What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term, made up of the words "ayus" and "veda." "Ayus" means life and "Veda" means knowledge or science. The term "ayurveda" thus means 'the knowledge of life' or 'the science of life'. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" comprises the mind, body, senses and the
soul.
Ayurveda is a the oldest form of healthcare in the world originating in India thousands of years ago. The fundamentals of Ayurveda can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas — the ancient Indian books of wisdom. The Rig Veda, which was written over 6,000 years ago, contains a series of prescriptions that can help humans to regain their balance and achieve health.
The philosophy of Ayurveda states that everything that exists in the universe appears internally in human form. In other words, a human being is a living microcosm of the universe and the universe is a living macrocosm of a human being. its principles are based on the natural order of universal law.
Everything in the universe is made up of a combination of the five elements called the pancha mahabhutas. These five elements are known as: Eether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth
Ayurveda considers itself the science of life itself. What promotes life, longevity, happiness, and fulfillment, and conversely, what produces illness, pain, misery? These are the questions they asked themselves, and by observing nature and through their deep meditation they discovered the principles underlying a healthy and happy life and the means nature has given us to achieve it.
Ayurveda, concerned with the foundation of all spiritual practice as well as a healthy body and harmonious life, is part of a trilogy of physical, mental and spiritual practice. Each level is in constant communication, with the other each influencing the others in an upward spiral of evolution toward health and enlightenment.
They say that to neglect the physical is to neglect the mental and spiritual also and to go farther away from the goal - balance of the whole. Knowledge of the body and its needs is essential for emotional and spiritual growth.
Ayurveda teaches that the human body has a natural healing intelligence capable of rejuvenating itself by cultivating a proper diet and healthy lifestyle. When we have dis-eases it is caused by certain imbalances that cause illness and Ayurveda treats these imbalances by going back to the root causes of the imbalances of the nature of the patient.
We know that In modern life, separating ourselves from nature and from our own nature, we have moved far from the original principals that we see in Ayurveda that bring harmony and balance to life taking into consideration spiritual practices.
The Principals of Ayurveda
The Five Elements (The pancamahabhutas):
Earth, wind, fire, Air and water
The Three body humors(Tri Dosas) :
Blood, phlegm, (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)
Seven types of body tissues: Fluid, blood, fat (rassa dhatu, Rakta dhatu, mamsa dhatu,meda dhatu,Ashti dhatu,Majja dhatu and sukra dhatu)
Thirteen types of digestive fire: Gastric fire, Jatharagni, SaptaDhatvagni and PancaBhutagni
Three types of bodywaste (Tri malas): faeces, urine and sweat (Purisa,mutra and Sveda)
Ayurvedic
Therapies and healing
A combination of therapies to achieve balance in life. These consist of therapeutic herbs and oils, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, gemstones, music, vedic astrology, vaastu and color therapy.
The psychological components deflect social, ethical, emotional and intellectual imbalances with remedial spiritual technologies. An ancient treasure considered a self-directed spiritual path to enlightenment given to them by the yogis and siddhas of India.
Each person has a natural systems state, or natural combination of the three elements, and should seek balance by structuring their behavior or environment to provide more of the element(s) they lack.
According to Ayurveda, an ideal state of health exists for the individual, society, the environment and the vast reaches of space as well. We are merely a drop in the ocean of consciousness and Ayurveda offers us guidelines for synchronicity with nature’s intelligence in its entirety.
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term, made up of the words "ayus" and "veda." "Ayus" means life and "Veda" means knowledge or science. The term "ayurveda" thus means 'the knowledge of life' or 'the science of life'. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" comprises the mind, body, senses and the
soul.The philosophy of Ayurveda states that everything that exists in the universe appears internally in human form. In other words, a human being is a living microcosm of the universe and the universe is a living macrocosm of a human being. its principles are based on the natural order of universal law.
Everything in the universe is made up of a combination of the five elements called the pancha mahabhutas. These five elements are known as: Eether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth
Ayurveda considers itself the science of life itself. What promotes life, longevity, happiness, and fulfillment, and conversely, what produces illness, pain, misery? These are the questions they asked themselves, and by observing nature and through their deep meditation they discovered the principles underlying a healthy and happy life and the means nature has given us to achieve it.
Ayurveda, concerned with the foundation of all spiritual practice as well as a healthy body and harmonious life, is part of a trilogy of physical, mental and spiritual practice. Each level is in constant communication, with the other each influencing the others in an upward spiral of evolution toward health and enlightenment.
They say that to neglect the physical is to neglect the mental and spiritual also and to go farther away from the goal - balance of the whole. Knowledge of the body and its needs is essential for emotional and spiritual growth.
Ayurveda teaches that the human body has a natural healing intelligence capable of rejuvenating itself by cultivating a proper diet and healthy lifestyle. When we have dis-eases it is caused by certain imbalances that cause illness and Ayurveda treats these imbalances by going back to the root causes of the imbalances of the nature of the patient.
We know that In modern life, separating ourselves from nature and from our own nature, we have moved far from the original principals that we see in Ayurveda that bring harmony and balance to life taking into consideration spiritual practices.
The Principals of Ayurveda
The Five Elements (The pancamahabhutas):
Earth, wind, fire, Air and water
The Three body humors(Tri Dosas) :
Blood, phlegm, (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)
Seven types of body tissues: Fluid, blood, fat (rassa dhatu, Rakta dhatu, mamsa dhatu,meda dhatu,Ashti dhatu,Majja dhatu and sukra dhatu)
Thirteen types of digestive fire: Gastric fire, Jatharagni, SaptaDhatvagni and PancaBhutagni
Three types of bodywaste (Tri malas): faeces, urine and sweat (Purisa,mutra and Sveda)
Ayurvedic
What is 'Tridosha' or the Theory of Bio-energies?:
The three doshas, or bio-energies found in our body are:
Vata pertains to air and ether elements. This energy is generally seen as the force, which directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination.
Kapha pertains to water and earth elements. Kapha is responsible for growth and protection. The mucousal lining of the stomach, and the cerebral-spinal fluid that protects the brain and spinal column are examples of kapha.
Pitta pertains to fire and water elements. This dosha governs metabolism, e.g., the transformation of foods into nutrients.
Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue systems.
What is 'Panchakarma' or the Therapy of Purification?:
If toxins in the body are abundant, then a cleansing process known as panchakarma is recommended to purge these unwanted toxins. This five fold purification therapy is a classical form of treatment in ayurveda. These specialized procedures consist of the following:
Therapeutic vomiting or emesis (Vaman)
Purgation (Virechan)
Enema (Basti)
Elimination of toxins through the nose (Nasya)
Bloodletting or detoxification of the blood (Rakta moksha)
Therapies and healing
A combination of therapies to achieve balance in life. These consist of therapeutic herbs and oils, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, gemstones, music, vedic astrology, vaastu and color therapy.
The psychological components deflect social, ethical, emotional and intellectual imbalances with remedial spiritual technologies. An ancient treasure considered a self-directed spiritual path to enlightenment given to them by the yogis and siddhas of India.
Each person has a natural systems state, or natural combination of the three elements, and should seek balance by structuring their behavior or environment to provide more of the element(s) they lack.
According to Ayurveda, an ideal state of health exists for the individual, society, the environment and the vast reaches of space as well. We are merely a drop in the ocean of consciousness and Ayurveda offers us guidelines for synchronicity with nature’s intelligence in its entirety.
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