What is Health?
Ayurveda defines health as follows :
“One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas (primary life force), balanced agni (good digestion), properly formed dhatus (bodily tissues), proper elimination of the malas (waste products), well-functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul and senses are full of bliss is called a healthy person.” – Susruta Samhita, Sutrasthana, chapter 15, sloka 10
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health as adopted from Ayurveda :
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
What is Ayurveda?
Emerged in India over 5000 years ago, Ayurveda is considered the mother of all healing, even influencing Tibetan and Chinese medicinal systems.
Ayurveda means the ”Science of Life” or the ”Art of Longevity and Vitality”. It encompasses your entire world : the body, mind and spirit because of its synergistic relationship with nature, the seasons, and the cosmic elements that exist in all living beings. This ancient science focuses on prevention of illness and the body’s natural power to heal itself.
Today, the diagnostic advances of modern medicine come in alignment with the oldest holistic health care system known to Mankind. Western medicine aims to treat the disease itself. Ayurveda aims to treat the ”individual” who has the symptoms or disease.
Lifestyle : Simple sustainable changes have big effects on overall health.
Herbs : When Diet and Lifestyle are integrated, Mother Nature’s abundant pharmacy offers us specific herbs, each with its own synergy and intelligence that can help support imbalances.
- Structuring : i.e. body tissues
- Binding and moistening : i.e. bodily fluids
- Transformation, digestion, and metabolism : i.e. enzymes and hormones
- Movement / circulation, transportation and communication : i.e. nervous and circulatory systems
These five elements manifest themselves in the human physiology as the Three Biological Humors or Doshas.
- In balance : creativity and vitality
- Out of balance : fear and anxiety
Pitta (Fire + Water) : Energy that controls the body’s metabolic systems, including digestion, absorption, nutrition, your body’s temperature, and transformation. It represents enzymes and hormones.
- In balance : contentment and intelligence
- Out of balance : frustration and anger
Kapha (Water + Earth) : Energy that controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all body parts, moisturizes the skin, and maintains the immune system. Comprises all structures and represents body tissues such as bones, muscle tissue, nervous tissue, fat tissue, etc.
- In balance : love and forgiveness
- Out of balance : insecurity and envy
Every person has all three Doshas, but usually one or two dominate. Various Dosha proportions determine one’s physiological and personality traits, as well as general likes and dislikes. For example Vata types will prefer hot weather to cold and Kapha types are more likely to crave spicy foods than other types of tastes.
Please inform your physician about your Ayurvedic recommendations before you incorporate changes to your diet and lifestyle.
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