Ayurveda - The Science of Life

"Life (ayu) is the combination (samyoga) of body, senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Ayurveda is the most sacred science of life, beneficial to humans both in this world and the world beyond." ~ Charaka

What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a natural holistic healing system of medicine which had been originated in India more than 3000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words; “Ayur” means “Life” and “Veda” means “Science or Knowledge”, hence Ayurveda translates to “Knowledge of Life” or “The Science of Life”. The ayurvedic system is focused on the belief that the health and wellness depend upon the harmony and balance between the mind, body, spirit, environment and cosmos."Charaka" is known as the "Father of Ayurveda". Ayurveda focuses on good heath practice, prevention and treatment of illness through lifestyle practices such as meditation, yoga, dietary changes, massage and use of herbal remedies. Ayurvedic approach is pure holistic viewing the body and mind as a whole, hence it not only treats a person’s physical complaints but will also changes the lifestyle practices to maintain and improve the health. In Ayurveda, a dosha is one of three substances that are believed to be present in a person's body. According to the philosophy, universal life force manifests as three different energies or doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha.

AYURVEDA DOSHAS
If your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe, you have good health and when this balance gets disturbed, you get sick. As per Ayurveda, each one of us has a unique energy combination of three body principals that constitutes our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. These principles are known as “Doshas”. There are three different types of doshas that are derived from five different elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. They are: Vata Dosha, Pitta Dosha, Kapha Dosha.

Energy is required to create movement so that fluids and nutrients get to the cells, enabling the body to function. Energy is also required to metabolize the nutrients in the cells, and is called for to lubricate and maintain the structure of the cell. Vata is the energy of movement; pitta is the energy of digestion or metabolism and kapha, the energy of lubrication and structure. All people have the qualities of vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary, one secondary and the third is usually least prominent. The cause of disease in Ayurveda is viewed as a lack of proper cellular function due to an excess or deficiency of vata, pitta or kapha.

Vata Dosha:

Vata orginated from a Sanskrit word “vayuu” meaning “that which moves” is composed of the elements space and air. Vata dosha is known to govern all the movements of mind and body, hence it controls the blood flow to the elimination of waste and harmful toxins to breathing and flow of thoughts in the mind. It’s considered as the most influential dosha as it promotes a healthy balance between thought and emotion, feeds creativity, activity and minimizes stress. At balanced state, vatas are flexible, have lively imaginations, feels energetic and are original thinkers and when imbalanced, they get anxious, fear, ungrounded and can seem flaky about fulfilling commitments, sticking to routine, digestive challenges and project completion.

Pitta Dosha:

Pitta originated from the Sanskrit word ”pinj” meaning “to shine” is composed of the elements fire and water. The primary function of Pitta is transformation. Pitta Dosha controls body’s metabolic systems like digestion, absorption, nutrition and temperature. At balanced state, pitta leads to contentment, joyfulness and intelligence and when imbalanced, it can cause ulcers, indigestion and arouse anger.

Kapha Dosha:

The term Kapha derived from the Sanskrit word “shlish” meaning “that which holds things together” is composed of the elements earth and water. It is the principle that holds the cells together and forms the muscle, fat, bone, and sinew. It controls weight, growth, lubrication for the joints and lungs, and formation of all the seven tissues: nutritive fluids, blood, fat, muscles, bones, marrow and reproductive tissues. Kaphas offers endurance and physical and psychological strength and stability promotes positive emotions like love, compassion, empathy, understanding, forgiveness, loyalty, patience, calmness. It controls growth in the body, supplies water to body parts, moisturizes skin, governs immunity and also its energy promotes the ongoing process of self-repair and healing. At balanced state, kapha is expressed as love and forgiving and when out of balance, it leads to insecurity and envy. 

What should I expect from Ayurvedic treatment?

Ayurveda treatment starts with an internal purification process followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation.

Importance of Ayurvedic medicine and its benefits:

• It helps in reducing stress, anxiety and curing insomnia.
  
  
• It aids in weight loss management, anti-aging and its maintenance.
  
  
• It helps in balancing hormones and reducing inflammation.
  
  
• It helps to detoxify the body and purify the blood.
  
  
• It helps in improving digestion, lowers the lower blood pressure and cholesterol; also helps in managing high blood pressure.
  
  
• It helps to improve concentration, relaxes your mind, boosts the mental health and reduces the risk of diseases. Ayurveda have a comprehensive way for revitalizing energy levels.
  
  
• Ayurveda promotes a nutrient dense and antioxidant rich diet.
  
  
• Ayurvedic practices helps to retain and maintaining healthy glowing and youthful looking skin and hair.
  
  
• It helps in creating overall balance and well-being, improving health at cellular level, managing a healthy lifestyle and to recover from injury and illness.
  
  
• Ayurveda benefits our overall health by staying well and encourages to love yourself. You will get a greater understanding of your life and improves overall vitality.

Different Ayurvedic Treatments:
Ayurveda have various different techniques to treat different types of diseases and body disorders. These are some of the list of ayurvedic treatments:

• Vamana: Its helpful in the treatment of diabetes, nausea, skin diseases, asthma, food poisoning.
• Virechana: It is helpful in the treatment for digestive disorders, skin disorders and eye diseases.
• Nasyam: Its helpful in the treatment for paralysis, insomnia, migraine.
• Rakthamoksham: It’s a therapy effective in blood purification and treats various skin disorders. The purpose of treatment is to remove harmful substances out of blood.
• Dhara: The treatment technique is for insomnia, headaches and different brain disorders.
• Kizhi: This treatment is effective for curing the body disorders including high blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Udhwarthanam: This treatment is helpful to treat obesity and various skin problems.
• Sirolepanam: This treatment focuses on curing hair issues, brain and psychological disorders.
• Sirovasthi: Focuses on treatment for paralysis, deafness and other body disorders.
• Kati Vasti: It helps in curing lower back pain

Conclusion:

Ayurveda is a choice of lifestyle, when included in our day-to-day life, brings a wave of general well-being. Ayurveda is recognized by the UNO as a traditional system of medicines. Always keep in mind that your progress towards balance and health is proportional to how well you stick to the guidelines of diet and lifestyle. Ayurveda works in perfect harmony with alternative medicine so it is practical for everyday use and helps reclaim health with balanced dietary guidelines, effective sleep patterns, home remedies, daily and seasonal routines, yoga, and exercise patterns.