Ayurveda- Science of life - Basic concepts

Ayurveda- A Complete Science of Life

Welcome to read about the most ancient and traditional science on one nof the most modern systems, the Inte
et. How can this ancient system of nhealth care be relevant to people of today, when technological advances have nradically altered our lifestyles, our environment and our medicine? n n The principles of Ayurveda are an invaluable link to understanding, in ndetail, naturally healthy living. People everywhere are realizing the nimportance and benefits of taking personal responsibility for one's own well nbeing, making Ayurveda the perfect system of health knowledge for today's nworld. n n Ayurveda is a science of life so to know more about it, we must know nwhat is life? Life according to Ayurveda is a combination of senses, mind, nbody and soul. So it is clear from this definition of life that Ayurveda is nnot only limited to body or physical symptoms but also gives a comprehensive nknowledge about spiritual, mental and social health. n n The words like soul and spirituality might sound outdated or create a nnegative thinking in some of you as they have no place in modern science. As nsoon as we hear about these topics, we become uncomfortable. Actually, I ndon't feel that it is our fault. No one has ever spoken about these things to nus. We are always trapped in the attractions of outer material world to nbecome happy and peaceful. n n The modern society, education, culture and the television- everything nspeaks about materialism. If this was everything why is it so that most us nare unhappy. There is unrest, anxiety, mental tension, fighting and terror nevery where despite best efforts being made to stop them. This is because nsome part of our body is not being nourished properly. n
Be open minded and try to understand. Read further. n
What is Ayurveda? n n Ayurveda literally means "science of life and longevity." and is nconsidered to be the traditional system of medicine of India. n n Ayurveda is a science in the sense that it is a complete system. It is na qualitative, holistic science of health and longevity, a philosophy and nsystem of healing the whole person, body and mind. Historians have not npin-pointed the exact time Ayurveda came into being. Most agree that
Ayurvedic classical texts were written in India between 3,500 and 5,000 years nago. At this time, philosophy and medicine were not separated. Therefore, nphilosophical views have strongly influenced the Ayurvedic way of thinking.

What is unique about Ayurveda ?

There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite unique:n n Ayurveda offers reference points for managing treatment decisions nspecific to each case. Ayurvedic theory is profoundly useful in analyzing nindividual patient constitution and understanding variations in disease nmanifestation. The Ayurvedic framework can be used to structure working nmodels of the unique state of each patient, and to project a vision or goal nfor a whole state of health, again unique to each case.n n Ayurveda offers specific recommendations to each individual on nlifestyle, diet, exercise and yoga, herbal therapy, and even spiritual npractices to restore and maintain balance in body and mind. Ayurveda sees a nstrong connection between the mind and the body, a huge amount of information nis available regarding this relationship. This understanding that we are all nunique individuals enables Ayurveda to address not only specific health nconce
s but also offers explanation as to why one person responds ndifferently than another.

Physiology of Ayurveda n n All matter is thought to he composed of five basic elements n(panchamahabhutas ) which exhibit the properties of earth (prithvi), water n(jala), fire (tejas), wind (vayu) and space (akasha). These elements do not nexist in isolated forms, but always in a combination, in which one or more nelements dominate. According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of nderivatives of the five basic elements, in the form of doshas, tissues n(dhatus) and waste products (malas). n
The most fundamental and characteristic principle of Ayurveda is called
"tridosha" or the Three Humours. Doshas are the physiological factors of the nbody. They are to be seen as all pervasive, subtle entities, and are ncategorized into vata, pitta and kapha. Vata regulates movement and is nrepresented by the nervous system. Pitta is the principle of nbiotransformation and is the cause of all metabolic processes in the body.
Kapha is the principle of cohesion and functions through the body fluids.
Together, these three doshas determine the physiologic constitution of an nindividual. Health is described as a balance of all three doshas(bodily
Humours). n
Dhatus, the tissues are classified into seven categories: plasma, blood ncells, muscular tissue, adipose tissue, bony tissue, bone marrow and the nreproductive tissue. n
Malas ,three main waste products are urine, faeces and sweat. n
Samprapti, the Disease Process(Pathology) n n Under normal conditions, the doshas, dhatus and malas correspond to ncertain standards regarding their quantity, quality and function. However, nthis situation is not static, and due to several endogenous and exogenous nfactors, the doshas may become unbalanced, resulting in disease. Every ndisease is related to an imbalance of the doshas. Other coherent factors can nbe: the disturbance of the biological factors (agnis), the formation and naccumulation of undigested nutrients (ama), obstruction of the body channels n(shrotorodha), and a disturbed assimilation in the tissues.

Chikitsa, Disease Management(Pharmacology and Treatment)n n There are four main classifications of management of disease in Ayurveda: nshodan, or cleansing; shaman or palliation; rasayana, or rejuvenation; and nsatvajaya, or mental hygiene.n n Ayurveda gives us a model to look at each individual as a unique makeup of nthe three doshas (Prakruti) and thereby design treatment protocols that nspecifically address a persons health challenges. When any of the doshas (
Vata, Pitta or Kapha ) become imbalance, Ayurveda will suggest specific nlifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the individual in reducing or nincreasing the doshas that has become imbalance. n n The materia medica of the Ayurveda, composed of the five basic elements, nhas been categorized according to the derivatives of these elements. They ninclude: taste (rasa), potency (virya), taste of the digestion product n(vipaka), properties (guna), specific properties (prabhava) and action n(karman). n n The drugs used in Ayurveda are made by several processes from nvegetable and mineral raw materials. Mostly plant alkaloids are the active ningredients. Obviously barring some chemical changes it is mostly natural ndeviates. If toxins in the body are abundant, then a cleansing process known nas "Pancha Karma" is recommended to eliminate these unwanted toxins.This
"panchkarma" or Five inte
al cleansing methods,is a most profound therapy in
Ayurveda. n n We hope that you will continue to explore Ayurveda to enhance your nhealth and to gain further insights into this miracle we call life. n Dr.Shashikant Patwardhan [editor@ayurveda-foryou.com]