What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda (i-yur-ve-dah) is the comprehensive, holistic system of health and balanced living from ancient India. The word Ayurveda literally means “knowledge of life”. Ayurveda describes the art of living in harmony with ones own unique, individual nature. It is a profound and time-tested system of healing and well-being, and its principles and practices touch every aspect of human life. Central to Ayurveda is the belief that the body, when brought to a state of balance, can attain greater health, peace, harmony and happiness. Ayurveda recognizes that what works for one person may not work for another. Instead, it teaches that each person has a unique constitution with specific needs.
Rather than merely isolating and treating symptoms, Ayurveda seeks to address the root causes of imbalances and to reverse them. It offers guidance in the proper choice of foods and lifestyle habits to restore balance, with the intention of preventing disease from taking hold.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Ayurveda defines health as the emotions being appropriate, the digestion working optimally, the waste products being eliminated effortlessly, the body being clear of toxins and their symptoms, and the mind being lucid and calm. Ayurveda comprehends mind, body and spirit in a truly holistic single view and has very specific methods of providing support.
According to ancient texts, the Vedic system, which included Ayurveda, was well developed and in widespread practice before 4000 B.C. Ayurveda spread widely through the agency of Hindu and Buddhist monks, traders, travelers, and through scholarship; thus influencing or becoming the basis of many healing traditions including Greek, Tibetan, and Chinese systems. These ancient texts describe a very detailed and sophisticated system of care, and included branches of pediatrics and gynecology as examples. India was considered to have the most advanced surgery then available, having already developed techniques such as nasal plastic surgery and cataract surgery, and for that reason would often attract students and patients from abroad.
Ayurveda has gone through many stages in its history, including the destruction of many of its great libraries and universities, and the threat of execution to practitioners, during times of invasion and foreign rule. The latest chapter in its long history brings us to India’s new independence under Gandhi, which ushered in a time of renewal for Ayurveda, and has once again allowed schools and teachers to share and practice this venerable system of healing.
Renewed interest in holistic, preventative forms of care continue to grow all around the world. Though Ayurveda isn’t practiced as a form of primary care in the US, we are able to offer individuals many of Ayurveda's therapeutic procedures, and educate them regarding its principles and guidelines. Many individuals use specific forms of holistic care, such as Ayurveda, as health-promoting adjuncts to the primary healthcare they receive. Others choose to include specific practices of Ayurveda, such as its food guidelines, herbal support, or body care techniques, into their daily lives. Ayurveda’s comprehensive, gentle, and effective practices have much to offer to those living in modern times.
Ayurveda has traditionally been used for centuries to address the root cause of imbalances in the following:
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