The administration of medicated drugs into the rectum is called as basti.

Basti is the best line of treatment for Vata dosha as well as Vata predominant disorders. It causes instant relief, nourishment to the body, and also eliminates the vitiated Vata dosha completely from the body.

Basti is of 3 types –

  1. Asthapan or Niruha basti (Decoction Enema)

2. Anuvasana basti (Oil Enema)

3. Uttara basti.

Asthapana basti/ Niruha basti (Decoction Enema)

It is  administration of medicated drugs decoction into the rectum.

Asthapana basti dravya is prepared from different kinds of substances according to the involvement of dosha and dushyas.

We use different types of niruha basti according to necessary to treat the disease which are shodhana basti (purificatory), shamana basti (mitigating), lekhana basti (scarifying), bruhana basti (nourishing), vajikarana basti (aphrodisiac), piccha basti (which arrests the expulsion of liquids from the body), madhu tailika basti (honey and oil are the main ingredients), yapana basti (can be given for long periods),  yuktaratha basti (person can travel after basti treatment), siddha basti (can obtain the expected results)

Anuvasan Basti (Oil Enema)

It is  administration of medicated oil into the rectum.

Especially it should be given for the persons who are very dry, suffering from vata disorders.

After unctuous enema the drug mitigates vata by virtue of its properties and there by the body gets strength, colour etc. just as the water poured at the root level causes overall development of the body.

Anuvasan basti and niruha basti are given alternatively, to maintain equilibrium state of the dosas. Total 8, 15, 30 bastis are given according to disease condition.

Matra basti

It is one of the types of anuvasana basti.

It is also be given regularly to the persons who are old, children, walking long distances, carrying heavy loads, traveling by vehicles, doing regular exercises, vata disorders, fractured, having decreased digestive power, persons who are very delicate etc. Matra basti brings the normalcy of doshas without causing any inconvenience. It gives strength, eliminates dohsas easily, doesn’t need strict regimen and is comfortable.

Importance of basti

  • Basti is the best line of treatment for vata disorders. It causes instant relief, nourishment to the body and also eliminates the vitiated vata dosha completely from the body.
  • Vata is the leader among the three doshas, independent, and is responsible for all the physiological functions of the body.
  • As it is of five types, it occupies all parts of the body, controls creation, sustenance and destruction of all external and internal things and also causes for the production of diseases in all the three pathways.
  • Though emesis and purgation eliminate the vitiated dosas from the body, the drugs used in those therapies are pungent, sharp and hot in potency, which cannot be taken easily by the children and old persons. But basti can be given in all age groups without any hesitation.
  • Hence it is also advisable for children, old persons, emaciated, obese, tissue depletion, weak sense organs, women, infertility or difficulty in labor due to the vitiation of vata. It is also advisable to improve digestive power, color complexion, intelligence, voice, life span and happiness.
  • Basti is useful to maintain the youth and also beneficial in diseases like lameness, urustambha, fractures, contractures, distension of abdomen, colic, anorexia, reverse peristalsis, cutting pain in the rectum etc.
  • Hence basti is described as half of the treatment for almost all diseases and some others opine that it is full treatment even.

Indications

  • Abdominal distension,
  • Constipation
  • Pain in abdomen,
  • Obstruction of faeces, gases
  • Arthrities
  • Backache, Lowbachache
  • Spondylosis
  • Menstrual disorders
  • Amenorrhoea
  • Infertility

Uttarbasti

The term uttara basti is given because it is administered after niruha Basti or it is being administered into the orifice superior to anus i.e. through urethra or vagina.

Uttara basti should be conducted to the persons who have already undergone two or three ashtapana vasti (i.e. yoga vasti)

Urethral Uttarbasti

It is useful in burning micturition, urine incontinence.

Vaginal Uttarbasti

For irregular menses, unexplained infertility, tubal blockage, PCOD, anovulatory cycle,  vaginal, and uterine cavity problems uttarabasti is to be conducted.