Brief History of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India thousands of years ago. We can find historical evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparation were mentioned that could be used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been around even longer than that. What we see is that Ayurveda is more than just a medical system. It is a Science of Life. We are all part and parcel of nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the Laws of Nature to create health and balance within their beings, we, too, adhere to these very same principles. The Charaka Samhita is the leading resource in regard to the depth and extent of its contents. Charakais considered an exceptional author among the writers of the classical Indian medical texts even today.
The word “Ayurveda”(pronounced Aa-yer-vay-da) is made up of two Sanskrit words: Ayuwhich means life and Veda which means the knowledge or wisdom. Ayurveda is the “science of life or longevity”. It is believed to be the oldest healing science in existence Origin from India, and is more than 5,000 years old.
Aroga (Health)
It’s a true alignment of body, mind and sprite. Imagine a tripod with one leg missing. Can you see it standing straight? According to Ayurveda, just as a tripod cannot stand on two legs, you cannot be in perfect health if any one of these three elements is not in balance.* Kaya -body * Manas‐ mind * Atma‐ soul. In this state, the soul uses your body as a temple in which to realize itself and to help you attain four principal objectives:
Ayurvedic Healing Approach: The general Ayurvedic approach is threefold.
- Determining one’s elemental constitution (Dosha or prakriti),
- Learning the elemental cause of illness (vikriti)
- Eating the right food and applying Ayurvedic therapies to balance elements causing the illness, without causing an imbalance to the Dosha (constitution).
Tridoshas
The human body is in a state of continuous flux or dynamic equilibrium. The panchabhutas(5 Elements) are represented in the human body as Tridoshs. Any imbalance in constituents result in ill health and disease. So these doshas should be in a state of perfect equilibrium for the body to remain healthy.Tridosha Dosha is the Sanskrit word, commonly taken to mean roughly “force” or “fault”. So the doshas are bodily energies (like bio-energies), which influence all living matter, and mental energies too. And Doshas means, “fault”, it is understood that any imbalance will lead to a disorder in the body or the mind. The Ayurvedic understanding of the universe is based on a three‐ fold system called the “tridosha theory.” The five elements integrate into physical form as the three doshas. Everyone is a unique combination of the three doshas known as:
- vata
- pitta
- kapha
Vata, pitta and kapha are found in every cell, tissue and organ in different degrees. Your distinct prakruti or individual constitution is established by pulse diagnosis, observation and personal health history. These are important steps to understanding your basic qualities, tendencies and needs.
Prevention is better than cure:
According to Ayurveda, a person is considered to be in a state of health when the doshas are balanced, the agni is neither high nor low, amais not present, the malas, or wastes of the body (urine, feces, sweat) are normal, and the srotas are not blocked. Ayurveda believes in “Prevention is better than cure”. Following are the tips for the three Dosha individuals to prevent themselves from illness.
- Vata is reduced through heat and moistness.
- Pitta is reduced through leisure and cold.
- Kapha is reduced through heat, dry, and lightness.
This unique, personalized approach not only makes healing effective, but gentle as well. Other holistic measures may work, yet still aggravate the person’s Dosha. Ayurveda is the only holistic science that needn’t warn people that they may feel worse while the diseases or toxins are being removed before they will feel better. Because of its balancing approach, gentleness marks the entire healing process.