Many people are just starting to wake up to the wonders of ghee. They know it is delicious, healthy and extremely versatile in use. What many people DON'T know, is that it's uses go far beyond the culinary to the first aid and medical.
My husband got a small cut in his iris, just above the pupil. Every time his eyes dilated, the cut would be stretched and aggravated. It was extremely painful. So much so that my husband, who will go half-dead to work, actually called it and came home in despair. The hospital charged him a bajillion dollars to look at the cut and gave him some numbing drops while he was there. However, they would not let him take the drops home and so we needed a way to soothe and heal him here... on my floor. It was then that I applied my skills as an Ayurvedic Practitioner to do a Netra Basti for him. A basti is a "bladder" or a dam to hold liquid. Netra basti is for the eyes. You don't have to be injured to do this.
This is the poor guy after the hospital:
Netra Basti is GREAT for computer eye strain...if you are an active steemer, or simply a human these days, you probably have experienced this after a long day. It clears out your tear ducts and moisturizes the eye. The best description I can give you for a well-done eye basti, is that it feels as though your eyeballs are 'BREATHING'. It relaxes the muscles around the eye and improves vision (after the blurry ghee wears off, in about 15 minutes).
This treatment is typically done FOR you, by a qualified practitioner. However, it is not available in many places, and can be very costly. There are some simple "street-ayurveda" techniques one might use at home, safely. This post is NOT intended to replace medical attention or advice, and is for personal enrichment and personal options only. Neither myself, nor steemit take any responsibility for injuries occurred by improper application.
The first part is that the ghee you use should be ORGANIC and free of particulate. Don't worry if your ghee is a little grainy, once you melt it, it should be clear, with NO floaties or particulate at the bottom. The cup you put it in should be clean, dry, and free of water. A shot glass or small dish works nicely.
For the dam, you can use an old pair of goggles if administering it on yourself, or you can easily make your own using flour (organic wheat is easiest, though traditionally chickpea flour is used. I recommend chickpea if you are experienced and wheat for ease if not). Mix to a slightly sticky "bread dough" consistency. Make it into a doughnut and press around the eye, sealing the edges. The ghee must cool to about 85-90 degrees F before pouring in the dam or into the goggles.
For goggles, pour in and bend over, placing your eyes in the spaces without tipping the ghee out. Secure the goggles on your head and lay back on the floor with your head on a towel. For a dam, you want to pay down first...really, if you are doing this on yourself, the goggles are the way to go. If you are doing this to your partner...try the dam.
You will not be able to see. Open your eyes anyway. At first, it may sting, as the moisture penetrates the dryness. That will subside as your eyes start cranking out tears. This looks super trippy through the goggles.
You want to let it stay on your eyes at least 20 minutes. When you are done, roll to your side, and empty the goggles into a waiting vessel. If you are using dough, make a divot on the edge and turn your head holding the dish beneath the escape.
You can repeat this regularly for a few days if you have long standing eye strain. NEVER use hot ghee (above 90F) and NEVER use ghee with particulate visible. If you question this, you can melt your ghee and pass it through a cheesecloth once again to catch any rogue milk-solids.
Hit me up in the comments with questions! I will answer :-) This treatment is also good for chronic headache and many other applications.
