Ayurveda is a holistic way of life that promotes health and prevents diseases. Ayurveda acknowledges that the body is not static. It has to maintain a dynamic equilibrium; it must change as it ages and as external factors are altered.
Balance the body
Like everything in nature, our bodies are made up of five elements – air, earth, water, fire and space. These elements combine to form the tridoshas – Vata, Pitta and kapha. When one or more dosha becomes imbalanced, disease is manifested. Through rigorous diagnosis, it is possible for an Ayurveda physician to bring the body back into balance.
Choose prevention and promotion of health
Ayurveda can diagnose a disease long before its symptoms become tangible. As a result, it is able to intervene early and suggest preventive measures that lead one towards wellness.
Similarly, after mapping the uniqueness of an individual, it is able to prescribe lifestyle and nutritional changes for the individual to lead a long and healthy life.
Fix the root cause
Symptoms are not the same as the disease. Ayurveda promises to go deeper than disease management and higher than mere treat. It fixes root causes and delivers wellness.
Design tailor made treatments
Ayurveda begins diagnosing a patient by Vata, Pitta a comprehensive personal profile that helps identify the patient’s Prakruti (the preponderance of vata, pitta and kapha) as well as life experiences, lifestyle choices, etc. Treatment is then tailored according to the unique needs of the patient.
Ayurveda knows that one person’s medicine is another’s poison. For instance, moderate consumption of bitter gourd juice works well for patients with diabetes and for those with the kapha and Pitta Prakruti. But it can lead to disastrous results for those with the vata prakruti.
Approach the medicine holistically
Nature creates only whole life forms. When we consume a natural ingredient as a whole, we embrace all of its beneficial qualities without experiencing any of its side effects. For instance, a tulsi leaf is loaded with medicinal properties. But if one synthesizes a molecule out of this tulsi leaf, it could lead to unforecasted side effects. So while making medicines, Ayurveda shows respect to nature by taking everything that the life form has to offer.
Keep morality out of health
Contrary to popular opinion, Ayurveda does not look at human beings through a moral prism. Therefore, when individuals choose to consume non-vegetarian food, alcohol, etc. it will design treatments accordingly while advocating moderation and legality.
Approach the human holistically
Ayurveda does not treat a single ailment. While treating diabetes, for instance, it seeks to restore the human body back to its original state of processing sugar efficiently. The interconnectedness of all organs is taken into account during the treatment. Ayurveda, therefore, has the wisdom to give a patient of stroke an enema to reduce the accumulation of fluid in his brain. The rectum can expel what the brain cannot handle. Finally, Ayurveda acknowledges the connection between the body and the mind, and relies on counselling as an enhancement to bodily treatments.