What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda, known as the "science of life" in ancient Sanskrit, has been a key part of a comprehensive natural healthcare system in India and Sri Lanka for over 2000 years. The basic tenet of Ayurveda is that health conditions should be treated with holistic, natural therapies tailored to the needs of each individual. In addition to treating the physical body with Ayurvedic herbs, Ayurveda focuses on balancing the mind and spirit to achieve inner harmony. Ayurveda teaches that each person is a blend of three doshas, or vital energies within the body - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each person is born with an optimal balance and a unique harmony among the three doshas. Later in life, negative health may arise from an imbalance in the three doshas - and the science of Ayurveda is used to bring back this essential harmony.
Unlike Western medicine which is typically used as a reactive mechanism to fight disease once it occurs, Ayurveda is used to strengthen and nourish the body before the advent of negative health conditions. Ayurvedic practitioners typically recommend a natural course of herbs, diet, exercise and meditation to bring harmony back to the individual. This may be accomplished with a regimen of detoxification/purging herbs to initially rid the body of negative toxins followed by beneficial herbs which focus on bringing the three doshas back into balance. In returning the mind, body and spirit back to its original dosha balance, Ayurvedic practitioners believe that an individual is better able to withstand future illnesses and adverse health conditions while living a more pleasant, harmonious life. For more information on Ayurveda, see our Ayurvedic Herb Summary or our Ayurvedic Reference Books.
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