Health
| Ayurveda - the holistic approach |
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| Written by Sebastian Pole, 2008 | |
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Ayurvedic practitioner Sebastian Pole describes an ancient system of
medicine originating from India, which has gained worldwide popularity.
I recently asked some colleagues what they thought Ayurveda is. Their answers ranged from "extreme detoxification", to "spa treat" or a "type of curry"! Well, it's not really any of those things - but it may include them. Ayurveda is the traditional medical and lifestyle system from India. It is simply translated as "science of life" and really encompasses how to live wisely. It is the knowledge of how to live according to your unique and individual constitutional make-up. An early description given in the Charaka Samhita (the earliest Ayurvedic literature), written about 100BC, says: "It is called ayurveda because it tells us which substances, qualities and actions are life enhancing, and which are not." For example, nectarines are life enhancing, margarine is not; love is life enhancing, anger is not; compassion is life enhancing, war is not. One thing about Ayurveda - it's simple. It really is a complete medical system. It deals with health in all its aspects: physical health, mental balance, spiritual wellbeing, social welfare, environmental considerations, dietary and lifestyle habits, daily living trends, and seasonal variations in lifestyle, as well as treating and managing specific diseases. Ayurveda teaches respect for nature, appreciation of life and the means to empower the individual. It understands that our individual health cannot be considered as separate from our family, work, society and/or the planet's health. Ayurveda has developed in India over at least the last 4,000 years and has now spread all over the world. It is a blend of herbal medicine, massage, dietetics, spiritual insight, practical experience, scientific analysis and artistic creativity. It uses medicinal plants, foods, massage, meditation, surgery and judicious living as part of its 'life-style' and methodology. Ayurveda is often promoted in spas as it incorporates massage and steam therapy as a part of its treatments. You may also have seen advertisements for retreats in India, offering week-long detoxifications known as 'panch karma'. Whilst they are a part of Ayurveda they are not its sum total. Ayurveda is for daily living, not just a holiday. In the UK the majority of Ayurveda is practised by trained Ayurvedic practitioners, working a bit like GPs. They will treat the wide range of ailments that any GP surgery will encounter - IBS, arthritis, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, menopause, cancer as well as acute conditions such as skin diseases, flu and fevers. The difference is that an Ayurvedic practitioner will use a therapeutic diet and medicinal plants rather than synthetic pharmaceuticals as the core of their practice. The treatment will include 'you', the person, as well as 'it', the disease. You do not get one pill for each ailment but a treatment will be created specifically for you. Ayurvedic practitioners will frequently work alongside the client's conventional GP. Qualities of natureAyurveda is a simple system because it depends on your observation of nature and how this relates to you. It observes the qualities of nature - is it hot or cold, wet or dry, light or heavy? For example, eczema is a 'hot' disease whilst low thyroid is a 'cold' disease; a cough can be wet or dry. Some herbs are cooling and some are heating - think cool mint v. hot ginger. Some herbs are drying whilst some are lubricating - think drying thyme v. lubricating licorice.I mentioned that Ayurveda is about how to live according to your unique and individual constitutional makeup and you may well have heard about the three constitutions: vata, pitta, kapha. These are called the three dosha. "Vata, pitta and kapha move in the whole body producing good or ill effects upon the entire system according to their normal or provoked states. Their normal state is balance and their provoked state is illness." - Charaka Samhita They are the qualities in the body that make us all so different;
Health and diseaseAyurveda understands that disease is primarily due to an imbalance in the inner processes of the body and mind. This is different from our modern functional view of disease that regards organs in isolation from each other and bacteria as causes of disease.Although Ayurveda understands the potential of invading organisms (and refers to them as worms (krimi)), its primary understanding of disease is systemic (i.e. due to the whole system being out of balance and not just caused by one disease-causing bacteria or hormone). Women's mid-life health concerns seem to be treated today mainly with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), anti-depressants or surgery, however the Ayurveda belief is that women's health should be treated holistically and without synthetic hormones. Menopause is not a disease, it is a transition, and the risks associated with invasive treatment may outweigh the benefits. The majority of women do not need invasive hormone 'replacement', but whatever stage of life you are in, you may need some help to take up additional healthy living habits. Most of us do! My experience with treating women's health for period pains, PMT, PCOS, endometriosis, infertility and the menopause using Ayurvedic advice has been very successful. I can't claim that every ailment is cured, but I do know that Ayurveda offers the potential for true healing to occur. And this is because it addresses the 'heart' of health, which is spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing - Ayurveda will treat every person on a multi-dimensional level. Stages of lifeThe wisdom of Ayurveda is expressed as a way of life that flows with the changes of the seasons, weather, time and place. It teaches dietary and behavioural adjustments that should be adopted as you mature from childhood through to adulthood and into old age.It gives advice on how to prevent illness as one season becomes another, and specific recommendations on how to adjust your daily habits. This way of wholesome living prescribes a routine for all the different climates and geographical regions of the world. It offers particular insights for men and women, children and adults through all the different stages of life. It is a universal system applicable to every individual living in any part of the world and at the root of Ayurveda is its focus on the uniqueness of each individual. This is personal medicine at its best, involving individualised diagnosis, personal prescriptions and ultimate wellbeing. Ayurvedic advice for women
For more information, see www.pukkaherbs.com or ring 0117 9640944. Sebastian's clinic is 01225 466944 or see his website for more information - www.herbalayurveda.com |
