The Significance of Ayurveda in the Modern Era: A Timeless Wellness Tradition
Ayurveda is an ancient system of Indian Medicine. It is a 5000-year-old system of natural healing that originated in Vedic culture. Ayurveda focuses on holistic and natural healing, going beyond the physical body to touch the spirit and consciousness.
Traditional medical systems disappeared, but Ayurveda has endured. It is a traditional system backed by scientific research. Ayurveda is experiencing a resurgence worldwide. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine are rooted in Ayurveda.
More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behaviour and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.
Tridoshas
According to Ayurveda, three bodily humors or Doshas make up an individual. The health of an individual depends on the balance between the Doshas or bodily humors called Kapha, Pitta and Vata-Tridosha.
According to Ayurveda, three bodily humors or Doshas make up an individual. The health of an individual depends on the balance between the Doshas or bodily humors called Kapha, Pitta and Vata-Tridosha. While Vata Dosha mobilizes the function of the nervous system, Pitta Dosha plays a key role in digestion by using bile and thus bile to direct digestion and improve blood circulation Kapha Dosha is related to lubrication, mucous, and carrying of nutrients into the arterial system. Ayurveda works on the fundamental concept of Tri doshas. To have a deeper understanding of Ayurveda and its benefits, it is important to understand the Tri Doshas.
Concept of Pancha Maha Bhutas
The concept of Panchmahabhuta (Five elements) is the foundation of Ayurveda to understand its physiology (normal functioning), pathology (disease formation) & pharmacokinetics (movement of drug within the body).
Ayurveda believes that everything in this universe is made up of five basic elements. These five elements are earth (Prithvi), water (jal), fire (Agni or tej), air (Vayu) and ether or space (Akash) and collectively they are termed Panchmahabhuta.
These are the minutest elements, which constitute living and non-living matters. Everything, including drugs, herbs and living beings is made of these basic elements. Every matter contains all of these five elements. Depending on the predominance of the content, the matter is classified as Parthiva, Apya, Taijasa, Vayaviya and Akashiya( With the predominance of earth, water, fire, air and space respectively). The permutation and combination of these elements and their quantity in a given matter determines its properties.
Ayurveda understands body, mind, and spirit likewise. It divides the constitution of people into three categories—Vata (ether/air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water/earth). These are three basic energies or life forces that are the biological derivatives of the five elements, and they govern all the functions and structure of the body or its existence as a whole.
Evolution of Pancha Maha Bhuta.
|
Mahabhuta /Element |
Main Sense |
Main |
|
Space/Ether |
Shabda |
Apratighatatwa |
|
Air/Vayu |
Shabda+Sparsha |
Chalatwa |
|
Fire /Agni |
Shabda+Sparsha |
Ushnatwa/ |
|
Water/Jal |
Shabda+Sparsha |
Ushnatwa |
|
Earth/Prithvi |
Shabda+Sparsha+ |
Kharatwa/ Roughness |
Ayurveda describes five basic elements as pancha maha bhuta.
In the human body, the correspondence of the presence of pancha maha bhuta is as follows.
Space - Represents the voids within the body such as the mouth, nostrils, and abdomen.
Air - denotes the muscular and nervous system.
Fire - controls the functioning of enzymes and corresponds to the functioning of the digestive system and metabolism.
Water - is all body fluids like plasma, saliva and digestive juices.
Earth - manifests itself in solid structures, such as bones, teeth, flesh and hair.
The panchamahabhuta therefore serves as the foundation for all diagnosis and treatment modalities in Ayurveda and has served as a most valuable theory for physicians to detect the disease and treat the illness of body and mind.