekhand (calamus root), cinnamon, basil leaves, mint leaves on it and create smoke/fumes from it and circulate it throughout the house. The smoke/fumes emanated by burning cow dung cake of Original (A2) Indian breed cows is also considered to be useful for purifying the environment. ‘Purifying the atmosphere with smoke/fumes’ is called ‘Dhupan’ in Ayurveda.

Reference: Daily Sanatan Prabhat