Ayurvedic Medicine is a treatment methodology that has been around for thousands of years. It is based on the idea of treating the entire person. The goal of Ayurvedic Medicine is to balance the key pieces of the body to create balanced health.
In the United States, Ayurvedic principles and practices are considered Complementary and Alternative Medicine and are showing to have powerful impacts on the treatment of modern disease.
Read on to learn more about the Ayurvedic principles and how you can put them into practice in your life.
What Are Ayurvedic Principles and How to Practice Them
There are 5 main principles in Ayurvedic Medicine. They are briefly described below. In essence, they seek to balance the mind, body, and spirit within the body, with the energy of the universe to obtain optimal health.
1. The TriGunas
The Gunas are universal energies. Satva is the energy of balance, Rajas is the energy of fire or motivation, and Tamas is the energy of rest or slothfulness.
In our modern society, we should strive to find a balance between the ambition or fire in our life with our need for rest and quiet introspection. When balance is achieved you reach Satva.
2. The PancaMahabhutas
Those who practice Ayurveda believe every person is made of the five basic universal elements: Akasha (Space), Vayu (Air), Teja or Agni(Fire), Jala(Water) and Prithvi (Earth).
The universal elements combine in each individual, uniquely, to create one of 3 different life forces. These forces are called doshas. They control how your body works. They are Vata dosha (space and air); Pitta dosha (fire and water); and Kapha dosha (water and earth).
The goal is to balance these doshas to create a healthy life. Balancing comes through the practice of exercising, eating the right foods, and having the right mindset.
3. The SaptaDhatus –
In Ayurvedic Medicine there are also 7 types of body tissues: Rasa (fluid) Dhatu, Rakta(blood) Dhatu, Mamsa Dhatu, Meda(fat) Dhatu, Asthi Dhatu, Majja Dhatu, and Sukra Dhatu.
Again when one of these tissues is out of balance, illness ensues. The goal is to find the balance of the tissues to ensure good health. Ritualistic practices can help to balance these body tissues.
4. The TrayodosaAgni –
Three types of digestive fires: Jatharagni, SaptaDhatvagni, and PancaBhutagni. Ensuring that you are eating the foods that match your body’s dosha to balance it to reach Satva.
5. The TriMalas
Three are types of body wastes: Purisa (faeces), Mutra (urine), and Sveda (sweat). When our body energies are in balanced our body is able to eliminate the waste effectively.
If you feel like this holistic approach would be helpful for you, then you should visit an Ayurveda Clinic and meet with an Ayurvedic practitioner. In Ayurvedic medicine, there is no one treatment that is appropriate for everyone but a series of treatments will be created to address your specific deficiencies and needs.