Principle and practices of Ayurveda

Ayurveda, as we know, is the India's ancient system of medicines and some people think it as a mythical knowledge but as we go through Ayurveda, we can understand that each and very principle has some basics in it. It has a very scientific and systemic approach. Ayurveda is actually an art of maintaining health and curing diseases. Charaka says the mind, soul and body form 3 pillars, on which not only the human being existence rests but also that of the world.

Per Ayurveda, Human body is said to be composed of five elemental tatvas: “Air”, “Water”, “Wind”, “Fire” and ”Earth”(They are also called as “Mahabhutas”) consisting seven Dhatus or  tissues of plasma (rasa dhātu), blood (rakta dhātu), flesh (māṃsa dhātu), adipose (medha dhātu), bone (asthi dhātu), marrow (majja dhātu), and reproductive (śukra dhātu).

In Ayurveda there are 20 fundamental qualities ( guṇa) inherent in all substances, arranged in ten pairs of antonyms: heavy/light, cold/hot, unctuous/dry, dull/sharp, stable/mobile, soft/hard, non-slimy/slimy, smooth/coarse, minute/gross, vicious/liquid.

Hygiene is a central practice of ayurvedic medicine . The central theme is to maintain balance within the mind and body. Disturbance to balance leads to illness. Thus emphasis is placed on moderation of food intake, sleep, exercise and meditation.

Ayurveda was called "the science of eight components" - a classification that became canonical for ayurveda. They are:

• Kāya-chikitsā: "cure of diseases affecting the skin" (dermatology)
• Kaumāra-bhṛtya "treatment of children" (paediatrics)
• Śhalya-chikitsā Surgery, "removal of any substance which has entered the body (as extraction of darts, of splinters, etc.)"
• Śālākya-tantra "cure of diseases of the eye or ear etc. by sharp instruments" (ophthalmology)
• Bhūta-vidyā "treatment of mental diseases supposed to be produced by demoniacal influence" (demonology / exorcism/psychiatry)
• Agada-tantra "doctrine of antidotes" (toxicology)
• Rasayana-tantra "doctrine of elixirs"
• Vājīkaraṇa tantra "doctrine of aphrodisiacs"