What is Ayurveda?

Up until the early '90s, not many people in the West had heard of Ayurveda as medicine. Since then, public figures and physicians like  Dr. Deepak  Chopra, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Vasant Lad, and  Dr. Robert Svoboda have brought this science to light in the USA.

          Ayurveda आयवुद is a Sanskrit word meaning "Science of Life".
 

It is arguably the oldest documented medical system in the world. Indeed  Ayurveda is between 3,000 and 4,000 years old, had a lively history and even today is currently practiced in India, its country of origin.

The ancient Ayurveda treatises, the Sushruta Samhita, and Charaka Samhita consist of dozens of volumes and hundreds of chapters with its herbs,  medicines, and acupressure and were translated very early into Arabic and Chinese. Ayurveda is to India as traditional Chinese medicine is to  China. Ayurveda is even considered to be the grandfather of Chinese medicine. Both countries and others like Nepal and Sri Lanka, even today, use their traditional medicines hand in hand with western  (allopathic) medicine in hospitals, clinics, private practices, cities,  and villages. As a government-supported medical science in India and Sri  Lanka, Ayurveda includes a comprehensive study of anatomy, physiology,  pathology, diagnostic systems, and treatment strategies. Ayurveda is recognized by the  World Health Organization as an effective,  traditional health science. 

India has a government ministry devoted to Ayurveda, the Ministry of Ayush

The  Insurance Company CIGNA recognizes the benefits of Ayurveda. In some instances, Insurance companies such as CIGNA and employers may cover alternative health treatments. Consult with them if your plan is eligible.

One of the elegant features of Ayurveda is that, with a  minimum input of effort and study, we can learn some simple, valuable practices that enable us to manage our health and change our lives for the better. We can learn from Ayurveda how to understand our individual constitution and our current condition. This can help us understand what an appropriate diet and lifestyle are, and which herbs or remedies may help us gain or maintain optimum health in our bodies and minds.

The concept and importance of constitutional variety are fundamental in  Ayurveda. This is the notion that we are all different and so what may be medicine for one person may even harm another. There are as many unique constitutions as there are human beings. For the sake of practicality, Ayurveda has categorized three main constitutional types.  These types (or doshas) are called “Vata,” “Pitta,” and “Kapha,” very roughly translated as “Air,” “Fire,” and “Water/Earth” respectively.

The  word dosha literally means “fault.” Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are positive forces in the body but they are also faults, in a way, because they can change. They can increase or, less often, decrease beyond what is appropriate for our constitution. This vitiated dosha causes an imbalance in the body or mind, creating an environment for disease to flourish. There are ways to bring an increased dosha back into balance through diet, lifestyle, and herbal supplements.