Ayurveda

It is slowly dawning on the West that Ayurveda was indeed well researched and documented and that Ayurvedic texts were not, as misrepresented by some earlier historians, just documents that presented mythological accounts of demonic illnesses and magic rituals.

Most of us who are conversant with Hindu Mythology know that it was Anjaneya - Hanuman - who brought the entire mountain when he was asked to bring ng a single herb - sanjeevani - as he could not identify the herb among the myriad of other herbs. As Ayurveda predates Ramayana, it is not proper to establish that Buddhists were the ones who developed an empirical medical science from a vast storehouse of medical knowledge that was accepted only by communities of wandering mendicants and renunciants outside the social order. Ayurvedic science is based on the eternal wisdom of those who received this cosmic consciousness through religious introspection and meditation.

The original source of Ayurveda is the holy scriptures - Vedas - and the texts - Samhitas - which give a treatise on healthcare and describe medical procedures, including surgery and a form of massage at vital energy points.

Ayurveda, the science of life, is more than a system of medical treatment - it is part of a system where dietetics, herbs, physical exercise, yoga, massage, meditation, sound, colour, aromatherapy, positive thought, fresh air, sunlight etc., complement each other and lay down rules for living in harmony with nature. It is both a preventive measure and a healing process that relies entirely on natural means - and as such there is little distinction between foods and medicinal herbs.

Most of the herbs are amazingly benign when compared to prescription medicines - and to the thousands of patients dying from adverse drug reactions each year. In fact, when patients have uncomfortable side effects from prescription drugs, they usually stop taking the drug to avoid putting up with needless discomfort, without their doctor's knowledge - thus not making it to the statistics. The guilty drugs usually are antibiotics, antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen etc. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal ailments, sleep disruptions, mood changes and tiredness. The symptoms are a source of worry for the patients and interfered with their daily activities. With antibiotics, which are often unnecessarily prescribed, not starting on the drug in the first place may be the best way to prevent side effects.

But that does not mean that herbs are not relatively toxic - there are a few herbs that could trigger allergic reactions among certain individuals or, if consumed along with certain drugs. The main goal of Ayurveda is to restore the body's homeostatis - the balance of one's metabolic forces.

Ayurvedic practitioners work from the basis and understanding that each constitution falls under one of the three doshas - basic metabolic types: Kapha, Pitta and Vata, each of which is associated with five environmental elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether. Each of these elements in turn correspond to one of the five senses as well as to areas of the body.

Doshas bridge among organs and internal parts of the body while connecting the body with environmental or cosmic elements. While each constitution type is believed to be a combination of characteristics from all three doshas, one dosha type predominates in each person. Maintaining and restoring good health requires bringing the three doshas back into balance. This process involves diagnostic techniques that employ three main activities: inspection, palpation and questioning. During inspection, the tongue, nails, lips, and each of the nine 'doors' to the body: eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, genitalia and anus. The system of pulse monitoring is extremely detailed and time consuming than in western medicine.

Ayurvedic emphasis on self-care and personal responsibility for one's health itself is an eye-opener that leads to awareness and introspection, which in turn leads to reducing anxiety, hypertension while enhancing general well-being.