WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

Ayurveda is a holistic health, science and philosophy system dating back well over 5000 years and first encountered in the Indus Valley Civilization (The Land of the Gods). In Sanskrit, the most ancient Indian language, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life” and according to Hindu philosophy, it is believed to be the God’s gift to mankind.

In modern times, Ayurveda is successfully practised in many countries and is recognised by the World Health Organisation.

The philosophy of Ayurveda is linked to sacred and ancient texts – the Vedas. One of its fundamental concepts is that all matter in the Universe is composed of five elements: air, fire, water, earth and space, which combine inside the human body in varying combinations to form three doshas (biological forces) – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These doshas, fixed at conception, form the basis of our physical constitution, mental capacities and emotional make-up. Ayurveda views the balance of doshas as health and their imbalance as disease.