Ayurvedic Medicine and the Universal Order

Ayurveda: Cosmic Beauty

Ayurveda is a medical science that stems from the cosmological and philosophical foundation of ancient India. This fertile field of knowledge and understanding has given rise to the deepest and most comprehensive science of health and life that the world has ever seen. Ancient Indian metaphysics perceived the universe as an integrated unit that bears analogous patterns at all levels of perspective, from the most broad to the most fine. Like a telescoping fractal, the path from the macrocosm to the microcosm and back again flows as fluidly as the Holy Ganges does from the Himalayas to the sea to the clouds and back to the tips of those sky scraping mountains. Everything is in everything and all is one.

In ayurvedic medicine the human body and human existence is perceived as a microcosm of the great cosmos, a small variation on the great motif which is at the heart of universal existence, a particular voicing of the eternal Aum. Health is the balance which bears life, just as order is the balance which bears existence. Bodily health follows from a healthy spirit, just as an ordered material world follows from the order of the immaterial. Beauty is the culmination of health, just as the flower is the culmination of the vital activities of the plant. This is a profound foundation from which to understand the beauty, that is, as the flowering of life. Beautiful perspective isn't it. Ayurvedic medicine cannot separate health from beauty, the vanity generally associated with beauty and beautifying products have no foundation in ayurvedic perspective, and ayurvedic products reflect this.

Ayurvedic products fundamentally treat the body to restore health, and even those which are for beautification purposes treat the health of the person because ayurvedic medicine sees beauty as the product of good health, they go hand in hand. Over the many millennia since its reception ayurvedic medicine has compiled a vast array of products and treatments for every variety of ailment but some of these more closely relate to the beauty of the body than others. Of all ayurvedic products, the range of creams and oils are probably the clearest example of this.

Ayurvedic creams and oils are special blends of the finest ingredients from all across India. Ingredients are carefully selected and blended both to address particular problems and for general rejuvenation. Creams are a great ayurvedic product for daily and localized use, and include three general types of ingredients, the base, the active herbs, and the aromatic herbs. The base for the most part utilize rich all natural creams from cows, buffalo, yak, and goat, ghee from these creams, or coconut milk. These all are very nourishing to the skin and cooling to the body, helping to restore balance to the blood and rejuvenate the skin. The active herbs included in a cream can vary greatly depending upon the specific purpose of the cream, for example, whether it be anti-fungal, anti-blemish, simply rejuvenative, or something else. The aromatic herbs will often include the finest flowers and spices India has to provide from the royal saffron or the holy lotus to the soothing lavender. Although these are not specifically regarded as 'active' herbs their activity is essential to the efficacy of these ayurvedic products.

Ayurvedic oils are likewise great for daily localized or whole body use, whether it be a quick self-massage or deep tissue relaxation therapy. Ayurvedic oils like creams include three general types of ingredients, the base, the active herbs, and the aromatic herbs. The base of ayurvedic oils will be any of the number of natural oils which India's flora bear, from coconut to sesame oil. Every oil has different energies and effects which render it particularly appropriate in different circumstances, as well as rendering it more or less appropriate for combination with various herbs. The active herbs used in ayurvedic oils will depend upon the base oil and the final treatment for which it is intended. Likewise, ayuvedic oils include any of the many flowers, spices, and essential oils for their powerful aromas. These aromatic ingredients are often used to aid in relaxation of the mind and the nerves, to help open up the subtle channels of the body and can even aid in the cleansing of the tissues.

Ayurvedic oils and creams provide great treatment for any manner of external condition. They play an important role in ayurvedic medicine in the restoration of complete health to the body and mind. They are all natural and thoroughly tested, some having been in use for more than two thousand years! There are few beauty products that treat beauty and the body in such a holistic and healthy way, making these ayurvedic products a great alternative to their synthetic counterparts. Whether to treat chronic skin conditions, dandruff, and hair loss, or just to soften and revitalize the skin there is an ayurvedic oil or cream specially formulated for the job. Whatever the need be, these ayurvedic products will help vanity fall from your mind and allow your true inner beauty to shine through.

Find more info on Ayurvedic Medicine: Read the book, "What Is Ayurvedic (All About Ayurveda)"

Ayurvedic Medicine- A Welcomed Alternative Approach

Ayurvedic Medicine is one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world and was originally practiced in India. While many of the practices and techniques of this alternative form of healing were documented, several techniques and therapies were handed down by word of mouth. Two main textbooks of Ayurvedic Medicine, titled the Caraka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita describe the eight branches of this alternative form of medicine and cover the followings: Internal medicine, surgery, treatment of head and neck disease, gynecology and pediatrics, toxicology, psychiatry, elder rejuvenation and sexual vitality.

Ayurvedic herbs and treatments are continually used in India where over 80% of its population relies on Ayurvedic medicine. With several underlying concepts that include the treatment of a person's mind, body and soul, this alternative medicine is geared to balance the body and eliminate impurities that affect the health.

Ayurvedic medicine offers over 600 herbal formulas and 250 plants that contain curative properties. At times these herbal remedies will be combined with metals to make naturally occurring substances, later to be used as an ayurvedic medicine for piles.

Piles, more commonly referred to as hemorrhoids, is a condition where blood vessels in the anus, as well as in the lower part of the large intestines, are enlarged and are subject to bleeding. While the causes of this condition are generally due to poor diet, long periods of sitting and lack of exercise, there are herbal, alternative forms of therapies that are used in a holistic manner to cure this condition. Ayurvedic remedies include triphalachurna, abhayarista and Arsha Harivati, to name a few.

The ayurvedic treatment triphalachurna should be taken for piles on a daily basis for sufferers with constipation. The medicine is designed to alleviate constipation by mixing 2 tablespoons of powder in a lukewarm glass of water to be taken nightly just before bedtime. By ingesting this medicine, the pressure caused by constipation will be lessened and the hemorrhoids gone. Ingesting 30 ml of Abhayarista, an oral liquid, is also helpful for constipation. To hasten recovery, Triphalachurna can be added to a bathtub, filled with warm water, where the patient sits for at least 30 minutes.

In Ayurvedic medicine, diabetes is classified as a metabolic disorder where diminished functioning of the pancreas leads to higher levels of blood sugar. Just like when treating any ailment, the particular body type of the patient - VATA, Pitta or Kapha - is considered when treating diabetes. Practitioners offering Ayurvedic treatment attack the disorder from several different fronts: Diet modification, a cleansing program referred to as Panchakarma, and ayurvedic medicines for diabetes will be used throughout the treatment. The most important herbs used in this treatment are shilajit, gudmar turmeric, neem, amalaki, guggul and arjuna. Each herbal medicine will play its own part in regulating pancreas and liver functions.

Each herb will be used in a different fashion a number of times per day. Some of the herbs will be added to various fruit juices or water, while others will be ingested in a form of capsules or rubbed on the body in a form of herbal paste.

While there are several over-the-counter and prescribed cough and cold medicines on the market, some prefer to take a natural approach in treating their ailments. Ayurvedic medicine provides many natural remedies for sufferers of colds and coughs. These medicines include boiled vegetables, teas, hot milk with ginger and milk with turmeric. These medicinal, curative, drinks help activate the body's immune system, remove mucus from the body, which in turn alleviate the cough symptoms

All students of Ayurvedic Medicine learn that the ultimate Ayurvedic treatment one can offer, is one that emphasizes a holistic approach where the physical, emotional and spiritual states of the patient are taken into consideration during, both, diagnosis and treatment.

Ayurveda as a form of medicine is natural, safe, effective and affordable. No wonder, therefore, that out of all the alternative medicines practiced in the world, Ayurvedic Medicine remains the most popular form of alternative medicine and a very welcomed alternative approach indeed.

Now that you know Ayurvedic Medicine is non-toxic, safe, natural, effective and very affordable - Read the book, "What Is Ayurvedic (All About Ayurveda)"