Usa Ayurveda

The word ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit terms ayur (life) and veda (knowledge) simply put as science of life. The main ingredients of Ayurveda medicines are plants (flowers, leaves, barks, roots) and minerals.

Treatment in Ayurveda is based on concepts of “dosha”.  Dosha expresses certain mind and body types or personal mind and body traits.

In every human there are three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The properties in dosha are derived from the five elements of nature, which are: Space (Ether), Air (vayu), Fire (tejas), Water (jala), and Earth (prithivi).

An imbalance or inequality or excess or deficiency of doshas leads to disease state. So balance of doshas is emphasized in maintaining health and freedom from disease.

Ayurveda names seven basic tissues (dhatu), which are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (māmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra).

There are also twenty gunas (qualities or characteristics) which are considered to be inherent in all matter. These are organized in ten pairs: heavy/light, cold/hot, wet/dry, dull/sharp, stable/mobile, soft/hard, non-slimy/slimy, smooth/coarse, minute/big, and viscous/fluid.

In any case perfect balance in mind, body, and spirit can be achieved by being in no conflict with oneself and being in harmony with external environment or nature. The external environment such as home, work, community, worship, atmosphere, relationships with spouse, mother, father, brothers, sisters, other relatives, friends, colleagues, work environment, eating, breathings, exercise etc all constitutes to a perfect health or freedom from disease. Ayurveda herbs are no substitution to above, but they help restore your body from a state of imbalance to balance or protect from a disturbance in external environment.

The earliest classical Sanskrit works on Ayurveda describe medicine as being divided into eight components (specialties). The components are

• Kāyachikitsā: general medicine or medicine of the body
• Kaumāra-bhṛtya: the treatment of children or pediatrics
• Śalyatantra: general surgery and the extraction of foreign objects
• Śhālākyatantra: treatment of ailments affecting ears, eyes, nose, mouth or Ophthalmology and ENT
• Bhūtavidyā: pacification of possessing spirits, and the people whose minds are affected by such possession or psychiatry
• Agadatantra: toxicology
• Rasāyantantra: rejuvenation and tonics for increasing lifespan, beauty, intellect, strength or wellness
• Vājīkaraṇatantra: aphrodisiacs and treatments for increasing the volume and viability of semen and sexual pleasure or reproductive medicine

Moderation is the key principle of ayurveda, while pleasure seeking is permitted but overindulgence is not.

Benefits of Ayurveda

It offers a natural path to improved wellness and vitality.

It helps to target the cause of a problem rather than a symptom

It supports body’s innate immune system

It helps in establishing a better lifestyle, therefore preventive.

It is focused on freedom from disease rather than cure of the disease

It supports exercise; yoga is part of Ayurveda exercises

It uses of your own mind in curing your own body; meditation for stress relief

It supports positive energy and vitality though use of herbs

It builds the beauty from inside out; focus on body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda has tips for luscious hair, smooth radiant skin, white teeth and more.

The three doṣhas and the five elements and their interaction are shown in this diagram.