In the past few years, there has been a greater interest in alternative medicine, holistic healing, and in particular, Ayurveda.
We hope to provide an easy-to-understand explanation of Ayurveda in this and subsequent blogs. We will avoid jargon, relate various concepts and principles, and provide a foundation for further reading.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word and it translates to “Knowledge of Life”. It is a body of knowledge that is concerned with living a healthy and fuller life.
There are many types of healing systems such as Western medicine, homeopathy, etc. Ayurvedic medicine is an old Indian holistic healing system. Ayurveda treats the root cause of the disease, unlike several other systems that treat its symptoms. Ayurveda emphasizes total wellness, preventing disease at its source through the right diet, a healthy lifestyle, and controlling your thoughts and emotions.
Origin of Ayurveda
The origin of Ayurveda lies in the Vedas, the sacred Hindu scriptures written in Sanskrit, which originated in ancient India. The Vedas means “wisdom” or “knowledge”.
This wisdom or knowledge of how an individual should live his or her life was obtained by the ancient Hindu sages and seers through years of self-discipline, austerity, moderation, meditation, and penance while trying to obtain self-realization. This knowledge was then orally passed down by the masters through several generations of disciples till it was finally captured in the scripts.
Ayurveda, the “Knowledge of Life”, is a natural component of the Vedas. The Vedas teach us how to live a righteous life, which also encompasses the knowledge of how to live a healthy life.
This is a very elementary discussion to get readers initiated on the concept of Ayurveda. In subsequent blogs on Ayurveda, we explore the topic further, with a focus on diet as a means to a healthy life. This knowledge will allow readers to ask relevant questions about their food choices and take greater control of their health.