Category:Ayurveda
Ayurvedic medicine -- also known as Ayurveda -- is one of the world's oldest holistic (whole-body) healing systems. It developed thousands of years ago in India. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. But treatments may be recommended for specific health problems.
Tradition
Ayurvedic medicine has a rich history. Originally shared as an oral tradition, Ayurveda was recorded more than 5,000 years ago in Sanskrit, in the four sacred texts called the Vedas: the Rig Veda (3000-2500 BCE), Yajur Veda, Sam Veda, and Atharva Veda (1200-1000 BCE).Ayurvedic theory states that all areas of life impact one's health, so it follows that the Vedas cover a wide variety of topics, including health and healthcare techniques, astrology, spirituality, government and politics, art, and human behavior. Ayurvedic medical books, available by the eighth century BCE, provide not only procedural instructions but also a history of how Ayurvedic medicine evolved over time. Current knowledge about Ayurveda is primarily based on "the great triad" of texts called Brhattrayi, which consists of the Charak Samhita, Sushurta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridaya. These books describe the basic principles and theories from which modern Ayurveda has evolved.
Ayurvedic Concepts
According to Ayurvedic theory, everything in the universe -- living or not -- is connected. Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe. A disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness.For followers of Ayurveda, anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe. Some things that can cause a disruption include:
- genetic or birth defects
- injuries
- climate and seasonal changes
- age
- emotions
How your body works to keep you healthy and your unique physical and psychological characteristics combine to form your body's constitution, or prakriti. Your prakriti is believed to stay the same for your entire life. However, how you digest food and eliminate waste can influence it. Every person is made of a combination of five basic elements found in the universe:
- space
- air
- fire
- water
- earth
These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. The three doshas are:
- vata dosha (space and air)
- pitta dosha (fire and water)
- kapha dosha (water and earth)
The three Doshas
Vata dosha (space and air)
is thought to be the most powerful of all three doshas. It controls very basic body functions, such as how cells divide. It also controls your:
- mind
- breathing
- blood flow
- heart function
- ability to get rid of body waste through the intestines
Things that can disrupt this dosha are:
- eating dry fruit
- eating too soon after a previous meal
- fear
- grief
- staying up too late
If vata dosha is your main life force, you are more likely to develop:
- anxiety
- asthma
- heart disease
- nervous system disorders
- rheumatoid arthritis
- skin problems
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