The earliest literature on Indian medicalpractice appeared during the Vedic period in India, i.e., in the mid-second millennium BCE. The Suśruta Saṃhita and the Charaka Saṃhita are encyclopedias of medicine compiled from various sources from the mid-first millennium BCE to about 500 CE. They are among the foundationalworks of Ayurveda. Over the following centuries, ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of
various ailments.
Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health.
There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite unique:
- Its recommendations will often be different for each person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow in order to be completely healthy. This is due to it's use of a constitutional model.
- Everything in Ayurveda is validated by observation, inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the ancient texts.
- It understands that there are energetic forces that influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the Tridoshas.
- Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between body and mind.
According to Ayurveda, living in harmony with nature and according to natural principles ensures complete physical health and peace of mind. However, modern life often violates the principles of natural living. We work long hours in offices with artificial light and air conditioning systems. We don’t have time to prepare breakfast, eat a fast food lunch at our desk and a prepared dinner in front of the television. We rush from one mundane task to the next while being bombarded with advertising and constant noise, and absorbing pollution through the air and water. No wonder we are inviting disease rather than confronting it. Living naturally according to some simple principles can prevent the need for expensive medical treatment or needless suffering from debilitating conditions. Learn to listen to your body and read the signals of distress to maintain health, and lead a more productive life.
Ayurveda thus offers a unique blend of science and philosophy that balances the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components necessary for holistic health.
