From the official AYRUVEDA - THE ART OF BEING WEBSITE

http://www.AyurvedaFilm.com/

AN INTRODUCTION Originating in India and then spreading to Egypt, Greece, Rome, Tibet, China, Russia and Japan, Ayurveda is probably the oldest continually practiced holistic health care system on the planet. It's estimated to be between 2500 and 5000 years old.

The word Ayurveda comes from Sanskrit words, Ayus meaning life and longevity, and Veda meaning Knowledge or Science. Therefore, Ayurveda is The Science of Life, specifically referring to harmonious integration of the body, mind, senses and spirit; An art of living, an art of being.

This ancient system was devised after careful observations of hundreds of thousands of individuals, animals, plants, trees and nature in general, over thousands of years. Ancient Ayurvedists recorded in encyclopedic writings the strategies that worked and those didn't for every aspect of health and way of living. The result: A highly sophisticated nature-friendly healing system that has its foundation an immensely valuable herbal and spiritual science.

Furthermore, a stream of scientific studies nowadays, continues to provide confirmation of their efficacy and a better understanding of Ayurveda.

During the two centuries of colonial rule, Ayurveda almost went un-noticed by the British due to its complicated ancient Sanskrit and pali text or most of them did not believe in it or discarded it as some esoteric healing. Furthermore, the British Empire no longer funded Ayurvedic training and over the next century much knowledge and understanding were lost.

However some Ayurveda and Ayurvedic formula did make it to the west and extreme orient. The most popular one which we all know would be "Amala" and "Aritha" fruits to make "champoo" for hair which gave birth to modern day "Shampoo" in use until this day including the word.

European surgeons translated and brought into practice Indian surgery technics described in the Sushruta Samhita (1000 B.C.) including that of to repair damage to the face; traditional aesthetic treatment which was devised to restore the beauty of the Maharajas and princes who were deformed while fighting a battle. This technique fostered the discipline we now call plastic surgery.

Greeks and Arabs were totally inspired by Ayurveda. 'Unani' Greco-Arabic medicine manuscripts describe in detail the knowledge of Ayurveda and technics adopted to suit their needs and stressed that all doctors were incomplete without a visit to India and knowledge of its medicines. Chinese travellers regularly came to learn at Nalanda university and took back with them Marma science which we today know as Chinese acupuncture. Tibetan medicine is essentially Ayurveda efficiently adopted for use in high altitude plateaus of Tibet. Meditation known as 'Dhyan' is Sanskrit to restore the peace of mind, travelled and became Chyan, then Chen and by the time it reached Japan it became Zen.

Thus, Ayurveda for centuries has prevailed consciously or unconsciously in our existence regardless of where we live; but is still awaiting its long due to be in light. Only because our era of mad-cows, crazy chickens and polyester pigs demands it. Rise in global temperature has created havocs in year 2000 and worst is still to come. In the times of net, news and nuclear we as mankind are asking this question more seriously then ever before: Whether healthy man means healthy earth or healthy earth means healthy man?

Ayurveda posed that question nearly 2000 years ago.

FURTHER NOTES: THE SCIENCE OF LIFE

Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, was founded in the Himalayas and Southern India before or around 5000 years ago by sages and gurus who did not separate the external world from man's inner world, nor did they isolate man's spiritual anguish from his other sufferings.

Ayurveda views life as a totality; physiological, psychological, environmental, and spiritual aspects are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent.

Ayurveda recognises the unique constitutional differences of all individuals and therefore recommends different regimens for different types of people. Although two people may appear to have the same outward symptoms, their energetic constitutions may be very different and therefore call for very different remedies.

Ayurveda focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of the life energies within us, rather than focusing on individual symptoms.

Ayurveda has its roots in the same spiritual traditions of India from which Yoga, meditation and astrology have developed. Ayurveda is a complete medical system which is closely allied with the Hindu philosophy of creation; that the source of all existence is spirit, or absolute pure consciousness, manifested as male and female energies. Ayurveda assists Nature by promoting harmony between the individual and Nature by living life of balance according to her laws.

FIVE ELEMENTS: THE AYURVEDIC SYSTEM OF HEALING

The Ayurvedic system of healing teaches that five elements known as Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space (ether) are found manifested in the human body as three bio-energy principles, known as the three humors or Tri-doshas, called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

The five elements can be seen to exist in the material universe at all scales both organic and inorganic, from peas to planets. When they enter into the biology of a living organism, man for example, they acquire a biological form. This means that the five elements are coded into three biological forces Tri-doshas which govern all life processes.

The three Doshas are actually condensed forms of the five elements: Vata is the element of air and space, Pitta is fire and water, and Kapha is water and earth.

Tri-doshas regulate every physiological and psychological process in the living organism. The interplay among them determines the qualities and conditions of the individual. A harmonious state of three doshas creates balance and health; an imbalance which might be an excess or deficiency manifests as a sign or symptom of disease.

Everyone has three doshas present in their constitutional makeup, but in unique combinations. In a nutshell, each of us is born with a basic psycho-physiologically balanced constitution called Prakriti that remains same through out our lives. Prakriti literally means nature. Nature in this context, means the creative force within us seeking its own balance.

However, many of us have a doshic or humoral imbalance which is referred to as Vikriti in Ayurveda. In other words, we fall out of balance with our individual basic nature and disease results. Then Ayurveda returns to the same nature for cure: and uses life style, diet, herbs, aroma therapy, colour therapy, cleansing techniques, yoga and meditation to balance the three doshas according to our individual constitution.

Briefly, Ayurveda is a science that teaches us how to live in a true natural balance. This is not limited to the proper functioning of our mind, body, senses and soul but extends further in establishing a natural and balanced relationship with the nature as a whole. This includes a balanced relationship between us and all the creatures, work, home, environment, society, ideas, customs and finally the love.

Hope is nature's way of enabling us to survive so that we can discover nature itself.