23/05/2022
Ayurveda is the system of healing practiced in India , Nepal and Sri Lanka .Like traditional Chinese Medicine ,Ayurveda is a complete system , with a variety of components aimed at improving emotional , physical and mental health .Thousands of years old , the discipline was established before the birth of the Buddha and some biblical stories reflect the wisdom of Ayurvedic teachings .
The practice of Ayurveda is divided into many different branches , in order to encompass all aspects of health and healing .Medicine is only one spoke on the Ayurvedic wheel and to benefit fully from Ayurveda , it is helpful to consider the other elements , including astrology , meditation , yoga , massage , sound , music therapy , breathing exercises and much more .
The approach is vastly different from conventional Western medicine in some ways .It can be considered as a program for living , which addresses every part of human life and puts it into the context of our environment .
That is not to say that adopting every element of Ayurveda is essential for health and well-being , but by following a simple Ayurvedic approach , we can develop ways to remain balanced in times of increasing stress , pressure and worry .
Most importantly , we can adapt a lifestyle that works to create harmony , preventing illness and encouraging us to heal much more quickly when we do become ill .
•Ayurvedic history •
Ayurveda is a combination of science and philosophy ,which details the many physical , mental , emotional and spiritual aspects necessary for health .Ayurveda is said to have been handed down divinely by Lord Brahma , the creator of the universe according to Hindu mythology , through the divine Hindu books called Vedas .
The Vedas are : the Rig Veda( the oldest);the Yakusho Veda and the Sama Veda ( the backbone of indian philosophy and religion dating from 3000 BCE) , and the Atharava , the main source for Ayurveda , dating from 1200 BCE .
Ayurvedic books were written from 600 BCE to 1000 CE by Charaka , Sushruta and Vaghbhatta .
Ayurveda litterally means "the science of life".It is a Sanskrit word , derived from two roots :ayus and vid , meaning "life" and "knowledge" . Ayus are daily life cycles that represent the body , the senses , the mind and the soul . Veda is a knowledge of our world and how everything within it works .
The great rishis ( seers or wise men) of ancient India established a system of belief called Vedic philosophy that offered new insight into the concepts of sickness and health . From there , they organized the sophisticated science of living as Ayurveda which takes the consideration the phisical , mental , emotional and spiritual elements of life necessary for health and well-being .For this reason Ayurveda is holistic , meaning that it addresses health on every level .
Restoring balance to the mind , body and soul is the aim of Ayurveda .
The ancient system of Ayurveda teaches that all illness affect both , the body and the mind and never treats in isolation from the other .
Ayurvedic medicine can be simple and straightforward , such as using herbal remedy for a sore throat to headache or more profound , for example , taking into consideration our health in previous lives as a basis for gaining or preserving good health in this one.
In the West , we take the view that people are fundamentally the same and we treat "conditions" rather than the individual who is suffering .
Ayurveda addresses the uniqueness of each patient , taking into consideration the state of mind and spirit as well as physical health .Diagnosis is based on the patient's constitution.
Ayurveda is over 3000 years old , it's a relevant dynamic ,advanced health system which has been proved to be scientifically accurate .
In Vedic philosophy , our lives become meaningful when we strive to fulfill our potential , but this cannot be achieved without basic good health .Ayurvedic theory is based on the constitution of the individual , which dictates his or her susceptibility to certain illness .
Ayurveda takes into account the influence of psychosomatic factors in most diseases as well as any imbalance in the individual's basic constitution .
Ayurveda concentrates on preserving well-being and on improving our spiritual , intellectual and phisical ability to heal ourselves .
Treatment is aimed at restoring balance of the basic constitutional factors or doshas .
Central to the philosophy of Ayurveda is the belief that we are composed of three vital energies , known as the doshas.Each of us is born with an individual constitution , is determined by the state of the parents' doshas at the time of conception and other factors .
Each of us is born in the prakruti state , which means that we are born with levels of the three doshas that are right for us .The best defense against illness is a strong constitution .
If our doshas become imbalanced , through bad habits , food , overwork for example , we become susceptible to illness .Ayurveda help to prevent the development of disease by working with the constitution of the individual , aiming to restore the prakruti state .
The concept of the tridoshas is unique to Ayurveda philosophy , according to which there are three vital forces , vata , pitta and kapha .These govern the entire phisical and mental functions in the living being . When these vital forces are in balance , they provide good health and longevity for the human being , and when they are imbalanced , they are responsible for diseases and ill health .
