What is Ayurveda?Jan 15, 2021
Ay-ur-WHO?
Ayurveda is the science of living in harmony with the natural world, handed down through the oral tradition in East India, Tibet, Sri Lanka and eventually written down in ancient Sanskrit. Later, it was: codified, tested, commented upon… and eventually promoted by the Indian Government as a national treasure.
Based on the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space, Ayurveda notes the ways our bodies and minds can regain proper balance for optimal physical and mental functioning.
Lifestyle, whether in or out of harmony with natural cycles of activity and rest, catabolism and metabolism, plays a huge role in how we preserve our health and prevent vulnerability to disease states.
Sounds straightforward. Why all the fuss?
The herbal formulations in Ayurvedic Science are potent but without unwanted side-effects.
They get the desired results. Sometimes after longtime use, but often change begins right away. And, that change is lasting.
The formulas have been assembled according to logic, tested, and re-formulated over thousands of years’ use. They can be applied directly to the skin as medicated oils, pastes, poultices and ointments, or takin in as pills, decoctions, jams, butters, and soups. Whether applied to the skin or taken by mouth, they are considered as food. As such, they are easily integrated into a healing regiment already underway by another practitioner - very little, if any contraindication appears.
Strictly Logical, but the Results Seem Magical
Assessments follow time-honored Ayurvedic protocols of observation with the human sense organs rather than modern diagnostic equipment. The aim of assessment (Nidan) is to match up the presenting complaints with patterns of disharmony long-known and understood by the science of Ayurveda.
Once matched to a disharmony profile (Vyadhi), the particular and unique qualities of the individual are considered, and a course of action is suggested that will achieve the restoration of harmony in as-supported-a-manner as is possible at the time.
Results can be seen in days, weeks, months…sometimes after two-and-a-half years, depending on the severity of the disharmony, the length of time it has built up, and the client’s ease in adjusting new lifestyle habits often called for.
Regular contact with the practitioner until the start of some shift in the condition is the norm.