HEALTH & BEAUTY BY AYURVEDIC

Introduction to Ayurveda


What does the word 'Ayurveda' mean?
The word 'Ayurveda' is a sanskrit word which basically consists of two words.
One is 'Ayu', which means lifespan of an individual. The second word is 'Veda', which means knowledge or science. so the meaning of Ayurveda as a whole is the science which deals with life span of human being.



Aim of Ayurveda
The basic aim of Ayrveda is further explained in the following sentences.
Swasthasya Swasthya Rakshanam
Atursya Vikar Prashamanam
These two Sanskrit sentences explain the depth of methodology by which Ayurveda deals with the human life. The first aim of Ayurveda is to protect and maintain the health of the human being through out the entire life span. The second aim of this science is to cure the diseases which are developed in the body of a human, whom it defines as patient ('Rogy'), by offering numerous herbal remedies of cure in depth.


Definition of healthy human being (SWASTHA)
Ayurveda fruther defines the word 'swastha' meaning 'healthy human being' by its theory which is based on DOSHA, DHATU, MALA, AGNI etc., as follows:
Samadosha Samagnishcha Samdhatumalakriya.
Prasnnatmendriyamanah Swasthityabhidhiyate.

Meaning of the above Sanskrit sentences is that the human, who has the balance state of the Doshas {'VATA', 'PITTA' & 'KAPHA' are the three doshas in the human body which are responsible for the norma physiology & psychology when they are in a balanced state}, has the balance function of Agni in the body {AGNI means fire, there are thirteen types of Agni in the body 1-Digestive (pachagni), 7-tissues fire (dhatvagni) & 5-basic elements fire (mahabhutagni)}, has balance state of all dhatus means tissues in the body, all impurtities of the body eliminated, and all sense organs, mind and soul of the body in a balanced & pleasant state is defined as a 'healthy human being'. This way 'Ayurveda' defines the 'healthy human being' as above and further suggests the preventive methods for health of a human beings in details


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FOOD
The term Ayurveda originates from the Sanskrit language. It refers to a healing therapy
based on the cognitive health care of body and the spirit. According to the ayurvedic
school of health care, every person has unique requirements for achieving a state of
equilibrium in terms of mind and body. This need is never the same for two individuals.
Food is necessary not just for energy but also for body building. Food or diet forms a
crucial part in ayurvedic treatment. Ayurvedic food typically refers to foot items
prepared from herbs and other vegetation. When it comes to achieving the all-important
balance in terms of spirit and the bodily disposition of an individual, ayurvedic food
plays the most significant part. Those who practice ayurvedic healing methods always
prescribe different diet charts for the patients under their supervision. This personalized
diet helps an individual to combat his or her health complications. Ayurvedic food or
ayurvedic diet is determined on the basis of quite a few factors. First of all it depends on
the person's age and gender.
What is prescribed to a young man is never allotted to an aged person. It has been
scientifically proved that dietary requirements in males are greater than that in females,
because of body weights. The dosha is another important factor to determine the food
chart for an individual who is undergoing ayurvedic treatment. It might be noted that
different individuals show different signs and inclinations to dosha. Other factors include
the level of toxins in the blood, strength of the body tissues and the digestive
capabilities. The practitioners of Ayurveda or alternative medicine take this issue of
digestive capabilities very seriously while laying down customized ayurvedic food
charts for their clients.
Ayurvedic food makes this healing method one of the exhaustive systems of health care
within the conventional school of medicine. While other medication lays emphasis on
the widespread usage of synthetic or chemical drugs to treat maladies, Ayurveda has
been maintaining a firm posture in terms of what to choose and what to get rid of from
the list of effective medicines. Ayurvedic food, needless to mention, belongs to the
category of the most potent weapons of treatment.
Ayurvedic methods of treatment demand certain disciplines. Your treatment will hardly
fetch the intended result unless you abide by a few simple rules. You need to take your
food on time. This is the first prerequisite which you cannot afford to do without. Apart
from taking food on time, you also have to be very careful about what you should
ideally take and what you should not.
Dietary requirements differ from person to person. In ayurvedic Medicare, food should
only be taken when the previously taken food has been digested fully. Follow these
simple laws of life and you are welcome to lead your life on a happy and sound note.

Ayurvedic First Aid Treatments Acne: Apply a paste of turmeric and sandelwood powder to the affected area. You can use about half a teaspoon of each powder and mix it with water or rose water to make a paste.For internal treatment take a cupful of aloe vera juice two times a day until the acne clears.Asthma: Combine Licorice and ginger herbs and drink them as a tea , about half a teaspoon of both herbs for one cupful of water. You can also have some onion juce, mixed with one teaspoon of honey and a pinch of black pepper.
Backache: Apply a paste of ginger and eucalyptus oil to the affected area.
Bad breath: Drink half a cup of aloe vera juice twice a day and eat fennel seeds. Cleanse the mouth with licorice powder until freshness is restored.
Bleeding : External - Apply ice or sandelwood paste on the bleeding area.Internal- Drink warm milk with saffron and turmeric powder ( half teaspoon each) .
Boils: Apply cooked onions as a poultice or a paste of ginger and turmeric powder directly to the boil. This will bring the skin boil to a head.
Burns: Make a paste of fresh aloe vera gel mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder or apply ghee or coconut oil.
Cold: Boil some ginger powder in water and inhale the steam . Apply some Eucalyptus oil to the sides of the nose , which will help to relieve congestion. You can also inhale calamus root powder into each nostril.
Constipation: Drink one glass of water boiled with one tablespoon of flax seed at bedtime or a glass of hot milk with one teaspoon of ghee.
Cough: Gargle one glass of warm water to which a pinch of salt and two pinches of turmeric have been added. If there is mucus production, take half teaspoon of ginger powder, one pinch of clove powder and one pinch if cinnamon powder on one cup of boiled water as a tea.
Diarrhoea: Mix equal parts of yogurt and water and add some fresh ginger.
Earache: Place three drops of garlic oil in the ear or a mixture of onion juice and honey.
Ears - ringing: Place three drops of clove oil into the affected ear.
Exhaustion - Heat: Drink a glass of coconut water or grape juice. Or cook a few dates in water, blend them and drink.
Eyes - burning : Introduce four drops of pure rose water into the affected eye. Fresh aloe vera gel may also be used. You can also apply castor oil to the soles of the feet.
Gas - abdominal : Mix one pinch of baking soda with one cupful of water and the juice of one-half lemon and drink.
Gums - bleeding : Drink lemon juice or massage gums with coconut oil.
Head ache: Sinus headache can be relieved by under going sudation after applying gingelly oil mixed with camphor. Temporal headache can be relieved by the application of sandalwood paste to the temples.
Hemorrhoids/Bleeding type: Drink one-half cup full of aloe vera juice 3 times daily. Drink one teaspoon sandal wood paste mixed with milk twice daily.
Hemorrhoids/non bleeding: Boil 50 grams onion with 150 ml milk and drink twice daily.
Hiccups: Do pranayama/take deep inhalations and exhalations
Indigestion: Take one cupful of onion juice with one half-teaspoon honey and one-half teaspoon full of black pepper.
Muscle strain: Apply gingelly oil mixed with camphor or rock salt over the affected area
Over eating: Boil 2 cupful of water with I teaspoon of coriander powder and 1 teaspoon ginger powder. Drink this one-tablespoon each at an interval of 1 hour.
Poison bites & stings: Apply sandal wood/turmeric paste to the affected area
Shock: Inhale fresh broken onion or inhale calamus root powder
Sleep (lack): Drink one cup full of warm cow's milk with rock candy/honey.Gently massage the soles & scalp with sesame oil mixed with equal quantity of ghee.
Sore throat: Gargle with hot water mixed with one forth teaspoon of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt.
Tooth ache: Apply 3 drops of clove oil to the affected tooth. Gargle with warm sesame oil.

Diagnosis in Ayurveda
The Diagnosis according to Ayurveda is to find out the root cause of a disease [ Nidan]. It is not always necessary that the root cause is inside the body. Many times the cause may be outside the body. To give permanent relief the root cause has to be removed. When we cure some disease according to Ayurveda, we do not just treat the physical symptoms, The person is treated as a whole.
All causative factors of disease internal or external directly or indirectly create an imbalance [ increase or decrease ] in these doshas first and only then do the symptoms of the disease manifest. The causative factors can be the food, life style or other activities. All these factors are affecting one , two or all the three doshas. So if you want to stay healthy, you must know what are these factors which create an imbalance of doshas. As said earlier these factors could be your diet, life style or daily activities. You will soon discover that majority of foods and activities we practise in the modern world are increasing one or more doshas. Factors responsible for increasing vata:
Eating too much cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, beans, dry fruits, mushrooms and raw foods. Too much travelling by any means of transportation. Staying awake till late night or not sleeping at all. Eating of junk food, frozen foods and food that has been micro waved. Excessive exposure to high noise level or high sounds. Watching too much television and over exposure to computers or any other kind of electric gadgets from strong waves are emitted. Indulging in too much sexual activities. Excessive imagination, overworking or too much sports. Taking too much medicinal, recreational and stimulating drugs. Symptoms:
Symptoms caused by excess of vata in the body are joint pains, constipation, dry skin, Aggravation of vata weakens the nervous system, loss of memory, palpitation, insomnia, stiffness of muscles, weight loss, migraine, vertigo and tremors.
Factors responsible for increasing pitta:
Our daily practices which involve lot of competition, habits like drinking too much tea, coffee, alcohol and excessive smoking increase pitta in the body. It is also increased by eating hot, spicy foods, Eating too much chillies, tomatoes, egg plant, spinach, onions Too much exposure to heat and sun. Symptoms:
Some of the symptoms caused by excess of pitta in the body are hyperacidity, skin diseases, burning sensation, fever, infections, ulcers and liver disorders.
Factors responsible for increasing kapha:
Eating too much sugars, fats, oily and fried foods, ice creams, meats, dairy products and nuts. Too much sleep specially during day time and not doing much physical activities. Symptoms:
Some of the symptoms caused by excess of kapha in the body are asthma, cough, cold, congestion in the chest, anorexia and obesity.
So once you know which dosha is aggravated or out of balance, its easy to bring it under balance by using different kinds of therapies.

Ayurvedic treatment [Chikitsa] does not mean suppressing the main symptoms and creating some new ones as side effects of the main treatment. It is to remove the root cause and give permanent relief. There are four main classifications of management of disease in Ayurveda: shodan, or cleansing; shaman or palliation; rasayana, or rejuvenation; and satvajaya, or mental hygiene.
The treatment mainly comprises of powders, tablets, decoctions, medicated oils etc. prepared from natural herbs, plants and minerals. Because the medicines are from natural sources and not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body without creating any side effects and on the other hand, there may be some side benefits.
Along with medicine, proper diet, exercise and living style is also advised. This is equally important. If we are taking a medicine to remove the root cause and at the same time we are taking some food or following a life style which is increasing the cause of disease, then we may not get well or will be getting less relief.

Dietary Regimen:- Proper selection of diet is necessary to avoid dosha imbalance and is also used as a treatment in many diseases.
Exercise Selection of proper exercise plays an important role in the treatment in disease.
Panch Karma therapy is also used as a treatment in many diseases. This "panchkarma" or Five internal cleansing methods,is a most profound therapy in Ayurveda.
Yoga: Ayurveda teaches a very systematic and scientific way of life which is important to pursue both materially and spiritually.
Thus we find that the methods of treatment are based on simple and natural principles. Fundamental principles, health rules, knowledge of individual constitution of our body, use of various herbs, minerals,proper diet,exercises,Panch Karma and Yoga therapy can be very safely used to promote good health, prevent diseases and acquire longevity.