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Introduction to Ayurveda
Ayurveda is most commonly
known as an alternative health practice stemming from
ancient India. It’s purpose being to re-align our
physiologies with the rhythms of the universe. The
literal meaning of the word, however is “the science of
life” (ayur = life, veda = science or knowledge).
Ayurvedic practices are meant to heal – and more
importantly prevent disease, increase the overall health
and vitality of the body, and increase longevity. This is
accomplished by rebalancing pranic life forces acting
within the body mainly through dosha specific diet,
meditation, and daily activity harmonized with the cycles
of nature. Also utilized are rejuvenative herbal
remedies, mineral and gem elixirs, and bodywork such as
Ayurvedic massage, detoxification methods, herbal steam
treatments, calming practices, yoga, and marma point
therapy (balances our “vibrational” circulatory channels,
the nadis). Ayurveda’s herbal-based medical tradition
uses plants with special potencies for pacifying doshic
imbalances and re-establishing natal prakriti – the state
of peace.
History
The exact origin of Ayurveda
cannot be traced, but archeological evidence has indicated
a complex working medical knowledge in ancient India such
as dentistry, plastic surgery, and even brain surgery as
far back as 9,000 years ago (7,000 BC). The original
texts of Ayurveda are a part of the Vedas – the world’s
oldest texts of knowledge – specifically the Atharva
Veda. Within the Vedas, it is described that the
knowledge was first handed down by an avatar of Krishna
(Vishnu) named Sri Dhanvantari, who is usually pictured
carrying the vessel of immortality. Thus the essential
knowledge of Ayurveda is eternal, and the evidence of this
can be seen in its continuing usefulness even as the
world situation changes. Top
Aim
Ayurveda has two main goals:
• To maintain the health of
the healthy.
• To heal the sick:
physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually
The ultimate aim of Ayurveda
is to always maintain good health and well-being. And
health, according to Ayurveda, is not merely eliminating
the physical symptoms of a disease, but also restoring the
happiness of the person's mind and soul. Often people may
not be suffering from physical problems but they may be
very unhappy and disturbed mentally. According to
Ayurveda, such a person would be in a state of ill health
(dis-ease or dis-order).
Problems like depression,
anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia, originate mainly from
our disconnection with our essential natures.
Unfortunately, most of our actions and activities today
are related to materialism and our physical body. We
rarely pay attention to our other half, which is equally
important—the soul. Ayurveda gives the example of a
parrot in a cage. If the cage is taken care of very
nicely, but the parrot is neglected then its life is
ruined. Similarly if we take care of the body but neglect
the soul, our life is ruined.
The diets and lifestyles we
follow for achieving peace and happiness may also not be
healthy for our inner selves. Since we are no longer
taught the importance of mental and spiritual health—we
remain unhappy, depressed, anxious and insecure, despite
our best efforts. This is clearly indicative of something
being wrong in our approach towards self-actualization and
our relationship with matter and spirit.
Ayurveda helps us in our
endeavor to find happiness in life by recommending
lifestyle adjustments. It teaches us how to live in
natural balance by following a path that flows with nature
rather than against it.
Ayurveda is the perfect
solution for all our health issues. Not only does it help
people understand themselves and their needs, but it also
provides guidelines on diet, lifestyle, exercise regimens
and much more. But above all, Ayurveda teaches us to live
in harmony within our society, with nature and with the
universe at large, without disturbing the delicate natural
balance. Above and beyond this, Ayurveda points one
towards an understanding of the soul – which is our true
self and above any physical or mental influence. While
Ayurveda can bring one to physical and mental well-being,
knowledge of the soul will bring one to ever-increasing
happiness regardless of material
condition. Top
Principles
According to Ayurveda, the
five basic elements in physical nature are, space or ether
(akash), air (vayu), fire (agni), water (jala), and earth
(prithvi). In our bodies, health is a state where these
elements remain completely balanced. Conversely,
imbalances lead to disharmony, which ultimately leads to
disease. Ayurveda teaches that the three main causes of
imbalance in our biological functions are over-eating or
eating the wrong foods for one’s constitution,
uncleanliness both externally and internally, and stress
caused by not understanding man’s relationship to natural
law. These are the seeds that appear on the gross level,
which gradually manifest into what we name specific
disease conditions.
Over and above the elements,
Ayurveda gives mention of the modes of nature: sattva
(goodness), raja (passion), and tamas (ignorance). All
aspects of nature can be explained in terms of these
modes, including seasons, times of the day, and even more
subtle aspects like emotions. For instance, in the
Bhagavad-Gita (considered the essence of Vedic knowledge),
it states, “Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness
increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and
give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such
foods are wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.
(Bhagavad-Gita, Ch17 Verse8)” Similarly, such things as
faith, sacrifices, charity, austerity, religion, etc are
all explained according to these
modes of nature. Top
Ayurvedic Constitutions (Doshas)
According to Ayurveda, the
elements are represented in a human being as vata, pitta
and kapha, known as the three doshas or biological forces.
Vata is comprised of
the elements air and space and is responsible for all
movement related functions in the body, such as
respiration, circulation and thought. On an emotional
level it is responsible for such positive emotions as
creativity and flexibility and its' negative aspects are
fear and anxiety.
Pitta is composed of
fire and water and is responsible for metabolism,
including digestion of food and life's experiences and for
hunger and thirst. Emotionally it is connected with
courage, ambition, anger and pride.
Kapha is comprised of
water and earth and is responsible for cohesion; it
provides the body's structure. It governs emotions such as
love and devotion, greed and jealousy.
Everybody is born with a
unique combination of these three doshas and this is
termed as their prakriti or constitution. Apart from
these Ayurvedic body energies, there are also other
elements:
Dhatus
These are the basic tissues
which maintain and nourish the body. There are seven
dhatus—plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and
reproductive fluid. The quality and quantity of each dhatu
and its balanced functioning is very important for good
health.
Mala
These are the waste
materials produced as a result of various metabolic
activities in the body. The main mala are urine, feces and
sweat. Proper elimination of mala is equally important for
good health. Accumulation of mala causes blockages in the
body, resulting in diseases.
Srota
These are channels, which
are responsible for transportation of food, dhatus, malas
and doshas. Proper functioning of srota is necessary for
transporting different materials. Blockage of srota causes
many disorders.
Agni
'Agni' means fire. According
to Ayurveda, there are 13 types of agni in the body, which
carry out different metabolic activities. This may be
compared to different types of enzymes responsible for
digestion and metabolic activity in our body.
Toxins
Toxins fall into four
categories: ama, amavish, garvish,
and indravajrabijanyavish. Ama is the
product of incomplete digestion. A sticky, malodorous
substance, ama clogs the shrotas (channels) and
cellular membranes, disrupting tissue nutrition and
producing illness. Amavish is ama having
reactive properties with the tissues and shrotas.
Garvish is ama acquired from sources that never
should have entered the body: chemicals, heavy metals,
dyes, pesticides, fumes, etc. Indravajrabhijanyavish
comes from electromagnetic sources, like computers and
cell phones. The ongoing build-up of all these types of
ama disturbs dosha, dhatus, and malas. Disease
itself is called Amaya – born of ama. To
re-establish prakriti, one must regularly purify the
physiology.
Time
Becoming older is
inevitable; aging is optional. Ayurveda says that 100
years is a normal life span. Today people are living
longer; but what good is longer life in infirmity and ill
health? Insidiously, aging brings about a gradual loss
of connection with our own prakriti. Decade by decade we
lose growth, luster, complexion, intelligence, skin
health, vision, virility, discrimination, and the use of
the senses. Over time the body’s channels lose
flexibility, becoming clogged and dry, as occurs in
arteriosclerosis, for example. Staying young at heart
means preventing psychological aging, which begins earlier
in life than one would suspect. Ayurveda provides special
substances called Rasayanas that promote mental and
physical health, maintain
youthfulness, and slow aging. Top
Sad-Ratna: Six Jewels of
Ayurvedic Wisdom
Ayurveda is the oldest
system of medicine in the world today. It is found at the
root of Chinese Medicine, Tibetan Medicine and the Early
Greek Medicine of Hippocrates. Here are six principles for
understanding Ayurveda:
1. Anadi: literally
means ‘not created’. It refers to the fact that Ayurveda
was not originated, but was discovered from the
observation of nature, to which humans belong. It has
remained unchanged for at least 5,000 years and is
applicable to our time because it is based on universal
principles.
2. The Five Element
Theory: Ayurveda observes in nature an intelligence
that governs the functioning of the whole universe and
explains that in the language of the five elements (ether,
air, fire, water and earth); the building blocks of all
creation.
3. The Three Doshas:
When these elemental forces appear within the human
physiology they are called doshas. The three doshas are
vata, the principle that governs all movement, pitta,
which governs all the processes of transformation and
kapha which is responsible for cohesion, growth and
lubrication.
4. Prakruti and Vikruti:
Each of us is born with a unique combination of the five
elements (or the three doshas) – this is our prakruti.
When this inborn constitution becomes imbalanced it is
called vikruti. By various forms of evaluation, including
pulse reading, we can understand our own inborn
constitution and we can better know how to balance our
life and achieve our ideal state of health with proper
diet, lifestyle and herbal supplements.
5. Agni: When our
internal fire of digestion, or agni, is low, no matter
what we eat, it will not be appropriately transformed.
When food is not properly metabolized, it results in a
toxic waste called ama. Ayurveda always seeks to awaken
and support the internal fire or agni.
6. Parinam: This
refers to the negative and ever changing effect of the
seasons on our health. Ayurveda considers health to be a
state of balance of body, mind, emotion and external
environment. It is not possible to merely address the
problem or sickness only. Imagine a tree whose leaves are
discolored. Ayurveda tends to the root of the tree, as
well as the leaf and the environment around the tree (or
individual) to bring it back into
balance.
Top
What is Pulse Diagnosis?
Pulse diagnosis is the
ancient art and science of detecting the existing status
of a person’s body, mind, and soul. Nadi or pulse is that
vital flow of energy or life that courses through as a
subtle channel all over the body, and enables the
practicioner to feel the way the blood streams from the
heart. This helps an experienced ayurvedic doctor to
diagnose or treat various ailments, or to prevent their
occurrence.
Pulse reading can be learnt
through continuous practice, focus, awareness, and under
the guidance of an experienced guru. It is like playing
the vina, a musical instrument akin to the violin. On
striking, each string produces a different musical note.
Similarly, an expert pulse reader by touching, pressing,
and ‘feeling’ the different combinations of the pulse, is
able to diagnose the imbalances within a person’s body.
Ayurveda states three
barometers of diagnosis: darshana (see and observe),
sparshana (touch), and prashna (inquire by asking
questions). Successful pulse reading involves touching,
feeling, observing, and experiencing not only the rate,
rhythm, and volume of the pulse; but also its movement,
amplitude, temperature, force, and consistency in the
body.
Top |
History
Aim
Principles
Constitution
(Dosha)
Six
Jewels
Pulse Diagnosis
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