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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

THREE "DOSHAS' IN AYURVEDA

Vata Dosha

The Vata dosha is associated with ether and air, and in the body promotes movement and lightness. Vata people are generally thin and light physically, dry-skinned, and very energetic and mentally restless. When this "vata  is out of control, there are often nervous problems, hyperactivity, sleeplessness, lower back pains, and headaches.

Pitta Dosha

The Pitta dosha is associated with fire and water. In the body, it is responsible for metabolism and digestion. Pitta characteristics are medium-built bodies, fair skin, strong digestion, and good mental concentration. Pitta imbalances show up as anger and aggression and stress-related conditions like gastritis, ulcers, liver problems, and also hypertension.

Kapha Dosha

Kapha dosha is associated with water and earth.Kapha disorders manifest emotionally as greed and possessiveness, and physically as obesity, fatigue, bronchitis, and also sinus problems

AYURVEDA- the Orgin

Ayurveda , the science of life, prevention and longevity is the oldest and most holistic medical system available on the planet today. It was placed in written form over 5,000 years ago in India, it was said to be a world medicine dealing with both body and the spirit. Before the advent of writing, the ancient wisdom of this healing system was a part of the spiritual tradition of the Sanatana Dharma (Universal Religion), or Vedic Religion. VedaVyasa, the famous sage, shaktavesha avatar of Vishnu, put into writing the complete knowledge of Ayurveda, along with the more directly spiritual insights of self realization into a body of scriptural literature called the Vedas and the Vedic literatures.

Ayurvedic medicine originated in the early civilizations of India some 3,000-5,000 years ago. According to the vedas, Ayurveda was conceived as a system of living harmoniously and maintaining the body so that mental and spiritual awareness could be possible.
AYURVEDA is a science based on ancient Indian philosophy. The Vedas encompass the whole knowledge of the Universe. There are four Vedas, namely, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. Amongst these, the Atharvaveda mainly deals with different facets of health.
The main body of Ayurveda is found in the fourth Veda - the Artharvaveda. Ayurveda is an offspring of the Atharvaveda and is also considered as the fifth Veda. Ayurveda is recognized as an upa or supplementary Veda in its own right. It contains the description of various diseases and their aetiology, and recommends the correct diet and behaviour regimen to counter those diseases.

Evidences show that ayurveda had nurtured almost all the medical systems of the world. The Egyptians learnt about ayurveda long before the invasion of Alexander in the 4th century BC through their sea-trade with India. Greeks and Romans come to know about it after the famous invasion. The Unani form of medical tradition came out of this interaction. In the early part of the first millennium ayurveda spread to the East through Buddhism and greatly influenced the Tibetan and Chinese system of medicine and herbology. Around 323 BC, Nagarjuna, the great monastic of Mahayana Buddhism and an authority on Ayurveda had written a review on Susruta Samhita. In 800 AD Ayurveda was translated into Arabic. The two Islamic physicians Avicenna and Razi Serapion, who helped form the European tradition of medicine, strictly followed ayurveda. Even, Paracelsus, considered to be the father of the modern western medicine toed the line of Ayurveda, as well.

AYURVEDA - THE PRINCIPLE

Ayurveda is bestowed upon us by our old  ancestors, who were eminent and wiser and also having insight into our being.
The two principle objectives of Ayurveda are :

+"Swasthyas swasthya rakshanam" - To prolong life and promote perfect health

+ "Aturasya vikar prashamanamcha" - To completely eradicate the disease and dysfunction of the body.


Ayurveda takes the individual as whole and seeks to re-establish harmony between all the constituents in the body. Perfect balance of the tripod - Mind, Body and Spirit means perfect health.
In Ayurveda, there are five basic elements that contain "Prana": they are Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. These elements interact and are further organized in the human body as three main categories or basic physiological principles in the body that govern all bodily functions known as the doshas. The three doshas are vata, pitta, and kapha. Each person has a unique blend of the three doshas, known as the person’s prakriti, which is why Ayurvedic treatment is always individualized. In Ayurveda, disease is viewed as a state of imbalance in one or more of a person’s doshas, and an Ayurvedic physician strives to adjust and balance them, using a variety of techniques

MEANING OF THE WORD AYURVEDA


Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words-Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge/science. So the literal meaning of Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda is the science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life.
In its broader scope, ayurveda  has always sought to prepare mankind for the realization of the full potential of its self through a psychosomatic integration. A comprehensive health care is what this natural and alternative medicine prescribes for the ultimate self-realization.

"Life (ayu) is the combination (samyoga) of body, senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Ayurveda is the most sacred science of life, beneficial to humans both in this world and the world beyond." —Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, 1.42-43.
Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words-Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge/science. So the literal meaning of Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda is the science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life.
In its broader scope, ayurveda  has always sought to prepare mankind for the realization of the full potential of its self through a psychosomatic integration. A comprehensive health care is what this natural and alternative medicine prescribes for the ultimate self-realization.

"Life (ayu) is the combination (samyoga) of body, senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Ayurveda is the most sacred science of life, beneficial to humans both in this world and the world beyond." —Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, 1.42-43.