Dubbed the “science of life” 5,000 years ago in India, using ayurvedic medicine may be the oldest medical system in existence today. Its premise is that your body’s biological intelligence (or ability to heal itself) acts through three forces called doshas. These are :
- vata (space and air),
- pitta (fire and water),
- kapha (water and earth).
All of us are made of a combination of these doshas, giving us a special metabolic type or pakruti, as it’s known in ayurveda. Most folks have one dosha that dominates and gives them characteristics associated with their primary elements. Vata people, for instance, are thin and energetic. Pittas tend to be hot tempered. And kaphas are slow and solid.
Use  ayurvedic medicine to restore your balance and make you well
So long as your doshas remain balanced, your health is fine and dont need an ayurvedic medicine, say ayurvedic doctors. But a diet of Big Macs, high stress and even changing seasons can throw them off balance. And that’s what causes the symptoms of disease. Then can come an ayurvedic medicine like herbs, meditation, exercise, diet and other treatments that will restore your dosha’s balance and make you well.
Ayurveda is best known for disease prevention. 5000 years of anecdotal evidence suggests that an ayurvedic medicine can also treat many chronic diseases. Unfortunately, there are few clinical studies to verify the bennefith of ayurvedic medicine. Though some research has shown that meditation, exercise and many of the herbs used like ayurvedic medicine will help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and stress.
If you go for an ayurvedic medicine, expect to spend 45 to 90 minutes answering all kinds of questions about your interests, emotions and lifestyle. The ayurvedic practitioner will also take your pulse and may take urine, blood or stool samples as part of the diagnosis. He or she may even ask you to stick out your tongue.
How to get your ayurvedic medicine from a good source
Before to get your ayurvedic medicine you need to search nearby, to see if there are some Ayurvedic practitioners that practice somewhere close to you. You can use also the internet to search for them but be sure that you can confirm the next points about your futured ayurvedic doctor:
- Qualifications: A Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree from India, which equals 5 1/2 years of medical school there. No schools in the U.S. offer that degree, though some offer courses on ayurveda as a specialty.
- Licensure: None in U.S.
- Number in U.S.: Unknown, but there are 10 clinics in North America.
- Cost: $40-$100 for initial consultation.
- Insurance coverage: Generally limited to MDs or other licensed practitioners who specialize in ayurveda.
For more information contact The Ayurvedic Institute, 11311 Menaul N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87112; 505-291-9698, or call the Maharishi Ayur-Veda clinics system at 800-255-8332 for a list of practitioners closest to you.
