What is Ayurveda ? History and How it Works

Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of natural healing in the world, originating in India more than 5,000 years ago. The word “Ayurveda” comes from Sanskrit:

• “Ayur” means life
• “Veda” means knowledge or science

Together, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.”
Its main goal is to maintain balance, prevent illness, and promote a healthy, long life, not just cure diseases.

History of Ayurveda

The roots of Ayurveda are deeply connected to the ancient Indian Vedas.

• It is believed that the Hindu god gave the first lesson of Ayurveda, and later it spread throughout the world.
• Later, it was written in ancient texts called the Vedas

Ayurveda developed alongside yoga, meditation, and spiritual practices, making it a great health system that treats body, mind, and soul together.

Basic Principles of Ayurveda

Ayurveda believes that every person’s health depends on maintaining balance within the body.

The Five Elements (Pancha Mahabhuta)

According to Ayurveda, everything in the universe—including the human body—is made of five elements:

1. Earth (Prithvi)
2. Water (Jal)
3. Fire (Agni)
4. Air (Vayu)
5. Space (Akasha)

The Three Doshas (Body Energies)

These five elements combine to form three life energies called Doshas:

1. Vata (Air + Space)

• Controls movement, breathing, and circulation
• Imbalance can cause anxiety, dryness, and joint pain
• There are 80 diseases due to vata imbalance mentioned in Ayurveda, like sciatica (Gridhrasi), paralysis (Pangulya), and stiffness (Greeva Stambha).

2. Pitta (Fire + Water)

• Controls digestion, metabolism, and intelligence
• Imbalance can cause acidity, anger, and skin issues
• There are 40 diseases due to vata imbalance noted in Ayurveda, like burning sensations (Daha), excessive heat (Aushnya), and suppuration (Paka).

3. Kapha (Earth + Water)

• Controls strength, immunity, and lubrication
• Imbalance can cause weight gain, laziness, and congestion
• 20 common Kapha disorders are noted, presenting symptoms such as anorexia nervosa (Trupti), drowsiness (Tandra), and excessive sleep (Nidraadhikya).

Every person has a unique dosha combination, known as Prakriti.

How Ayurveda Works

Ayurveda works by identifying the root cause of disease; it cures the main reason of diesese not the symptoms, like allopathic medicines.

Key Ayurvedic Approaches:

• Personalized treatment based on dosha type
• Natural remedies using herbs, oils, and minerals
• Diet correction according to body type and season
• Lifestyle changes (Dinacharya & Ritucharya)
• Yoga and meditation for mental balance
• Detox therapies like Panchakarma

Ayurvedic Medicines and Remedies

Ayurvedic medicines are mainly prepared from:

• Herbs (Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Neem, Triphala)
• Roots, bark, leaves, and seeds
• Natural oils and minerals (processed safely)

These remedies aim to:

• Boost immunity
• Improve digestion
• Balance hormones
• Increase energy naturally
• Renergies body

Benefits of Ayurveda

• Natural and permanent healing
• Focus on prevention rather than cure 
• Minimal side effects (when used correctly)
• Improves overall lifestyle
• Enhances physical and mental well-being
• Increase the life of humans 

Ayurveda in Modern Life

Today, Ayurveda is recognized globally and practiced in many countries.
People use Ayurveda for:

• Digestive problems
• Stress and anxiety
• Skin and hair care
• Weight management
• Chronic lifestyle diseases
• Sexual health 

Ayurveda teaches us that health is balance:

“संतुलनं जीवनम्” (Santulanam Jeevanam)

Balance is life.

Final Thoughts

Ayurveda is not just a medical system—it is a way of living in nature. By understanding your body and maintaining balance, Ayurveda helps you achieve long-term health and happiness. Ayurveda guides us to be healthy and cure any diesese by natural ways. But Ayurveda lacks research nowadays, so humans are not using the full potential of this great medical system.