Ayurveda
Mother of Healing
Mother of Healing
Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine, which originated in northern India antiquity of which dates back to the period of vedas and this is said to be born from Atharva Veda. This knowledge has been gathered due to constant observation of nature for long years by men since the advent of civilization and cannot be attributed to any individual or a group of individuals by any stretch of imagination. Ayurveda is basically based on the predominance of three humours namely Vatha, Pittha and Kapha in the human body. Balanced state of these doshas denotes health and their imbalance produces disease. Preceptors like Charaka, Susrutha have been benevolent enough to compile these invaluable treasure troves of knowledge to be passed on to posterity. (‘Ayu` means life ‘Veda’ means science). Ayurveda is known for its holistic approach to treatments and rejuvenation therapies and it is the only system medicine through which perfect cure of ailments and resonance of body and soul is achieved.
Ayurveda is far more than just an approach to cure a disease. It’s a multidimensional holistic system of medicine that ensures physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing of an individual.
Personalized Treatment
Every individual is unique in terms of their physical, physiological, and mental nature, and vulnerability to diseases. Ayurveda considers this individuality or ‘prakruti’ when prescribing holistic treatments. The prakruti is in turn governed by three types of “bodily energies” called Doshas- vata, pitta, kapha, linked to the functions, such as movement, transformation, and support and growth, respectively. This basis holds relevance because any disease or ailment ultimately impairs body’s functioning
Ayurveda, which means “Knowledge of Life” is much more than an alternative system of medicine. It is the science that suggests the ideal way to live, to have a lengthy and healthy existence. It is in fact a holistic system that considers health in a multidimensional perspective.
Ayurveda’s perspective on effective health care is divided into two dimensions – maintenance of health using discipline in daily life and rejuvenation therapies and treating diseases through medication.
One of the most important things in maintaining health is observation of systematic daily routine, especially in food habits and sleep. Also a well planned schedule of exercise. Ayurveda details this under the head Dinacharya.
Ayurveda asks us to live life in accordance with seasons. Eat foods that suit the seasons and do therapies that are more effective in that particular climate. Personal hygiene is a must for good health. But Ayurveda goes beyond that and says social and civic hygiene are equally important.
Long before modern science understood the power of the mind in the treatment and cure of diseases Ayurveda studied the phenomenon in detail. Health happens when everything inside the body and the mind is in equilibrium. Mind and body are not independent entities and therefore if one is affected it has an effect on the other also. Likewise all body parts are interconnected and a dissonance in one could create a problem in another.
Most of the Ayurvedic medicines and therapies are aimed at boosting the human immune system. For it believes that the innate strength of the human body is capable of warding off most of the diseases. All that is needed is to give it the necessary support and right nourishment. Periodic purification treatments like Kizhi, Pizhichil, Vasti and Dhara which cleanses, rejuvenates and relaxes the body and mind are also part of the methods to ensure good health.