Ayurveda means “The Science of Life”, and is often called the “Mother of Healing”. It is one of the oldest medical systems which is based on ancient writings that rely on a “natural” approach to physical and mental health. It places a great emphasis on prevention and encourages the maintenance of health through close attention to balance in one’s life, diet, lifestyle, etc. It is mainly derived from plants, and may also include minerals, metal, and animals. The origin of Ayurveda is maybe sometime between 3300-1300 BCE.
Ayurveda groups the five elements – Ether (associated with expansiveness), Air (associated with gaseousness, mobility, and lack of form), Fire (associated with transformation, heat, and fire), Water (associated with liquidity and instability), and Earth (associated with solidity and stability), into three basic types of energy and functional principles that are present in everybody and everything, and the entire cosmos is an interplay of these energies. The three types are – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Energy is required to create movements and enables the functioning of our bodies. Vata is the energy of movement; Pitta is the energy of digestion or metabolism and Kapha is the energy of lubrication and structure. Each dosha comprises two of the five basic elements.
Vata is the subtle energy associated with movement — composed of Space and Air. It governs breathing, blinking, muscle and tissue movement, pulsation of the heart, and all movements in the cytoplasm and cell membranes. In balance, Vata promotes creativity and flexibility. Out of balance, Vata produces fear and anxiety.
Pitta expresses as the body’s metabolic system — made up of Fire and Water. It governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, and body temperature. In balance, pitta promotes understanding and intelligence. Out of balance, pitta arouses anger, hatred, and jealousy.
Kapha is the energy that forms the body’s structure — bones, muscles, tendons — and provides the “glue” that holds the cells together, formed from Earth and Water. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, and maintains immunity. In balance, Kapha is expressed as love, calmness, and forgiveness. Out of balance, it leads to attachment, greed, and envy.
According to the ancient texts of Ayurveda, everything we experience has certain qualities, and these qualities are called ‘gunas’ in Sanskrit which is further classified into 10 pairs of opposites, making 20 qualities in total. Theoretically, everything in the universe can be described in terms of these qualities or gunas, including the doshas. The foundation of Ayurvedic treatment relies upon recognizing when gunas have become excessive or deficient, as this is known to cause a doshic imbalance and lead to disease. Ayurveda applies the opposite qualities to return to balance.
Agni, the universal principle of transformation that manifests as our digestive fire, mediates between the internal and external, transforming food into bodily tissue and waste; interpreting information into experiential knowledge; and discerning between nutritious material and waste product. Ayurveda kindles the Agni of the body to digest toxins that have manifested due to internal or external stresses, ensuring optimal functioning of the physical and mental being.
Based on these principles, Ayurveda customizes preventive wellness catering to an individual's constitution. Also, the ayurvedic doctors had produced detailed descriptions of various diseases, acute and chronic conditions completely with its causes, symptoms, and developed holistic treatment protocols.
Preventative care and treatment of disease fall under Ayurveda’s eight branches, which include:
● Kaayachikitsa – Internal Medicine ● Baalachikitsa – Pediatrics ● Bhuta Vidya – Psychiatry ● Shalakya Tantra – Ear, Nose and Throat Treatment ● Shalya Tantra – Surgery (not practiced in the United States today) ● Vishagara Vairodh Tantra – Toxicology ● Jarachikitsa/Rasayana – Geriatrics and Rejuvenation ● Vajikarana — Aphrodisiac Therapy, Fertility, and Conception
Along with it, Ayurveda also offers the practice of five primary therapies to release and eliminate accumulated toxins from deep within the tissues and return the doshas to their proper seats in the body with Panchakarma.
Few prominent Ayurvedic herbs and spices with science-backed health benefits include –
(i) Ashwagandha – It helps your body manage stress and lowers levels of anxiety. Moreover, it may enhance muscle growth, memory, lower blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and boost your immune system.
(ii) Triphala – consists of Amla, Bibhitaki, Haritaki – it functions as a natural laxative, reduces constipation, abdominal pain. It may also reduce plaque build-up, decrease gum inflammation, and prevent the growth of bacteria in the mouth if it is used to mouthwash.
(iii) Cumin – It may decrease symptoms of IBS, improve risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
(iv) Turmeric – It may help protect against heart disease (in part by improving blood flow), help preserve brain function by increasing brain levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
(v) Cardamon – It may help reduce blood pressure in people with elevated levels, protect against Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Inhaling Cardamom essential oil may increase the uptake of oxygen into the lungs during exercise.
What makes Ayurveda different from other medicines is that it does not focus on the disease, rather it maintains that all life must be supported by the energy in balance. When there is minimal stress and the flow of energy within a person is balanced, the body’s natural defence systems will be strong and can more easily defend against disease.
To learn more about Ayurveda:
Comments