Ayurveda and Its Treatments
Our ancient holistic system of medication based on the idea of creating balance of mind, body and our environment using diet, herbal treatment, massage and yogic breathing is the very basis of Ayurveda. It is has been incorporated in the Atharva Veda, the last of our Vedas. Based on this principle and further influences from Buddhism and Jainism, Ayurvedic practitioners across the globe have structured certain therapies which help cure diseases in their entirety.
Two of the eight branches of classical Ayurveda deal with surgery (Śalya-cikitsā and Śālākya-tantra), but present-day Ayurveda tends to stress attaining vitality by building a healthy metabolic system and maintaining good digestion and excretion. Ayurveda also focuses on exercise, yoga, and meditation.
Ayurveda follows the concept of Dinacharya, which says that natural cycles (waking, sleeping, working, meditation etc.) are important for health. Hygiene, including regular bathing, cleaning of teeth, skin care, and eye washing, is also a central practice.
Ayurvedic doctors regard physical existence, mental existence, and personality as a unit, with each element being able to influence the other. Another part of Ayurvedic treatment says that there are channels (srotas) which transport fluids, and that the channels can be opened up by massage treatment using oils and Swedana (fomentation). Unhealthy channels are thought to cause disease.
An Ayurvedic practitioner will create a treatment plan specifically designed for you. He/ she will take into account your unique physical and emotional makeup, your primary life force, and the balance between all three of these elements. The goal of treatment is to cleanse your body of undigested food, which can stay in your body and lead to illness. The cleansing process—called “panchakarma”— is designed to reduce your symptoms and restore harmony and balance. The technique of panchakarma eliminates toxic elements from the body.
To achieve this, an Ayurvedic practitioner might rely on blood purification, massage, medical oils, herbs, and enemas or laxatives.
