Āyurveda
“Life (Āyu) is the combination of (Samyoga) of body, senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Āyurveda is the most sacred science of life beneficial to humans both in this world and the world beyond.” - Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 1.42 - 34
Āyurvedic therapy and its age-old natural healing modalities has attracted renewed interest in wellness all over the world because of its holistic approach.
Āyurveda is one of the most ancient healing wisdoms of the world, its antiquity going back to the sacred Vedas (doctrines). It is a codified written tradition with eternal practice of thousands of years in the Indian sub-continent, where it is a thriving official system of medicine with rich acceptability by the masses in India and across the globe.
Āyurveda makes a unique approach to healing and wellbeing. The Āyurvedic healing is a two-fold strategy comprising of Samshodhana or Bio purification by Pancha Karma Therapies or five techniques of detox, which is practiced under skillful guidance of a Āyurvedic practitioner and related measures, and Samshamana or Palliation of imbalances in the body by appropriately planned diet, natural medications, supplements, and life-style interventions.
Āyurveda conceives that the living body us made up of innumerable channels, which due to wear and tear and exposure to morbid factors lose their competence and get blocked. Such a macro and micro blockade of channels leads to interruption of flow of nutrients, energies and impulses and also the bioavailability of medicaments. Such a morbid state leads in turn to pre-disease state and makes the body prone to a wide range of diseases. One of the most commonly associated bio factors which play a crucial role in generic morbidity is hypo functioning of Agni (the gastric fire) with production of a range of biproducts of Mandaagni (hypo-functioning gastric fire), categorically termed as Aama. Such Aama materials play a significant role in blockage of the channels. This is the reason why the Āyurveda Acharyas proclaim – “rogah sarvepi mandagni”. All such morbid situations warrant Samshodhana or Bio purification in terms “Detoxification”, as the main line of treatment, both preventative and curative.
With the above age-old philosophy in mind, we at aayushka have carefully curate our offerings in both preventative and curative care.
The Panchamahabhutas (Five Elements) & Tridoshas (Three Fundamental Energies)
In Āyurveda more emphasis has been laid down on preservation of sound health. Āyurveda as we know is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s oldest systems of health. It is not just a healthcare system, but a complete approach to healthy living. As per Āyurveda the human body is composed of five basic elemental substances, namely – Aakasha (Ether), Vaayu (Air), Teja (Fire), Jala (Water) and Prithvi (Earth). Various Acharyas after keen observations, established a scientific correlativity between human life and cosmic life. According to “Purus-loka Saamya Siddantha”, human body represents cosmos in many ways. Formation of both human body and cosmos are from Panchabhautika Tattva (Principle of Five Elements). These five elements constitute three essential components of living body termed as “Tridoshas” – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Where Vata is supposed to be dominant in the function of the body. The Tridoshas are responsible for constitutional set up for an individual known as ‘Dosha Prakrithi’. According to the predominance of one or the other three Doshas in the body composition, Prakriti may be classified to be of three types – Vata Prakrithi, Pitta Prakrithi, and Kaphaka Prakrithi. – Do you wish to know you Prakrithi? Speak to your Practitioner for a Dosha/ Prakrithi Analysis.
Similarly, three Manasa Doshas are also present in each individual which are mainly responsible for mental makeup or Manasa Prakrithi of an individual. The three Manasa Prakrithis are Saatvika, Rajasa and Tamasa. The significance is that while a therapy is administered, the practitioner carefully crafts to combine the Panchabhautika constitution of the substance, whether it is external or internal in such a way that the condition is not precipitated after administration of the substance or product used.
Āyurvedic concept behind illness
According to Āyurveda a Vyadhi – disease or illness is the state in which the body and mind are subjected to pain and grief. In the surrounding atmosphere, various types of pathogenic organisms are always present, but all of us are not exposed to various disorders. This is largely because the body’s resistance or immunity of the body which prevents us from the attack of various invading organisms. There may be a variety of causative factors of a disease, but the actual intrinsic factors which get vitiated and inbalanced to precipitate the disease are the Tridoshas. The modern concept of aetiological factors of disease is different from the concept of Āyurveda in this regard. Various micro-organisms, bacteria and viruses are essential causative factors for different diseases. As a matter of fact, these micro-organisms vitiate the basic components of our body (three Doshas). Although these three Doshas are essential constituents of the body, they tend to get vitiated and imbalanced leading to vitiation of other constituents of body resulting in the precipitation of a disease/ illness. The same Doshas in the state of normalcy or equilibrium support the body.
Āyurvedic Principles of Treatment
While treating a condition on Āyurvedic principles, it involves a number of factors. To name a few, the practitioner takes into consideration the Dosha (Fundamental energy that is predominant or in combination), Dushya (causative factors), Dhatu (Organs/ Tissues), Mala (Excretia), Desha (location), Kala (Seasonality), Agni (Digestive fire), Prakriti (Nature of an individual), Ahara (Diet), Panchamahabhuta (The Predominant Element), Vyadhi (Health history), and the therapy to be employed, all these become an essential part of Āyurvedic management of an illness or disease. On the hindsight, in order to restore the balance for preventative care, the same principles are adopted.
Āyurvedic Therapy
Āyurvedic therapy or Chikitsa, can be classified into various groups depending on the factors such as place we live, availability of herbs, herbal formulations, weather conditions, and local vegetation etc. Following are a few important types of Chikitsa – therapy procedures:
- Nidana Parivarjana – to remove the causative factors
- Yoga – for physical and mental wellbeing
- Aachara Rasayana – lifestyle management to promote wellbeing
- Dravyabhutas – using various herbal remedies
- Satvavajaya Chikitsa – recommendation of Satvika diet, practiticing meditation and yoga
- Yuktivyapasraya Chikitsa – judicious use of herbal supplements and detox therapies
- Sada upakrama – such as Langhana (fasting), Svedana (sudation), Snehana (Oleation, application of oils)
- Shodhana – bio-purification or detoxification (Panchakarma)
- Rasayana – using supplements to revive, revitalise and improve immunity
