Ayurveda in USA
“Hithahitham sukham dukham ayusthasya hithahitham manam cha thacha yathroktham Ayurveda sa uchyathe.”
(The science of life that explains the knowledge of various guidelines to be followed in order to make a healthy living is called Ayurveda.)
Ayurveda is an ancient system of healing originated in India over thousands of years ago and is still being used. In fact, Ayurveda is the world’s oldest system of medicine. Reputed Sushrutha, the father of surgery and Charaka are well known Ayurvedic physicians. Ayurveda teaches that, we are all unique individuals and our path to healing is as unique as we are. Ayurveda literally means the “science or knowledge”. Charaka and Sushrutha, lived in the sixth century B.C. wrote treatises based on which the present day Ayurveda has grown as a medical and clinical discipline. Defying the onslaught of the modern medical system in the last century, Ayurveda has retained its ageless appeal-mysterious, even magical-but efficacious Results.
Ayurveda is a holistic approach, taking the body, mind and spirit as a whole; able to correct whatever is amiss- the sages of ancient India knew this to be the only solution to the problems of health. Ayurvedic science is said to have eight branches:
- Kāya-chikitsā: General Medicine
- Kaumāra-bhṛtya: Pediatrics
- Śhalya-chikitsā: Surgery
- Śālākya-tantra: Ophthalmology/ ENT
- Bhūta-vidyā: Psychiatry
- Agada-tantra: Toxicology
- Rasayana-tantra: Elixirs
- Vājīkaraṇa tantra; Aphrodisiacs
Ayurveda is differs from other health systems:
“Swasthasy swasthya rakshnam, Aturasya vikar prashamanamch”
Promote life and promote perfect Health and completely eradicate the disease and dysfunction of the body.
Treats the root cause of an illness, not the disease, no serious adverse reactions develop from proper therapies, Only natural therapies are offered and therapies are inexpensive and effective.
How Can You Use Ayurveda In Your Daily Life?
Ayurveda can teach you about yourself in a deeper level. It can open up and clear away mental fog so that you can understand better about yourself. It will make you to understand how you are unique and why certain foods and “healthy” items have not worked for you. You will feel better just by implementing a couple of Ayurvedic principles into your life. You will learn that your personality, behavior and illnesses are directly related to what you eat and what you think and drink. You will also learn how it feels when you are starting to go out of balance so you can avoid colds and flu’s and many trips to ERs. Ayurveda brings you back to health.
How Does Ayurvedic Principles Work?
Ayurveda looks at the physical human body as basic elements. These elements are ether, air, fire, water and earth. We all have these 5 elements within us to varying degrees. We need these elements for proper functioning of the body. To what degree these elements are within us is what makes us unique and different than others. These elements are paired up to create so called Dosha. A Dosha by its very nature fluctuates and moves depending on many factors. These Doshas are called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
According to Ayurveda Human Body Comprises of three dosha (bodily humors): Vata, Pitta, Kapha. And Seven Dhatus (components), Rasa (lymph), Raktha (Blood), Mamsa (Muscles), Medha (adipose tissue), Asthi (Bones), Majja (Bone marrow), Shukra. Also Human Body has three kinds of excretory waste products. Mind Composed Of three Guna (characters): Satwa guna, Rajo Guna and tamo guna.
Balance in these components is health and imbalance in these components is (vikara) ill health.
