ayurvedic medicine

Ayurveda means the science of life. Followers and practitioners alike believe in this ancient form of medicine, as well as its philosophy of treating the whole person.

Ayurvedic medicine consists of many different elements. In India, there are eight distinct branches of Ayurvedic medicine:

• Internal Medicine

• Surgery

• Treatment of head and neck diseases

• Gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics

• Toxicology

• Psychiatry

• Elderly care and rejuvenation

• sexual vitality

Nearly 80 percent of India’s population uses some form of Ayurvedic medicine for healing, with or without a combination of conventional medicine. In the United States, more than 200,000 adults will use Ayurvedic medicine in any given year.

The underlying basis of Ayurveda medicine is that the basis of health has to do with our connection to the universe, that is, the constitution of the body or prakriti and the vital forces or doshas.

Prakriti refers to a person’s general health, the likelihood that they will lose balance, and their ability to resist or recover from illness. Prakriti is unique to each person and describes the way your body works to maintain health. The key elements are the way the body digests and eliminates waste. Prakriti generally remains the same throughout life.

The doshas are the three life forces or energies found in all of us, with some combination of all three found in everyone. The probability that a person will contract a disease is based on the balance of the doshas, ​​as well as the state of the body and mental and lifestyle factors.

The three doshas are:

Vata: This dosha represents ether and air. It is the most powerful of the three, as it controls vital bodily processes such as respiration, the heart, cell division, the mind, and waste removal. This dosha can be affected by fear, grievance, and lack of sleep, among other forces. Those with vata as their primary dosha are susceptible to skin and neurological conditions, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other afflictions.

Pitta: This dosha represents fire and water, and controls both hormones and the digestive system. Pitta can be upset by spicy or sour food, fatigue, and too much time in the sun. Those with pitta as their main dosha are susceptible to hypertension, heart disease, and others.

Kapha – This dosha represents water and earth, and controls strength and immunity. Kapha is upset by greed, sleeping during the day, and too much salt and sugar in the diet. Those with kapha as their main dosah are susceptible to diabetes, cancer, obesity, and respiratory diseases.

Ayurveda medicine has been around for centuries and is here to stay. It is an alternative, holistic and complete medicine and its list of patients grows every day.