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Ayurveda is India's traditional, natural system of medicine
that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda
is a Sanskrit word that literally translated means "science
of life" or "practices of longevity." Ayurveda was the
system of health care conceived and developed by the
seers (rishis) and natural scientists through centuries
of observations, experiments, discussions, and meditations.
For several thousand years their teachings were passed
on orally from teacher to student; about the fifth to
sixth century BC, elaborately detailed texts were written
in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. For many
years Ayurveda flourished and was used by rich and poor
alike in India and Southeast Asia. Manuscript page from
Atharva-Veda,
earliest Indian text (approx. 1500 BC) with much medical
information, one of several Vedas (meaning "knowledge"),
upon which Ayurvedic medical practice is based on. Ayurvedic
manuals were written by Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata that give detailed descriptions of the various practices.
Charaka listed 500 hundred remedies and Sushruta over
700 vegetable medicines.
Ayurveda emphasizes prevention of disease, rejuvenation
of our body systems, and extension of life span. The
profound premise and promise of Ayurveda is that through
certain practices, not only can we prevent heart disease
and make our headaches go away, but we can also better
understand ourselves and the world around us, live a
long healthy life in balance and harmony, achieve our
fullest potential, and express our true inner nature
on a daily basis. Ayurveda provides an integrated approach
to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle
interventions and natural therapies.
It is based on the view that the elements, forces, and
principles that comprise all of nature - and that holds
it together and make it function - are also seen in
human beings. In Ayurveda, the mind (or consciousness)
and the body (or physical mass) not only influence each
other - they are each other. Together they form the
mind-body. The universal consciousness is an intelligent,
aware ocean of energy that gives rise to the physical
world we perceive through our five senses.

Ayurvedic philosophy and practices link us to every
aspect of ourselves and remind us that we are in union
with every aspect of nature, each other, and the entire
universe. There can be no mental health without physical
health, and vice versa. In Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases
that could be categorized as mental thoughts or feelings
are just as important as symptoms and diseases of the
physical body. Both are due to imbalances within a person,
and both are treated by restoring the natural balance
mentally and physically.
In Ayurveda your whole life and lifestyle must be in
harmony before you can enjoy true well being. Lifestyle
interventions are a major Ayurvedic preventive and therapeutic
approach. In India, Ayurvedic practitioners receive
state-recognized, institutionalized training in parallel
to their physician counterparts. The research base is
growing concerning the physiological effects of meditative
techniques and yoga postures in Indian medical literature
and Western psychological literature. Published studies
have documented reductions in cardiovascular disease
risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol,
and reaction to stress, in individuals who practice
Ayurvedic methods. Laboratory and clinical studies on
Ayurvedic herbal preparations and other therapies have
shown them to have a range of potentially beneficial
effects for preventing and treating certain cancers,
treating infectious disease, treating diabetes, promoting
health, and treating aging. Mechanisms underlying these
effects may include free-radical scavenging effects,
immune system modulation, brain neurotransmitter modulation,
and hormonal effects.
ABHIYANGA:
The Abhiyanga is a therapist
Massage Techniques of Ayurveda. The Abhiyanga therapy works like a deep holistic prayer for the cleansing
of the inner or outer body atmosphere. Abhiyanga is
a massage therapy using herbal oil. The oil is specially
selected for the particular body constitution. The process
is long and thorough. More force is used to loosen the
excess doshas and direct them toward the organs of elimination
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