By Anastasia (Sarada) Von Sonn
Ayurveda, composed of Ayus (life) and Veda (science or knowledge), is possibly the oldest form of medicine and quite likely the origin of most healing systems on the planet. Leading health providers including the Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Sutter and UCSF are incorporating Ayurvedic practices into their training and treatment approaches. Integrating and practicing Ayurvedic complementary medicine alongside conventional Western medicine can support the physician’s and patient’s diagnostic and therapeutic ability to achieve exceptional results for the whole being.
Asian medical systems, including acupuncture, are thought to have evolved from the core of Ayurveda. Ancient Ayurvedic scholars and practitioners traveled to gain and share knowledge across the Himalayas and into Mongolia, China and Tibet, then down to Japan and Southeast Asia. The knowledge eventually reached Southern Europe. There are written records dating back 5,000 years and an oral tradition carried for thousands of years previous to that.
The Vedas, four sacred texts that include the Rig Veda, a book of hymns that is the oldest known Vedic Sanskrit text, were composed in an ancient form of Sanskrit between 1500 and 1000 B.C.E. and included topics on the cosmology known as Samkhya philosophy, the basis for both Ayurveda and Yoga. The Vedas include verses on the nature of existence, nature of health and disease, pathogenesis and principles of treatment.
It is said Ayurveda originated when it was revealed to the ancient Rishis, the seers and yogis of India who envisioned and expounded on the inseparable interweave and integration of the body, mind and spiritual life. Early texts written in the fourth century B.C.E. by Charaka appertain philosophical and ethical considerations, internal medicine, drugs of plant, animal and mineral origins, anatomy, physiology, pathology and treatments. The Sushruta Samhita, written over 3,000 years ago, describes over 100 kinds of surgical instruments and their uses, natural medicines, toxicology and therapeutics. Indeed, Ayurveda was likely where the first surgical practices were invented and used.
Sushruta, who is considered one of the fathers of Indian medicine, is believed to have conducted the first cataract surgery circa 600 BCE.
Around 1833, British colonial rule banned all Ayurvedic colleges in India. But by 1916, traditional medicine had re-emerged in Indian society and Ayurvedic colleges began training Ayurvedic doctors shortly after the end of World War II. Since then, holistic medical practitioners have embraced this profound medical system. Dr. Robert Svoboda was the first Westerner to graduate from a college of Ayurveda, receiving his bachelor’s of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery (BAMS). Dr. Vasant Lad, BAMS, a native of India, first brought Ayurveda to the West in 1979 and established a school, The Ayurvedic Institute, in 1984.
Some of the Ayurvedic fundamental principles include Samkhya Philosophy, which expounds on the nature of the Macrocosm and Microcosm, which include the Universal Consciousness, Mind and the Five Great Elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth. The Five Great Elements represent the etheric, gaseous, radiant, liquid and solid forms of matter that make up the manifestation of the body and nature.
The medical principles of Ayurveda include examination and diagnosis as to the root cause of disease, addressing causative factors and implementing protocols to rebalance and re-establish complete and holistic health of the body, mind and spirit.
Ayurveda seeks to implement protocols to rebalance and re-establish complete and holistic health of the body, mind and spirit.
At the core of Ayurveda is the understanding that every individual is a unique composition of the Five Great Elements of Nature. The organization, quantities and qualities of these elements within an individual are known as the Doshas — literally meaning "fault" or "defect" — which have the potential to become impaired and out of balance.
The Doshas are assigned specific qualities and functions. These forces, collectively called the Tridoshas, are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha and are revealed through the body’s substances and actions performed within the body.
The Doshas
Vata: Ether and Air with qualities of light, rough, dry, cold, hard, subtle and mobile are displayed as movement, such as movement of the blood, pulse signals of the nervous system and walking.
Pitta: Fire and Water with qualities of unctuous, sharp, penetrating, light, liquid and hot is displayed as transformation, e.g., the digestive fire transforming food and the mind digesting information into understanding.
Kapha: Water and Earth with qualities of sticky, heavy, slow, cool, smooth and slimy is displayed as cohesiveness in the constructive material of the body, such as the maintenance of the body’s stability and lubrication within the body.
Food and lifestyle are cornerstones in Ayurveda to maintain wellness of a healthy person and effectively treat conditions of the diseased. Dietary recommendations are customized to each person’s unique body/mind constitution by considering and incorporating factors such as digestive fire capability, elemental and qualities of each food, taste of the food, age, stage of life, time of day, environmental and season conditions.
Charaka, one of the first authors of Ayurvedic texts, stated as early as the fourth century B.C.E. that wholesome food leads to happiness and unwholesomeness leads to unhappiness, one of the generally accepted principles of today’s medicine. Therefore, one should consume specific food after the proper analysis of its composition. Another author from the period 1500-1000 BCE, Sushrut, promoted the idea that healthy food alone is responsible for the development of healthy body tissues and the unhealthy practice of diet and lifestyle is the root cause for all the diseases.
One way food is used as medicine in Ayurveda is to utilize the effect of taste to rebalance Doshic qualities affecting a person’s health. Each taste either increases or decreases each specific Dosha.
Vata (Ether/Air):
Decreases: Sweet, salty, sour
Increases: Pungent, bitter, astringent
For example, if a person with an Vata constitution displays excess motor movements, unsettled mind and dry skin, eating raw astringent cold salad or dry popcorn exacerbates the cold and air quality in Vata. However, by eating warm, cooked nourishing food, doing relaxing yoga and calm breathing, this decreases and rebalances Vata.
Kapha (Water/Earth)
Decreases: Pungent, bitter, astringent
Increases: Sweet, salty, sour
A person with aggravated Kapha displays weight gain, lethargy and depression. Eating cookies, dairy, ice cream and heavy foods increases Kapha qualities causing phlegm, stagnation and the feeling of being stuck. However, eating raw bitter foods, including pungent spices and stimulating exercise, will reduce Kapha and invigorate their wellness.
Pitta (Fire/Water)
Decreases: Sweet, bitter, astringent
Increases: Salty, sour, pungent
An aggravated Pitta person may display inflammation, aggressive agitated thoughts, kick the covers off at night, or have red hives on the skin. Eating hot chilies (fire) or tomatoes (red), jogging at noon when the sun is at its peak, or working intensely will increase the person’s Pitta physical and mental aggravations. Contrarily, to calm the Pitta qualities, one would eat cucumber, cilantro, watermelon, exercise by swimming and practice meditation to appease the heat and cool the mind.
The digestive fire and its ability to digest, absorb and assimilate are vital in establishing health. In the Rig Veda, the first word is “Agni,” the Sanskrit word for fire. The significance of it being the first word emphasizes the vital importance in maintaining a healthy digestive fire and the reverence to the power of fire in all of creation.
Ayurveda promotes Dinacharya — Din means “Day” and Acharya
means “to follow” or “behavior.” Dinacharya is the essential daily practice of following the natural rhythm and daily routine that encourages us to align with nature’s Circadian rhythm. Nature’s rhythm mirrors our digestive rhythm; when the sun rises, we rise. When the sun is at its highest at noon, our digestive fire and ability to digest are the greatest. Hence, Ayurveda encourages our largest meal during the day. When the sun sets, our digestive capability starts to diminish and therefore a smaller dinner is recommended.
Rhythm is very important and plays a key role in how we digest, absorb and assimilate our nutrients. One healthy regimen Ayurveda espouses to assist a healthy digestive fire (Agni) is to eat at regular times every day. This trains the digestive fire to work best at those specific times, the body cooks the food properly and therefore improves absorption and assimilation, better nourishing the tissues and system.
Doshic imbalances in Ayurveda are particularly due to an unbalanced digestive fire which may produce Ama (toxins). According to Ayurveda, a balanced digestive fire is vitally important for maintaining health. Vata constitutions tend to have irregular digestive fire, hunger comes and goes, meals are skipped and irregular. This causes undigested food, gas and bloating. Pitta constitutions tend to have Tikshna Agni, which is a sharp, hot and excessive fire. This may lead to being very hungry and getting angry or frustrated if they do not eat on time. Additionally, it may cause diarrhea and heartburn. Kapha constitutions may have Manda Agni, which is too low and slow. This creates a sluggish digestion, easy weight gain and can make one feel tired and depressed.
For example, think of a pot of food on a fire… if the fire is intermittent, the food may not be cooked properly and therefore will not be able to be assimilated. If the fire is too high, it will burn the food, causing inflammation and all nutrients will be lost. If the fire is too low, the food will not cook, causing stagnation and creating toxins.
Nature’s remedies, Aușadha, play a vital role for supporting wellness and balance in Ayurvedic medicine. Herbs are administered according to the stage of a disease, the patient’s age, indications and contraindications, and the medicinal properties and quality. Drugs of choice may be from a single herb to compounds.
Traditional methods of purification were established and successfully created safe and effective medicine. The unfortunate occasion when some Ayurvedic herbs are found to contain heavy metals are due to environmental reasons and improper preparation. However, this problem is a small percentage compared to the high-quality herbal formulas now available. Reputable companies and individuals are seeking and using organic herbs and promoting regenerative farming for the future of our planet and pure herbal medicine.
Ayurveda seeks to understand each patient’s body/mind constitution and current state, which leads to an understanding of what qualities in nature, food, lifestyle and therapeutic tools will empower you and are central for your assurance to rebalance disease, maintain health and live a thriving content life in your body, mind and spirit.
