When we pursue happiness, it eludes you. However, when you recognise that happiness is the natural state of the soul, all you need is to eliminate all that comes between your happiness and you.
Ayurveda's
focus on an individual's holistic
health rather than merely the physical body, is the most beneficial
aspect of ayurvedic medicine. It works on the principle that a
perfect health condition is achievable through the psychosomatic
integration in a person. Ayurveda provides us with a unique physical
purification method called panchakarmaand various ayurvedic herbal health remedies for mental and
spiritual well-being.
The ultimate goal of ayurveda is to create a state of holistic health
for the individual, to create, consequently, a healthy society and
environment with its herbal health remedies. To attain this state
ayurveda believes one's life must move in harmony with nature's
rhythms and its laws. Because, ayurvedic medicine recognizes the
human body is part of nature, rather a microcosm of the universe.
The five great elements of the universe forms the three doshas
of the human body, and a balance among the three doshas is
necessary for the perfect working of the whole mechanism of body,
mind and soul.
These holistic health benefits of ayurveda encompasses the physical,
mental as well as the spiritual aspects of a person.
According to ayurveda each individual is a combination of the three
doshas of vata, pitta and kapha or one
of these doshas. The basic constitution represents the individual's
psychological and physical nature, distinctly. The tridoshas
governs all metabolic activities in an individual. Within each person
the doshas are adjusting to countless changes in the doshas
of nature, in addition to the changes within one self.
Noninvasive
diagnostic ayurvedic treatments are beneficial for chronic patients
suffering from diseases such as diabetes, heart
ailments and cancer.
Ayurvedic medicine resorts to outward diagnosis of symptoms
by studying a patients' habits—diet and daily life, pulse,
tongue, nail, face, lip, eye, nature of perspiration etc. Difficult
diseases like asthma and tumor growths (gulmas) are managed
effectively by these diagnostic methods.
Detoxification
methods of ayurveda like panchakarma and other herbal
health remedies, when applied wholly or singly, make the body
more responsive to medicines and treatment. It hastens the healing
process.
Various
yogasanas
prescribed by ayurveda help prevent the diseases from occuring
and accumulating. Yogasanas achieve the twin purpose
of strengthening body-parts such as bones, muscle and vital
organs like heart, liver, stomach, intestine as well as keeping
our blood circulation and psychological conditions strong and
resilient.
Most
importantly, a discerning diet
according to one's dosha type, and well-regulated life
(dinacharya) helps strengthen one's natural immune system.
Perhaps ayurveda is the first such medical systems who recognizes
that all diseases are but the direct manifestation of one's
mental conditions. It says human mind consists three states
or trigunas—sattva,
rajas and tamas. Any disturbances in the equilibrium
of the tri-gunas, manifest in physical illness according
to the intensity or nature of the disturbances. In fact, the
condition of body and mind are integral to the overall health
of an individual.
When
the mind is stressed the stress hormone cortisone is released
by adrenal glands. The level of hormone released affects the
total volume of the brain's hippocampus, which regulates our
memory. Stress also affects all our decision-making activities
in every field of life. Ayurveda stresses on four principles—regulation
in ahara (food habit), vihara (activities), nidra
(sleeping habit), and maithuna (sexual habit), to maintain
the balance and equanimity of the mind. Especially its guidelines
for an intelligently regulated diet and daily routine are, now,
accepted techniques for stress management.
Ayurvedic
massages,
inhalation of herbal (Aromatherapy)
preparations, panchakarma (nasya) besides the
much-tested yogasanas
and meditation leave a calming effect on the nerves.
According
to ayurveda, tamasic (inertia, short of judgment) and rajasic
(excessive activities, short of judgment) tendencies of mind prompt
an individual to indulge in criminal or violent activities, telling
lies and other such misconduct. This gives rise to negative thoughts
like fear, anxieties, insecure feeling, greed, jealousy and anger.
Various advanced ayurvedic treatments were born out of a
necessity to keep the mind and body in perfect shapes to pursue
the path of self-realization. Each individual is believed to
possess undefined measures of creative capability, which, ideally,
need to be realized. To achieve this, ayurveda emphasizes that
the individual has to experience its oneness with the universe.
The balance of tri-doshas and tri-gunas is imperative
in this regard, for the individual needs to remain in balance
within itself and in harmony outside with the nature.
The
treatment methods, diet and lifestyle regimen in ayurveda are
meticulously planned to heal the body as well as enrich the mind
and the soul of each different individual. So that each can improve
from their own levels to the higher goal of realizing the full
self-potential. It was with ayurveda that the unique longevity
and rejuvenating method ofrasayana
was born for mankind to progress in the path of spirituality.
