Simple Definition
Ayurveda is a wholistic system of
medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim is to
provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can
stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health.
There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite
unique:
- Its recommendations will often be different for
each person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow
in order to be completely healthy. This is due to it's use of a
constitutional model.
- Everything in Ayurveda is validated by
observation, inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the
ancient texts.
- It understands that there are energetic forces
that influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the
Tridoshas.
- Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between
the mind and the body, a huge amount of information is available
regarding this relationship.
Origin
Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that
originated in India thousands of years ago. We can find historical
evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as the Vedas. In
the Rig Veda, over 60 preparatison were mentioned that could be used to
assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was
written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been around even
longer than that. What we see is that A yurveda is more than just a
medical system. It is a Science of Life. We are all part and parcel of
nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and
utilize the Laws of Nature to create health and balance within their
beings, we, too, adhere to these very same principles. Therefore, it is
fair to say that Ayurveda is a system that helps maintain health in a
person by using the inherent principles of nature to bring the individual
back i nto equilibrium with their true self. In essence Ayurveda has been
in existence since the beginning of time because we have always been
governed by nature's laws.
Meaning
Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words: Ayu
which means life and Veda which means the knowledge of. To know
about life is Ayurveda. However, to fully comprehend the vast s cope of
Ayurveda let us first define "Ayu" or life. According to the ancient
Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" is comprised of four essential parts. The
combination of mind, body, senses and the soul.
Mind, Body, and Senses
We tend to identify most with our physical bodies;
yet, in actuality, there is more to us then what meets the eye. We can see
that underlying our physical structure is the mind, which not only
controls our thought processes but helps assist us in carrying out
day-to-day activities such as respiration, circulation, digestion and
elimination. The mind and the body work in conjunction with one another to
regulate our physiology. In order for the mind to act appropriately to
assist the physical body, we must use our senses as information gatherers.
We can think of the mind as a computer and the senses as the data which
gets entered into the computer. Smell and taste are two important senses
that aid in the digestive process. When the mind registers that a
particular food is entering the gastrointestinal tract, it directs the
body to act accordingly by releasing various digestive enzymes. However,
if we overindulge the taste buds with too much of a certain taste, such as
sweet, we may find that the ability of the mind to perceive the sweet
taste is impaired; and thereby the body becomes challenged in its ability
to process sweet foods. Maintaining the clarity of our senses is an
essential part in allowing the mind and body to integrate their functions
and help in keeping us healthy and happy individuals.
SOUL
Ayurveda also sees that before we exist in physical
form with the help of the mind and senses that we exist in a more subtle
form known as the soul. The ancient seers of India believed that we were
comprised of a certain energetic essence that precluded the inhabitance of
our physical entity. In fact, they hypothesized that we may indeed occupy
many physical bodies throughout the course of time but that our underlying
self or soul remains unchanged. What we see to help illustrate this
concept is what transpires at the time of death. When the individual nears
the time to leave the physical body, many of his/her desires will cease to
be present. As the soul no longer identifies with the body, the desire to
eat food or indulge in a particular activity that used to be a great
source of satisfaction for that person drops by the wayside. In fact, many
individuals have been documented to experience the sensation of being "out
of their bodies."
These are just a few examples of how we are made up
of these four components that we call life.
Principles
Now that we have a better understanding of what
comprises life, let's look at some of the principles of Ayurveda and how
they might affect us.
In Ayurveda we view a person as a unique individual
made up of five primary elements. The elements are ether (space), air,
fire, water, and earth. Just as in nature, we too have these five elements
in us. When any of these elements are present in the environment, they
will in turn have an influence on us. The foods we eat and the weather are
just two examples of the presence of these elements. While we are a
composite of these five primary elements, certain elements are seen to
have an ability to combine to create various physiological functions.
Ether and air combine to form what is known in Ayurveda as the
Vata dosha. Vata governs
the principle of movement and therefore can be seen as the force which
directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination. Fire
and water are the elements that combine to form the
Pitta dosha. The Pitta
dosha is the process of transformation or metabolism. The transformation
of foods into nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a
pitta function. Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and
tissue systems as well as cellular metabolism. Finally, it is pr
edominantly the water and earth elements which combine to form the
Kapha dosha. Kapha is
what is responsible for growth, adding structure unit by unit. Another
function of the Kapha dosha is to offer protection. Cerebral-sp inal fluid
protects the brain and spinal column and is a type of Kapha found in the
body. Also, the mucousal lining of the stomach is another example of the
Kapha dosha protecting the tissues. We are all made up of unique
proportions of Vata, Pitta and Ka pha. These ratios of the doshas vary in
each individual; and because of this, Ayurveda sees each person as a
special mixture that accounts for our diversity.
Ayurveda gives us a model to look at each individual
as a unique makeup of the three doshas and to thereby design treatment
protocols that specifically address a persons health challenges. When any
of the doshas ( Vata, Pitta or Kapha ) become accumulated, Ayurveda will
suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the
individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. We may also
suggest certain herbal supplemen ts to hasten the healing process. If
toxins in the body are abundant, then a cleansing process known as Pancha
Karma is recommended to eliminate these unwanted toxins.
Conclusion
This understanding that we are all unique
individuals enables Ayurveda to address not only specific health concerns
but also offers explanation as to why one person responds differently th
an another. We hope that you will continue to explore Ayurveda to enhance
your health and to gain further insights into this miracle we call life.
Conditions
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undivided attention and services, please read these conditions carefully
to avoid any misunderstandings.
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