Why Ayurveda Therapy?
The aim of every healing system is to provide relief and cure from diseases, but not all systems of healing is targeted at prevention of diseases and to provide overall well-being.
Why Ayurveda?
Each system has its own approach and limitations. Yet Ayurveda, with its holistic approach and natural methods aims at prevention and management, and helps in getting rid of disease from its roots. Wherever possible, it works towards providing a permanent cure.
Though it’s a more than 5,000-year-old healing science, Ayurveda is extremely logical and clear in its approach. This ancient science underlines the need to live in tune with nature and aims to boost the body’s immunity, thus aiding in preventing and fighting against all types of diseases. Ayurveda treatment involves a coordinated effort between the doctor and the patient for the prevention, management and healing of diseases.
Why should you go for Ayurvedic treatment?
Ayurveda is witnessing a great revival worldwide with thousands of people looking for a holistic, sustainable, safe and effective form of treatment. India, being the birthplace of Ayurveda, has a lot to offer to the world in the treatment of various types of disease – even those labelled incurable by modern science. There are several advantages of going for Ayurvedic treatment, some of them are explained below.
Works at the root cause
Ayurveda is not a system of healing that provides only relief from symptoms. It aims to restore health by working on the underlying causes of the disease. So, you will hear a lot about detoxification, cleansing, strengthening and rejuvenation in Ayurveda. It’s a simple science based on a common sense approach, a rare commodity in today’s world.
For instance, when a patient complains of headache, burning in the eyes, acidity and fungal infection on skin, for him they are four different problems. But for an Ayurvedic doctor, they all indicate impairment of pitta dosha. In such a case, the patient cannot become fully healthy unless impaired pitta dosha is brought under control, which will help to treat and provide a cure to all the four problems.
Ayurveda always aims to attack the root cause of the disease – its objective is not to suppress a particular symptom but to restore harmony and balance. It tries to accomplish this by balancing of impaired doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), digestion and elimination of toxins, strengthening of digestive fire, opening up of channels, and rejuvenation of dhatus (tissues). Thus, detoxification and cleansing is an integral part of Ayurveda science. These cleansing is not only done through medications or Panchakarma therapies, but also through a well-planned diet and the right lifestyle.
Safe and Natural of Ayurvedic Treatments
Why Ayurveda Therapy ?
Ayurveda is a science that does not believe in suppressing symptoms to provide relief. It focuses on curing a disease without creating a new one. Unlike allopathic medicines, it does not cause fatal or irreversible damage to the human body in the form of side effects. Side effects are rare in Ayurveda. Even if it occurs it might be due to your body’s intolerance to some types of herbs and minerals, or if you are not following the diet and lifestyle advice as per instructions.
Ayurveda works by triggering your natural healing mechanism and uses the gift of nature (herbs, oils, minerals, fruits, spices etc.) to create a natural balance in the body. It not only works on a particular disease but aims to restore and maintain overall health and well-being.
Unique Treatment
Unlike many other health systems, Ayurveda looks at an individual holistically. It doesn’t treat any disease just by giving some tablets or capsules, but puts a lot of emphasis on food regimen, lifestyle, mental and spiritual approach, and conduct of the individual. Ayurveda moves beyond the one-size-fits-all approach for deciding a line of treatment. Rather, it takes into consideration several factors such as,
The state of an individual’s doshas (vata/ pitta/ kapha)
The state of the dhatus (tissues) (blood/muscles etc.)
The state of malas or excreta (stool/ urine)
The state of maha bhutas or elements ( fire/ water etc.)
The state of the srotas or body channels
The state of the mind
Behavioural signs
Primary and secondary symptoms
Impairment of the doshas, dhatus and other factors can differ in patients even when they may have the same disease. Since Ayurveda aims at balancing the imbalanced factors and restore the impaired factors, Ayurvedic treatment differs from patient to patient and is customized according to different individuals. Not just the form of medicines, even the recommended lifestyle, food regimen, type of exercises, nature of tonics and timings of taking medicines can differ from patient to patient.
Works on all levels – Why Ayurveda ?
Ayurveda considers a human being to an amalgamation of the body, mind and soul. So, a patient’s approach, attitude and conduct are often responsible for causing him health problems. The fact that a negative attitude or negative thoughts can affect mental as well as physical health was well known to Ayurveda even thousands of years ago. Also, it was well known that overindulgence or deprivation from sex, overeating or excess fasting, and lack of activity and over exertion was all harmful for the body and led to disharmony and disease. Therefore, practice of Yoga, meditation and attention towards one’s conduct are an integral part of Ayurvedic treatment.
Helps to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle – Why Ayurveda ?
Why Ayurveda therapy ?
Until just a few decades ago modern science never looked at the role of diet and lifestyle in the manifestation and management of disease. On the other hand, this ancient science has been doing so for thousands of years. As such, the Ayurvedic system has reached an expertise in the role of food and lifestyle in diseases.
For example, it is a fact that excess consumption of sweets can cause your blood sugar level to shoot up, while spicy food can lead to ulcers or acidity. Going late to bed and sleeping till late in the morning can disturb the metabolism and cause metabolic disorders. Ayurveda recognized these facts long ago and charted out easy and practical guidelines and regimens for food and lifestyle. When an individual taking Ayurvedic treatment follows a planned dietary and lifestyle regimen, and sees how it’s affecting his health positively, it motivates him more to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, thus guiding him towards a healthy, fruitful and a long life.
Ayurveda FAQs – Why Ayurveda?
Below, you will find answers to some frequently asked questions that you may have regarding Ayurvedic treatment. We believe this will help you make an informed decision, whether you are undergoing Ayurvedic Treatment or plan to go for one in the near future.
Will Ayurveda take a long time to improve or cure my problem?
Why Ayurveda Treatments ?
One of the fundamental principles of Ayurveda is to treat a patient on a holistic level. Instead of just providing relief from symptoms, it identifies the root cause of the disease and aims to give you a permanent cure, wherever possible. Instead of a short-term cure and instant relief, Ayurveda focuses on giving you long-term health and well-being, which is bound to take some time.
Similar to any type of treatment, the time taken for improvement or cure of your disease in Ayurveda depends upon the severity and type of your disease. The stage at which you go for Ayurvedic treatment makes a huge difference. If you have been living it for the last 5-10 years, you can’t expect to see improvements in a few weeks. The longer you wait to go for Ayurvedic treatment, the longer it will take to get relief and treat the condition. However, if you sincerely follow the diet and lifestyle advice given to you by your Ayurvedic doctor, and take your medicines regularly on time, Ayurvedic treatment is sure to show improvements in a relatively shorter period of time.
Do I have to follow many food restrictions while undergoing Ayurvedic treatment?
An Ayurvedic doctor will advise food restrictions depending upon the state, severity and the type(s) of disease you are suffering from. There are some food restrictions in Ayurveda because while a particular food can be beneficial for a specific disease or problem, the same food can worsen another disease or aggravate the symptoms. As such, diet plans are carefully designed by your Ayurvedic doctor so that the food you take works as medicine provided you take them as per instructions.
The doctor may ask you to avoid certain foods because they have the capacity to aggravate symptoms, while others are recommended because they have the capacity to not only alleviate symptoms, but aid in making the treatment more effective. If you follow dietary restrictions and a proper diet plan, you can avoid further deterioration of the disease and take a step closer to healing. This is regardless of whether you are taking Ayurvedic or some other types of treatment.
Do Ayurvedic medicines contain toxic metals?
Why Ayurveda Therapy ?
Most Ayurvedic preparations contain only herbal ingredients while a few of them contain minerals. Preparations with minerals are fast-acting and the ingredients are thoroughly purified before being added to the medicine. The herbo-minerals that we use in making medicines at Jiva have never been found to be harmful. At Jiva, we manufacture medicines and products at our HACCP and GMP certified manufacturing facility where we follow stringent quality control and hygiene to ensure that you get the medicine in the purest and safest form.
Do Ayurvedic medicines have side effects?
Ayurvedic medicines are made from natural ingredients such as herbs and minerals. Often, herbal juices are mixed to make them more potent. The manufacturing process, which is supervised by expert Vaidyas, is designed to clean, purify and enhance the potency of the formula. Secondly, both the dosage of the medicine as well as the time it is consumed is very important. If taken according to the instructions of your Ayurvedic doctor, these medicines are safe and do not have side effects.
Thirdly, Ayurvedic medicines work primarily on the root cause of the disease. Hence, just having the medicines is not enough. You need to follow a proper diet and lifestyle to control the condition and work towards healing the problem. For example, if you complain of burning and itching sensation on your skin, you will be given Ayurvedic medicines to reduce these symptoms. At the same time you will be advised to stay away from food and drinks that are heating in nature.
If you do not follow the diet prescribed by the doctor, you may develop some problems. You may think these as side effects of the medicine, but in reality, it will be because of your faulty diet and lifestyle. Make sure that you inform the doctor if you are allergic to any particular food or herb to avoid any complications during the treatment.
Are Ayurvedic medicines heating in Nature? – Why Ayurveda ?
Not all Ayurvedic medicines are heating in nature. The potency of the medicine can vary greatly depending on the herbs being used – some increase heat, while others have a cooling effect on the body. These medicines are prescribed based on the prakriti (constitution) of the patient and the condition of the disease. Thus, it would be wrong to assume that all Ayurvedic medicines are heating in nature.
People tell me that Ayurvedic medicines have a bitter or pungent taste. What do I do about that?
Why Ayurveda Treatments?
Not all Ayurvedic medicines taste or smell bad. There are plenty of formulations that are not bitter but have a specific herbal taste, like sweet, pungent, tangy, and sour. The final taste of the medicine will depend upon the ingredients used to make it.
For instance, we prescribe blood purifiers for skin diseases, which tend to be bitter. But that is only because the body and skin need a bitter/pungent tasting herb to effectively facilitate the cleansing process. In such cases, the doctor will suggest a medium like honey or mishri (rock candy) to make the medicine more palatable.
It is important to remember that these medicines are formulated to get rid of your chronic disorders. While taking the medicines, you should be thinking about the relief you will get from the disease, and how it is bringing you closer to good health rather than being worried about its taste. After all, medicines are not manufactured for delighting your taste buds, they are meant to be effective in curing a disease or disorder.
Why Ayurveda – Can I take Ayurvedic medicines along with my regular allopathic medicines?
Why Ayurveda Treatments?
We generally don’t advise to immediately discontinue allopathic medicines if you are under treatment for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, neurological disorders, arthritis, mental disorders and heart diseases. Besides, there is no harm in taking both types of medicines as long as you keep your Ayurvedic doctor informed. However, it is important to maintain at least an hour’s gap between the two types of medications. In due course of time, depending on your progress, the Ayurvedic doctor may reduce the dose of the allopathic medicines. Make sure that you follow any advice or recommendation given by your Ayurvedic doctor regarding this process.
