Ayurveda is one of the oldest forms of medical sciences with its roots in India. It is one of the most popular alternative medicines all over the world. It owes its inception to Dhanvantari, the physician attending to the mythological Hindu Gods. The earliest recordings of Ayurveda are around 2nd millennium BC.
The word - Ayurveda
Ayurveda, is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘the science of long life’, where ‘Ayur’ meaning long life and ‘veda’ is the knowledge. In Ayurveda, the body is related to the elements - earth, water, air, fire and space and the fluids – wind, bile and phlegm. Whenever an imbalance between these elements occurs in the body, it translates into illnesses. Hence Ayurveda mainly concentrates on – diet, yoga, hygiene and Ayurvedic medicines. In fact, it is one of the few alternative medical sciences known to involve surgery as well.
Ayurveda and the human body
Ayurvedic medicine essentially tries to work at restoring the constitution of a human body. By constitution we mean the person’s relation to the environment, within and without and his/her inherent ability to resist illnesses and recover from them. In Ayurveda, the constitution is called Prakriti – which denotes the way in which the body functions physically and psychologically. Prakriti is influenced by the body’s digestive and waste discarding abilities.
There is also something known as a dosha, in Ayurveda. Dosha constitutes of three essential elements that influence the functioning of Prakriti. This further controls the activities of the body. These three dosha elements are – vatta (wind), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm). Each dosha is known to possess one or two of the five elements - earth, water, air, fire and space. Each dosha has a relation to the bodily functions that can get imbalanced due to certain factors. Every individual has his/ her own balance of dosha on the basis of personality and body type, but there would be one prominent dosha in every human body. In fact, dosha is constantly being formed and reformed by the bodily activities. An imbalance in dosha is mainly caused due to unhealthy lifestyle such as – lack of sleep, lack of physical and mental exercises and poor diet.
Ayurvedic doctor
An Ayurvedic doctor will essentially try to ascertain the primary dosha in a person by asking questions about the person’s lifestyle, past illnesses, examining the eyes, teeth, skin and weight and finally checking for the pulse. Interestingly, each dosha is known to have its unique pulse in a human body.
Ayurvedic treatment
During an Ayurvedic treatment, the physician expects the patient to be fully involved during the treatment. This would include changing one’s lifestyle, eating habits, inculcating healthy habits etc. An Ayurvedic treatment would basically include –
~ Removing impurities from one’s body known as Panchakarma, known to cleanse one’s digestive and the respiratory tracts.
~ Decreasing symptoms through yoga, breathing exercises, mediation and special diet.
~ Replacing worry with harmony with the universe through yoga and exercise
~ Reducing psychological and physical problems through therapy and massages.
Ayurvedic medicines
Ayurvedic medicines are created out of plant/ vegetable and mineral origin. All plant/ mineral origins are grouped as per their healing properties. In fact, certain spices are also used in Ayurvedic medicines. Several Ayurvedic practitioners have recorded the cure for almost all types of illness. These ingredients – plant/vegetable and mineral origins are purified before used for medicinal purposes and are recorded in medical journals as well.
How do Ayurvedic medicines work?
Ayurvedic medicines mainly aim to restore the balance between all the elements within the human body, thereby encouraging sound health. Ayurvedic medicines are known to have cleansing properties that eventually help in healing a person. Hence, it is very important to research and find a good Ayurvedic practitioner for his/ her training and experience.
Ayurvedic massages
Today, Ayurvedic massages are very popular world over. Ayurvedic massages consists of special medicinal oils that are massaged at apt pressure points on the body and with just the right amount of pressure, several ailments such as – spondylitis, arthritis, eczema etc. can be cured. Ayurvedic massages are known to induce sound sleep, proper blood circulation and flexibility. This further promotes, overall good health and a sense of well being.
Ayurveda works on some basic tenets –
- All living and non-living beings are interconnected with the universe.
- All humans are born in a state of balance between themselves and the universe.
- All human beings are a part of the universe.
- For a healthy body and mind, being in touch with nature is imperative.
- When a person is not at ease with nature, this imbalance creates illnesses in the human body.
- During the course of life, this balance gets disrupted and affects a person emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Where can you find an Ayurvedic centre:
Kerala is the ideal destination to visit a Ayurvedic Health Spa or Resort. Turn your holiday into a relaxing and a rejuvenating one.
Here are some places that you can visit:
http://www.keraleeyam.com/
http://keralavaidyashala.com/
http://www.nilayoram.com/
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