“He who regards kindness to humanity as the supreme religion, and treats his patients accordingly, best succeeds in achieving all the aims of life and obtains the greatest happiness.” Sushruta (Ayurvedic Physician who lived around 2000 years ago)
Ayurveda is the traditional natural medicine of India, over 5000 years old and based on the Vedas of India, the oldest writings in the world (The philosophies of the Vedas are the source of knowledge on which Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga and many of the great eastern principles are based). Ayurveda is a science, not based on a mechanistic and materialistic view of life but based on a more holistic view of life and upon a profound understanding of the movement of vital force and it’s effects on our entire psychophysical system.
Ayurveda is a holistic medicine with a great wealth of knowledge that has just begun to be explored in the west. It is not a kind of antiquated folk medicine, it is a science in it’s own right, it has it’s own rationality and way of experimentation that is extraordinarily intricate and complete. Ayurveda possesses probably the longest clinical experience of any medical system in the world, with a history of ayurvedic hospitals and colleges dating as far back as 3000 years. It has an intricate and sophisticated system of anatomy and physiology based not only on the body structure but on it’s vital forces (Prana, Tejas, Ojas).
For treatment Ayurveda has created an extensive herbal and mineral pharmacopeias with probably the greatest variety of herbal and pharmaceutical preparations in the world. Ayurveda has a surgical branch in which plastic surgery, removal of tumors and many intricate surgeries were preformed. Also within Ayurveda there are a wealth of specific clinical procedures: Steam, oil massage, marma point therapy, pancha Karma (purification) and special rejuvenation techniques for body and mind that strengthen immunity and retard aging, employing natural methods of diet, herbs, exercise yoga, meditation, and lifestyle changes.
Ayurveda classifies all the factors in our lives in an organic and energetic language that reflects the entire living biosphere around us. Each person is made up of a unique combination of elements and energies (Doshas); it is obvious that there is tremendous variation among human beings physically and psychologically. These must be considered for both health and happiness.
The following is a brief example of some of the energetic terms (translated to an English equivalents) used to understanding a person’s unique qualities. According to the 5-element theory all of creation is made up of the 5 elements including our body and mind.
5 Element Theory:
Space – Open, expansive, container, the universe. In the body: the gaps between & within cells through which Energy flows.
Air – Animating force of life in every thing that moves. Wind, or any motion in nature. In the body: Breath, circulation, nerve impulses, that which controls movement.
Fire – Generates heat, light or transformation. Sun, Chemical reactions. In the body: digestion, chemical reactions, heat regulation cognitive functions.
Water – Connects, nourishes, (70% water) Body: Nourishment through the flow of plasma, synovial fluid, cerebral spinal fluid, etc.
Earth – Solidity, mass & form, earth rocks, mountains & structure. Body: Bones, muscle, tissue. Stability.
The 3 Doshas: (Based on the 5 element theory. Ether or Space, Air, Fire, Water & Earth) The doshas are the subtle energies in each of us. According to this theory we each have differing amounts of Vata, Pitta and Kapha and theses subtle energies influence how things will manifest in our life both physically and mentally.
VATA – (Air/either) Responsible for movement – Nervous, Circulatory & Respiratory systems, elimination of wastes & movement of thoughts. Qualities – dry, light, mobile, irreg., subtle.
PITTA – (Fire/Water) – Responsible for digestion, heat regulation, chemical reactions & color. Qualities – Hot, light, intense penetrating, spicy & sharp.
KAPHA – (Earth/Water) Responsible for Structure, protection, lubrication, stability & immunity. Qualities – Heavy, cold, solid, wet, smooth, slow, stable.
Ayurvedic treatment is based upon understanding the individual constitution involved. It regards the condition of the individual person as the most important factor in health and disease, regarding disease as a complication of constitutional imbalance, rooted in the nature and behavior of the individual. It shows us how food, herbs, emotions, climate, lifestyle and many other factor impact the dynamic of our own physiology and psychology.
Ayurveda being rooted in the spiritual philosophies of India has a spiritual or conscious based approach and therefore is very much concerned with how things affect our mind and our spiritual evolution. Therefore the spiritual or psychic quality (Guna) is considered in all aspects of our lives and promoting more clarity, peace and balance through all we take in is a major focus.
The 3 Gunas: (Spiritual Qualities of the mind)
Satvic (Clarity) Harmony prevails, intelligent, sensitive, seeks balance, and has universal concerns. Devoted to what is good.
Rajasic (Action, Turbulence) Active mind, aggressive, restless, tendency to become angry, jealous, overpowering, always seeking, egoistic, industrious. Leads to conflict and pain.
Tamasic (Inertia) Dull, dark, trapped in negative habits, lazy, ignorant, no effort to improve life, sorrowful, and depressed.
The Ayurvedic approach to promoting health & treating disease:
Through an understanding of Ayurvedic principles you become increasingly aware of how things affect you. (Food, sleep, herbs, exercise, routines, etc.) First by understanding the energetics that make up your personal constitution (prakruti) with it’s tendencies (poss. & neg.) and your current state on balance (vikruti). Then by making changes that promote more balance; you can make lasting changes that get to the root of your symptoms or disease. With time comes greater awareness about foods, routines, how you breath, think, exercise and much more.
Svastha, the goal of all Ayurvedic treatments, means to be established in your true self. What is the true self? (Atman, Soul, Spirit, God within, Deeper self or witness). We have a quiet voice within us, usually drowned out by our noisy minds (rajas), a voice that already knows what is best for us. The more this voice is heard the more we promote satva (balance) and develop the qualities of clarity, intelligence, sensitivity, patience, love, joy and good health. Much of my practice is educating & fostering this awareness to bring about more stillness and balance. It takes time & effort to build awareness and we never fully arrive but this is a natural approach that empowers us to create a new reality for our lives rather than invasive or harsh treatments that only treat the symptoms.
In Ayurveda there is much focus on digestion. The proper digestion of food and its assimilation into the 7 Dhatus (body tissues) also the importance of good regular elimination to remove toxins. (See Ayurvedic Food Program)
Ayurvedic treatments
Ayurvedic treatments are numerous and are all individualized to your personal mind body constitution and specific to any condition you might have.
➢ Herbs formulated made specifically for each individual person.
➢ Dietary plans and education on how to eat right for your constitution.
➢ Guidelines on Healthy eating habits.
➢ Aroma & Color therapies.
➢ Yoga Therapies: Pranyama, Asana & Meditation
➢ Ayurvedic Body Therapies.
➢ Pancha Karma – eliminating toxins physical & mental.
➢ Education on proper daily routines, exercise, effects of the seasons, cycles of life and how to use all 5 senses to bring about balance and harmony in your life.
Ayurveda is the traditional natural medicine of India, over 5000 years old and based on the Vedas of India, the oldest writings in the world (The philosophies of the Vedas are the source of knowledge on which Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga and many of the great eastern principles are based). Ayurveda is a science, not based on a mechanistic and materialistic view of life but based on a more holistic view of life and upon a profound understanding of the movement of vital force and it’s effects on our entire psychophysical system.
Ayurveda is a holistic medicine with a great wealth of knowledge that has just begun to be explored in the west. It is not a kind of antiquated folk medicine, it is a science in it’s own right, it has it’s own rationality and way of experimentation that is extraordinarily intricate and complete. Ayurveda possesses probably the longest clinical experience of any medical system in the world, with a history of ayurvedic hospitals and colleges dating as far back as 3000 years. It has an intricate and sophisticated system of anatomy and physiology based not only on the body structure but on it’s vital forces (Prana, Tejas, Ojas).
For treatment Ayurveda has created an extensive herbal and mineral pharmacopeias with probably the greatest variety of herbal and pharmaceutical preparations in the world. Ayurveda has a surgical branch in which plastic surgery, removal of tumors and many intricate surgeries were preformed. Also within Ayurveda there are a wealth of specific clinical procedures: Steam, oil massage, marma point therapy, pancha Karma (purification) and special rejuvenation techniques for body and mind that strengthen immunity and retard aging, employing natural methods of diet, herbs, exercise yoga, meditation, and lifestyle changes.
Ayurveda classifies all the factors in our lives in an organic and energetic language that reflects the entire living biosphere around us. Each person is made up of a unique combination of elements and energies (Doshas); it is obvious that there is tremendous variation among human beings physically and psychologically. These must be considered for both health and happiness.
The following is a brief example of some of the energetic terms (translated to an English equivalents) used to understanding a person’s unique qualities. According to the 5-element theory all of creation is made up of the 5 elements including our body and mind.
5 Element Theory:
Space – Open, expansive, container, the universe. In the body: the gaps between & within cells through which Energy flows.
Air – Animating force of life in every thing that moves. Wind, or any motion in nature. In the body: Breath, circulation, nerve impulses, that which controls movement.
Fire – Generates heat, light or transformation. Sun, Chemical reactions. In the body: digestion, chemical reactions, heat regulation cognitive functions.
Water – Connects, nourishes, (70% water) Body: Nourishment through the flow of plasma, synovial fluid, cerebral spinal fluid, etc.
Earth – Solidity, mass & form, earth rocks, mountains & structure. Body: Bones, muscle, tissue. Stability.
The 3 Doshas: (Based on the 5 element theory. Ether or Space, Air, Fire, Water & Earth) The doshas are the subtle energies in each of us. According to this theory we each have differing amounts of Vata, Pitta and Kapha and theses subtle energies influence how things will manifest in our life both physically and mentally.
VATA – (Air/either) Responsible for movement – Nervous, Circulatory & Respiratory systems, elimination of wastes & movement of thoughts. Qualities – dry, light, mobile, irreg., subtle.
PITTA – (Fire/Water) – Responsible for digestion, heat regulation, chemical reactions & color. Qualities – Hot, light, intense penetrating, spicy & sharp.
KAPHA – (Earth/Water) Responsible for Structure, protection, lubrication, stability & immunity. Qualities – Heavy, cold, solid, wet, smooth, slow, stable.
Ayurvedic treatment is based upon understanding the individual constitution involved. It regards the condition of the individual person as the most important factor in health and disease, regarding disease as a complication of constitutional imbalance, rooted in the nature and behavior of the individual. It shows us how food, herbs, emotions, climate, lifestyle and many other factor impact the dynamic of our own physiology and psychology.
Ayurveda being rooted in the spiritual philosophies of India has a spiritual or conscious based approach and therefore is very much concerned with how things affect our mind and our spiritual evolution. Therefore the spiritual or psychic quality (Guna) is considered in all aspects of our lives and promoting more clarity, peace and balance through all we take in is a major focus.
The 3 Gunas: (Spiritual Qualities of the mind)
Satvic (Clarity) Harmony prevails, intelligent, sensitive, seeks balance, and has universal concerns. Devoted to what is good.
Rajasic (Action, Turbulence) Active mind, aggressive, restless, tendency to become angry, jealous, overpowering, always seeking, egoistic, industrious. Leads to conflict and pain.
Tamasic (Inertia) Dull, dark, trapped in negative habits, lazy, ignorant, no effort to improve life, sorrowful, and depressed.
The Ayurvedic approach to promoting health & treating disease:
Through an understanding of Ayurvedic principles you become increasingly aware of how things affect you. (Food, sleep, herbs, exercise, routines, etc.) First by understanding the energetics that make up your personal constitution (prakruti) with it’s tendencies (poss. & neg.) and your current state on balance (vikruti). Then by making changes that promote more balance; you can make lasting changes that get to the root of your symptoms or disease. With time comes greater awareness about foods, routines, how you breath, think, exercise and much more.
Svastha, the goal of all Ayurvedic treatments, means to be established in your true self. What is the true self? (Atman, Soul, Spirit, God within, Deeper self or witness). We have a quiet voice within us, usually drowned out by our noisy minds (rajas), a voice that already knows what is best for us. The more this voice is heard the more we promote satva (balance) and develop the qualities of clarity, intelligence, sensitivity, patience, love, joy and good health. Much of my practice is educating & fostering this awareness to bring about more stillness and balance. It takes time & effort to build awareness and we never fully arrive but this is a natural approach that empowers us to create a new reality for our lives rather than invasive or harsh treatments that only treat the symptoms.
In Ayurveda there is much focus on digestion. The proper digestion of food and its assimilation into the 7 Dhatus (body tissues) also the importance of good regular elimination to remove toxins. (See Ayurvedic Food Program)
Ayurvedic treatments
Ayurvedic treatments are numerous and are all individualized to your personal mind body constitution and specific to any condition you might have.
➢ Herbs formulated made specifically for each individual person.
➢ Dietary plans and education on how to eat right for your constitution.
➢ Guidelines on Healthy eating habits.
➢ Aroma & Color therapies.
➢ Yoga Therapies: Pranyama, Asana & Meditation
➢ Ayurvedic Body Therapies.
➢ Pancha Karma – eliminating toxins physical & mental.
➢ Education on proper daily routines, exercise, effects of the seasons, cycles of life and how to use all 5 senses to bring about balance and harmony in your life.
Ayurveda - The Knowlege of Life
About Ayurveda
