About Ayurveda
Ayurveda means “The Science of Life”, which is considered to be the oldest healing science originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. It is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” It stems from the ancient Vedic culture and was taught for many thousands of years in an oral tradition from accomplished masters to their disciples. The principles of many of the natural healing systems now familiar in the West have their roots in Ayurveda, including Homeopathy and Polarity Therapy.
According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of tissues (dhatus), waste (malas), and biomaterials (doshas). The seven dhatus are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (māmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra). The three elemental bodily humors, the doshas or tridosha, are vata (space or air, equated with the nervous system), pitta (fire, equated with enzymes), and kapha (earth and water, equated with mucus). A parallel set of mental doshas termed satogun, rajogun, and tamogun control psychology. Each dosha has particular attributes and roles within the body and mind; the natural predominance of one or more doshas thus explains a person's physical constitution (prakriti) and personality. Ayurvedic tradition holds that imbalance among the bodily and mental doshas is a major etiologic component of the disease. One Ayurvedic view is that the doshas are balanced when they are equal to each other, while another view is that each human possesses a unique combination of the doshas which define this person's temperament and characteristics. In either case, it says that each person should modulate their behavior or environment to increase or decrease the doshas and maintain their natural state.
Vata
General guidelines for balancing Vata:
Keep warm
Keep calm
Avoid cold, frozen or raw foods
Avoid extreme cold
Eat warm foods and spices
Keep a regular routine
Get plenty of rest
Pitha
General guidelines for balancing Pitha:
Avoid excessive heat
Avoid excessive oil
Avoid excessive steam
Limit salt intake
Eat cooling, non-spicy foods
Exercise during the cooler part of the day
Kapha
General guidelines for balancing Kapha:
Get plenty of exercise
Avoid heavy, fatty, oily foods
Keep active
Avoid dairy, iced food or drinks
Vary your routine
Eat light, dry food
No daytime naps
Branches of Ayurveda
Kaaya Chikitsa (Internal Medicine)
Baala Chikitsa (Treatment of Children / Pediatrics)
Graha Chikitsa (Demonology / Psychology)
Urdhvaanga Chikitsa (Treatment of disease above the clavicle)
Shalya Chikitsa (Surgery)
Damstra Chikitsa (Toxicology)
Jara Chikitsa (Geriatrics, Rejuvenation)
Vrsha Chikitsa (Aphrodisiac therapy)
5 Divine therapies of Ayurveda
VAMANA
Vamana cleanses the accumulated Kapha, and purifies the upper digestive tract and respiratory system.
VIRECHANAM
The procedure in which the orally administered drug act on internally situated doshas, especially pitta.
BASTI
Bastis a prime treatment modality among panchakarma. Here medicine is administered by anal route.
RAKTHA MOSKSHANA
It is a unique para-surgical measure which eliminates the toxins present in blood. It Purifies the blood
NASYA
Elimination of toxins through the gateway of head, i.e., Nose. The nasal inhalation of medicines.
Ayurvedic Treatment
An Ayurvedic doctor will create a treatment plan specifically designed for each individual after taking into consideration a person's unique physical and emotional makeup, primary life force, and the balance between all three of these elements (Doshas). The goal of treatment is to cleanse your body which leads to your illness. The cleansing process—called “panchakarma”— is designed to reduce your symptoms and restore harmony and balance.
Panchakarma is a unique, natural, holistic, health-giving series of therapies that cleanse the body's deep tissues of toxins, open the subtle channels, bring life-enhancing energy thereby increasing vitality, inner peace, confidence, and well-being. Panchakarma- panch, and karmas, when literally translated means 'Five Procedures'. It is an Ayurvedic treatment that involves elaborated methods of purification to release stress, which prepares the body tissues to accept the maximum benefits of food, nutrition, and exercise.