Ayurvedic
Medicine
Ayurvedic Medicine
The legend of the beginning
of ayurvedic medicine is that the one creator,
Brahma, taught the theories and practices to
one of the animal lords, who taught it to the
Asvins-the divine twins. They taught this to
the chief of the shining ones, called Indra.
These were the deities of ancient verdict
times.
As mankind fell victim and
suffered from ailments and disease the wise men
went to Indra and were taught the ancient
remedies and healing cures. This is the
knowledge of medicine, which is divided into 8
separate branches of the divine
tree.
Kaya chikitsa is the
medicine of the internal organs and
workings of the body;
Baala is the study of the
medicine needed in order to heal
children;
Urdhvanga is the original
study of the ears, nose and throat (as well
as dentistry.)
All surgery, including
plastic surgery, is called
Salya;
The study of
toxicology-stemming originally from the
poison extracted from bug bites-is
Danstra.
The study of what we now
know as Alzheimer's and other diseases of
the age advanced is called
Rasayana
The study of pregnancy
and gyneocology is Prasuti;
The study of mental
illness and demon possession is the
treatment called Graha.
The belief is that there are
three elements in /of the body which cause
disease. These are called Vata, Pitta and
Kapha. We will talk about each one in
turn.
Vata:
We are all made up of space and
air, with some light, water, and earth thrown
in. Vata transmits perceptions to the mind and
body and maintains the body's natural balance.
If this energy which is used to transmit so
much of the outside world to our inner selves
becomes imbalanced, disease sets in.
Pitta:
This is the energy responsible
for vision, digestion, heat, hunger and thirst,
happiness and intelligence. When this element
is out of alignment, it results in depression,
weight gain or loss, dehydration, apathy, and
digestive problems.
Kapha
disease is the result of lack of
conserving and stabilizing the body, we
commonly call them viruses or
"bugs."
All disease is called
Vyaadhi. It is the state of the being when we
are full of discomfort or pain, but while all
are caused by an imbalance in one of the three
elements, they are treated according to the
classification of the trauma:
Adhyatmika:
physical and constitutional (physical injury,
hereditary, and pre-disposition)
Adhibhautika: contributed
to environment (allergies, etc.)
Aadhidaivika: contributed
to gods or spirits (demons. mental
imbalances)
So how does Ayurvedic
treatment differ from modern medicine?
Practitioners of ayurvedic medicine believe
that although antibiotics have their uses (take
into consideration post surgery antibiotics to
edge out infection or post transplant
antibiotics which if not taken will surely
cause certain death) ayurvedic doctors would
rather see the balance of the body resume as
quickly as possible. The drugs used in ayurveda
are derived from vegetables and minerals, with
plant alkaloids as the active
ingredients.
While western medicine relies
on this basic principle, the derivatives are
often chemically rather than naturally based.
Before you study up on this medicine further
and decide to grow your own medicinal herbs, be
forewarned that where the plants grow have
everything to do with their potency and ability
to fight infection. You absolutely must have
the right balance of alkaline and acid in your
soil, as well as stringent water and light
conditions.
Some of the remedies might
surprise you, as they are virtually the same as
Grandma used. The Ayurvedic remedy for a
hacking cough? Equal parts honey and the juice
from a baked lemon. Grandma probably didn't
know to bake the lemon to increase the acidity,
but you get the point.
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