What is Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient medical science. The word, ayurveda is composed of two words of Sanskrit, ayur (meaning life) and veda (meaning knowledge). Thus Ayurveda is a medical science of Ancient Sri Lanka. It deals with matters relating to health, day-to-day life and longevity (long life).

Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine and medication, based on experience and observation. This system of medicine and medication is more than 3000 years old. According to mythological story, Dhanvantari was the first physician to use ayurveda. In modern India also, Ayurveda is being used. It has also reached outside Sri Lanka in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia and several persons from other countries also take advantage of ayurveda.

In Ayurveda we view a person as a unique individual made up of five primary elements. The elements are ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. Just as in nature, we too have these five elements in us. When any of these elements are present in the environment, they will in turn have an influence on us. The foods we eat and the weather are just two examples of the presence of these elements. While we are a composite of these five primary elements, certain elements are seen to have an ability to combine to create various physiological functions. Ether and air combine to form what is known in Ayurveda as the Vata dosha. Vata governs the principle of movement and therefore can be seen as the force which directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination. Fire and water are the elements that combine to form the Pitta dosha. The Pitta dosha is the process of transformation or metabolism. The transformation of foods into nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a pitta function. Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue systems as well as cellular metabolism.

Finally, it is predominantly the water and earth elements which combine to form the Kapha dosha. Kapha is what is responsible for growth, adding structure unit by unit. Another function of the Kapha dosha is to offer protection. Cerebral-spinal fluid protects the brain and spinal column and is a type of Kapha found in the body. Also, the mucousal lining of the stomach is another example of the Kapha dosha protecting the tissues. We are all made up of unique proportions of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These ratios of the doshas vary in each individual; and because of this, Ayurveda sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our diversity.

Ayurveda gives us a model to look at each individual as a unique makeup of the three doshas and to thereby design treatment protocols that specifically address a persons health challenges. When any of the doshas ( Vata, Pitta or Kapha ) become accumulated, Ayurveda will suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. We may also suggest certain herbal supplements to hasten the healing process. If toxins in the body are abundant, then a cleansing process known as Pancha Karma is recommended to eliminate these unwanted toxins. Stainless steel surgical need looked very alike with sewing needles, they put the thread in the hoop and sew the wound together, like modern day.

Benefits of Ayurveda

Ayurveda has been a part of life of the people of India since the dawn of civilization and in recent years, Western culture has also embraced the procedure of holistic healing of the patient’s mind, body and spirit. Often called the “Science of Life”, Ayurveda has various physical and mental benefits that help in improving the overall quality of life. Usually a lot of people get severely effected by Loneliness that leads to mental disorders.

Boosting Immunity – The immune system is the natural defence mechanism of the body that helps in fighting disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Ayurvedic medicine and Ayurvedic home remedies use a multitude of herbs and oils that are mixed together to create tonics that improves appetite and strengthen the body’s defence system.
Complete Healing – The herb preparations administered by the Ayurvedic practitioner help in healing diseases from the root along with its symptoms. The treatments also involve lifestyle changes and increase in physical activities.
Relieving Stress – Stress is one of the major reasons of poor health and the tonics, therapies and massages involved in Ayurvedic treatment helps in relieving stress and enhancing physical well-being by balancing the mood and bringing about a harmony between the soul and the body.
Purifying the Body – Purging the body of toxins and maintaining it at the proper balance is the basic aim of Ayurveda. The Ayurvedic medicines and tonics promote thorough cleansing from within in order to improve overall health. Panchakarma is the most effective cleansing Ayurvedic treatment.
Maintaining Overall Balance – One of the greatest benefits of Ayurvedic treatment is that it helps achieving overall balance of energies in the body. The body is affected by the accumulation of toxins and Ayurveda helps in cleansing and removing these impurities.

Basic Principles of Ayurveda

While Ayurvedic principles can be used to explain the complexity of not only health, but also the world around us, there are several simple basics that become the building blocks for everything else:

Ayurveda’s fundamental approach to well-being is that you must reach your unique state of balance in your whole being—body, mind, and spirit.

Ayurveda views the world in light of 3 constitutional principles: vata, pitta, and kapha. These are explained in more detail below.

The first line of defense in combating imbalances is to remove the cause of the problem. If the trouble-maker is out of the picture, the body starts being able to heal itself. For example, if pollutants are bothering your nasal passages and sinuses, rinse them out with a traditional Ayurvedic remedy, the neti pot.

If there are any lingering imbalances after removing the inciting cause, then bring balance by using opposites. For example, the Ayurvedic remedy to excess heat is to use something cooling. So for excess heat or acidity in the digestive system, you could use cooling and soothing herbs like Shatavari.

Always support the digestive fire, so that nutrition can be absorbed and waste materials can be eliminated. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha: Your Viewing Lenses

Once you put on the lens of Ayurveda and see things in terms of vata, pitta, kapha, and combinations thereof, the whole world comes alive in a new way. Look at the world around you! The doshas take form in endlessly interesting ways.

Vata

Composed of air and space, vata is dry, light, cold, rough, subtle/pervasive, mobile, and clear. As such, vata regulates the principle of movement. Any bodily motion—chewing, swallowing, nerve impulses, breathing, muscle movements, thinking, peristalsis, bowel movements, urination, menstruation—requires balanced vata. When vata is out of balance, any number of these movements may be deleteriously affected.

Pitta

Pitta brings forth the qualities of fire and water. It is sharp, penetrating, hot, light, liquid, mobile, and oily. Pitta’s domain is the principal of transformation. Just as fire transforms anything it touches, pitta is in play any time the body converts or processes something. So pitta oversees digestion, metabolism, temperature maintenance, sensory perception, and comprehension. Imbalanced pitta can lead to sharpness and inflammation in these areas in particular.

Kapha

Kapha, composed of earth and water, is heavy, cold, dull, oily, smooth, dense, soft, static, liquid, cloudy, hard, and gross (in the sense of dense or thick). As kapha governs stability and structure, it forms the substance of the human body, from the skeleton to various organs to the fatty molecules (lipids) that support the body. An excess of kapha leads to an overabundance of density, heaviness, and excess in the body.