What is Ayurvedic medicine?

Ayurveda means “science of life.” Ayurveda or Ayurvedic medicine began in India. It has been in use for over 4,000 years. It is a whole medical system, which has evolved separately from modern medicine. It considers the body in its entirety.

Ayurvedic medicine was developed over many years by monks and rishis. (Rishis are poets inspired by a higher power or sages found in India).  They observed how life changes due to the effects of herbs and their own diet.  These observations were written into a text known as the AyurVeda.  Over the last 40 years, many original texts have been translated into English. This has led to the growing popularity of Ayurvedic medicine in Western countries.

Ayurvedic medicine focuses on each patient as an individual. It considers all levels of the individual: physical, social, psychological, spiritual, intellectual, behavioral, familial, and environmental. It offers natural ways to treat disease and promote health. Ayurvedic medicine uses herbs, diet, massage, and lifestyle changes to achieve a balance between body, mind and spirit. Thus, it focuses on prevention and empowers people to take responsibility of their own health and well-being.

How does Ayurvedic medicine compare to modern (allopathic) medicine?

Modern medicine describes the body in systems.  Clinicians talk about the cardiovascular system, the neurological, system, etc.). In contrast, Ayurveda considers how the mind, body and spirit are connected.  It is, therefore, a holistic approach.

How is Ayurvedic medicine used today?

In India, 80% of the population uses it alone or along with modern medicine.  In the United States, a survey done in 2007 showed that over 200,000 people had used Ayurvedic medicine in the last year.  Research continues both in India and the United States on Ayurvedic treatments.

What are the main ideas behind Ayurvedic medicine?

In order to understand Ayurvedic medicine, it is important to learn about its three main ideas. These ideas have to do with universal interconnectedness (i.e., how all things in the universe are connected), the body's constitution (prakriti), and life forces (doshas).

• Interconnectedness. Ayurvedic practitioners think about relationships among people, their health, and the universe. Disease is thought to occur when a person is out of harmony (either physical, emotional or spiritual) with her/his environment.