Introduction
Ayurveda is the ancient Indian “knowledge of life” – a totally natural way to obtain health and harmony which is over 5,000 years old.
Ayurveda is known as the “mother of medicine” because Ayurvedic principles have influenced the development of Chinese, Arabic, Greek and Roman schools of medical thought. Modern western medicine has adopted some Ayurvedic concepts, as well as more recently developed therapies like aromatherapy, homeopathy and naturopathy.
Ayurveda is a complete way of life. It is not only about treating sickness – it is based on preventing disease and enhancing health, longevity and vitality. Ayurveda believes that it takes a long time for our body to get sick because of our misguided lifestyles (i.e., diet and habits) and it may take some time to heal (there is not a “quick fix”). The goal of Ayurveda is to achieve harmony and balance. This is attain without drugs or invasive treatments. Diet, meditation, gentle exercise (i.e., Yoga), herbal medicines and physical therapies (such as massage) are the main methods used.
Basic Principles
According to Ayurveda, everything in this universe is composed of five elements. The human body is also made up of the save five elements: Earth, spirit, Vatta (air), Pitta (acid), and Kapha (mucus). When one or more of these elements is not balanced, we get sick. In order to restore the body, there are modalities recognized by Ayurveda to do this: for spirit, there is meditation; for the earth person, they need to be around water, woods and hills need to stay connected and grounded; for the other three (Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha), Yoga, change of diet, massage and herbal supplements are used to balance the body.
The Goals of Ayurveda
The ultimate aim of Ayurveda is to maintain complete health. “Health” is not defined only as physical well-being, but also as spiritual and mental well-being.
Ayurveda provides us guidelines on diet, daily routine, lifestyle, actions and activites to follow. It also teaches how to live in society and in the universe without disturbing the natural balance.
Ayurveda is recognized by the World Health Organization, and is currently used to treat 70-80% of the Indian population. Recently, Ayurveda has been increasingly popular in the West.
