About Ayurveda

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is both a way of life and a system of medicine that has been practiced worldwide for over 5,000 years and can be developed as the oldest healing method known to man. Ayus means “life” and Veda means “knowledge”. Ayurveda is therefore in the broadest sense of the word ‘knowledge about life’.

This knowledge comes from the Vedas, the oldest Indian scriptures, in which one assumes a holistic view of man. Lifestyle and diet form an important part of Ayurvedic treatment.

Good health comes from a proper balance of three life energies called Doshas, which are a combination of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether). These five elements are clustered into three life energies to know:

Vata: contains the elements air and ether

Pitta: contains the elements water and fire

Kapha: contains the elements earth and water

Ayurveda has evolved over the millennia, making it a dynamic science. In the classical works, however, already includes a subdivision into specialties and controls, which partly predates the classifications that we have in modern medicine today.

Ayurveda was officially recognized as a medicine by the WHO (World Health Organization) in 1977, with the remark that it often offers solutions where Western medicine stops.

What can Ayurveda do for you?

Due to the holistic approach, Ayurveda works on the body, mentally and physically. Ayurveda treats the whole person, not just the illness or complaints. In Ayurvedic treatment, the cause is treated and not just solved. The main power of Ayurveda is that it increases your / your own self-reinforced power.

Imbalance of the doshas (life energies) both mentally and physically can lead to a reduced sense of well-being or even illness. Too much stress from waste products in the body is usually the basis of a large number of complaints. The accumulation of waste is often caused by a diet and lifestyle that does not suit your / your personal dosha.

An important step in the Ayurvedic treatment plan is to rid the body and mind of the accumulated waste. Precisely because Ayurveda is holistic, the treatment works on different levels: nutrition, lifestyle and attitude to life. Ayurveda uses various treatment methods and/or therapies to balance the body and mind.

Source: ANVAG (The General Dutch Association for Ayurvedic Medicine).