The word ayurvedichas come from the Sanskrit words ayus, which means life, and veda or knowledge. Combined into Ayurveda, it means “complete knowledge for long life.”
Ayurvedic medicine, therefore, refers to the science of healing and a holistic or complete approach to health to help people live long a healthy and well-balanced life. It is also a system of traditional medicine originating from India where it is deemed to summarize the Hindu art of treating and healing various ailments, and prolonging the lives of the people. Current
ayurvedic practices in some countries, including the United States, are part of a complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM) involving many forms of therapy using herbs, specialized diets, and massage. The other countries that practice Ayurvedic Medicine aside from India and the U.S., are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. In India, about 80% of its population uses the healing system in combination with conventional and Western medicine.
According to Sanskrit books, Ayurvedic Medicine has branches of internal medicine, the treatment of head and neck diseases, gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, toxicology, sexual vitality, and care of the elderly. The practice of Ayurvedic
Medicine is based on the following concepts: (a) All living and non-living things in the universe are joined together, (b) Disease happens when a person is not in harmony with the universe because of physical, emotional or spiritual interferences, (c) Every person has elements that can be found in the universe, (d) A person’s
health will be good as long as his mind and body are in harmonious relations and he interacts with the universe naturally and
in wholesome manner, (e) A person’s characteristics and the way his body functions in maintaining his health do not change in his lifetime, and (f) A person’s chances of developing a disease depend on his life energies and his physical condition as well as his lifestyles.
The current ayurvedic practices in treating persons with diseases involve elimination of impurities, reduction of symptoms, increased resistance to diseases, and reduction of worries while increasing harmony. Eliminating impurities in the body uses a cleansing process called panchakarma to remove undigested food sticking to the tissues to interfere with normal body functions leading to a disease. To reduce symptoms, one may resort to employing various options like stretching and physical exercise, breathing exercise, massage, changing the diet, sunbathing for ultraviolet rays, taking herbs with honey for easier digestion, and meditation. Increased resistance to disease can be achieved by mixing herbs, protein, minerals and vitamins in tonic or beverage form. This will improve digestion and increase appetite and immunity at the same time. One can reduce worry and increase harmony by avoiding worry-causing situations and using techniques that prevent negative emotions.
The
benefits of Ayurvedic Medicine are countless but the most important of which is that one can be assured of a healthy mind and body without experiencing adverse effects. It also promotes the body’s own capacity for balance. As an alternative therapy, it can be used safely with conventional therapies to treat various diseases and conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and depression, among others.
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