Ayurveda: Indian Alternative Therapy
Ayurveda is an ancient alternative medicine that originated in India, and has deep roots in Hinduism. Ayurveda teaches that each of us is unique, and a unique blend of primary elements and energies. Because each of us is unique, there is no one treatment that applies to everybody. Each person is in charge of his or her own health and healing, and each person must find his or her own path to wellness. The first step to health in Ayurveda is to know yourself.
Ayurveda says everything and everybody is made of five elements: ether (space), air, fire, water and earth. There are three main energies: light, love and life. The first cause of illness is spiritual emptiness. When that happens, internal and external conditions become unbalanced and we become ill.
The goal of Ayurveda is to restore physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. The practitioner of Ayurveda uses direct observations, asking questions, the use of her senses and her knowledge of ancient texts to help her client discover where imbalances lie.
Ayurveda encourages the spiritual practices of meditation, living an ethical life, and working at things that you love. Specific Ayurveda treatments stimulate the five senses in a way that brings about harmony and balance.
Nutritional therapy and herbal treatments are used to stimulate taste. Ayurveda herbals may contain minerals and animal products, and they are purified. Impure herbs are not used.
Massage, yoga and exercise may be prescribed to stimulate touch.
Aromatherapy and color therapy stimulate smell and vision, and music and chanting stimulate hearing.
Aryuveda is more mystical and more grounded in the spiritual than other forms of alternative medicine. It empowers the individual to take charge of her own health and wellness, and to restore harmony and balance in all areas of healthy functioning.