Ayurveda is the science of life and living.
Ayurveda 101 introduces the basics of Ayurveda, a system of medicine that originated in India. Participants will learn the fundamental principles and concepts of Ayurveda and the Ayurvedic view of the mind-body composition and connection. This introductory course provides a solid foundation for understanding Ayurvedic principles and their application in daily life.
- Introduction and history of Ayurvedic system of medicine
- Unique features of Ayurveda
- Theory of five elements (Pancha maha bhutas)
- Understanding of Three qualities (Gunas)
- Concept of three biological forces or humors (Doshas)
- Concept of seven bodily tissues (Dhatus)
- Concept of Immunity (Ojas)
- Concept of waste products (Malas)
- Knowing about channels of circulation (Srotas)
- Daily and Seasonal routine (Dinacharya & Ritucharya)
- Concept of alimentary tract (Koshta)
- Concept of digestive fire (Agni) and Ama
- Physical constitution (Prakriti) or body temperament
- Concept of mind
- Importance of Physiological Purification (Panchakarma)
- Rejuvenation (Rasayana) therapy
- INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY OF AYURVEDIC SYSTEM OF MEDICINE
- Ayurveda is the natural healing system of India, dated back to 300 BC.
Etymologically speaking, the Sanskrit term “Ayurveda’ is composed of two words “Ayu” and “Veda”. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge or science. So, the two words combined give the meaning “The science of Life” or “Knowledge about life” or a “sensible way of living based on knowledge”. The word “Ayu” does not denote the sense of age as commonly understood, but it embraces the specific meaning (i.e.) the life which is the combination of body, sense organs, mind and soul. So, we can see that a very comprehensive meaning is conveyed by the small term “Ayurveda”.
The human body is composed of the three fundamental elements called doshas, dhatus and malas. The doshas govern the physio-chemical and physiological activities of the body, while the dhatus enter into the formation of a basic structure of a body cell, thereby performing some specific actions. The malas are impurities partly excreted in a modified form after serving their physiological functions. These three elements are said to be in a dynamic equilibrium with each other for the maintenance of health. Any imbalance of their relative importance in the body results in disease and illness.
Today, an estimated 500,000 Ayurvedic physicians practice in India, often in close conjunction with doctors trained in Western, conventional medicine or in homeopathy. Ayurvedic practitioners teach patients to understand their unique bodily constitutions and show them how to use diet, massage, herbs, and lifestyle adjustments to harmonize body, mind, and spirit. In recent years a more science-savvy take on ayurveda has spread to distant parts of the world including the United States, where it has begun to flourish alongside other holistic, patient-oriented, natural, non-invasive medical systems such as traditional Chinese medicine.
Ayurveda is the knowledge that indicates the appropriate and inappropriate of life, happy and sorrowful conditions of living, what is auspicious and inauspicious for longevity, as well as the measure of life (life span) itself.
Ayurveda is also a system of medicine in the sense that it systematizes and applies the knowledge about health and disease of balanced and unbalanced states of living beings and how unbalanced states can be corrected and the restored balance maintained. Ayurveda embraces all aspects of well-being of living creatures physically, mentally and spiritually.
According to Ayurveda health is not merely considered to be a state of freedom from ailments or disease, but rather a state of enjoying uninterrupted physical, mental and spiritual happiness and fulfillment.
Ayurveda originated as a part of Vedic science. This is an integral spiritual science devised to give a comprehensive understanding of the entire Universe, which it sees as working according to a single law. Vedic science include Yoga, Meditation and Astrology and set forth Ayurveda as its branch for dealing with the physical body and includes herbal medicines, dietetics, body work, surgery, psychology and spirituality.
Ayurveda is the Upa Veda (branch) of Atharva Veda, which is one of the 4 Vedas (Rik Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda). Ayurveda is eternal, because it has no beginning and no end and it is very vast.
Ayurveda – The art of fine tuning for health
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: ayur, which means life, and veda, which means knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically with logic becomes science. Over time, Ayurveda became the science of life. It has its root in ancient vedic literature and encompasses our entire life – the body, mind and spirit.
It is clearly unique in this day and age to find a system of medicine that is over 5000 years old and still today one of the largest on the planet. Ayurvedic medicine, although in its infancy here in America, has over 300,000 Indian doctors in the All Indian Ayurvedic Congress, making it the largest medical organization in the world. Ayurveda focuses on prevention of illness and the body’s natural power of cure. Ayurveda, which literally means “the science of life”, is the natural healing system used throughout India. Ayurveda was originally known to have been first developed and established by the great sages who developed India’s original systems of meditation and Yoga. The study of Ayurveda includes herbal medicine, dietetics, body work, surgery, psychology and spirituality. It not only deals with medical science, but also with the social, ethical, intellectual, and spiritual life of man. Ayurveda amalgamates the accuracy of science and the sublimity of philosophy, poetry, and art. According to Ayurveda, a living creature is composed of soul, mind and body. It is the compound of these three elements that constitutes the science of life.