Ayurveda is the most popular holistic form of medicine. It originated in India and is now rapidly spreading around the world. Ayurveda combines Sanskrit words: ayus, meaning ‘life,’ and Veda, meaning ‘knowledge.’ Hence, Ayurveda means ‘the knowledge of life’.
Indians believe that Ayurveda originated as a form of medicine for the gods. Even in the Ramayana (believed to be several millennia old), we reference how Hanuman brings the Sanjivani herb to revive Lakshmana, who is mortally wounded on the battlefield in Lanka. Dhanwantari, the physician of the gods, is believed to be the one who discovered Ayurveda. Charaka brought Ayurveda from the realms of the gods to the human race, who wrote the Ayurvedic treatise Charaka Samhita, which is regarded venerably even today. Sushruta later wrote a compendium of his own, Sushruta Samhita, which has several amendments to the methods detailed in the Charaka Samhita.
Principles of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an essentially herbal science. It delves into the medicinal properties of herbs and studies their effects on the human system. More than four thousand herbs are known to Ayurveda, out of which about one thousand are commonly used in regular prescriptions. Throughout the ages, several combinations of herbs have been made and perfected. The herbs are also matured in several ways, such as roasting them in ghee, fermenting them to make wines, preparing their concentrated powder extracts, etc. Depending on how prepared, preparations are known as bhasmas, lehyas, vatis, choornas, rasas, asavas, etc..
Though Ayurveda mainly deals with herbs, that is not all there is to it. Ayurveda also deals in several minerals, which it calls as dhaatus. Some dhaatu preparations are very important to the human wellbeing, for example, the Shilajit.
However, the most essential aspect of Ayurveda is neither the herbs nor the minerals it uses. The secret of the success of Ayurveda over the centuries is the regimen that it coerces its patients to do. Ayurveda has devised several therapies. The most famous of these is the Panchakarma therapy. This elaborate five-part process can treat almost any ailment that afflicts humans. The Panchakarma therapy is a way of purification of the body. Then, several other therapies, like Shirodhara, Basti, etc., help keep the body in a state of normalcy.
Ayurveda often goes hand in hand with another popular Indian technique, yoga. Ayurvedic physicians usually prescribe asanas of yoga to supplement their herbal remedies. Ayurveda also believes in several massage therapies using different kinds of oils. Aromatherapy, though a distinct science, can be considered a subset of Ayurvedic techniques. Ayurveda believes that massage can canalize the toxins to their proper destinations in the body, where they can be eliminated. In this manner, the body remains free from residual toxic substances.
Ayurveda also believes in the importance of diet. When a treatment is going on, the Ayurvedic physician stresses the importance of the diet the person consumes. Each component is selected with care because, with any disease, there are many dietary indications and contraindications.
The Popularity of Ayurveda
Today, Ayurveda is so deeply ensconced in the minds of the Indian population that they would use its remedies without knowing they are using some Ayurvedic technique. Almost every Indian household has one tulsi plant in their courtyard. Tulsi is nothing but the holy basil tree. This plant is worshipped by the Hindus, without knowing that the high respect for the tulsi originates from the herb’s various medicinal properties. Tulsi is one of the five essential plants every Indian garden is supposed to have. The other four plants are neem, amalaki, bilva and palash. Today, all these five herbs have become popular worldwide for their unique curative properties.
Herbs like Brahmi, ginkgo, gotu kola, ashwagandha, yohimbe, yashtimadhu, arjuna, etc., have gained worldwide renown. Western scientists spend a great deal of time and research investigating the properties of these herbs. With every test they conduct, their belief in the powers of Ayurveda only strengthens.
Garlic, onion, and ginger are today used all over the world for several medicinal reasons. It is confirmed that garlic can prove extremely beneficial in reducing cholesterol and increasing longevity. However, it was Ayurveda that was the first to bring the curative properties of these herbs into the limelight. Several other such herbs were given their importance by Ayurveda first. Some are fenugreek, licorice, betel nut, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, dandelion, lemon grass, rauwolfia, zizzyphus, etc.
The initial reluctance to use a quaint Indian medicine method is now slowly dwindling. Several Americans and Europeans use Ayurveda instead of other invasive therapeutic methods. Ayurvedic medicines are being very widely used in the West for memory enhancement tonics, treatment of male and female sterility, breast enhancement, penis enlargement, and weight loss—people who are using them vouch for their benefits.