The word Ayurveda is formed with two different words - Ayur meaning "life" and Veda meaning "to know". Ayurveda refers to the science of life and is a medical system that is practised all over the globe. Ayurveda, also known as ayurvedic medicine, is an incredible example of a well-organized system of traditional wellness, both curative and preventive. The practice and theory of Ayurveda are known as pseudoscientific.
Ayurvedic teachings emphasize the balancing of Doshas along with the suppression of natural urges. The three elements or doshas are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Balancing these doshas result in health while imbalance leads to illness. The Ayurveda industry has evolved and varied for more than two millennials now. A large percentage of the world's population uses Ayurveda practices exclusively or combined with modern medicines.
Having originated in India as much as 3,000 years back, Ayurveda has a long tradition behind it. Some scholars say that Ayurveda originated in the prehistoric era. Dhanvantari - the physician to the Gods in Hindu mythology is credited for Ayurveda. It also states that he received it from Brahma. Ayurveda experienced significant development during the Vedic period. Later on, Jainism and Buddhism also developed Ayurvedic practices and concepts. The earliest concepts of Ayurveda were set out in the Atharvaveda, a portion in the Vedas. It was throughout the Indian Middle Ages that Ayurveda flourished. Ayurveda was adapted for Western consumption by Baba Hari Dass in the 1970s and Maharishi Ayurveda during the 1980s.
Today Ayurveda has become one of the most favoured mediums of healthcare and healing in large parts of the Eastern as well as the Western world. Ayurvedic therapies range from special diets, herbal medicines, yoga, meditation, enemas, laxatives, herbs and medical oils. Ancient ayurvedic also consisted of teachings about surgical techniques, sutures, kidney stone extraction, rhinoplasty and the extraction of foreign objects.
