Ayurveda is the knowledge of the Science of life
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavanthu
“May all living beings, everywhere, be happy and free.”
“May all living beings, everywhere, be happy and free.”
About Ayurveda
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is among the world’s oldest continuously practiced prevention and healing systems in practice for over an estimated 5000 years. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word wherein Ayur means life and Veda means wisdom, knowledge or science. So Ayurveda is the knowledge of the science of life. It is the study of life. It is a holistic form of health practice that honors the mind, body and spirit. Renowned author Charaka said Ayurveda has the potential to extend life expectancy. It not only deals with the treatment of diseases but also offers steps to prevent them. The origin of Ayurveda finds several mentions in the Puranas. Buddhist scholar Vagbhata Acharya is said to have brought Ayurveda to Kerala, India.
His works Ashtanga Hridayam and Ashtanga Samhita are the basis of Ayurveda treatment.
“Sama dosha Sama Agnischa
Sama datu mala Kriyaha
Prasanna atmendriya mana
Swastha iti abhidyate”
- One whose doshas ( constitution ) are balanced.
- One whose agni ( digestive fire) is balanced.
- One whose dhatus ( body tissues) and Malas ( elimination process) are balanced.
- And whose Indiriya ( senses) manah ( mind) and atma ( Self) are filled with bliss. Such a person is called a healthy person.
Sushruta Samhita, Su 15.38
Fundamentals and
Principles of Ayurveda
Everything in this universe is made up of five elements, that is space, air, fire, water and earth. A combination of these elements can be found within us also. A combination of the 5 elements creates the 3 doshas
Vata – space & air
Pitta – fire & water
Kapha – water & earth
All of us are some combination of the 3 Doshas to varying extents. Each person has a unique constitution. Prakriti is our unique constitution. Doshas can go out of balance and the imbalance can cause illness. If we follow the right lifestyle and be aware of our health then self-healing is within us. We only need to listen to our body and follow a healthy lifestyle conducive to good health.
Basic
Principles of Ayurveda
Concept of panchamahabhutas – The building block of the universe
Pancha mahabhuta is a sanskrit term meaning “five great elements”. The word panchamahabhuta is made up of three words: ‘pancha’, ‘maha’ and ‘bhuta’. ‘Pancha’ means five, ‘maha’ means great and ‘bhuta’ means that which exists (elements). According to the concept of panchamahabhutas, each and every component of this world is made up of these 5 basic elements of nature. That is
Prithvi - Earth
Apa - water
Teja - fire
Vayu - air
Akash - space
Every substance is made up of the above 5 basic elements in different proportions. A single cell of a living organism has combination of these five components. According to this system, the universe is ever existing. Nothing new is ever created. It just transforms from one state to another. Our bodies are built from the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. All these are different combinations of the five elements. The panchamahabhutas serve as the foundation of all diagnosis and treatment modalities in Ayurveda and has served as a most valuable theory for physicians to detect and treat illness of the body and mind successfully.“sarva dravyam panchabhoutikam”
Concept of tridoshas
- Vata : responsible for all movements of the body
- Pitta : responsible for all metabolisms in the body
- Kapha : responsible for all structure &lubrication in the body.
The relation between tridoshas and panchamahabhootas
- Vata = vayu + akasha
- Pitta = agni + jala
- Kapha = prutvi+jala
Concept of saptadhatus
“sareera dharanath dhatavaha”
Dhatus are those which nourish and support the body. They are 7 in number.
- Rasa dhatu(plasma, lymph ,intercellular fluid)
- Raktha dhatu(cellular portion of blood)
- Mamsa dhatu(muscular tissue)
- Medo dhatu(adipose tissue,fat)
- Asthi dhatu(bone,cartilage and teeth)
- Majja dhatu(bone marrow)
- Sukra dhatu(semen)
- Proper diet ( Ayurveda recommends seasonal diets to help the body adjust to the seasons).
- Exercise – As per ayurveda, you should exercise till you sweat.
- Stress free sleep – Sleep is the time our body rejuvenates and detoxify. So, avoid late nights, lot of
- TV and mobile phone usage.
- Look at the bright side of life.
- Ayurveda is a way of life. We can live a healthy and happy life by abiding with the simple laws of nature.
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