Ayurveda, a Sanskrit word which means “knowledge of life,” is a system of holistic medicine that was developed in India more than 6,000 years ago, making it the oldest system of medical care still practiced. (Lad, 1996) Currently, Ayurveda is used in countries such as India, Nepal and Sri Lanka as well as the United States. Due to the introduction of Western Medicine, Ayurveda became less popular for a time, but is now back and is being used in conjunction with Western Medicine. As of 1978, Ayurveda is considered to be one of the traditional forms of medicine throughout developing nations, because of the recognition by the World Health Organization. (Pelletier, 2000) Healthy living is what Ayurveda is all about, preservation and promotion of health with a focus on enhancing immunity are the primary goals of Ayurveda. Mental and physical illnesses with a focus on restoring spiritual peace are the secondary goals of Ayurveda. (Pelletier, 2000) This paper is just a brief explanation of what Ayurveda is, there is a lot more to it. Ayurveda is a system of medical care that isn’t like conventional medicine; it incorporates the mind, body and soul in order to heal. According to Ayurveda, every human being is a creation of the cosmos, the pure cosmic consciousness, as two energies: male energy, called Purusha and female energy, Prakruti. Purusha is choiceless passive awareness, while Prakruti is choiceful active consciousness. Prakruti is the divine creative will. Purusha doesn't take part in creation, but Prakruti does the divine dance of creation called leela. In creation, Prakruti is first evolved or manifested as supreme intelligence, called mahat. Mahat is the buddhi principal (individual intellect) which further manifests as self identity, called ahamkara, which is ego. Ahamkara is influenced by three basic universal qualities: satva, rajas and tamas. Satva is responsible for clarity of perception. Rajas causes movement, sensations, feelings and emotions. Tamas is the tendency towards inertia, darkness, heaviness, and is responsible for periods of confusion and deep sleep. (Lad, 1996) Earth, fire, air, water and ether are the five “elements” that are claimed to make up all of creation. “These five basic elements represent principles of action and interaction that guide and shape everything that exists, and they form the basis for understanding health and illness.” (Pelletier, 2000) There are three doshas, or qualities, each representing an element and each is supposed to cover particular places on the body, these doshas are: vata, pitta, and kapha. (Pelletier, 2000) Active, vigorous people signify vata, which stands for the element air. Fire is the element that pita stands for, and the types of person that represent pita are: “people who are aggressive, explosive, and efficient.” (Pelletier, 2000) The final dosha is kapha, which stands for people, “who tend to be slow moving, conservative, stable, and sometimes overweight.” (Pelletier, 2000) A long life and well being, both physical and mental, are met when vata, pitta and kapha are all equal within a person. Diet and exercise are important when trying to keep the three doshas equal. (Pelletier, 2000) In order to figure out what problem(s) the patient has, the Ayurvedic practitioner(s) needs to figure out which is the main dosha in that individual. This is done by: inquiring about, “diet, behavior, lifestyle practices, recent illnesses (including reasons and symptoms), and resilience (ability to recover quickly from illness or setbacks)” (NCCAM, 2008) In addition to inquiring about the items mentioned above, it is also important to examine the physical characteristics and appearance as a whole. Also, “checking the patient's urine, stool, speech and voice, and pulse (each dosha is thought to make a particular kind of pulse).” (NCCAM, 2008) Eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms, increasing resistance to a disease and decreasing worry and increasing harmony are the goals of Ayurvedic treatment. There are specific methods that go hand in hand with each of these goals. For instance, ama, which is “undigested food that sticks tissues, interferes with normal functioning of the body, and leads to disease,” (NCCAM, 2008) is exposed of through panchakarma, which is the process that is meant to dispose to ama by “enemas, massage, medical oils administered in a nasal spray, and other methods that may be used.” (NCCAM, 2008) The reduction of symptoms is potentially met by stretching, breathing exercises, meditation, changing the diet, etc., in addition, certain herbs, with honey may be ingested. Also, certain foods may need to be avoided. In order to create resistance to disease, herbs, proteins, minerals and vitamins are put together to make a tonic, which may help digestion, immunity and appetite. In order to reduce worry and increase harmony, it is advised to keep away from stressful or worrisome situations and to practice techniques that help free negative feelings from a person. (NCCAM, 2008) Ayurvedic medicine does not treat problems such as: “traumatic injuries, acute pain, and advanced disease.” (Pelletier, 2000) There are conditions that are treated with Ayurveda that work very well such as: neurological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, metabolic and endocrine disorders and mental disorders. (Pelletier, 2000) Plants are used a lot in Ayurvedic medicine. There are “currently, more than 600 herbal formulas and 250 single plant drugs are included in the "pharmacy" of Ayurvedic treatments. Historically, Ayurvedic medicine has grouped plant compounds into categories according to their effects (for example, healing, promoting vitality, or relieving pain). The compounds are described in texts issued by national medical agencies in India. Sometimes, botanicals are mixed with metals or other naturally occurring substances to make formulas prepared according to specific Ayurvedic text procedures; such preparations involve several herbs and herbal extracts and precise heat treatment. (NCCAM, 2008) Ayurvedic herbal medicine is very different than Western forms of medicine. Ayurveda does not focus on a disease, but on “restoring balance”. Ayurveda and Western medicine are mainly different because of the ways in which Western and Ayurvedic medicine handle their plants. In Ayurvedic medicine, plants and whole plant products are used while in Western medicine, chemicals from those plants are used. (Pelletier, 2000) Only approximately 300 doctors in the United States have some training in Ayurvedic medicine, while health educators and consultants are practicing but may not hold a degree in this field. The smallest number of practitioners in the United States belongs to those who practice Ayurveda. (Pelletier, 2000) Due to the fact that Ayurveda focuses on the mind, body and soul in order to heal, it is not like Western Medicine. Ayurveda works in its own ways has been practiced for thousands of years. Ayurveda appears to be a healthy mode of medical care and incorporates many things into the care.
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