ayurveda

Ayurveda is the traditional Hindu system of medicine, believed to have been practiced as much as 5000 years ago. The word is Sanskrit for “life knowledge,” which characterizes the basis of the practice well, in that it considers the individual responsible for health and wellbeing in mind and body through proper diet, exercise and meditation.

As in Chinese and ancient western medicines, illness is believed to be caused by an imbalance in the body. In Ayurveda, the imbalance exists in the fundamental energy of life, which is expressed in three types, called Doshas, which have both physical and psychological characteristics. The three Doshas correspond to the traditional western body types: Vata (ectomorph), Pitta (mesomorph) and Kapha (endomorph). All three are present in everyone, but one tends to be dominant. The practitioner recommends different foods, herbs or other remedies, in conjunction with exercise and meditation, based on the symptoms as well as the patient’s Dosha type.

Two of the predominant types of Ayurveda familiar in North America are Maharishi Ayurveda as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which focuses on consciousness and meditation as the key to balance, and the more traditional type recently made popular by Dr. Deepak Chopra, which places more emphasis on Yoga, breathing and massage.

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