Ayurveda
Ayurveda is most certainly the most ancient of all medical systems. It has
its origins in India, and is still the most important form of medicine in the
Indian subcontinent; its philosophies are also gaining ground in the West. Despite
its antiquity, there are relatively few practitioners, particularly in the UK,
due in part to the very length training and the huge complexity of its philosophy
and teaching. Classical Ayurvedic training is conducted in Sanskrit. Most Ayurvedic
practitioners tend to be orthodox doctors as well.
The word 'Ayurveda' comes from Sanskrit and means 'the science of life', the
whole aim of Ayurveda is prevention. The ancient texts say that the human lifespan
should be around 100 years, and that all those years should be lived in total
health, both physical and mental, therefore the Ayurvedic practitioner is looking
to balance the body and mind, find health problems before they occur or arrest
them before they do any real harm. It is a complete philosophical and spiritual
system, which has over thousands of years become subtle, sophisticated and highly
complex. However, the basic tenets are reasonably easy to understand and have
changed little over the centuries.
The five elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth are the foundations on
which the Ayurvedic interpretation of all matter and life is based, they are not
to be interpreted literally however, each represents qualities and different types
of force and energy, as well as some form of physical manifestation. The elements
do not act in isolation - three different combinations of the elements, called
tridosha, are what form the basis for diagnosis, treatment, cure and health maintenance
in Ayurvedic medicine. Each individual's constitution is determined by the state
of their parents' doshas at the time of conception, and upon birth a person has
the levels of the three doshas that is right for them. Life and all its forces
can cause the doshas to become unbalanced which can lead to ill health.
Each of the three doshas has a role to play in the body:
VATHA is the driving force, it relates mainly to the nervous system and the
body's energy center.
PITTA is fire, it relates to the metabolism, digestion, enzymes, acid and bile.
KAPHA is related to Water in the mucous membranes, phlegm, moisture, fat and
lymphatics.
What to expect
There is no typical Ayurvedic session - even the methods of diagnosis may vary
from practitioner to practitioner. The basic diagnosis is known as the three-point
diagnosis and involves detailed observation of your appearance, examination by
touch, and a detailed questionnaire about your life and health. After diagnosis
comes treatment, and the range of treatments is vast, however, you will be given
guidelines for healthy living and instructed in the diet, which will soothe and
correct imbalances in your body type. You may be prescribed a course of purification
to eliminate toxins from the body and to energize the body's elimination mechanisms.
Herbal preparations may be prescribed. A host of other healing techniques including
massage, exercise, breathing and meditation may be used.
Click here for a list of practitioners, schools and
associations.
Useful Organisations:
Send an email to info@chisuk.org.uk
if you would like to have your school or association listed on this page.
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