Ayurveda – 10 basic facts everyone needs to know

Ayurveda is a medical practice that originated in India. Thought to be far superior than other forms of medicine, it promises treatment for various ailments that would not normally not be found in other systems of medicine. If you are looking to get treated by the Ayurveda system of medicine, here are 10 facts about the practice.

Fact 1: The principles are basic yet extremely effective

Ayurveda is based on the principle that the body is made up of 5 elements – space, air, water, fire and earth. When all these elements work in congruence they make a healthy person. While all of us have all the five elements, they are in different proportions in our body – making a person one of these three – vata, kapha or pitta. An imbalance in any of these elements makes a person ill and a realignment of these humours can cure a disease.

According to Dr Ramesh, CMD of Aryavaidyasala, Kotakkal, ‘Although all these five elements flow through the body at all times, each individual has certain elements which are more dominant than the others. For instance, a person having a vata constitution has more of air and space; pitta has more of fire and water, and kapha, water and earth. At the time of conception, each person’s predominant constitution (prakriti) is created by the way in which the three doshas combine through the union of parents. Besides genetic, the prakriti is also affected by emotions, diet, lifestyle, and even environmental factors like climate and time of the day. Once a person recognises his prominent dosha, a lot can be done to take care of the diseases that one is most prone to.’

Fact 2: The three doshas make you who you are

Before you scoff at the idea, here is what Ayurvedic practitioners believe. A person who is of a particular dosha has unique characteristics. Due to the dominance of one of the doshas it affects a person’s temperament, the diseases that can affect him and even governs how he react to stress. Apart from that it also dictates the type of body structure he has and the foods he is likely to love….

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