Divas, we are always curious about different cultures and practices. And one area we have certainly become more intrigued about is Ayurveda. Read on to discover more about it is and how it can benefit you.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is one of the oldest forms of health and well-being systems in the world. It has its roots in the Hindu culture of India, and the basic principles and tenets were written down in three books called the Caraka Samhita, Sushrata Samhita and Astranga Hridaya, over 2000 years ago. The approach and herbal remedies have continually evolved through the ages. Up to 80 percent of people in the Indian sub-continent have used some form of Ayurvedic treatment, and it is gaining popularity in the UK as complementary and alternative medicine.
Ayurvedic medicine
Ayurvedic medicine takes a holistic approach to each individual and concentrates on the health and well-being of patients by balancing the mind, body, spirit, and environment. The system regards people as being a mixture of three life forces or doshas, with every person having a unique combination of three doshas of which one is the dominant life force. As each dosha controls different bodily functions, there are different remedies that can to be applied to restore balance and well-being. Ayurveda involves identifying which of the doshas needs to be re-balanced and how to achieve this through the use of Ayurvedic treatments such as yoga poses for flexibility and other health benefits, as well as massage, guided meditation, herbal medicine and individual changes to diets.
Health benefits of Ayurveda
There are many health benefits associated with Ayurvedic treatments. In the frantic modern world, one of the benefits of this treatment is in reducing stress and its symptoms. Using a combination of yoga, herbal treatment, meditation and breathing exercises, Ayurvedic practitioners have been shown to effectively reduce stress in their clients and patients.
There are so many other benefits associated with Ayurveda as well. This includes the fact that you are encouraged to love yourself. It is all about understanding what makes you truly unique, rather than comparing yourself to other people. It also provides you with a nurturing approach in terms of getting healthy. It’s all about your natural state and finding balance. For example, if you feel lethargic, this means you are out of balance, and so it is all about figuring out what can bring this balance back.
You will also get a better understanding of the place you have in life with Ayurveda. There are five elements of nature, which are the earth, fire, water, air, and space. These elements and the behavior of them, and the interaction they have in your life, all play a prominent role when it comes to Ayurveda. For example, fire manifests in your mind and body as anger, digestion, and inflammation. On the other hand, air shows up in your mind and body as forgetfulness and high energy.
Weight loss and Ayurveda
While weight loss is not the main focus of the Ayurvedic approach, Ayurveda highlights the importance of eating a natural and healthy diet. This approach has been shown to promote shedding excess weight by giving dietary advice and supplements based on an individual’s dominant dosha type.
Ayurveda will teach you how to balance hormones naturally, resulting in, for example, a healthy menstrual cycle or pregnancy, using natural formations, essential oils, and various therapeutic techniques. The Ayurvedic method shows how inflammation can be caused by poor diet, poor digestion or inadequate sleep. Using combinations of exercise, herbal treatments, and antioxidants can gently boost your metabolism, reducing inflammation and regulating bodily systems such as the heart and circulation or digestion.
Ayurvedic sessions teach you ways of reducing the symptoms of illness and disease with treatments such as illness specific diets, sun exposure, breathing exercises, and supplements such as metals with healing properties. Ayurvedic medicine holds that an individual’s health can be improved by internal cleansing. Called ‘panchakarma’, the process rids the body of food and toxins that interfere with optimal body function by using techniques like essential oils and massage therapy.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what Ayurveda is. When you take everything that has been mentioned into consideration, it is not hard to see why this has become such a popular choice for people who want to explore alternative health solutions to better themselves.
