This is an interesting web page about Ayurveda. If you want to learn more about Ayurveda then this is the right place. This page gives you basic information about Ayurveda and more information about Ayurveda can be found trough the links on this website. The word Ayurveda is composed of two sanskrit terms - 'Ayu' meaning life and 'Veda' meaning knowledge. Therefore Ayurveda means the knowledge of life or science of life. It is defined as the science, through which one can obtain knowledge about the useful and harmful ways of life, happy and miserable types of life, conditions that lead to the above types of life, as well as, the very nature of life.
It is the oldest form of medicine and health science known to mankind. The roots of Ayurveda can be traced back to 5000 years from now. ‘Panchkarma’ (five cleansing therapies) is the core of Ayurvedic healing therapies, and is believed to predate even the earliest applications of Ayurveda. Panchakarma is thought to have occurred some 8000 years ago.
Ayurveda looks into the health and disease in its own unique way.
Ayurvedic point of view is that an individual is a conglomeration of four factors ---
1. Body-Proper (Sharir)
2. Sensory-Motor Faculties (Indriya)
3. Mind (Sattva)
4. Soul (Atma)
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Soul (Atma) is the doer and the only reason of life. It is the Subtlest entity, which communicates with the help of Mind (Sattva).
Sensory faculties (by which knowledge is gained) and motor faculties (by which various functions are performed) serve as a link between Body Proper (Sharir) and Mind (Sattva).
Body is composed of 3 humors / doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), 7 Tissue Elements (Dhatus), its Sub-Tissues (Upadhatus) and waste products (Malas).
Seven Tissue Elements (Dhatus) are ---
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| 1. |
Rasa : |
– resembles |
– Plasma & Lymph. |
| 2. |
Rakta : |
– resembles |
– Blood. |
| 3. |
Maumsa : |
– resembles |
– Musculature. |
| 4. |
Medha : |
– resembles |
– Adipose Tissue. |
| 5. |
Asthi : |
– resembles |
– Skeletal System. |
| 6. |
Majja : |
– resembles |
– Bone Marrow. |
| 7. |
Shukra : |
– resembles |
– Reproductive Tissue. |
These seven tissue elements (Dhatus) form the major infrastructure of Body Proper (Sharir).
The three Humors (Doshas) - Vata, Pitta, Kapha are the agencies, which maintain the dynamic “equilibrium” in each and every, minute and gross cell organelle of the body proper. It is these doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) that determine the constitution or Prakriti of an individual.
A detailed daily regime (dinacharya) according to seasons (rutu) is prescribed in the treatises. Not following accordingly vitiates the Humors (Doshas - vata, pitta and kapha), which in turn vitiates the body elements. The shift of the “equilibrium” amongst the Humors (Doshas) generates disease pathology. The specification of the disease and symptoms depend on the Humors (Doshas - vata, pitta and kapha) and the tissues involved. Ayurveda believes that the disease traverses through a specific path in the body. The “cause and effect” relationship is established at every juncture of the disease-pathology. Thus we note that the disease and the symptoms are rationalized in the unique Ayurvedic way.
Today the most talked about topic of “Mind/Body Complex” is well pointed out in the Ayurvedic Classics, and hence Psychic & Somatic (Bodily) Components are given due consideration in the treatment.
Classification of Ayurveda:
For the convenience of study Ayurveda is subdivided into 8 branches namely:
1. Kaya (Internal Medicine)
2. Bala (Pediatrics & Gynecology)
3. Graha (Psychiatry)
4. Urdhvanga (E.N.T)
5. Shalya (Surgery)
6. Agadtantra (Toxicology)
7. Rasayana (rejuvenation Therapy)
8. Vajikaran (Aphrodisiacs)
For more information about Ayurvedic lifestyle, the doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), panchakarma and other related topics, you can buy our e-book 'Basics of Ayurveda' here.
For more information about panchakarma, contact us and we will inform you when we launch our new e-book 'basics of Panchakarma'
