Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic medicine is the world's oldest recorded healing system and has been in continuous use for over 5000 years. It originated in India and was practiced by India's holy men.  These practitioners had astounding knowledge of the body and the connections between anatomy, physiology, psychology, the use of healing herbs, minerals, exercise, and even surgery.  Their progress in the development of medicine and their success in healing reached around the ancient world to the Chinese, Romans, and Greeks.  Even today Ayurvedic medicine is a leader with their philosophy in the world today.  The healing is based on balance in the body. The belief is that inbalance and disharmony with the rhythms of nature will lead to illness. Ayurvedic practitioners use signs  from nature  to identify imbalances in the body.  The practitioner will note age, ethnicity as well as nutrition  lifestyle and spirituality.  He will use pulse and palpation as well as body types in his examination.  A person is classed into one of 3 catagories called "doshas" that are based on the five natural elements of air, fire, water, earth and ether.  Dosha means "that which changes"  and these elements are continually changing and balancing.  The emotions and body type are thought to correspond to one of the three doshas. Vata personalities are small boned, nervous and usually quickly roused. Pitta types are strong, good at getting  their way and quick tempered. Kapha type people are wiry, athletic, and usually emotionally stable.  Detoxification is an important aspect of Ayurvedic medicine.  There are two main forms of detoxification.  The first is called "Shamana"  and is a palliation therapy using herbs, oils and therapeutic foods to stimulate digestion and reduce toxins that are built up in the system.  The second is "Panch Karma"  which is a method using massage and sweating.  This method is used when a disease and imbalance is well established.  An  Ayurvedic physician will work with the patient and help them understand their body  and shows them how to change their lifestyle to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit with diet, massage, and healing herbs.  Both yoga and meditiation are used for rebalancing the 3 doshas.  Herbal medicine is used to combate an overactive dosha.  Oil applications are also used.   An easy and quick way to help balance the doshas is to warm sesame, sweet almond or coconut oil and rub it over the entire body.  This will harmonize all 3 doshas and calm the autonomic nervous system.  Nutrition and diet therapy is also used to harmonize the body.  Each dosha type has certain foods that they are associated with.  People that are one dosha type will eat foods that will bring out the other two dosha types.  For example:  Warm foods and beverages accentuate Pitta qualities and cooling foods accentuate Vata. If you are interested in this type of treatment, choose a practitioner who combines Western medical training and Ayurvedic.  To find out more information and to find Ayurvedic products go to BalanceAyurvedic.com