Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health. In simple words, Ayurveda is a proactive approach to avoiding illness: fresh food, daily exercise, relaxation/stress reduction, and regular cleansing.
THE ROLE OF DOSHAS
According to ayurveda, the five elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth) manifest in each of us in a unique way to give us our physical and mental qualities. These five basic elements then combine into three constitutions or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. The unique combination of the three doshas in each individual has a specific influence on our physical, mental, and emotional tendencies. Determining which dosha(s) are dominant can help you to make the right diet and lifestyle choices.
BASE OF AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS
Plant-based treatments in Ayurveda may be derived from roots, leaves, fruits, bark, or seeds such as cardamom and cinnamon etc. Animal products used in Ayurveda include milk, bones, and gallstones. Consumption of minerals, including sulphur, arsenic, lead, copper sulphate and gold, are also prescribed. Ayurveda uses alcoholic beverages called Madya, which are said to adjust the doshas by increasing Pitta and reducing Vatta and Kapha. Madya are classified by the raw material and fermentation process, and the categories include- sugar-based, fruit-based, cereal-based, cereal-based with herbs, fermented with vinegar, and tonic wines.
Ayurveda also deals with healthy lifestyle changes like drinking warm water in the morning, meditation, avoiding cold water, using melted ghee as eye drops, yoga etc. all these healthy lifestyle changes prevents illness and promotes wellbeing.
TOP BENEFITS OF AYURVEDA
- Better health, youthfulness and better memory
- More energy, endurance and strength
- A gradual decrease in existing diseases
- Prevention of colds, flu’s and other diseases
- Greater ability to handle stress and anxiety
- Improved sleep and concentration
- Better digestion, metabolism and elimination
- Healthier skin, complexion and slowes down aging
- Increases intelligent
- Stronger immune system
- Weight loss or gain and better sense control
CAUTION: It is often said, “One man’s food is another man’s poison!’’ This is perfectly applicable in Ayurveda, because every food contains the elements and doshas in different proportions, and our ingesting them will effect our elemental balance in a positive or negative way. Each element by its inherent property joins with that which is a part of the body. If too much of one element is ingested by a person who already has that element in a sufficient quantity by inheritance, an imbalance can manifest.