Ayurveda :

A brief Introduction
Ancient (3000-5000 years ago) Indian sages, linked ayus (life) and veda (knowledge) to create worlds oldest holistic treatment and well being system in Ayurveda.

The focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of the life energies and not just focus on individual symptoms. So Ayurveda not only treats people who are ill but also helps with preventive health care and health promotion.

The ancient Ayurvedic physicians saw the need for mind-body integration and offered tools to remember and nurture the subtler aspects of humanity. So Ayurveda heals the disorder of the mind-body complex and restore wholeness and harmony.

An Ayurvedic life approach therefore includes diet, cooking, yoga, breath-work, meditation and a vast pharmacopoeia to help individuals achieve balance.

Definition of Health
Health is defined as soundness of body (sharira), mind (manas) and Self (atman). To create health each of the Life Forces must be nurtured. This is based upon the understanding that no single agent by itself causes disease or brings health.

Life-Force
A person as a composite of three forces:

    1. VATA    : Symbolized by AIR
    2. PITTA   : Symbolized by FIRE
    3. KAPHA : Symbolized by WATER

The quality and relative balance of these forces determines health and disease. When harmonious, the functions of digestion, absorption and elimination (physically and mentally) create health. As the three forces are responsible for specific areas of body/mind function, the symptoms of imbalance indicate which of these forces is deficient or excessive.

Constitution (prakriti)
The central concept considers an individual to consist of the 3 forces in unique combinations, making no two people alike.

Their constitutional determination provides insight into the deeper workings o f an individual. With this it is possible to become aware of the food, spices, herbal medicines, emotions, thoughts, climate, colours, activities, etc. that tend to either create balance or imbalance in a particular individual and to either ameliorate or aggravate various types of illness.

Similarly, awareness of the disease tendencies of the different constitutions enables adoption of a preventive lifestyle.

Health promotion for individuals therefore follows a rational, time tested approach utilizing all that nature provides.

Treatment
A disease manifests in different constitutions in different ways.

An individual with a predominantly Vata constitution will experience symptoms that are different from those for Pitta or Kapha, even when all been diagnosed with the same disease. Treatment therefore may differ, depending on the individual’s constitution.

Action– Principles :
Based on governing “Tridosha” elements natural balance of vital “Life Forces” are restored in the human body thereby c uring the ailment from the root and eliminating the root cause by:
    • Identifying disease root cause and treating by correcting the tridosha imbalance.
    • Maintaining the seven “Dhatu” strengths administering channel purifiers for nutrition to        reach each dhatu level.
    • Balancing five (earth, water, fire, air and space) basic elements.
    • Providing natural immuno-boosters to strengthen body resistance for good health.

The process involved can include adjusting ‘ama’ (toxin) accumulation from seven basic body tissues (uniquely identified in Vedic medicine systems). These are identified as:
   1. Rasa the clear part of the blood (Blood Plasma or serum)
   2. Rakta or Red Blood Cells and includes bile
   3. Mamsa or Muscles (tissue)
   4. Medha or Fat and Hormones.
   5. Asthi or Bones (includes cartilage, hair and nail tissues),
   6. Majja or Bone Marrow (includes the nerves and immune cells)
   7. Shukra or Reproductive Essence (ova or sperm)