Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Ayurveda
The Science of Self Healing


I often write about Asian methods of self healing, with a focus on Taoist healing arts. But my first introduction to alternative wellness methods was the study of Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda is considered by many in the East as the “Mother of all healing arts”. Pronounced “eye-oor-vay-dah” it is known as the science of life, prevention and longevity.

Ayurveda has its roots in India, where 2,000 year-old Ayurvedic writings have been found. This knowledge is also recorded in two of the Vedic texts: the Atharva and the Rig, which are more than 5,000 years old. Ayurveda was studied in other ancient cultures - in China, Egypt, Tibet and West Africa – who adapted them into their own natural healing systems.

I studied Ayurveda from 1995 to 1997 under Dr. Alex Guervaz at the New York Ayurveda Center. Dr. Guervaz was a medical doctor specializing in pathology (cancer) and allopathic medicine. Dr. Guervaz studied under Seami Sada Shiva and became a certified Ayurveda practitioner at the Bayville, New York, Ayurvedic Center.

Ayurveda specializes in holistic natural remedies and prevention, and it focuses on rebuilding the cells and tissues to support longevity. Its tools to provide healing are: herbs, yoga exercises (Ayurveda was established by the same great sages who created India’s original systems of Yoga and meditation), Vedic massages, steam therapy and sauna aromatherapy.

An Ayurvedic practitioner will use a personalized method of conducting a healing program by analyzing the individual’s constitution, also called the “health blueprint” or “body type”. This information is obtained through questionnaires that identify your body’s characteristics, known as the three doshas, or tridosha: “Vata (air) Pitta (fire) or Kapha (water).” Pulse and urine analysis are also used. It was during this time that I was introduced to Uropathy (see my blog article on this subject at www.theartofwarogers.com )

The focus of Ayurvedic healing is the search for the root cause of illness by using methods related to the 5 senses: taste (herbs); smell (aromatherapy); touch (oil massage); sounds (mantras); and sight (color therapy). In addition, it promotes a healthy balance of the 5 natural elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.

Dr Scott Gerson writes in his book Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Healing Art that, “All matter is composed of the five elements, which are the building blocks of existence, but only living matter has the three doshas, the three forces which govern all processes. The term dosha means ‘that which darkens or causes things to decay,’ reflecting the fact that, when out of balance, the doshas are the causative forces in the disease process”.

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda I recommend the following books: Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, by Dr. Vasant Lad , Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide, by Dr. David Frawley and Gerson’s book. You can also contact the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine www.ayurveda@niam.com 845 278-8700 or New York Ayurveda www.newyorkayurveda@gmail.com 212 616-4127.

As a certified Ayurvedic practitioner I often use my Ayurveda training when giving Ki Energy treatments.

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