Ayurvedic Medicine

What is Ayurvedic Medicine?

Ayurvedic Medicine or Ayurveda, originating from India is an ancient system of natural medicine and healing that takes a total approach to health aiming for full body healing and longevity of life. Ayurvedic medicine includes a very wide range of methods including diet, herbs, cleanses, massage, exercise, aromatherapy, music therapy, color therapy, meditation, yoga, astrology, and energy healing.

Ayurveda is based heavily on the belief that there are three main energy personalities which are called doshas. The three doshas are Vata, Kapha, and Pitta.

Those with high Vata energy are generally slim, energetic, and creative people. Weaknesses include anxiousness, unstable moods, and sensitivity to the cold.

People who are strong in Kapha energy tend to be highly empathetic, trusting, and calm. Their common weaknesses include slow metabolisms, feeling sluggish often, and being prone to depression.

Pitta energies are often highly intelligent, self-determined and natural-born leaders. Their weaknesses include impatience, prone to mood swings, and sensitivity to hot temperatures.

One of the goals of Ayurveda is to balance these energies by suppressing elements that are in excess and increasing others.

Think of Ayurveda as the medical version of yoga. The two should go hand in hand really but for some reason, Ayurveda has not become nearly as popular in Western culture as yoga and meditation have.

Why chose Ayurveda?

Ayurveda addresses the root cause of problems rather than just symptoms as in Western medicine. It’s also been around for over 3,000 years and so its methods have truly been developed and refined over a long period of time. Many people like it because it helps you actually understand yourself and your body better n general which is helpful for so much beyond just healing illness and this really encourages people to adopt a healthier lifestyle overall. There are no harmful side effects to Ayurvedic medicines as you would get from Western medicine. Unlike Western medicine, Ayurveda focuses on the prevention on illness and longevity as well as treating existing illnesses. So Ayurveda does not wait until you have a terminal illness to start offering you treatments, Ayurveda aims to prevent that from ever happening in the first place.

Who uses Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is still hugely popular in India and also Nepal with over 80% of the population using it. It has also gained a lot more popularity since covid-19, growing drastically over the last year.

Where to find a practitioner?

You can find lists of practitioners on the resources below or on Google but be sure to look for someone who has received extensive training and a good sign of this is if they are qualified to do “pulse diagnosis”. A good practitioner should be able to provide extensive recommendations on lifestyle as well as herbal medicine and diet.