All About Ayurveda

ABOUT AYURVEDA:

  • “Ayurveda” is an ancient healing system and its roots originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. It is taken as the Upaveda of Atharvaveda (One among the four important Indian Vedas).
  • The word Ayurveda is a combination of two words: “Ayur” means Life, “Veda” means Knowledge, Science, Wisdom. It called as a “Science of Life”. More than a system of treating disease, this is a science of life.
  • It gives a body of wisdom designed to help people stay healthy while realizing their full human potential guidelines on their ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.

HISTORY OF AYURVEDA:

Indra, in turn, taught About Ayurveda to a group of assembled sages, who then passed down different aspects of this knowledge to their students. According to history, Ayurveda was first described in text form by Agnivesha, Book named “Agnivesh tantra” later on this book redacted by Charaka, and became known as the Charaka Samhita. Second early text of Ayurveda is the “Sushruta Samhita” which was compiled by Sushrut, the primary pupil of lord Dhanvantri, sometime around 1000 BC. “Maharishi Sushruta” is known as the Father of Kshar Sutra (Surgery).

THE EIGHT BRANCHES OF AYURVEDA:

  1. Kayacikitsa (Internal Medicine)- General medicine, medicine for the wellness and treatment
  2. Kaumara-bhṛtya (Pediatrics)- The treatment of children, Pediatrics
  3. Shalyatantra (Surgery)- Surgical techniques and the extraction of foreign objects.
  4. Shalakyatantra (Ophthalmology & ENT)- Treatment of ailments affecting ears, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. (“ENT”)
  5. Bhutavidya- Psychiatry- Main deals with the Psychiatry problem.
  6. Agadatantra- toxicology –
  7. Rasayanatantra (Geriatrics) -Rejuvenation and tonics for increasing lifespan, intellect and strength
  8. Vajikaraṇatantra (Aphrodisiac)- Aphrodisiacs and treatments for sexual diseases, enhancement of sexual pleasure, infertility etc.

OBJECTIVE OF AYURVEDA:

“SWASTHASYA SYASTHYA RAKSHANAM, AATURASHCHA VIKAR PRASHAMANAM”

“Preservation to the health of the healthy person and treating ailments with different methods of ayurvedic treatment mentioned in Ayurveda”.

DEFINITION OF HEALTH ACCORDING TO AYURVEDA:

Health is defined as the state of Balance of functional humor, metabolic
fires, tissues, and excretions with a pleasant soul, senses and mind

PANCHA MAHABHUTA:

Theory of Pancha Mahabhuta or “five great elements” of Ayurveda are:

  1. Prithvi (Earth)
  2. Jala (Water)
  3. Tejas (Fire)
  4. Pavan (Air )
  5. Akasha (Ether)

Hence, Ayurveda advocates Yat Pinde, Tat Bramhande.

About Ayurveda

TRIDOSHA THEORY (Three Body Humor):

  • Vata: Air and Ether
  • Pitta: Fire
  • Kapha: Water and Earth

 

 

 

“Tri-doshaTheory”-  The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily senses of humor or tridoshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Every person contains all three doshas. However, the proportion varies according to the person, and usually, one or two Doshas are predominate. Within each person, the Doshas are regularly interacting with each other and with the Doshas in all of nature.
This explains why human can have much in similar but also have an endless variety of individual characters in the way they behave and respond to their environment.

In Ayurvedic ideology, the five elements associate in pairs to form three dynamic strength or synergy called “doshas”. Dosha means “that which changes.” word taken from the root dus, which is correlative to the English prefix ‘dys’, such as in dystrophy, dysfunction, etc. In this sense, dosha can be the witness as a fault, error, mistake or an infringement against the cosmic rhythm.

The Doshas are continually moving in dynamic balance, one with the others. Doshas are required for life to come into existence. In Ayurveda, dosha is also known as the organizational principles as every living thing in nature is characterized by the dosha.

 

Vata:

It is the air principle necessary to mobilize the function of the nervous system, brain functions, sensory organs

 

 

Pitta:

It is the fire principle which uses bile to direct digestion & hence metabolism into the venous system.

 

 

Kapha:

It is the water principle which relates to mucous and lubrication and the carrier of nutrients into the arterial system.

 

FUNCTIONS OF THE DOSHAS:

VATTA- Movement Breathing Natural Urges, Transformation of the tissues, Motor functions, Sensory functions, Secretions, Excretions, Fear, Emptiness, Anxiety, Thoughts, Nerve impulses

PITA- Body heat, Temperature, Digestion, Perception, Understanding, Hunger, Thirst Intelligence, Anger Hate, Jealousy

KAPHA- Stability Energy, Lubrication Forgiveness Greed Attachment Accumulation, Holding Possessiveness

SAPTA DHATU- SEVEN BODY TISSUES

RASA – Final Metabolic Juice and Plasma (Digestive System)
RAKTA- Blood (Blood Circulatory System)
MAMSA– Muscles and Tendons (Muscular System)
MEDA- Fat
ASTHI – Bone (Skeleton)
MAJJA- Bone Marrow
SHUKRA- Semen Fluid (Reproductive System)
Note: In female one extra dhatu (Body Tissue) which is called “AARTAV” menstrual fluid.

AGNI- DIGESTIVE FIRE:

Agni in Sanskrit means fire and is used to describe all metabolic functions in our body.
“A defective fire leads to improper functioning of the tissues which in turn, creates Ama in the gastrointestinal tract and leading to the poor synthesis of tissues.”

Types Of Agni:According To The function and site of action  AGNI HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO 13 TYPES ACCORDING TO THE FUNCTION AND SITE OF ACTION:

Jatharagni – One Agni present in the stomach and duodenum.
Bhutagni – Five Agni from five basic elements.
Dhatwagni – Seven Agni present, one in each of the seven dhatus-tissues

Concept of Prakruti:

  • All About Ayurveda, the basic constitution is decided at the time of conception by women. This constitution is named Prakruti.
  • The name Prakruti is a Sanskrit word that means “nature,” creativity,” or “the first creation.” One of the most important concepts of
    Ayurveda is that one’s basic constitution is established throughout his/her lifetime.
  • The mixture of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha that was present in the person at the time of conception is sustained throughout his lifetime.

What is PRAKRUTI (Consistency):

About Ayurveda, Prakriti or the distinctive personality of an individual is driven by a combination of the Tridoshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
These three doshas rule a person’s health, diseases, cure for any illness etc. It is the blend of these three doshas that makes a person different and unique from others.

As per About Ayurveda text following are the factors, which determine the Prakriti of the fetus:

  • Time and season during the conception.
  • Doshic dominance in the uterus.
  • The condition of the sperm and ovum.
  • Maternal food and lifestyle.

Types of Prakriti:

Prakriti is of two types:

  • Sharirika prakriti (Body Constitution)
  • Manasika prakriti (Mind Constitution)

There are seven types of sharirika prakriti (Body Constitution) base on permutation and combination of doshas:

  1. Vata prakriti.
  2. Pitta prakriti.
  3. Kapha prakriti.
  4. Vata-pitta prakriti.
  5. Pitta-Kapha prakriti.
  6. Kapha-vata prakriti.
  7. Tridosha- Vata pitta kapha prakriti.

And 3 types of manasika prakriti based on three gunas:

  1. Saatvika.
  2. Rajasika.
  3. Tamasika.

TRYO STAMBH (Three Pillers) OF AYURVEDA:

  • Food (Diet)
  • Sleep (Mental Wellness), Nidra
  • Proper Management of Sexual Energy

Apart from above three main piller,  Life Style also play a important role for healthy life  ( Seasonal regimen (Ritu Charya) and daily regimen (Din Charya), Biological Clock

Role About Ayurveda for Wellness:

  •  If one follows the basic principles of Ayurveda which includes diet & lifestyle, biological clock.
  • A good sleep pattern according to ones Prakriti and takes some herbs & herbal supplement according to his / her life style, body type and season then can live healthy and disease free life.
  • Due to present day diet, lifestyle, stress we are not able to follow above said things strictly and five sensory organs ( tongue-: taste ), Eyes: over utilization, Ear- Noise pollution & high sounds, Nose- Air pollution , different type of chemicals , Skin- Touch , Chemical Products , Surgeries.
  • Due to the above things, we invite different diseases. Ayurveda has so many traditional herbs, herbo mineral combinations, classical ayurvedic medicine to treat and manage these disorders. These herbal formulation’s references are mentioned in ayurvedic books written by different ayurvedic scholars like Maharishi Charak, Maharishi Susrut, Maharishi Vaghbhat, and many others.

Ways of treatment in Ayurveda:

  • Ayurvedic Medicine (Pacification)
  • Herbs, Herbs Juices, Herb Powder, Herbal Extract Capsule (Satav), Syrup, Kwath, Arisht, Ashav, Pishti, Bhasam, Kshar, Vatti, Ras Aushadhi, Ghrit, Lehas.

PANCHKARMA (Purification & Detoxification ):

  • Oleation therapy
  • Steam
  • Therapy
  • Emesis
  • Therapy
  • Purgation Therapy
  • Enema Therapy

About Ayurveda Surgery (Kshar Sutra For piles & fistula):

Modern surgery is also gifted to the world by the renowned ayurveda guru maharishi sushrut who is well known surgeon of ancient time and who is even doing successful plastic surgery like rhinoplasty, organ transplant, eye surgeries without anesthesia & antibiotics.

Myths About Ayurveda medicine

Slow Healing- Ayurveda medicine working on root cause on different parameter and
secondly patient comes with chronic illness that’s take some time but heals properly without any side effects.

Ayurvedic Medicine Contains Heavy Metal & Poisonous substances:

This is the wrong myth, In Ayurveda, we use each and everything which is available in nature to heal diseases and to prevail health. About Ayurveda books, there is mention a proper way of purification of these herbs, metals, minerals, poisons etc to use them as a medicine in appropriate dosages according to Prakriti (body), Desh (Country/region) and Kaal (seasons) and lots of studies also done on that.

Conclusion

Balanced humors (Doshas), healthy Agni, a good state of tissues and their metabolic end-products lead to a balanced state of the functions, mind and spirit all of which lead to well-being. If some one falls ill ayurveda has different herbs & herbal combinations, panchkarma to heal from root.

We conclude that ayurveda is for healthy living or to maintain health without any bad effects on our body and is nature friendly.

0
X