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an Ayurveda Practitioner
Ayurveda
What Is It?
How Does It Work?
What Happens During Treatment?
What Is It Used For?
Side Effects/Cautions
Recommended Books
What Is It?
Ayurveda, practised in India for the past 5,000 years, is a system
of holistic medicine that focuses on the union of body, mind, and
spirit. The term Ayurveda is literally translated as the “Science
of Life.” This system focuses on the individual and how a
particular illness uniquely manifests in that individual. It uses
a wide variety of treatments and lifestyle measures, including
diet, medicinal herbs, meditation and yoga.
At the root of this medicine is the concept of prakruti,
an individual’s unique constitution determined
at the moment of conception. An individual’s
prakruti is the specific combination of the three life
forces or elements (doshas), which control all physical
and mental processes; vata, pitta and kapha.
Vata is responsible for all movement;
the physical movement of body parts, mental movement
of the mind in the form of thoughts, feelings and emotions,
and the process of respiration.
Pitta is responsible for digestion,
absorption and assimilation of nutrients. It also digests
thoughts and feelings and transforms them into understanding,
comprehension and perception.
Kapha functions to provide the body
with structure, stability, support and strength. It
aids in the retention of memory, lubrication of joints,
and repair of body parts.
All three doshas are present in varying degrees in
everyone, but one or two usually predominate. When
doshas are in balance, good health is maintained. If
imbalance occurs, health problems can arise.
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How Does It Work?
The aim of Ayurvedic treatment is to balance the individual’s
constitution or prakruti, so the doshas are in harmony. Five factors
that cause aggravation are: diet, lifestyle, emotions, exercise
(including too much, too little, or the wrong kind), and external
influences of the seasons, weather, or trauma. However, diet is
the principal cause of disease, and therefore, one of the primary
methods of treatment.
Ayurvedic treatment entails a comprehensive personalised
approach to balancing the doshas through diet and lifestyle
that is tailored to each individual. Instead of emphasising
treatment of acute conditions, Ayurveda focuses on
chronic illnesses. By teaching the individual how to
manage diet and lifestyle, it takes a preventative
approach instead of waiting to deal with illness after
it has already manifested. This may involve exercise,
yoga, pranayama, meditation, dietary changes, fasting,
oleation through massage, sweat baths, nasal medications,
purgative therapies, medicated enemas and herbal tonics.
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What Happens During
Treatment?
Ayurvedic practitioners generally begin by asking about your medical
history, lifestyle, and diet to determine your constitutional type.
All treatments are based on this constitution. The practitioner
may also examine your tongue, skin, eyes, and three pulses on the
wrist which convey information about the three doshas.
A range of treatments may be prescribed, including
changes in diet or lifestyle, herbal remedies, massage,
meditation, breathing exercises, yoga postures and
cleansing and detoxifying practices such as enemas,
herbal saunas and nasal douching.
The frequency and duration of visits to an Ayurvedic
practitioner varies widely. Many Ayurvedic practices,
such as dietary choice, meditation and yoga can be
self-administered at home.
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What Is It Used
For?
Ayurvedic therapy may benefit anybody as a preventative measure
which enhances general wellbeing. Ayurvedic practices such as yoga
and meditation can relieve stress, anxiety and depression, and
lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. Yoga also helps to improve
strength and muscle tone and may help with arthritis. Ayurvedic
herbal remedies may be useful for ailments such as asthma, eczema,
digestive disorders, arthritis and allergies.
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Side Effects/Cautions
Take care when using Ayurvedic herbal medicines - some are very
potent and can have unpleasant effects if overused.
Be wary of the cleansing and detoxifying treatments
sometimes recommended by practitioners. Overuse of
laxatives and enemas can lead to serious chemical imbalances
in the body.
If you have a condition which requires a special diet,
such as diabetes, consult your doctor before adopting
an Ayurvedic diet.
References
Find
an Ayurveda Practitioner
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Recommended
Books
Prices are in US Dollars
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Textbook of Ayurveda
Vasant Lad
Bringing forth the mysteries of Ayurveda from
the classical Sanskrit texts, Dr. Lad presents
this ages-old science in a framework that is
clearly accessible to the modern student while
remaining true to its ancient roots. In these
pages, you will open the doors to this timeless,
profound wisdom of the human body, mind, and
consciousness. Dr. Lad describes the historical
philosophies of Ayurveda and their application
to human existence. He explains the basic structures
and functions of the body, mind, and spirit,
how they are formed and integrated, and their
ultimate role in nourishing consciousness.
Filled with illustrations, tables, charts,
and practical examples, this book will lead
the reader to a full understanding of the fundamental
principles of Ayurveda.
Learn
more...
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The Ageless Woman: Natural Health
and Beauty After Forty with Maharishi Ayurveda
Nancy, M.D. Lonsdorf
Inspiring, informative, and empowering, The
Ageless Woman* weaves timeless wisdom and the
latest medical discoveries into a unique, highly-effective
anti-aging guide for women. Natural medicine
expert, Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, presents a highly-individualized,
practical handbook, rich in health tips, weight-control
strategies, and treasured beauty secrets from
Maharishi Ayurveda, the complete system of
natural medicine from the Vedic tradition of
ancient India. With the insightful guidance
of The Ageless Woman, every woman can grow
in health, beauty, and fulfillment after forty.
Learn
more...
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Essential Ayurveda: What It Is and
What It Can Do for You
Shubhra Krishan
Outlining the basic elements of the ancient
system of Ayurveda, Shubhra Krishan teaches
readers how to recognize their energy and body
type, and to use Ayurvedic principles to create
a balanced diet and lifestyle for their optimum
health. She offers tips and suggestions for
finding the best products or for creating your
own with her recipes for food, beauty care,
and other healthcare items. Illustrations are
included.
Learn
more...
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Ayurveda Books
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