Ayurvedic Principle
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Transcript of Ayurvedic Principle
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PRINCIPLE OF
AYURVEDA
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The body is thought of as being composed of five basic
concepts:
1. The five basic elements of life
2. The three doshas (or humours), made up of the five basic
elements of life
3. The seven tissues (dhatus)
4. The three waste products (malas)
5. The gastric fire.
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Health is believed to comprise a balanced
state of the doshas (made from five basic
elements and senses), the dhatus, the malasand a gastric fire (agni), together with the
clarity and balance of the mind, senses and
spirit.
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The five basic elements and
senses of life
Ayurveda considers that the universe is made
up of combinations of the five elements (pancha
mahabhutas).
akasha (ether),
vayu (air),
teja (fire),
aap (water)
prithvi (earth)
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The five basic elements join together in different
combinations to make up the three doshas (or
humours):
1. Ether (space), represented in the hollow spaces
of the mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, thorax,
capillaries and tissues associated with the
sense of hearing (ear and speech)2. Air, represented by movement of the various
organs, i.e. expansion, contraction and pulsation
associated with touch (hand)
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3.Fire, the source of heat and represented by
metabolism, digestion, body heat and intelligence
associated with sight (eyes)
4.Water exists as secretions of the salivary glands
and mucous membranes associated with taste
(tongue)
5.Earth, represented by solid structures of the body,
i.e. bones, cartilage and muscles associated
with smell (nose).
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The three doshas (humours)
The three doshas (humours) In biological
systems, such as humans, the five basic
elements outlined above are coded into threeforces, which govern all life processes. These
three forces (kapha, pitta and vata) are known
as the three doshas or collectively thetridosha:
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Vata (air principle) is responsible for all body
movement; it represents the nervous system
and controls the emotions of fear and anxiety.Vata areas include the large intestine, pelvic
cavity, skin and ears.
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Pitta (bodily fire principle) governs digestion,
absorption, nutrition, skin colour, intelligence
and understanding. It arouses hate andjealousy. Pitta areas include the small
intestine, stomach, blood, eyes and skin. It
governs all heat, metabolism andtransformation in the mind and body.
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Kapha (biological water principle) is present in
the throat, chest, head, sinuses, nose, mouth,
etc. It governs body resistance and biologicalstrength, promotes wound healing and
supports memory. Psychologically kapha
governs greed, envy and love.
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A balance of the doshas is necessary for
optimal health.
In childhood kapha elements associated with
growth predominate; in adulthood pitta is more
important, whereas as the body deteriorates in old
age vata becomes more important.
When there is an imbalance or disharmony in
health more than one dosha may be present.
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The seven tissues (dhatus)
The seven tissues are as follows:
1. Plasma or cytoplasm (ras), which contains nutrients from digested
food
2. Blood (rakata), which governs oxygenation3. Muscles (mamsa), which maintain the physical strength of the body
4. Bone and cartilage (asthi), which give support to the body
5. Bone marrow and nerves (majja), which fill bony spaces and
facilitate communication
6. Fat (medas), responsible for body bulk
7. The sex hormones and immune system (shukra).
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The three waste products (malas)
These are sweat (svet), faeces (poorish) and
urine (mutra).
Must be produced in appropriate amounts and
eliminated through their respective channels.
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The gastric fire (Agni)
The final element important for healthy life is agni,
the fire that sustains vitality.
Agni covers whole sequences of chemical
interactions and changes in the body and mind. It
has been compared with the digestive enzymes
but is considered to be responsible for more than
just the biochemical processes because it alsomaintains the health of the immune system, and
destroys microorganisms and toxins in the gut.
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Techniques used in Ayurveda to
treat disease
Reducing (langhana) where there is an
excess. Purification (sodhana) or palliation
(samana) are prescribed for reducing anyexcess pathologies.
Tonifying (brmhana) where there is deficiency.
Sweet and nourishing tonics (rasa-yana) are
given for building strength.
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Drying (ruksana) therapy is used to alleviate
anyexcess fluids in the system. Herbs that are
diuretic or remove mucus dry the system.
Oleating (snehana) treatments moisturise
dryness and give unctuousness to the tissues
by using oily and demulcent substances.
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Fomentation or sweating (svedana) therapy
reduces coldness, heaviness, stiffness, a - ma
andtrapped heat in the body by using steam and
diaphoretic herbs.
Astringent (stambhana) therapy is used to slow
the excessive flow of bodily fluids with tannin-rich
herbs (Charaka Sam hita- Su-trastha-na 22).
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Practice of ayurveda
Choice of treatment
After a diagnosis has been made as to the
particular dysfunction or disharmony present, there
are several different types of treatment available tothe ayurvedic practitioner. These may all be used
alone or to complement each other and include:
Dietary advice
Administration of medicines
Aromatherapy
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Enemas
Massage
Mind
body interventions
Surgery.
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An example of an ayurvedic treatment regimen
is known aspanchakarma.
To direct body toxins to specific sites forelimination. The five techniques are:
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1. Therapeutic vomiting
2. Purgation
3. Enemas
4. Nasal aspiration of herbs
5. Therapeutic release of toxic blood.
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