Importance of Ayurveda in the West

Modern world has gifted us with enormous innovative tools and techniques that have made life easier to live. But an explicit insight on the pros and cons of this massive technological development instinctively fills our mind with a wide range of chaos! The more the world progresses technically, the more the human life steps ahead in stress, ailments and an innate mechanical progress. Thus life becomes so insensible that one is always deemed with worries and stress. What could be the apt antidote to this malady? Ayurveda stands distinct as the most holistic remedy to end this mechanical life and mark the start of a natural way of living filled with eternal bliss! This is the reason why Ayurveda is widely recognized in the west in recent times.

Ayurveda serves as the root for Traditional European Medicine (TEM), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Unani – a natural system of healing of the Middle Eastern world. This is the strong reason why Ayurveda is rightly called as the ‘Mother of Natural Healing’. With its genesis in ancient India, the essence of Ayurveda spread to the west with the advent of many foreigners who translated the Ayurvedic encyclopedias namely Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita to Arabic, Latin, German and English.

It is a well known fact that the first major plastic surgery in the western world was performed in 1815 by Carpue who spent 20 years in India to study the Ayurvedic surgery methods. Amazing right!!! This is just a single piece of information that is known to the world and there are much more Ayurvedic secrets to be revealed and relived.

Importance of Ayurveda in the West: Western Culture is more secured with massive man-made technologies that are strong enough to weaken the resources of nature of which human resource forms a major part. Decrease in physical efforts makes life more involuntary thus increasing the mental stress. Apart from this, the modern medical system deals only with the ailments rather than their root causes, resulting in a temporary relief with more side effects that make the ailments permanent and vulnerable. Thus, people are drawn towards the most dependable holistic approach that has a unique gift of a meaningful, mentally strong life with eternal peace for every individual.

To add more life to the fact that Ayurveda has found its place in the west, down comes the sturdy list of causes that has made the western world to feel the importance of Ayurveda.

  • Self-Realization for a Divine Living: Ayurvedic healing methodology includes a wide range of techniques of which Yoga, Meditation and Rejuvenation of the body and mind with effective Ayurvedic oils have gained wide attention in the West. These forms of practice leads to self-realization thus making one to realize the true purpose of living, paving way to eternal satisfaction and ecstasy of leading a meaningful life. Ayurveda serves its sole purpose of making one to realize self and live in harmony with self and nature thus giving comprehensiveness to human existence.
  • Good for All: Unlike modern medical system, Ayurveda is good for all individuals irrespective of their status of health. With its elegant regime, Ayurveda dignifies the diseased and strengthens the stronger ones leading to health and longevity.

Apart from this, Ayurveda remains as the most natural, less expensive medical system with homemade remedies of defensive nature. Effective utilization of Ayurvedic natural herbs, spices, vegetables and natural Ayurvedic Essential oils in your day to day living will support longevity and help you in the long run.

Ayurveda can be made more efficacious if its real essence is absorbed and utilized effectively. Studies have proved that Ayurveda is effective in the treatment of acute chronic diseases like diabetes and the integration of Ayurvedic Healing system with Modern therapy can pave way for finding a solution for some of the life threatening diseases like cancer.

One final yet valid reason that makes the West fascinated towards Ayurveda is its approach towards the patients that is lifted high with a sense of personal touch and care that is often missing in the western medical system.

As a true believer and benefiter of Ayurveda, I take this opportunity to thank all those strenuous efforts of the invaluable immortals who strived a lot in  bringing the knowledge of Ayurveda to the west that has served numerous people in the past and will continue to serve in the future as well!!!

Thought for the day:

“Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.” –Hippocrates

Suggested Reading:

  1. Ayurveda: A Comprehensive Guide to Traditional Indian Medicine for the West by Frank John, M.D. Ninivaggi
  2. Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness through Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and Western Science by Claudia Welch
  3. Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners: Familiar Western Food Prepared with Ayurvedic Principles by Amadea Morningstar

Reference Links:

  1. Ayurveda by Wikipedia
  2. Meditation by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  3. Differences between Ayurveda and Modern Medicine (Allopathy) by LuzySalud

Importance of Ayurveda in Today’s Lifeless Living

None of us can articulate a statement such as, ‘We are healthy, happy, resonate and can bounce back at any worst situation of our life’. This assertion does not exhibit the lack of self-confidence in you but pinpoints the negative environmental force and the turbulent lifestyle that dominates mankind and staying responsible for the decrease in the average life expectancy of human beings. Every man and woman is unique. Just as the lines in our palms, we are distinct and is the way of treating our health as well. Such a unique science of healing is called as Ayurveda, the intense knowledge of life and the right choice for harmonious living.

Why Ayurveda in today’s digital epoch? You may even wonder about choosing Ayurveda, the age old remedial practice for treating your illness and prevent you from forthcoming health discrepancies. This is the world of fast food items, instant cures, on the spot solutions and there’s an app for everything, which makes you even lethargic and reduces your life expectancy. Shocked??? Don’t get panic, I’m not saying that mobile apps are detrimental but they have actually complicated our life in the name of ‘simplifying it’. For example, but for a mobile app for online banking, you would have walked down to your nearby bank and the energetic physical exercise has been deserted. On the other hand, Ayurveda insists on meditation, physical exercises and yoga for hale and hearty living along with the ideal medication.

No more ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’: Human life is not a minimalist web design where one-size-fits-all concept triumphs in making excellent websites. This concept is followed in the modern medicinal system, where Ibuprofen is recommended for fever, pain and certain other discomforts for all. This may reduce the pain for time being but according to a 2010 based research, the habitual use of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) was coupled with raise in hearing impairments and lead to other adverse effects like dizziness, nausea, constipation, dyspepsia, hypertension, gastrointestinal bleeding and much more. This is because the contemporary system of curing fails to analyze the unique system of an individual.

Ayurveda, in turn traces out the special Ayurvedic body types also known as Dosha, namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha after which it focuses on treating the root cause of the illness. This holistic way of healing grants you the perfect diet, appropriate medication, regular meditation, unfailing physical exercises and pertinent yoga for a healthy, youthful, systematic and a balanced life based on your physical, emotional, social, environmental and mental attributes.

Ayurvedic therapy does not insist on swallowing pills blindly but proffers various remedies in the form of natural herbs, decoction, powder, tonic, medicated oils and Ayurvedic essential oils for curative massage and other treatment measures. It also trusts in the popular adage which says, ‘Food is medicine’ depicting that a balanced diet with all the essential nutrients can prevent you from health calamities and that is why Hippocrates rightly said ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.

Reference Links:

  1. Ibuprofen by Wikipedia
  2. Principles of Minimalist Web Design By Smashing Magazine
  3. Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) by MedicineNet.Com