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What Is Ayurveda?

A system of self-care that originated in India more than 5000 years ago, Ayurveda is becoming very popular all over the world, with hundreds of healers income it into their practices and thousands of people using its well-tried principle therapies to improve their well being.

The Vedic word Ayurveda has two root words – Ayur and veda. Every root word in the vedic tradition has its own definition, thus ayur has its own definition and so does veda. Literally and concisely, ayur means “life” and veda means “science” or knowledge. According to this translation Ayurveda means “The science of life”. But the vedic texts expand on these definition, to offer us a more complete understanding, and our ayurvedic expert Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra has explained some of these expanded statements.

Ayurveda may come from ancient texts, but this principal are just as applicable today in our society as they were originally recorded in India. Ayurveda is becoming increasingly popular globally because it speaks of the elementary concept of(a) contact with nature (b) holism and (c) we are what we eat. Ayurveda provides integrated approach to preventing and treating illness. It believes that the mind and body not only influenceeach other – they are one. There can be no mental health without physical health and visa versa.

Ayurveda recognizes three main energies that combine to form all things in the universe. These are recognized as being fundamental to all life and seen in the process of growth, maintenance and decay in the western sciences. Their action are named, anabolism and catabolism. These energies combine in limitless ways to create the unique qualities of each individual. Ayurveda names these basic energies as:
Vata – the force symbolized by air
Pitta – the force symbolized by fire
Kapha – the force symbolized by water

The quality and the relative balance of these forces determine health and disease. We need all three energies to function in proper balance. When these three energies act harmoniously, the functions of digestion, absorption and elimination create health. Each individual has different constitution of the body because they have different proportions of there energies. The illness or diseases are manifest due to the imbalance within a person and are treated by restoring the natural balance. Ayurvedic treatment does not suppress the main symptom and create new ones as side effects of the main treatment. It is to remove the root cause and give permanent relief. In Ayurveda our whole life and lifestyle must be in harmony before we can enjoy true well being.

What is the real meaning of ayu or life according to the fundamental principles of ayurveda? Sharirendriya sattwa atma samyogo ayuhu, goes one verse. Sharir means physical body: indriya means senses. Satwwa refers to the combination of mind and heart – overall psychological strength, and atma means soul or spirit. When all of these – body, senses, heart, mind and spirit – are in proper balance and function in a harmonious, coordinate manner, that is true life – “the living body”.

Veda explained
Veda means science: not a science that changes its theories and its findings every few years but ageless, eternal knowledge built on siddhantas, fundamental unchanging principles, veda refers to guided knowledge: it is not just theory, but also a roadmap for how to derive practical benefit from the knowledge.

A longer definition of ayurveda
Another longer definition of Ayurveda goes: ayurhitahitamvyadhe nidaanamshamam thathaa vidyate yatra vidhwadhihi tatra ayurveda uchyate. This verse takes us to a deeper level to understand what ayurveda is.
Ayurveda provides us with a complete understanding of what is life-sustaning and what is not, not just for the physical body, but also our mind, heart, senses and spirit. This include description of the kind of diet, lifesyle and behavior that is optimal for well-being, the ideal environment, and the herbal rasayanas that are good or bad for each of these aspects of health. There is great detail on each of these modalities – what to eat, when to eat and how to eat are a part of dietary recommendations, for example. The texts also include recommendations for nurturing relationships and living as part of the human community. If an individual does not have this knowledge or has the knowledge but does not implement the knowledge, then say, the texts, the person becomes susceptible to imbalance and disorders.

Ayurveda also discusses the ways to pacify aggravated doshas or imbalances – the tools to create balance in the imbalanced body, mind, senses or spirit.

The two objectives of ayurveda
Ayurveda has two main objectives:

Swasthasya swaastha rakshanam, which means “keeping the healthy person healthy”
Prevention is the primary and most important goal of ayurveda.

Vyadhakanam vyadhi paramokshaha, which means “for the person who does not have this knowledge of how to stay optimally healthy or does not implement the knowledge, and thus gets out of balance, ayurveda teaches that person how to get rid of the imbalance.