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Basic information |
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Ayurveda originated in India more than 10,000 years ago and is believed to be the oldest healing science in existence, from which all other systems emerged. It is art of healthy living that has been helping human beings to create harmony in daily life by using the techniques of self-knowledge and self-care. The word Ayurveda is derived from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit where ‘ayur’ means life and ‘ved’ means knowledge. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is ‘knowledge of life’.
According to Charaka Samhita, "life" itself is defined as the "combination of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides the processes of rebirth". According to this perspective, Ayurveda is concerned with measures to protect "ayur", which includes healthy living along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. |
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Ayurveda is also one among the few traditional systems of medicine to contain a sophisticated system of surgery (which is referred to as "salya-chikitsa"). This ancient healing system has three main focuses: |
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Healing illness |
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Prevention of disease |
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Longevity or age reversal |
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| Laws of Nature and Spirituality: In essence, Ayurveda explains the laws of nature that cause health or disease. The first cause of illness is said to be the loss of faith in the Divine or experiencing a spiritual emptiness. From here illness develops due to internal conditions (e.g. foods and liquids) or external conditions (e.g. seasons, lifestyle). The main factors that cause poor health (also described as imbalance) are |
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Poor digestion |
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Weak immune systems |
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When food is not properly digested it sits in the body. Nutrients are not absorbed and the food decays and forms toxins. These toxins cause most diseases in the body. Therefore, it is important to have good digestion.
Poor nutrition, overwork, drugs and other excesses can deplete the immune system. The finest essence of nutrition develops a life sap that protects the immune system, much like the sap of a tree heals the bruises in its bark. In addition to promoting physical health, it is the life sap that becomes transformed through meditation to produce mental peace and spiritual development. With all the immune disorders that are prevalent these days, it is even more important that persons develop their immune sap.
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