The central theoretical ideas of Ayurveda developed with the development of human race. Balance is emphasized, and suppressing natural urges is considered unhealthy and claimed to lead to illness. For example, to suppress sneezing is said to potentially give rise to shoulder pain. However, people are also cautioned to stay within the limits of reasonable balance and measure when following nature's urges. For example, emphasis is placed on moderation of food intake, sleep, and sexual intercourse.
What is Ayurveda?
आयुर्वेद or the Ayurveda mean knowledge of life and longevity. Ayurveda is the first complete medical science ever known to human.
Eight components of Ayurveda
चिकित्सायामष्टाङ्गायाम्, This classification of the physicians' art, the medicine that has eight components.The earliest classical Sanskrit works on Ayurveda describe medicine as being divided into eight components. On the same priciples even the modern medical science mimics a classification
Kāyachikitsā: general medicine, medicine of the body
Kaumāra-bhṛtya (Pediatrics): Discussions about prenatal and postnatal care of baby and mother, methods of conception; choosing the child's gender, intelligence, and constitution; and childhood diseases and midwifery.
Śalyatantra: surgical techniques and the extraction of foreign objects
Śhālākyatantra: treatment of ailments affecting ears, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. ("ENT")
Bhūtavidyā: pacification of possessing spirits, and the people whose minds are affected by such possession.
Agadatantra/Vishagara-vairodh Tantra: Toxicology, It includes subjects about epidemics, toxins in animals, vegetables and minerals. It as well contain keys for recognizing those anomalies and their antidotes.
Rasāyantantra: rejuvenation and tonics for increasing lifespan, intellect and strength.
Vājīkaraṇatantra: aphrodisiacs and treatments for increasing the volume and viability of semen and sexual pleasure. It also deals with infertility problems (for those hoping to conceive) and spiritual development (transmutation of sexual energy into spiritual energy).
The three Ayurvedic Bases
Ayurveda also names three elemental bodily humors, the doshas (called Vata, Pitta and Kapha), and states that a balance of the doshas results in health, while imbalance results in 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 Dosha: Those who practice Ayurveda believe this is the most powerful of all three doshas. It controls very basic body functions, like how cells divide. It also controls your mind, breathing, blood flow, heart function, and ability to get rid of waste through your intestines. Things that can disrupt it include eating again too soon after a meal, fear, grief, and staying up too late.
If vata dosha is your main life force, you’re thought to be more likely to develop conditions like anxiety, asthma, heart disease, skin problems, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Pitta Dosha: This energy controls your digestion, metabolism (how well you break down foods), and certain hormones that are linked to your appetite.
Things that can disrupt it are eating sour or spicy foods and spending too much time in the sun.
If it’s your main life force, you’re thought to be more likely to develop conditions like Crohn’s disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, and infections.
Kapha Dosha: This life force controls muscle growth, body strength and stability, weight, and your immune system.
You can disrupt it by sleeping during the day, eating too many sweet foods, and eating or drinking things that contain too much salt or water.
If it’s your main life energy, practitioners believe you may develop asthma and other breathing disorders, cancer, diabetes, nausea after eating, and obesity.
The Seven body tissues of body
Ayurveda names seven basic tissues (dhatu), which are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (māmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra). Like the medicine of classical antiquity, Ayurveda has historically divided bodily substances into five classical elements, (Sanskrit) panchamahabhuta, viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also twenty gunas (qualities or characteristics) which are considered to be inherent in all matter. These are organized in ten pairs: heavy/light, cold/hot, unctuous/dry, dull/sharp, stable/mobile, soft/hard, non-slimy/slimy, smooth/coarse, minute/gross, and viscous/liquid.
This basic ayurvedic classification is also upholds in today's modern medical science, and honored by modern doctors.
Disease Diagnosis in Ayurveda
Ayurveda has eight ways to diagnose illness, called Nadi (pulse), Mootra (urine), Mala (stool), Jihva (tongue), Shabda (speech), Sparsha (touch), Druk (vision), and Aakruti (appearance).
Ayurvedic practitioners approach diagnosis by using the five senses. For example, hearing is used to observe the condition of breathing and speech. The study of the lethal points or marman marma is of special importance.
Surprisingly, the same priciples are applied by modern medical science. Although they use machines to calculate, match and finally analyse the reports.
Treatment and prevention in Ayurveda
Two of the eight branches of classical Ayurveda deal with surgery , but contemporary Ayurveda tends to stress attaining vitality by building a healthy metabolic system and maintaining good digestion and excretion. Ayurveda also focuses on exercise, yoga, and meditation. One type of prescription is a Sattvic diet.
Ayurveda follows the concept of Dinacharya, which says that natural cycles (waking, sleeping, working, meditation etc.) are important for health. Hygiene, including regular bathing, cleaning of teeth, oil pulling, tongue scraping, skin care, and eye washing, is also a central practice.
- We do not promote self medication.
- All information is for reference only.
- All alternative treatment is not replacement to medical treatment.
- Consult your doctor before taking any type of health service.
- We neither claim nor take any responsibility for any results you may have.