About Ayurveda

Ayurveda a conventional heritage of health care, aimed at accomplishing physical, mental, social and spiritual excellence, and has been in practice in India since time immemorial. This science of life is steadily gaining the ground worldwide through its holistic approach towards health.

Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of holistic health care that originated in India several thousand years ago. As a medical science, Ayurveda is as much concerned with treating disease as it is with preventing ill-health and enhancing the quality of life. According to Ayurveda the universe is composed of five basic elements, namely: Akash, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithvi. These are present in each and every thing, and in the human body they manifest as doshas.

The three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) are the primary and essential bio-energetic forces of the human body. Each has its characteristic site and unique function in the body. They are interrelated and, in their normal state, maintain the integrity of the living organism, conferring strength and assuring normal physiological functioning as well as longevity. The three doshas need to be in a state of equilibrium for the body to remain healthy. Any imbalance of these bio-energetic forces results in ill-health.

Ayurveda places particular emphasis on the individual constitution (prakriti) of every being, which is determined by the unique combination of doshas, genetic factors as well as the health, nutrition and lifestyle of one’s parents. Prakriti determines an individual’s susceptibility to different diseases and has an influence on their course and development as well as on the complications that could arise and the prognosis.

Proper hygiene, diet and lifestyle are considered in Ayurveda essential pre-requisites for good health. Ayurvedic classical texts like Charak Samhita provide detailed guidelines for health-promoting daily routines, which must be adapted to an individual’s constitution as well as to the seasons and the environment in order to ensure an optimal functioning of body, mind and emotions.

An Ayurvedic practitioner diagnose a patient through a variety of observation techniques and enquiries, which include pulse or tongue reading and other forms of body examination, an in-depth assessment of diet and lifestyle habits, an analysis of mental and emotional states as well as a very detailed history taking. An Ayurvedic practitioner listens with great attention to detail and gives patients the required time and space to express themselves. Therefore, a typical first consultation usually takes one hour or longer.

The skill of the practitioner lies in assessing a patient’s Prakriti (Constitution) type, in diagnosing the root cause of imbalance that manifests as disease, and in selecting appropriate remedial interventions from an array of therapeutic options. Treatment is always tailor-made to the individual and can include simple diet and lifestyle advice, herbo-mineral supplements or medicines, physical treatments like full-body massage or local applications, psychological and emotional consulting, meditation, yoga or other forforms of subtle therapies.