Interesting Facts About Ayurveda Unfolded
Ayurveda is a system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. Globalized and modernized practices derived from Ayurveda traditions are a type of complementary or alternative medicine. The main classical Ayurveda texts begin with accounts of the transmission of medical knowledge from the Gods to sages, and then to human physicians.
Ayurveda has some very interesting facts that are unknown to you and would surprise you!
The Principles
The principles are basic yet extremely effective!
Ayurveda is based on the principle that the body is made up of 5 elements – space, air, water, fire and earth.
When all these elements work in congruence they make a healthy person. While all of us have all the five elements, they are in different proportions in our body – making a person one of these three – vata, kapha or pitta.
An imbalance in any of these elements makes a person ill and a realignment of these elements can cure a disease.
Find Balance and Learn Your Ayurvedic Body Type. Take the Short Dosha Quiz
The Three Doshas
Doshas makes you who you are!
Before you scoff at the idea, here is what Ayurvedic practitioners believe. A person who is of a particular dosha has unique characteristics.
Due to the dominance of one of the doshas it affects a person’s temperament, the diseases that can affect him and even governs how he react to stress.
Apart from that it also dictates the type of body structure he has and the foods he is likely to love.
Also the three doshas tell the practitioner what ailments you are most likely to suffer from.
Ayurveda looks at your body as a whole!
In Ayurveda a disease is known as a disharmony (or imbalance of energy flow) between mind, body and soul.
This means that your body, its organs, your mind and your mental makeup – all play a role in diagnosis and treatment.
This way it tries to treat the root of the problem rather than the organ or part of the body that is affected – factoring in how the medicines will affect the person as a whole.
Your environment plays an important role in your health!
What you eat, where you live, even the colors you are attracted to can be explained by Ayurveda.
According to the principles, a person’s dosha mitigates this and therefore being in an environment that is contrary to your dosha will elevate one particular humor in the body leading to an imbalance and disease.
Ayurveda seeks to negate that effect and bring the balance back into equilibrium.
Ayurveda involves more than just herbs!
Ayurvedic medicines contain not only herbs but also other substances like milk, ghee, butter, honey, molasses, gingerly oil, rock salts, minerals, ashes and self-fermented alcohol.
While herbs are a major component of the medicines prescribed, other compounds are used as well.
In some cases the other compounds are adjutants or carriers (help the medicine perform better) and in others they form the medicine itself.
It cures the root of the problem not the symptoms alone!
Ayurveda is based on the very compounds that make and run your body. During treatment, an Ayurvedic doctor finds the problem, then looks for the reason for it.
Once the reason is found he/she will treat the factors that are hindering the entire recovery process.
Once cleared he/she will take care of the disease itself. This way Ayurveda looks to root out the problem rather than simply treat the symptoms — hopefully eradicating the problem entirely.
Ayurveda is a lifestyle!
The word Ayurveda is derived from two words; ‘Ayur’ meaning life and longetivity and ‘veda’ means knowledge.
The basic scripture of Ayurveda talks about living life the Ayurveda way, where every aspect is in line with keeping your body’s humors in check.
So if you have diabetes, and with Ayurveda your blood sugar levels have been brought under control, you will notice that along with the medication there are several lifestyle changes you will have to make.
Therefore, if you follow those principles for as long as you live, your diabetes will stay under control.
So, the next time you are looking for a comprehensive and effective treatment protocol for yourself, try using Ayurveda. It may take a little longer, but the end result is definitely worth all the effort.
