Ayurvedic medicine is a healing system that developed in ancient India and today brings together thousands of practitioners worldwide.
Considered one of the oldest traditional medicine systems in humanity, Ayurveda stands out for offering an integrative view of the human being, considering physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects in its treatment techniques.
In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about Ayurvedic medicine and how it can help you have a healthier and more balanced life. Keep reading?
Ayurveda: what is it?
Ayurveda is a traditional medicine system that originated in India more than 5000 years ago and is based on a holistic understanding of the human being, taking into account physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects when making diagnoses and treatments.
What made Indian medicine famous worldwide was its unique view of human physiology, which is expressed in five entities called doshas, which we will discuss later.
Another point that leads many people to seek traditional Indian medicine is that it considers three essential pillars for good health: diet, sleep, and harmony with the cycles of Nature.
In this way, we can consider Ayurveda a system of natural medicine that uses medicinal plants, dietary changes, and lifestyle changes to restore health.
Ayurvedic Medicine: historical and mythological origin
Historically, the origin of Ayurveda dates back to the Vedas, the main sacred texts of Hinduism.
According to experts in the field, Ayurvedic Medicine is knowledge derived from the Atharva Veda, considered the first medical text of the Vedic Era.
This text, dating from approximately 2200 BC, contains rituals, prayers, and indications of plants to treat illnesses such as fever, cough, colic, heart disease, and skin diseases, among many others.
In the mythological field, the origin of Ayurveda is as old as the Universe itself, as knowledge is transmitted from the gods to humanity.
Classical texts cite Brahma as the first propagator of the Ayurvedic tradition, as he remembers the knowledge of Ayurveda and transmits it to Prajapati, who passes it on to the Ashvin twins, who transmit it to Indra, who finally delivers the knowledge to humanity.
However, we need to pay attention to the fact that Brahma remembers the knowledge of Ayurveda. Therefore, he is prior to the masculine principle, personified in the figure of Brahma.
In this sense, the true source of Ayurvedic knowledge is Aditi, the Universal Mother, who gave rise to all the gods.
What is the meaning of Ayurveda, after all? Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that originates from two others:
- Ayus: life
- Veda: knowledge
Therefore, Ayurveda means “knowledge of life,” in all its manifestations.
Delving into the etymology of Ayurveda, we find that Ayus comes from the root in gatau, which means that which goes or disappears. In this sense, we can understand that life is limited, that is, one day it ends. Therefore, following the Ayurvedic philosophy is to seek ways to extend our lives as much as possible, in a healthy and, above all, happy way.
Veda, in turn, comes from the root vid, which means to know. This knowledge has four dimensions:
- Sattayam vidyade: that which exists. In other words, that which can be experienced.
- Vetti jñana: that which can be conceptualized. That is, that which we can conceptually elaborate in our minds.
- Veta vicharane: that which can be analyzed. That is, it’s not just a matter of faith, but of proving for yourself that it works.
- Prapti (twenty vintati praptou): that which can be updated from experiences.
This means that traditional Indian medicine is not static knowledge, but a process, just like life.
You experience Ayurveda, elaborate on that experience in your mind, analyze the results of that experience, and update the concept. This is why Ayurvedic medicine remains as effective as it was 5,000 years ago.
It is living knowledge that is continually renewed from the experiences of those who study and practice it.
The eight areas of Ayurvedic Medicine
Initially, Ayurvedic Medicine was divided into eight main areas, which allow us to navigate the knowledge with more direction. These areas are called ashtanga or ashta anga (eight parts):
Kaya chikitsa: This branch deals with diseases of the body in general.
Bala chikitsa or kaumarabhrtiya: This includes the care of children and women.
Graha chikitsa: This includes mental and emotional care.
Urdhvanga chikitsa: This includes care for the region above the clavicle, including the neck and head.
Shalya tantra: This branch deals with surgery.
Damshtra or agada tantra: This includes the treatment of intoxication and poisoning.
Jara chikitsa: This includes the treatment of the elderly.
Vrishya chikitsa or vajikarana: This includes fertility treatment.
Currently, we are already seeing new subdivisions of Ayurvedic Medicine, such as striroga and prasuti tantra, which are areas focused on women’s health, for example.
Panchamahabhutas: the 5 elements in Ayurveda
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, everything that exists in the Universe is formed by five basic elements, known as panchamahabhutas. These five elements are:
- akasha (space);
- vayu (air);
- agni (fire);
- jala (water);
- prthvi (earth).
Just as the chemical elements of the periodic table combine to form substances, the panchamahabhutas combine to form matter.
Thus, in essence, everything that exists is composed of the same five elements: from a tiny grain of sand to the complex organism of the human being.
This understanding is fundamental to the application of Ayurvedic Medicine and is what allows the use of any substance from Nature as medicine, even minerals, such as gold.
Ayurveda and the doshas
As mentioned earlier, Indian medicine has become world-renowned for its unique understanding of the human body.
According to this system of natural medicine, our bodies are governed by three entities called doshas. The body doshas (sharirika doshas) are vata, pitta, and kapha, and the mind doshas (manasika doshas) are rajas and tamas.
Vata dosha is responsible for all movement performed by our organism, from opening and closing our eyes to walking, including swallowing food.
Pitta dosha, in turn, is responsible for transformation processes, such as digestion and metabolism.
Kapha dosha is responsible for bringing stability, nutrition, and hydration to our body.
Rajas function is to initiate all activities, especially our brain functions. Tamas, in turn, does the opposite, inducing the cessation of activities and rest.
When out of balance, the doshas affect the dushyas, that is, the body tissues, called dhatus.
Dhatus in Ayurveda: the 7 body tissues
According to Ayurveda, our bodies are made up of 7 tissues, called dhatus:
- rasa (lymph);
- rakta (blood);
- mamsa (muscles);
- medha (fat);
- ashti (bones);
- majja (bone marrow);
- shukra or artava (sperm or eggs).
When the doshas become unbalanced, they affect these tissues and end up causing disease. Sometimes this imbalance is quite evident, other times not so much.
An important characteristic of Traditional Indian Medicine is that it considers that if you have a bone problem, for example, the previous dhatus (adipose tissue, muscle tissue, blood tissue, and plasma) are also unbalanced.
That’s precisely why Ayurvedic treatment doesn’t propose immediate solutions, like allopathic medicine, but rather healing processes aimed at restoring the health of your body as a whole.
Agni: the digestive power in Ayurveda
In Ayurvedic Medicine, there are some essential pillars for good health. And one of them is agni, or digestive fire.
According to the classic books of Ayurveda, we have 13 types of agni that interact all the time with what comes into contact with our body, whether it’s food, emotions, or ideas.
These 13 agnis are:
- 5 bhuta agni: these are the agnis of the panchamahabhutas;
- 7 dhatu agni: these are the agnis of the dhatus;
- 1 deha agni: this is the central agni, that is, jatharagni.
Jatharagni can also be called deha agni (body agni) or simply agni. The dhatu agni are responsible for the digestive process at the tissue level.
The bhuta agni, in turn, are responsible for digestion at the microscopic level, that is, they transform everything into panchamahabhutas so that our body can absorb these elements and thus reconstitute itself.
Trayopastambha: the three pillars that sustain life
Remember that at the beginning I said that Indian Medicine considers three essential pillars that sustain life? Well, these pillars are called trayopastambha. Trayo means three and upastambha means pillars.
If you have a good memory, you will remember that they are: food, sleep and harmony with the rhythm of Nature. In Sanskrit, we call them ahara, nidra and brahmacharya.
It is based on this premise that we begin any type of Ayurvedic treatment. First we look at your diet, then at the quality of your sleep and then at your lifestyle.
So, based on this initial analysis, we suggest gradual changes to help you restore your health naturally.
Ayurveda: how does it work in practice?
Ayurvedic medicine is a natural and integrative healing system that understands each human being as unique. In this sense, it considers the physical, mental, spiritual, and social dimensions of each person in the pursuit of full health.
A disease develops when there is an imbalance of the doshas, which are physiological entities responsible for the most varied functions in our body, such as digestion, respiration, speech, excretion, etc.
To achieve balance and, consequently, health, various therapeutic resources are used, such as dietary and lifestyle changes, the use of medicinal herbs, massage, oiling, sits baths, poultices, meditation, among others.
These resources are used in three treatment categories:
Nidana parivarjana
Nidana parivarjana is the first line of treatment in Ayurveda and refers to eliminating the factors that are causing illness in the person.
Generally, it involves dietary and lifestyle changes, with the goal of making the patient’s daily life more peaceful and healthy.
Shamana chikitsa
The second line of treatment in Ayurvedic Medicine is what we know as shamana chikitsa or pacification of the doshas.
It is used when the doshas are unbalanced but can be managed with the help of medicinal herbs and other low- and medium-complexity therapies, such as oiling, massages, physical activities, among others.
Shodhana chikitsa
The third front of treatment in Ayurvedic Medicine is shodhana chikitsa or panchakarma. In this case, the therapies are highly complex and aim to expel the aggravated doshas from the body.
As the name itself suggests (panch = 5), panchakarma is divided into five therapies:
- vamana (therapeutic emesis);
- virechana (purgation);
- basti (enema);
- nasya (nasal instillation);
- raktamokshana (venesection).
Because these are quite intense procedures, they must be applied in a hospital setting. For this reason, panchakarma is prohibited in Brazil and should not be practiced by people without a deep knowledge of Ayurveda.
What are the benefits of Ayurveda?
As you saw earlier, Traditional Indian Medicine is an integrative medicine system that takes into account not only the person, but also their environment. In this sense, the benefits of Ayurveda are physical, mental, spiritual, and psychosocial, as you can see below:
Healthy eating
In Ayurvedic Medicine, food should be prepared according to your environment, respecting the foods available each season and, of course, your natural constitution, or prakriti.
In addition, a balanced diet should take into account the six rasas (tastes) and how they influence the dynamics of the doshas in our body.
Food mixtures should also be observed, as some combinations can be toxic to the body. For example, meat with milk and dairy products or hot honey. This type of food is called viruddha ahara.
Preventive action
Another benefit of Ayurveda is its preventive action. That is, we don’t need to wait until we get sick to apply it to our lives.
By following the guidelines of Traditional Indian Medicine, we can prevent diseases, thus increasing our health, quality of life, and longevity.
These guidelines are concentrated into three groups:
- dinacharya: morning routine;
- ratricharya: evening routine;
- rtucharya: seasonal routine.
Dinacharya and ratricharya are the routines you perform every day, such as waking up at Brahma Muhurta and performing oiling. Rtucharya, in turn, are the routines practiced according to each season.
Natural treatments
Ayurvedic treatments are mostly performed through the use of medicinal plants and changes in eating habits and lifestyle.
This characteristic makes Ayurvedic Medicine a great ally for those who want to have better health in a simple and natural way, without the need to resort to synthetic medications.
Low cost
Although it often seems that Ayurvedic Medicine is something restricted to the elites, the truth is that the treatments are quite financially accessible.
All you need is to find an Ayurvedic therapist who can build bridges between the knowledge of Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems, such as Andean Traditional Medicine or Brazilian Traditional Medicine, to avoid importing medications from India.
Ease of application
It is a fact that the classic books of Ayurveda present some treatment possibilities that are unfeasible in the modern world. An example of this is rasayana therapies in kutipraveshikas (a kind of therapeutic isolation).
However, the wise men and women who developed this knowledge knew that not everyone could undergo this type of treatment. Therefore, there are numerous alternatives that can be easily applied at home.
Personalized treatments
Unlike modern medicine, which is based on generic treatments for most of the population, Indian Medicine is based on the individual. This means that two people with the same disease will be treated differently.
This personalized approach takes into account factors such as sex, age, place of residence, daily routine, and any other elements that may influence the treatment.
In this way, we can consider Ayurveda as a precision medicine system, as it respects the individuality of each person, developing a unique therapeutic approach.
Holistic healing
When it came to the West, Traditional Indian Medicine suffered many misinterpretations. In addition, there is a worldwide pressure, I would say, to compare it to modern medicine, which is extremely rationalistic.
However, in the origin of Ayurveda there was no distinction between science and spirituality. Therefore, it doesn’t only focus on physical health, as many people claim.
Ayurvedic medicine deals with holistic health. And this presupposes mind, body, and spirit. It’s no coincidence that there are texts entirely dedicated to the spiritual healing of numerous diseases.
In addition, Ayurvedic books, such as the Charaka Samhita, also discuss the importance of rituals and spiritual practice for maintaining good health.
Are there contraindications in Ayurveda?
As I said before, Ayurvedic medicine is a precision medicine system, which means that treatment is designed according to the specific needs of each person. Therefore, there are no contraindications in this sense, that is, anyone can apply Ayurveda in their daily life.
However, it is important that you have the proper guidance of a professional, whether a vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor) or an Ayurvedic therapist.
This is because only someone who has already completed a journey of study and learning within this system of natural medicine will be able to properly diagnose a health imbalance and propose the best therapies.
What is the importance of Ayurveda today?
After learning a little more about what Ayurvedic Medicine is, how it works, and its benefits, you may be wondering about the relevance of an ancient medical system today.
And the answer is quite simple: universal access to health.
According to the WHO – World Health Organization, more than half of the world’s population does not have access to essential health services. These services could become more robust with the integration of Traditional Medicines, such as Ayurveda, into public health systems.
Another point that highlights the importance of Ayurveda today is access to low-cost treatments, such as the use of medicinal plants and body therapies, such as abhyanga, for the treatment of numerous health imbalances in the population.
In a society increasingly dependent on expensive technologies for diagnosis and treatment, Traditional Indian Medicine, like other natural medicines, stands out for its simplicity and proven effectiveness over thousands of years.
Furthermore, it is an ancient knowledge that allows us to seek health before we get sick. Therefore, it is an excellent way to prevent imbalances and live with more health and quality of life.
If you are looking for natural methods of health care, or if you are interested in medicines from indigenous peoples, be sure to also learn about Traditional Andean Medicine.
Hugs, and we’ll talk in the next article.
Eve.