Brief Introduction for Ayurveda Medicine

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word composed of two terms: Yuh, duration of life; and, Vedá, truth, knowledge. Thus, its meaning comes to be: The Science or Wisdom of Life. Ayurveda is a stream of knowledge transmitted from generation to generation from "eternity by the creator (Brahma)", -in the sense that its origin has not been identified-, until the first texts appeared, dated between the II Millennium and the 6th century BC. Evidence that demonstrates its long tradition and explains its deep attachment to Indian culture.

According to its definition, Ayurvedic medicine views health as more than the absence of disease. The sages of the time had an intuitive understanding of physiology and the integrated functioning of mind-body-spirit that, long before the appearance of modern medicine, already explained the basic principles of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda medicine is a complete system of traditional medicine that views health as more than the absence of disease.

Ayurveda defines Ayuh life as the intelligent coordination of our four parts: the soul, the mind, the senses and the body, with the whole of nature and the cosmos. Health is not just a state of the body. We interact with the seasons, the planetary changes of the earth and the moon, other planets, as well as with the daily relationships that orbit within our lives, our loved ones and friends, co-workers, etc. In this sense, we affect and are affected by every other animate and inanimate thing that exists. According to Ayurveda, putting everything in balance is the key to a healthy life.

As mentioned, Ayurvedic medicine was originally an oral tradition, taught and passed directly from the master to the apprentice, who learned and worked alongside him. The oldest written codification of Ayurvedic principles is found in Rig Veda, India's oldest text of knowledge. Its foundations are outlined in several important treatises, including the texts of Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata, the great classical writers of Ayurvedic Medicine.

There are also numerous other smaller works, subsequently written to explain the various branches of Ayurveda, including disciplines such as General Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Toxicology, Fertility, and Rejuvenation. All of them are explained from basic principles that can be applied practically at any time and phase of life.

Ayurveda has been handed down through the centuries as a complete healing system, evolving to meet the needs of each age, yet it remains committed to its basic principles. Various cultures have taken advantage of the ideas of Ayurvedic medicine or Ayurvedic treatment, and it continues to flourish in both the East and the West.

In India, an Ayurvedic physician has had to pass at least a five-year postgraduate program to obtain a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery. In the West, Ayurveda is recognized as a complementary and alternative health system by the National Institutes of Health and is beginning to take hold in various institutions of higher education.