Monday, March 08, 2010
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga. Practiced for over 5,000
years, it is the oldest system of medicine successfully practiced in
the world today. Originating in ancient India, this medical tradition
states that each person’s path toward optimal health is unique –
because each person is unique in every day, season and time of their
life.
Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine, meaning it
approaches wellness from a mind, body, spirit perspective. Holistic
medicine looks beyond the physical body for healing. We treat the
entire person, not just the disease or it's symptoms, with effective,
natural therapies. Each and every person is seen as an individual
from every perspective, and ayurvedic treatment plans are tailored to
each individual. Ayurveda seeks to understand the the root cause of
an illness, and then cultivate health and wellness by addressing it's
cause.
As a preventative medicine, Ayurveda teaches you how to
recognize imbalances before they manifest into disease. There are
always signs and symptoms about what is going on within us, and
through Ayurveda we learn to pay attention and listen, and then make
the necessary corrections as a form of prevention and/or treatment.
This principle focuses on understanding your particular body &
mind constitution (prakriti), and the unique nature of your imbalance
at any given time (vikruti).
Your treatment plan may include dietary changes, lifestyle
and daily routine adjustments, yoga, meditation, aroma therapy,
massage therapy, and other natural therapies, such as herbs. In order
to successfully implement these Ayurvedic principles into your life,
regular follow-up visits with your practitioner are recommended until
your desired results are achieved. The goal of all Ayurvedic
programs is to create within your body and mind an optimum environment
for healing to take place and to maximize your body’s ability to
heal itself.
Ayurveda is not about immediate results, although you will see
and feel many immediate benefits. It will take time to restore
full balance, particularly after years of living out of balance.
Ayurveda is not a passive form of therapy, but rather requires each
individual to take responsibility for his or her own health, with the
guidance of the practitioner's understanding.
Please contact Sandra Maguire at Sattva Health and Wellness for more information.