“Smoking is injurious to health.” We’ve all heard that disclaimer, especially before a movie starts, testing our patience every time. But what if the whole narrative of smoking flips upside down and all of a sudden it becomes a wellness practice? Introducing Ayurvedic smoking which has become a leading wellness trend in recent times.

Ayurvedic Smoking is trending, and here's everything to know about the wellness trend

Ayurvedic smoking is not what you might be imagining it to be. It is an ancient practice, traditionally called Dhumapana, in which medicinal herbs or herbal preparations are burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled in a prescribed way. The herbs differ from place to place and according to the consumer’s preference. The practice has been spotlighted recently by actress and content creator Shenaz Treasury. 

She took to her Instagram and featured the practice in the most soothing way. She captioned the post writing, “What?! Smoking is part of Ayurvedic Treatment? This is medicated smoking. I was surprised too when the doctor prescribed an ancient Ayurvedic practice called Dhumapana, inhaling smoke from specific medicinal herbs.”

Explaining the process she added, “Traditionally, it was used for certain conditions involving the head, nose and throat, and different herbs were used for different purposes. But before anyone lights up this is NOT the same as smoking cigarettes! Still, I did NOT expect to do this at an Ayurveda clinic!”

So what exactly is this?

It is a traditional Ayurvedic practice involving the controlled inhalation of smoke produced from specially prepared medicinal herbs. In classical Ayurveda, it was primarily beneficial with pains involving head, nose and throat, and is traditionally linked to balancing Vata and Kapha. 

What ingredients are used? 

The traditional preparation uses a medicated wick or herbal formulation rather than tobacco. The ingredients can vary depending on the purpose and formulation, but herbs and substances used in Ayurvedic fumigation and smoke preparations may include turmeric, guggulu, neem, tulsi, vasa, nirgundi, eucalyptus, cinnamon, cardamom and ghee. There isn't one universal ingredient list for Dhoompan.

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