About Aurveda

Ayurveda has made up of two words. Ayur and Veda. These both are Sanskrit words. “Ayur” means life and “Veda” means science. So together AYUR + VEDA means - science of life. This science is related to the physical and mental both states of the body. It also deals with the existence of “Indriyaas” (the six senses). Basically Ayurveda deals with the proper functioning of our Mind, Body and Soul. This includes all the descriptions of lifestyle, diet and behavior. It includes the details of all the modalities, like what to eat, when to eat, how to eat etc.

The classical works on Ayurveda describe it as under :

It is that knowledge of life which deals elaborately and at length with conditions beneficial or otherwise to the humanity, and, to factors conducive to the happiness, or responsible for misery or sorrow besides indicating measures for healthful living for full span of life .

Ayurveda is also considered as ‘Science of life’. This probably makes it the earliest medical science having a positive concept of health to be achieved through a blending of physical, mental, social moral and spiritual welfare.

According to the ancient books of knowledge, health is considered as a prerequisite for achieving the supreme ends of life consisting of righteousness, wealth, artistic values and spiritual freedom. Preventive and curative aspects of diseases are considered as important components of the concept of positive health.

Ayurveda deals elaborately with measures of healthful living during the entire span of life and its various phases. Besides dealing with principles for maintenance of health, it has also developed a wide range of therapeutic measures to combat illness. These principles of positive health and therapeutic measures related to physical, mental, social and spiritual welfare of human beings. Thus Ayurveda became one of the oldest system of medicine dealing with both the preventive and curative aspects of life in a most comprehensive way.

A perusal of its several classical treatises indicate presence of two schools of Physicians and Surgeons and eight specialities. These eight disciplines are generally called "Ashtanga Ayurveda" and are :-

• Internal Medicine(Kaya Chikitsa)
• Paediatrics(Kaumar Bhritya)
• Otorhinolaryngology and Ophthalmology(Shalakya)
• Surgery(Shalya)
• Toxicology(Agad Tantra)
• Geriatrics(Rasayana)
• Eugenics and aphrodisiacs(Vajikarana)

The statement ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is absolutely an excellent answer to Ayurveda. Ayurveda Treatment helps us to get rid of the imbalances which are there in our body, and hence are responsible for the occurrence of disease. Getting treated with ayurvedic line of treatment, one is able to maintain equilibrium in mind, body and spirit. It takes you near to nature.

It means if you live according to nature, your mind, body and soul impurities will go away for ever. And then one will maintain his equilibrium according to him.

Self-Healing & Self-Realization

The main theme of Áyurveda is that people can adequately educate themselves to take control of their own health. This is achieved by monitoring and balancing one’s nutritional and lifestyle habits to heal, prevent illness, and develop longevity. Áyurveda teaches that people are their own best healers. One’s intuition is better at discerning subtle health imbalances than relying on another person.
All that is needed is some basic guidelines offered by the Áyurvedic practitioner.
The ability to take control of one’s health inspires self-worth and self-empowerment. Faith in one’s intuitive abilities is further engendered when persons actually see the positive results from their efforts. Realizing one has the ability to take control of one’s own health is itself a key factor in healing. Self-reliance is also the most important component in spiritual development. Individuals can learn to rely on their own intuition [along with guidelines laid out by one’s spiritual mentor or guru and from the scriptures]. As one begins to see positive results developing in their spiritual life, doubts begin to vanish: clarity, confidence, and mental peace begin to dawn.
The mental peace of Self-Realization is said to be the true state of life because it is eternal, nonchanging.
Vedic çhastras (scriptures) speak of the three legs of truth; what the scriptures say, what the guru or spiritual guide says, and what one experiences for oneself. Only when all three sources are found to be saying the same thing is something accepted as truth. But it is personal experience that must also be known; it is not enough to follow something dogmatically with blind faith. Doubts are mental agitation. When doubts are dispelled the mind gains a state of peace. In Self-
Realization one knows truth in its eternal nature; they cannot be swayed or agitated. The first step towards Self-Realization is developing the ability to not be swayed by others if you experience things differently. The American poet
Thoreau, after reading the Vedic scriptures, expressed it this way:

If a man cannot keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears the beat of a different drummer.
Let him step to the beat he hears, no matter how measured or far away.

The Áyurvedic practitioner instills this philosophy in the patient, who then experiences and respects inner intuition and Divinity. When patients see that the practitioner believes they have such Divine qualities, they usually respond in kind.
A psychological study highlights the value of expectation. Two teachers were given classes of students with average abilities. One teacher was told their class was above average while the other teacher was told they had an average class. The first teacher went to class expecting exceptional work from the students and treated them accordingly.
The other teacher just taught the average curriculum. The supposed above average class performed above average. Thus, when the Áyurvedic practitioner treats patients with respect, recognizing their inner intuitive abilities, the patients automatically develop a greater sense of self-worth and faith that they can take control of their health. As self-worth develops, people are not as easily swayed by peer pressure, whether pressed to take drugs or lead an unethical life. Low self-esteem causes people to abuse themselves. Having someone recognize one’s inner Divinity and selfhealing abilities develops confidence. Experiencing positive results from self-healing and spiritual development further generates confidence, health, mental peace, and Divinity.

The Áyurvedic Body

Personalizing the healing process is a uniqueness that Áyurveda brings to the holistic field of health. From the insights of the Vedic sages, we learn that people are different and need to be individually treated.
Expanding upon this elemental view, the Áyurvedic practitioner understands that people are made up of various combinations of the elements.
Some people have more air in their system; some people have a more fiery constitution. Others are predominantly made up of water. Still others are combinations of fire and air, fire and water, or air and water. Some people have an equal amount of all three elements (ether is combined in air and earth within water). Thus a more air-predominant individual needs to take in less air and more fire and water. A water person already has an excess of water, so there is a need to reduce the intake of water and to increase the fire and air elements in the diet and lifestyle

Personalized Healing

The general Áyurvedic approach is threefold.
1. Determining one’s elemental constitution (dosha or prakriti),
2. Learning the elemental cause of illness (vikriti), and
3. Applying therapeutic recommendations to balance elements causing the illness, without causing an imbalance to the dosha (constitution).
This unique, personalized approach not only makes healing effective, but gentle as well. Other holistic measures may work, yet still aggravate the person’s dosha. Áyurveda is the only holistic science that needn’t warn people that they may feel worse while the diseases or toxins are being removed before they will feel better. Because of its balancing approach, gentleness marks the entire healing process.

Qualities of the Three Doshas

Parallel to the three guòas (sattwa, rajas, and tamas) in creation are the three doshas, or constitutions, in the human body: Váyu (or Váta), Pitta, and Kapha.
Váyu may be understood as nerve force, electro-motor, physical activity or that, which is responsible for motion. It is commonly called air. The root, ‘va’ means to spread. In Western terms, it is the electricity setting the organism into motion, maintaining the equilibrium between Pitta and Kapha (inerts).
1.Vayu relates to the nerve-force.
2.It is responsible for all movement in the mind and body.
3.The movement of Váyu even regulates the balance of Pitta and Kapha.

Pitta relates to internal fire, bile, body heat, digestive enzymes, physio-chemical, biological, metabolic and endocrine systems. It is responsible for digesting the chyle into a protoplasmic substance like sperm and ovum. Kapha fills the intercellular spaces of the body as connective tissue. Examples of these tissues include mucus, synovial fluid, and tendons.
Kapha is responsible for the gross structure of the body (solid and liquid/phlegm-plasma). Each person is made up of a combination of these elements. Together, the doshas are responsible for catabolic and anabolic metabolism. Catabolism breaks down complex internal bodies, and Váyu (air energy) sets this energy free into simpler waste.
Anabolism takes food and builds it into more complex bodies. The summit of the metabolic process is protoplasm or essential matter proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and inorganic salts]. Lifeless food becomes living protoplasm and is set free as useful energy or excess heat or motion that is emitted from the body. Thus, the purpose of the three doshas is to move the lymph chyle (the by-product of digested foods) throughout the body. This nourishes and builds the body tissues. When any or all of the doshas develop imbalance, the body ceases to be nourished, and disease develops.
The three doshas (Váyu, Pitta, Kapha) exist throughout the entire body, in every cell, yet are predominant (their sites of origin) in the colon, small intestine, and stomach, respectively. Some authorities say that Váyu primarily resides below the navel, Pitta from the navel to the heart, and Kapha, above the heart. Váyu is also found in (governing) the waist, thighs, ear, bones, and skin. Pitta also governs the navel, sweat, lymph, blood, eye, and skin. Kapha additionally controls the chest, throat, head, bone joints, small intestine, plasma, fat, nose, and tongue.