| If you're familiar with the terms "pitta" and "vata", then | | | | and our bodies are not separate - they are united as |
| chances are you've been acquainted with one of the | | | | one, called the "mind-body". Ayurvedic philosophy and |
| most ancient medical practices of Asia. Ayurveda | | | | practices reconnect us to ourselves and reminds us |
| (pronounced eye-your-VAY-da) has just began to | | | | that we are one with nature and with the entire |
| break through mainstream Western medical | | | | cosmos. Mental and physical health are one and the |
| consciousness as more and more people have began | | | | same, so in Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases in the |
| to look for drug-free and natural remedies to cure their | | | | mind (like thoughts and feelings) are just as vital as |
| ailments and spirits.Ayurveda is the natural system of | | | | symptoms and diseases of the body (like pain and |
| medicine that has been traditionally practiced in India for | | | | physical difficulties). These produce imbalance and |
| more than 5,000 years. It is a Sanskrit word that literally | | | | illness, so both mind and body are treated |
| translated means "the science of life" and "science of | | | | simultaneously by restoring their natural balance. In |
| longevity". Ayurveda is the health care system that | | | | short, to be healed, your whole physical lifestyle must |
| was slowly and steadily developed by traditional seers | | | | be in sync with what you feel inside.The Ayurvedic |
| and natural scientists through centuries of meditation, | | | | objective is to live a long balanced life that achieves |
| observation, discussion and experiments. These | | | | our fullest potentials and expresses our true inner |
| Ayurvedic teachings were then orally passed on from | | | | nature by adhering to certain daily practices that |
| teacher to student until the sixth century BC, where | | | | prevent disease. However, Ayurvedic treatments do |
| detailed Sanskrit texts were finally written. It is said that | | | | not simply dwell on herbal medications. The system |
| even the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese and | | | | emphasizes the inclusion of meditation, yoga, massage |
| Tibetan medicine systems are said to be derived from | | | | and proper diet. It believes in integrating the mind, body |
| Ayurveda. Because of its rich history and philosophy, | | | | and spirit to maintain good health and long life.In India, |
| this multifarious medical system is still the treatment | | | | Ayurvedic practitioners undergo state-recognized and |
| method of choice even for most of modern India and | | | | institutionalized training, much like Western doctors. Only |
| Southeast Asia.Ayurveda is a holistic approach that | | | | recently has there been a slow acceptance of |
| emphasizes prevention of disease rather than its | | | | Ayurveda in the West with the positive research |
| treatment. It has systems that aim for the rejuvenation | | | | outcomes of meditative techniques and yoga in |
| of our body and the extension of life span. The | | | | Western medical literature. Today, more prominent and |
| Ayruvedic tradition believes that five elements -- | | | | published studies have documented the success of |
| space, air, fire, water and earth -- make up the world | | | | the Ayurvedic approach in healing cardiovascular |
| we live in. Each element is found in the human body | | | | diseases, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels, |
| and called the "dosha". The forces and principles that | | | | certain cancers, infectious diseases and most |
| are found in all of nature are also seen in our human | | | | stress-induced illnesses. |
| systems. In Ayurveda, our minds (or consciousness) | | | | |