Dr Rama Prasad, BAMS, CACH |
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What is Ayurveda?
The original source of many of today’s natural therapies, Ayurveda is hailed as the ‘mother of all healing sciences’. Born from Ancient Indian wisdom, Ayurveda focuses on inspiring individuals to heal rapidly and easily with the aid of natural resources such as herbs, compounds, diet and nutrition, body therapies, counseling and lifestyle adjustments.
Ayurveda and modern science
Scientific research and development over thousands of years proves Ayurveda’s effectiveness. Modern science is rediscovering its power especially in the fields of lifestyle elements, nutrition, herbs, nutrition and therapies. Ayurveda is easy to adapt and apply to the anyone with any lifestyle -modern or ancient.
Ayurveda works with other modalities
Although a complete system in itself, Ayurveda is also a powerful adjunct to other modalities. Its eternal principles and tools enhance a therapist's diagnostic and prescription accuracy. Clinicians claims they are using less product but achieving better results after applying ayurveda.
Ayurvedic Treatises
Currently available ancient Ayurvedic works include Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hridaya. They were thought to be compiled between 1500 and 900 BC. Also these works explain in detail the precise diagnosis and treatment holistically.
Ayurvedic Herbs and Compounds
These books listed over 7000 herbs, 150 therapeutic techniques, 120 surgical instruments and 300 surgical procedures. In India, around 21,000 herbs are used today. Over 400,000 compounds are also used. A quarter of them are called 'authentic and traditional' and the others are usually modern or patented.
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Ayurveda and technology
Ayurveda in fact introduced plastic surgery roughly 1200 years back.
Sushruta Maharshi, father of surgery, is still remembered for his contributions
to surgery by an American surgeon's association. Apart from that he
implemented artificial feeding, injections, artificial limbs etc in his
practice.
Ayurvedic Pharmacology
The
complexity of ayurvedic herbology is understood when we read that a
herb can be prepared in over 40 different forms such as juice, powder,
paste, tablet, pill, herbal wines, tinctures of various strengths, fats,
millks etc. Toxic metals were also successfully oxidised and used
safely.
Forms of Ayurveda
Local
cultures gradually developed their own ayurvedic systems based on their
land, time, flora, fauna etc in India. Unani (Islamic) and Sidhha
(Tamil) are some examples.
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Ayurveda Elements