The brain is the apparent controller of the body and its organs. With the help of afferent and efferent nerves, the brain receives impulses from and transmits them to all parts of the body. This nerve centre of the brain is again, broadly speaking, divided into two parts, the right and the left. The nervous system of the right side of the brain controls the left portion of the anatomy and that of the left side of the brain controls the right portion. If due to high blood pressure or some other cause any portion of the brain’s nervous system becomes damaged, the part of the body controlled by that portion of the nervous system also becomes inoperative. This inoperativeness of a particular part of the body is called “paralysis” or “palsy”.

Causes

Each specific part of the brain receives one specific impulse with the help of the afferent nerves. If, on account of high blood pressure or some injury, that portion of the brain becomes damaged; or the nerve-cells or nerve fibres are severed; or the afferent nerves of any part of the body become defective; then the afferent nerves cannot transmit the afferent sensation to the mind. This defect or shattered state of the nerves is the cause of loss of movement of the limbs. Similarly, if the nervous system which transmits the commands of the brain becomes damaged, or if the efferent nerves of that system develop any defect, then, as a result of the breakdown in the nervous transmission between the brain and some part of the body, paralysis strikes that part of the body.

In this regard, bear in mind that when the brain cells which receive or transmit a specific physical impulse or mental concept become defective, only the corresponding physical organs will become paralysed or corresponding conceptual area will be impaired. That is why it may be observed that a person who was learned in both English and Sanskrit may, due to an attack of mental paralysis [memory loss], forget all the Sanskrit he or she knew, but keep his/her knowledge of English intact. Nor is it the case that paralysis will always affect the whole right or the whole left side of the body. Owing to the reasons described earlier, an attack of paralysis can be limited to any particular limb – right or left. For instance, the right eye can be affected while the left eye remains normal, or the right side of the mouth may be paralysed whereas the other side is not.

The root causes of blood pressure-related diseases and paralysis are almost the same. This is because most defects of the nerves and their degeneration, can be traced to high blood pressure. But paralysis can also arise from other causes. For instance, paralysis also strikes those whose blood is over-acidic, and whose nerve-fibres consequently degenerate, due to greed, overeating, or too much fondness for non-vegetarian food.

The people who have an over-active mańipura cakra [psychic-energy centre located at the navel) also show a dominance of the lust and anger vrttis [mental propensities]. Such a type of person, though always found to be energetic, generally suffers from constipation owing to excessive anger and over-activity. If these pitta-dominated persons do not find a high ideal in their lives, they become weak in their lower bodies due to over-indulgence in sex and anger. Often the nerve-fibres of their lower bodies degenerate, and paralysis sets in there. If these pitta-dominated persons do have a high ideal in their lives and develop paralysis, it will afflict the upper portion of their bodies because of the over activeness of those parts.

Remember that in most cases constipation is found to be closely associated with paralysis.

Treatment

Morning – Utkśepa Mudrá, Diirgha Prańáma, Yoga Mudrá, Bhujauṋgásana, or any of these three which it is possible to do. Pakśabadha Práńáyáma.

Evening – Same as in the morning.

Diet

With paralysis, alkaline foods such as fruits and roots, vegetable soup, and a sufficient quantity of lemon juice, should be taken. In a severe state of the disease, fasting on just lemon juice and water is advisable. The patient should drink about two-and-a-half seers of water every day, but never more than one-fourth seer at a time.

Dos and don’ts

Non-vegetarian foods, sex, intoxicants, sleeping during the day, staying awake at night, etc., are to be strictly avoided. Taking vyápaka snána⁽¹⁾ is very beneficial. A sun-bath should be taken at a fixed time in summer and in winter. The patient should first take a sun-bath over the whole body, then, wiping off with a wet towel, should again take a sun-bath – this time exposing the diseased area only. After exposing the diseased area to the sun a few times in this manner for about fifteen or twenty minutes each time, the last step is to give that area a thorough massage, either with or without oil.

Footnotes

(1) [[Regarding vyápaka snána, the author’s Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 3, “Different Yoga Practices” explains:
A bathtub is most convenient, but if this is not available, an earthen trough will suffice. If this is not available either, a wet towel can be used, soaking it repeatedly in water. Fill the bathtub with cold water, and sit in it undressed so that the area from the navel down remains submerged. Keep your feet dry and out of the tub. The area from the neck to the navel should be kept covered with a shirt or dry cloth. The crown of the head and the back of the head should be kept covered with a wet towel.
Now take another towel and rub the area from the right side of the abdomen to the groin seven or eight times. Do likewise on the left-hand side and horizontally from right to left and left to right. You should make sure that the towel on the head remains wet.
After this, wipe the abdomen, hands and thighs and take a full bath. If this is not possible, then leave the tub wearing a shirt.
This should be practised behind closed doors. In the absence of a bathtub or an earthen trough, a wet towel may be wrapped around the areas to be bathed, but in order to compensate, cold water must be poured constantly over the towel, and the towel which is to be used for the massage must be kept wet. After vyápaka snána, the thighs, pubic area and abdomen should be warmed with a dry towel.
Before and after this bath one should not eat, in order to allow the stomach to rest.
–Trans.]]