Ayurveda - The Basics

Today, Ayurveda (the Science of Life) is at the forefront of mind-body medicine. It has spread far beyond its roots on the Indian subcontinent and is garnering attention all over the world.

Although the system is thousands of years old, it is not viewed as archaic. Rather it is seen as a key to the medicine of the future. This stems from a growing awareness and acceptance of the concept of health being linked to the mind, body and spirit, as well as a departure from the sometimes invasive and/or impersonal approach of allopathic or conventional western medicine.

As with most systems of natural healing, Ayurveda does not view the physical body as a chain of biochemical processes and does not regard the mind as simply a function of the brain. It considers the whole body a mental organism, capable of assisting in a sensory perception involving both the physical, and more energy based (or emotion generating), all of which impact our state of being, and overall health.

Incorrect use of the senses, either from excess (eg. rage), or deficiency (eg. extreme apathy), are described as "internal factors", resulting in reactions within the body which are adverse, and eventually manifest as mental disease.

Physical disease is relative to the "external factors" such as exposure to pathogens and eating the wrong foods. In most cases, physical and psychological diseases are combined, as one rarely occurs without the other. An example of this is in the case of an acute infection, where the ailment can almost certainly be treated on a physical level, there are still psychological effects. The physical disease disrupts the emotions and weakens the senses which can then lay the foundation for the onset of psychological disturbances. These psychological disturbances in turn have physical consequences and so the cycle continues.

In the western world, our problems are mainly psychological. There is sufficient shelter and food to protect us from most physical diseases. Although most of us have no major physical problems, we still suffer from psychological distress. The unrest may appear as feelings of anger, loneliness, being unappreciated, stress or anxiety. These emotions trigger a depletion of our physical energy and prevent us from being healthy. In the fast pace of everyday life, it is sometimes hard to escape these emotions.

We are often running from one place to another, and rarely stop to look at the direction in which our lives are headed. And when we do get sick, we look for the quick fix, instead of analyzing what has brought us to this place of discontent. If the source isn't determined, how can we prevent it from happening in the future?

Ayurveda leads us to well-being through four levels of healing.

The first is disease treatment. The whole person is assessed to determine the cause of the illness, and remedies, often involving the use of herbal preparations, are prescribed.

The second stage is disease prevention. This teaches us to eliminate disease by contemplating the factors in our lives such as work, lifestyle, our psychological condition, and the environment around us. In order to eliminate illness, we must eliminate those factors which negatively influence us and make us vulnerable. This requires constant awareness, as long term health cannot be achieved with sporadic practice.

The third level of treatment is life enhancement therapy with the goal of longevity and improved vitality.

The fourth and final level of Ayurvedic healing is awareness development. This requires a spiritual approach to life, including the practice of meditation. Meditation raises our awareness, enabling us to calm the mind and spirit, and discover the essence of who we really are. It seeks to raise conciousness in a return to oneness with the world around us, and the spirit within us.

Through Ayurveda we are taught harmony through simplicity and contentment, in which true fulfillment (and consequently health) is a matter of being, not becoming.