The Art of Healthy Living
Thank you all for submitting your Ayurveda related questions to the editorial staff. On occasion I will respond to queries that have been reviewed by the editorial staff and presented for my feedback. For responses to earlier questions, please see previous editions of the CSULB Black Scholars Newsletter.
Question #4 - What are the overall health benefits of Ayurveda versus mainstream Western Medicine?
Rooted in Indian tradition, Ayurveda has been practiced for thousands of years and offers a holistic approach to health and wellness, focused on disease prevention.
Here are 10 reasons why I believe Ayurveda is the most effective system anyone can use to manage their health, address any chronic condition, and maximize their health span.
Ayurvedic treatments and therapies are usually more cost effective than allopathic care. Some can even be made using common spices and herbs already found in our kitchens, at farmer’s markets or local gardens. When we consider the cost of prescriptions, surgeries, time off required for recovery from “procedures” and potential complications, the financial cost really adds up.
The science of Ayurveda works directly in concert with the natural laws of nature. It encourages us to move through life in sync with the cycles and flow of nature. Rather than fighting against the tide, we are encouraged to take charge of our surfboard and ride the waves of life. Like everything in the universe that works in cycles and rhythms, every cell in the human body is tied to circadian rhythms designed to maximize internal and external cellular communication, optimize immune defenses, and maximize physical & mental health. Ayurveda recognizes these trends in life: youth, middle age, and old age. Everything in the natural world has a growing period, a peak and an eventual decline and our lives are no different.
Ayurveda recognizes the whole person instead of just parts of the person. The practitioner examines the characteristics of the individual’s personality, habits, diet, & lifestyle as well as any obvious causes for illness; whereas Allopathic doctors use a one size fits all approach that ignores significant aspects of the person and rarely acknowledges the immense influence of our diet, customs and traumas.
Ayurveda encourages us to love, understand, and accept ourselves. Each person has a unique blend of bioactive energies, known as the three doshas (vata, pitta, & kapha) that influence their mental, physical and emotional expression. The science of Ayurveda considers our individual constitution and its impact on determining how we mentally and physically react to environmental pressures and circumstances. Our personal happiness and self-acceptance are seen as vital to recovery, development and strength. For this science to be effective we must take responsibility for our own health.
Ayurvedic practices and therapies work to address the cause of dis-ease and are preventative while working synergistically to improve multiple symptoms and avoid greater complications. In allopathic medicine, the patient is seen as a collection of symptoms to be stopped or reduced, regardless of whether the cause of the disease is addressed or even identified. The main goal in allopathy is to reduce or eliminate symptoms of a disease but it often does not address the causative factors of a disease.
The first protocol is called Nidana Privarjanan, avoid the cause. Stop the behavior or intake of the substance causing the illness. Whatever the cause, STOP IT, while detoxing and fortifying the mind and body. This may seem like common sense but if we stop and think about all the things we do out of habit, ritual, for comfort or self-soothing, we soon come to understand how powerful and effective this strategy can be when consistently applied over time. It eventually will cause us to rethink our priorities, question our choices, and reclaim our personal power.
Ayurveda focuses on strengthening and improving digestive health. A weak digestive system is seen as the gateway for illness and disease. Agni (or digestive power) is the foundation for wellbeing and longevity. Practitioners customize dietary recommendations based on the client’s unique constitution, often using common herbs and spices to rekindle the digestive fire and dissolve toxins trapped in the body.
Ayurvedic Medicine is a part of a complementary or integrative approach to health that can be practiced along with other types of holistic care, such as chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, massage therapy, functional medicine, etc.
Although there is always a possibility of contraindication with allopathic drugs; Ayurvedic herbs and concoctions are nonaddictive with no side effects, if used as directed. Whereas allopathic drugs typically come with a laundry list of side effects that most likely increase with extended use over time and/ or increased dosage.
Ayurveda has several strategies and techniques for addressing stress and anxiety. Treatments like abhyanga, shirodhara, and a variety of custom herbal teas work at a cellular level to calm nerves and relax the body and mind. Seasonal and daily lifestyle practices such as Ritucharya & Dinacharya), detox programs like panchakarma, meditation, and breathing exercises (called pranayama) bring clarity, calm and mindfulness to the forefront while putting us in synch with the natural rhythms of life.
Ayurveda is an ancient holistic system of healing that is over 5000 years old yet is still practiced today in many countries including the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, China, India, Japan, and South Korea. In India alone over 400 colleges, universities, and institutions teach Ayurveda. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) estimates that around 250 million American adults currently use Ayurvedic medicine. It includes a multifaceted philosophy that acknowledges the interdependence of the mind, body, and spirit and recognizes the significance that our daily lifestyle has on our health. It is a “sister science” to the philosophy and practice of Yoga, embracing the concept of self-realization and self-awareness to bring about peace. Grounded by the concept of the five elements (panchamahabotas) as the components of everything existing in the universe, ayurveda uses a blend of lifestyle and dietary principles, detoxification therapies, herbal supplements, as well as seasonal and daily routines to bring balance and stability to our lives.
