Mother of all healing Sciences...Ayurveda

Do you remember life before the age of technology took over? Or life before the World Wide Web

became part of our daily lives? Interestingly enough, these modern day advancements are not as old as

we think they might be; it was 1977 when the first Apple 2 home computer was introduced to the world.

In a matter of a couple of decades, technology has become part of our everyday lives. It’s common

practice to hear and say, “Without my cell phone, I don’t know how I would survive.”

The point being, there was a world that existed before we all become connected in and powered on by

our smartphones, computers, and cyber worlds. For the vast majority of us living in developed nations,

the world without sophisticated technologies is one that is slowly becoming a distant memory.

However, people have started to notice this change and some are realizing that this is not the direction

they want their lives to go. Most recently, this has been exhibited through our nation’s response to the

foods and products we have introduced to our bodies. There has been a national outcry to reduce or

eliminate the hormones and pesticides that were starting to become a norm in our lives. We are finally

taking notice to the obesity rates that are plaguing our nation, to the cancer rates that are at an all-time

high, to the diseases that are becoming more prominent but are more difficult to diagnose and treat.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that organic foods have exploded back into mainstream. The ‘go back to

the basics’ movement is becoming part of our mainstream. People are taking a stance on their health

and well-being. This is even more apparent when stores such as Vons & Albertsons have essentially gone

out of business, while Whole Foods and Sprouts have expanded nationwide. Just as there has been a

shift in thinking with foods and what we put in our body, there’s also been a new wave of healing that

has taken our nation by storm. This form of healing is known as Ayurveda (pron: aa-your-vey-da).

Ayurveda is defined as the science of life, literally broken down as Ayur-life; veda-science, or knowledge.

The story of Ayurveda is very interesting, as it is said that this is what all our forefathers used to follow.

When I say forefathers, I mean go back before smartphones, before TV, before cars, bicycles, and even

guns. We cannot deny the fact that once, albeit a very long time ago, our forefathers were hunters and

gatherers who had simple, organic living. As life would have it, we have come full circle to a world where

the culture is going back to organic, healthy living, with even more stricter diets such as vegan and paleo

diets.

It is said that more than 5000 years ago, there were a group of Seekers amongst the hunters and

gatherers in India, called Rishi’s. These Rishi’s were the Seekers of life’s mysteries, and took note of the

suffering that humans were going through. They decided to send their highest rishi, Sage Bharadwaj, in

search of answers to alleviate the human suffering. He eventually came upon a divine being by the name

of Indra. Lord Indra heard Sage Bharadwaj’s concerns of human suffering, and replied that humans

suffer the affliction of the body, mind and soul-the trinity that makes each one of us a Human Being. The

solution for suffering in all three areas lies in the healing science of Ayurveda said Lord Indra, to which

Yoga is also a sister science. Lord Indra then imparted the priceless, sacred knowledge of Life to Sage

Bharadwaj. After receiving this knowledge, Sage Bharadwaj returned back to his group of fellow Seekers,

and shared the knowledge of Ayurveda which has since been in existence for more than 5000 years

now. Interestingly enough, this can be conceived as the first ever Ayurvedic consult, which remains true

to its form today. During a modern day consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner, the client receives simple

lifestyle changes that impact their quality of life immediately. The client is provided with the knowledge

and tools for better health that can be used by the client for the rest of their lives. As the client

progresses further onto the journey of Ayurveda, the practitioner prescribes customized herbs, foods,

yoga practices etc. unique to the individual health and dosha (body constitution) of the client.

This year, Ayurveda received recognition for expanding onto Doctoral level programs across the United

States. The leaders of our country have come to acknowledge the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda, the first

natural healing modality ever documented. Ayurveda has also already made in-roads to our local

hospitals as well that have incorporated mindfulness and meditation, all rooted back to Ayurveda.

Travel the path of Ayurveda, and let the journey take you on a discovery of a new world that is a

healthier, happier, YOU.

(The next series of articles will include the 5 Elements of Life, introduction to the concept of doshas

which are our individual unique body constitutions and how we can discover what our personal doshas

are)