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Introduction To Ayurveda

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20 views14 pages

Introduction To Ayurveda

Uploaded by

m2hrz9psf7
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ayurveda

Introduction
Everglades University
What is Ayurveda?
• The meaning of Ayurveda:
• Sanskrit for “life” and “knowledge”
• Science of life based on achieving mind-body balance
• The History of Ayurveda:
• More than 5000 years old
• Vedas: books of wisdom written up to 10,000 years ago; many different
writings such as poems, mantras and hymns.
• Ayurveda Today
• Practiced globally even by people who don’t realize it
• Ayurveda vs. Western Medicine
• It is meant to complement, more focus on prevention
• Ayurveda and Yoga
• Popular Ayurvedic practice in US
A Spiritual and Medical System
• Ayurveda’s 2 main Principles
• Preservation of Health
• Methods, medicine, and tactics for disease management and ailments
• The Secret to Health:
• Lies in the Digestive system
• Agni to tranform
• The Ayurvedic View of Health
• To have a body free of pain and illness so you can evolve spiritually
• To surpass the physical and reach self-actualization
• Self-actualization: to reach one’s full potential through creativity, independence,
spontaneity, and grasp of the real world
A Spiritual and Medical System
• The Ayurvedic view of Life:
• Life has definitive purpose which is split into 4 pursuits:
• Dharma: 10 values every person should have
• Wisdom, Truth, Forbearance, Control of senses, Control of mind,
Forgiveness, Non-stealing, Cleanliness, Non-anger, Knowledge
• Artha: Acquisition of wealth
• Knowledge, Health, Contentment, Material Wealth
• Kama: Controlled fulfillment of desires
• You must have desires because that is what inspires you to give back
• You must not be controlled by your desires
• Moksha:
• Ultimate Goal of existence
• Pure bliss with no more desire
A Spiritual and Medical System
• The 8 branches of Ayurveda
• Ashtang Ayurveda:
• Kaya Chikitsa: Internal Medicine
• Urdhvaanga Chikitsa: Otolaryngology
• Damstra Chikitsa: Toxicology
• Shatya Chikitsa: Surgery
• Bala Chikitsa: Pediatrics
• Graba Chikitsa: Psychiatry
• Jara Chikitsa: Gerontology
• Vrishya Chikitsa: Aphrodisiac Therapy
Digesting Food and Thoughts: Ojas and Ama
• Ojas:
• Ayurvedic term for ‘vigor’ and ‘the physiological expression of consciousness.’
• Results from clean digestion
• Feel radiant, refreshed and rejuvenated
• Signs: wake up feeling rested, pink/clear tongue, clear complexion, energy
throughout day, no food cravings, digest food easily, mind is clear, rarely ill, fall
asleep soundly
• Ama:
• When toxins accumulate in the gut
• Toxicity/underlying cause of nearly every health issue
• Signs: wake up exhausted, tongue has white coating, acne/blemishes, energy
crashes, food cravings, bloating/gassy, sweat smells foul, constantly anxious or
depressed, susceptible to infections, difficulty falling asleep
Practicing Ayurveda
• Ayurveda is based on simplicity
• Your morning ritual:
• Dinacharya: your daily practice
• Oil Pulling
• Tongue scraping
• Ahhyanga: self-oil massage to stimulate lymphatic system
• Dry brushing
• Herbal Teas and Remedies
• Oils
• In Ayurveda, oil is love
• Can be used topically and internally
Misconceptions about Ayurveda
• Ayurveda Is time-consuming
• You have to be a vegetarian:
• Ayurveda does recommend not eating meat because it is difficult to
digest
• But there are scenarios that meat is recommended
• It only includes Indian Food
• Ayurveda is a framework on what to eat and how
• You can apply ayurveda to any diet
The Vedas

• Vedas: the most ancient Sanskrit text on which


Hinduism is based
• Guidelines on how to live your life for optimal well-being
• 4 main vedas:
• The Rig Veda: Book of Mantra
• The Yajur Veda: The book of ritual
• The Sama Veda: The book of Chant
• The Atharva Veda: The book of Magical Formulas
• The Upavedas
• Shad Darshan: The 6 philosophies of life
• The Mind-Body Connection
The Vedas

• The Upavedas:
• Secondary teaching to the Vedas
• Applied Knowledge and refer to subjects of technicality
• Gandharvaveda: The study of Aesthetics (art, music, dance, poetry and
sculpture)
• Dhanurveda: The Science of archery and warfare
• Ayurveda: The science of health and life
• Sthapartaveda: The study of architecture and engineering
• Shad Darshan: The 6 philosophies of life
• Samkhya, Nyaya, and Vaisheshika: concerned with the physical
world
• Mimamsa, Yoga, and Vedanta: Understanding the inner realm and
how we can evolve consciously
• The Mind-Body Connection
The 5 Elements
• Air
• Fire
• Water
• Ether
• Earth
The 5 Elements

Ether ---- VATA ---- Air

Fire---PITTA---Water---KAPHA---Earth
The 3 Doshas: An introduction

• Vata: Air and Ether


• Pitta: Fire and Water
• Kapha: Earth and Water

• We are all of the Doshas!


References

• Ayurveda: by Sahara Rose Ketabi; published by Alpha; 2017

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