Ananda Sanga
Yoga Centre
The "Science of Life" - Ayurveda
This ancient Indian healing art of daily living, aims to achieve health by bringing the individual into harmony with nature. The objectives of this science are to maintain the health of a healthy person and to heal the disease of an unhealthy person. What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is a system of healing which evolved on the Indian subcontinent some 5000 years ago. It was established by the same great ancient sages who produced India's original systems of meditation, yoga and astrology. Ayurveda has both a spiritual and a practical basis, and according to this system of health care, we need balance and harmony in all three aspects of our lives, body, mind and spirit.
Abyanga

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word which derives its meaning from two roots - Ayur meaning life or daily living and veda meaning knowledge or science. Ayurveda was first recorded in the Vedas, the world's oldest extant literature. It emphasizes that all beings come out of nature, that we are an integral part of a whole universe and therefore have a responsibility to our source. We are a microcosm, of the universal macrocosm. Therefore we need to live in ways that respect and honour our bodies and our environment to maintain health and well-being.

The purpose of Ayurveda and Yoga is to help the individual to achieve longevity, rejuvenation and Self-Realisation.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The earth is perceived as being made up of five elements: ether (space), air, fire, water and earth which are manifestations of the Divine.

These five elements form the basis for all things found in material creation, from the individual's constitution to the tastes in food.

THE TRIDOSHA

According to Ayurveda, health is a perfect state of balance among the body's three fundamental energies or doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) and an equally vital balance among body, mind, and the soul or consciousness. All matter is composed of the five elements which are the building blocks of existence, but only living matter has the three doshas, or tridosha, the three forces that govern all biological processes.

The doshas regulate everything that occurs from the most basic cellular process to the most complex aspects of biological functioning. An interplay among them determines the objective condition of the living being. A harmonious state of the three doshas creates balance in the physiology (homeostasis), this is the foundation of good health. Any imbalance in the tri-dosha manifests in a wide variety of signs and symptoms.

In modern terms we speak of this blue prints of the individual as our inherited genetic code; from ancient times Ayurveda has called it our prakruti or individual constitution, a constant factor that does not change throughout our life. According on types of changes and the individual's constitution, various ailments may develop when the body is out of balance:

Vata - imbalances may manifest as constipation, sciatica, arthritis or insomnia. Psychological symptoms such as fear, anxiety and insecurity might be present.
Pitta - individuals may become highly critical or angry and may develop symptoms such as acid indigestion, heartburn, diarrhea or acne.
Kapha - some individuals experience an increase or aggravation of this dosha, leading to such ailments as colds, congestion, allergic manifestations, as well as attachment, greed and possessiveness.
Ayurveda is the mother of all healing systems. It consist of eight principle branches (medicine & surgery), as well as many modern healing modalities including massage, diet and lifestyle counseling, herbal remedies, acupressure, colour and gem therapy and meditation. All these have roots in Ayurvedic philosophy and practice.

Ayurveda Self-healing Program

Above introductory program covers all aspects of Ayurveda, from the history and theory, to lifestyle counseling and general ways of keeping yourself in balance.

Enroll now for 2007!

Contact us for further information and enrollment, to ensure that you become part of the Medicine of the Future - Ayurveda!

The "Science of Life" Ayurveda
Last Updated: May 2007 by Asanga