AYUVEDA - THE KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE

Ayurveda means "the knowledge of life" & originated in India as the traditional medical system over 5000 years ago. Its purpose is to heal and to maintain the quality and longevity of life. It is an art of daily living that has envolved from practical, philosophical and spiritual illumination, rooted in the understanding of Creation. Its offers a profound understanding of each person's unique body, mind and consciousness, which is the foundation of health and happiness. How we interact with our environment is also create our state of health. By making choices that support our inner nature we can live harmoniously and in balance.

According to Ayurveda, each person's combination and proportion are determinded by the genertics, diet, lifestyle, and emotions of the parents, among others factors, at the time of conception. This original state called Prakruti means The original form of being.

The mind - body complex functions normally when the doshas are balanced. When they go out of balance it leads to some malfunction in system. Imbalance in doshas is known as "Vikriti" - a consitution of the moment, one's current state of health, reflects any aspects of diet, lifestyle, emotions, age, environment, etc. that are not in harmony with one's Prakruti.

Ayurveda looks to the root cause of imbalance and treats the patient with individualized holistic modalities, which affect all the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Balance is cultivated through food programs, herbology, massage, aromatherapy, color and sound therapy, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises (pranayama), and other lifestyle adjustments.

Ayurveda based on the premise that the universe is made up of five great elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth. These elements are represented in humans by a combination of three "doshas", or energies called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.