 |
Ayurveda, the science of life, is the
most ancient and complete treating method in the world.
The word Ayu means life and the word veda means knowledge;
the term Ayu comes from a Sanskrit word which means movement.
Therefore life stands for movement which is molded at the
time of conception, and then evolves inevitably through phases
like childhood, adolescence, youth and old age to finally
end up with death.
This one-way movement through time is called life.
The main purpose of AYURVEDA is to extend this movement
as much as possible, making it fluent, that is to grant
people a long and healthy life by renewing the vital energy
in their body.
The combination of the physical body, sense and movement
organs, mind, conscience, spirit and soul is called "life".
|
SUKHA AYU
is a healthy life, characterized by a wholesome behavior
and a healthy, aware body free from illness, which enables
people to deeply enjoy pleasures like food, clothing, sex etc.
|
DUKHA AYU
is life marked by illness, old age consuming the body and
poor appetite, which leads to misery. |
HITA AYU
is a fruitful and beneficial life typical of people
prone to reasoning, who always analyze the advantages and disadvantages
of every situation and come up to a rational solution; respectful
people with spiritual inclinations devoted to acquire and spread
knowledge. |
AHITA AYU
is a life spent in pursuing one’s selfish desires,
giving way to emotions like anger, jealousy etc. |
Ayurveda has a very peculiar point of
view: well-being can be reached by treating the whole
body. So
every person is considered as a unique psycho-physical unit,
different from all the others. This founding principle of Ayurveda
obviously requires a specific personal treatment.
There are neither fixed standards nor rules governing a rigid
use of medicines strictly associated to diseases. Above all,
diseases are treated separately because the patient is considered
as a single unit (body, mind, spirit) and therefore treated as
a whole.
Ayurveda classifies the individual into three types: VATA,
PITTA, KAPHA.
VATA (movement):
governs all functions, shapes body tissues and organs, ensures
the movement of the various constituents with the right
quantity, quality and functionality. |
PITTA (transformation):
governs digestion and the conversion of food, water, air
and the different impulses, according to their natural
properties, into a form suited for the human body. Pitta
is also responsible for the conversion of gunas (sattava,
rajas and tamas). |
KAPHA
connects and controls the various body organs or components,
stops the catabolic activity and nourishes the body tissues. |
|
