What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical science. It is the comprehensive, holistic, traditional health care system of India. Ayurveda’s origin can be traced back to the Vedas, the ancient sacred books of the Aryans, the oldest available classics of the world. Vedas are the ancient sacred knowledge or science from India. They contain practical and scientific information on various subjects beneficial to humanity- health, philosophy, engineering, astrology.

In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparations were mentioned that could be used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was written over 5000 years ago, but Ayurveda has been around before that. Ayurveda is more than a medical system. It is a Science of Life.

We are all part of nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilise the laws of nature to create health and balance within their beings, we too, adhere to these very same principles. Ayurveda is a system that helps maintain your health by using the inherent principles of nature to bring you back into equilibrium with your true self. In essence Ayurveda has been in existence since the beginning of time because nature’s laws have always governed us.

According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, ayur (life) is comprised of four essential parts- Mind, body, senses and soul. The Mind not only controls our thought processes, but helps us in our daily activities- respiration, circulation, digestion, elimination. The mind and the body work in conjunction with one another to regulate our physiology. Smell and taste are two important senses that aid in the digestive process. When the mind registers that a particular food is entering the gastrointestinal tract, it directs the body to act accordingly by releasing various digestive enzymes. Maintaining the clarity of our senses is an essential part in allowing the mind and body to integrate their functions and help in keeping us healthy and happy.

According to Ayurveda before we exist in physical form with the help of the mind and senses, we exist in a more subtle form known as the soul. The ancient seers of India believed that we were comprise of a certain energetic essence that precluded the inhabitancy of our physical entity. 

Ayurveda is a science dealing not only with treatment of diseases but is also a complete way of life. As above Life according to Ayurveda is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. It is clear from this definition of life that Ayurveda is not only limited to the body or physical symptom, but also gives a comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and social health. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy and people with health challenges can improve their health.