About Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the most ancient and traditional system of medicine in India. The Ayurvedic system of medicatio is based on many centuries of experience in medical practice, handed down through generations. Ayurvedic medicine originated in the early civilizations of India some 3,000-5,000 years ago making Ayurvedic medicine the oldest surviving healing system in the world. 

The word Ayurveda is formed by the combination of two words - "Ayu" meaning life, and "Veda" meaning knowledge. Ayurveda is regarded as "The Science of Life" and the practice involves the care of physical, mental and spiritual health of human beings.

Life according to Ayurveda is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. Ayurveda is not only limited to body or physical symptoms but also gives a comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and social health. Thus Ayurveda is a qualitative, holistic science of health and longevity, a philosophy and system of healing the whole person, body and mind.

The two principle objectives of Ayurveda are :

1. To prolong life and promote perfect health
2. To completely eradicate the disease and dysfunction of the body.

Another goal of Ayurveda is to achieve "Nirvana" or liberation from all kinds of "Wants". This is primarily achieved through good health, which is regarded as the supreme foundation of life. 

According to Ayurveda, all matter is thought to he composed of five basic elements known as the Panchamahabhuthas - Earth (Prithvi), Water (Jala), Fire (Tejas), Wind (Vayu) and Space (Akasha).These elements interact and exists in combination, in which one or more elements dominate. The human body is composed of derivatives of these five basic elements, in the form of doshas, tissues (dhatus) and waste products (malas). The Panchmahabhutas therefore serve as the foundation of all diagnosis and treatment modalities in Ayurveda. 

Ayurveda advocates that the primary and essential factors of the human body that govern our entire physical structure and function, is a combination of any two of the five bhutas with the predominance of one. This is the most fundamental and characteristic principle of Ayurveda and is called "Tridosha" or the Three Humours. They are categorized into Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata governs movement, Pitta is concerned with functions of heat, metabolism, and energy production and Kapha, governs physical structure and fluid balance. Thus in Ayurveda, disease is viewed as a state of imbalance in one or more of these doshas, and the treatments aims to establish the balance in these three fundamental qualities.