Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical system that emphasizes the body's natural healing abilities. It is a holistic approach to health, meaning it focuses on the health and wellness of the whole body and on bringing balance between mind, spirit, emotion, and physical well-being. The word "ayurveda" means “knowledge of life” in Sanskrit. Ayurveda is based on two important concepts: āyus or life span; and dṛṣti or constitution or basic type of personality.
The word "ayurveda" is today used more broadly to refer to alternative medicine systems from India, including specialties such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. It is based on the belief that the body's natural ability to heal itself can be enhanced with natural therapies, such as herbs and spices and by promoting balance between body, mind, and spirit.
One of the many advantages of Ayurvedic medicine is that it involves a lifestyle approach to health. It emphasizes prevention over treatment, encouraging people to take an active role in maintaining their health. The use of herbs, spices, yoga and meditation are all part of this holistic approach. In Ayurveda, illness or disease can occur if the physical body has lost its balance with nature or God i.e., our soul.
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of natural healing, is growing in popularity in the West. A key factor driving its increased usage is a change in an individual's attitude toward holistic health and wellness—and Western medicine’s limitations.
In spite of the popular belief that this practice is limited to Indian populations, ayurveda has been applied by people all over the world for centuries. Recently though, it has been more common to see non-Indian people seeking out ayurvedic treatments for a wide range of conditions and ailments dealing with physical or mental health.
This new surge of interest has resulted in an increased number of followers worldwide who are benefiting from ayurveda's various remedies. The demand for ayurveda is fueled by many factors. One of these is a growing understanding in the West that modern medicine has limitations.
Western medicine has long been viewed as the ultimate weapon in the fight against disease. With advances such as antibiotics, we were assured that it was possible to not only survive an illness but to simply live in good health and continue functioning normally. We assumed we could be cured, and that all our ailments were curable or would at least be treated. This misconception led us to believe that there was no reason to adopt alternative methods like yoga or meditation or think about going deeper into ourselves to discover what was underlying our discomforts and pains.
Ayurveda is already proving its value for centuries, and its favourable effects have enticed a vast number of people to integrate it into their lives. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system, is still relevant today and will be in the future. Increased knowledge of the effectiveness of natural and alternative remedies, increased research and development efforts, and less reliance on the allopathic medicine health care, as well as the advent of self-taught consumers and the occurrence of severe illnesses, may all contribute to Ayurveda's global expansion.
