NAMASTE!

DR.D.HARSHAD, AYURVEDA DOCTOR AT THE ABAD HARMONIA AYURVEDA BEACH RESORT, IN HIS FIRST TALK WITH ZUZANA ZWIEBEL, INTRODUCE HIS WAY TO AYURVEDA

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A life according to the Ayurveda Principles is like taking a path with sufficient light. You can make out the path and see where it leads to. There are many principles and fundamentals that Ayurveda teaches you. Among them, Tridosha theory defines how you can relate your body with disease, Sapta Dhatu concept tells you the metabolic pathway, Shat Rasa knowledge helps you to understand how different flavours helps balancing your body, Ritu Charya and Dina Charya teaches you the seasonal and daily regimen that keeps your body healthy and fit. 
DR.D.HARSHAD
Ayurveda Doctor of Abad Harmonia
WHAT DOES AYURVEDA MEAN FOR YOU?

Ayurveda was just a subject to me before I started my graduation in it. Day by day, I started to understand that more than a subject it is a science that helps you to remould yourself to get in evenness with the nature outside. You will understand that everything in the Universe is built of Pancha Bhuta and this mere concept helps you to understand that Ayurveda is a holy science that teaches you how to lead a healthy life by choosing the right food and following the right regimen. When your body gets imbalanced due to extrinsic or intrinsic factors, the nature always has its cure. This ancient science written centuries before is still a glorified text that has shown light to the suffering and conscious way of life to the oblivion.

This science has showed that the concept of medicine is not mere treatment for illness but also understanding how to protect your body from it. It has the potential to balance your body physically and psychologically. This adaptability has helped Ayurveda to be distinct from other medicinal systems and thus gaining universal support. The knowledge about Life is what mankind has always been exploring and Ayurveda was the first science that described it. Not only the human life but also the treatments for other life forms including plants and animals have been described in Ayurveda.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBED “LIFE ACCORDING TO AYURVEDA PRINCIPLES”?

A life according to the Ayurveda Principles is like taking a path with sufficient light. You can make out the path and see where it leads to. There are many principles and fundamentals that Ayurveda teaches you. Among them, Tridosha theory defines how you can relate your body with disease, Sapta Dhatu concept tells you the metabolic pathway, Shat Rasa knowledge helps you to understand how different flavours helps balancing your body, Ritu Charya and Dina Charya teaches you the seasonal and daily regimen that keeps your body healthy and fit. 

In my career, I have seen that mostly the aged group are showing their wide acceptance towards Ayurveda as it’s the only science where immunomodulation is given the importance rather than the immunosuppressant. Thus it is evident that Life according to Ayurveda Principles ensures that your immunity doesn’t get compromised by pathological or physiological imbalances and helps you to cope up with it by understanding and following the right advices from an Ayurveda Physician. It also helps you to achieve a disciplined way of Life and gives you the right perception on protecting your family and yourself from ailments.

 

HOW WAS YOUR JOURNEY TO AYURVEDA? 

Ayurveda has been a very familiar word since my childhood as this science always had a significant importance among the medical practitioners in Kerala. Though traditional practitioners in Kerala had played a vital role in popularising this science, its practice got limited within their family and community. It was after instituting medical degree status, Ayurveda became accessible as a medical course subject to everyone. 

As there was no Ayurveda hierarchy in my family, I wondered how this science would help me. You are bound to study the Sanskrit language and the history of Ayurveda apart from learning its basic principles and fundamentals along with modern Anatomy and Physiology. This helps you to gain confidence in the subject. Attaining the concept of Ayurveda is like seeing an unknown World. It’s not the same science that you learned until the matriculation where you believe the science which is proven before your eyes. So learning Ayurveda at the initial stage is like believing the spirituality. But once you start applying the theory into practise, you feel content with what you learnt because of the miraculous results rewarded. You trust the fact that there is cure within the nature.

WHAT IS HEALTH?

According to WHO, Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In Ayurveda, we see a very similar definition to Health which says it’s the pleasant state of soul, mind, sensory and motor perceptions in accordance to the equilibrium of three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha), fire (digestion and cellular metabolism), cellular/tissue functions and the excretory products. Susrutha, the ancient Indian physician has thus defined the Health in its wide perspective aspect during 600 B.C which shows how far this science had advanced then. Ayurveda focus to maintain this equilibrium within the body to ensure both mind and body stay free from diseases and thus reward a Healthy life.

HOW DOES AYURVEDA DESCRIBE HEALTHY PERSON?

Sama dosha Sama agnischa Sama dhatu malakriya.
Prasanna atmendriya manah Swasthya ityabhidheeyathe.

Susrutha, the ancient Indian physician in 600 B.C had defined Health as the balanced state of three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha); equilibrium of fire that body produces to aid digestion in the alimentary tract, metabolism that happens within cellular level, hormonal production and enzymatic functions; equilibrium of 7 dhatus (include plasma, blood, muscle, adipose tissue, bone marrow and reproductive tissue) and finally the equilibrium of the excretory products such as urine, faecal matter, sweat etc. 

Ayurveda also has given importance to the balanced state of soul which can be related to your sub-conscious level, sensory and motor perceptions which is your conscious level and mind which is your inner peace. Hence, a Healthy person is one who keeps the complete balance of the above aspects.

WHAT IS DISEASE?

According to World Health Organization, Disease is termed as any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms and differing in nature from physical injury. 

In Ayurveda, disease is termed as Vyaadhi. The ancient Indian physician, Charaka had defined Vyaadhi as “Vividham dukham aadadhaati iti vyaadhi” which means the one that brings pain or grief in the body and mind. 

HOW DOES DISEASE START? 

Everyone knows that there lies a pathology for any disease unless it is categorised under auto-immune. However, Ayurveda has explained the disease manifestation in six different stages which is known as “Shat Kriya Kaala”. Shat means Six, Kriya means Action and Kaala means stages/period. Hence, understanding Shat Kriya Kaala helps to get an insight into the progression of the disease and take appropriate action to stop the disease manifestation. 

The factors causing the disease can be both intrinsic and extrinsic which will vitiate the dosha balance. Thus vitiated dosha starts accumulating within their space in the first stage which is known as “Sanchaya”. In the second stage, this accumulated dosha gets aggravated but stays within their space which is called “Prakopa”. Thus aggravated dosha then starts spreading to other parts which is called “Prasara” in the third stage. The above three stages are also called Dosha Kriya Kaala which means the phases happening to Dosha.

The last three stages are called the Vyaadhi Kriya Kaala where one can see the different phases of the disease manifestation. The fourth stage is called “Sthana Samsraya” where the dosha that had moved from its original site gets lodged in a dhatu/tissue and starts showing the prodromal symptoms. In the fifth stage, “Vyakteebhava” happens where the disease manifestation starts producing signs and symptoms. The sixth stage is termed “Bheda” where the complication from the disease arises. 

HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN VERY SIMPLY TO SOMEHOW WHO DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF DOSHAS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 

Doshas are the elements that support human body and the root meaning of the word is something that is likely to get vitiated. The three doshas are the three pillars that upkeep the health when they are in equilibrium. These elements are VATA, PITTA and KAPHA.

  • Vata is the element that aids the movements within the body which includes movement of air, blood, nerve impulses, muscles and bones. It is composed of air and space. 
  • Pitta is the fire which aids the digestion, metabolism, hormonal and enzymatic functions. 
  • Kapha is made of Earth and Water that aids the nutrition and growth of the body. It also plays a vital role in up keeping  balanced state of mind and body.

In Ayurveda, all three doshas have their own sub types and sites. The kind of diseases that they produce has distinct characteristics from others. The different types of tastes and seasons oversee their balance and imbalances. Among the age groups, Vata gets dominated in old age, Pitta among the middle aged people and Kapha leads in children.

WHAT IS ROLE OF AYURVEDA IN TODAY’S WORLD?

In today’s World people have limited choice to what they eat and what they have to live with. The junk food habits, routines where alcohol and smoking cannot be avoided, stress from job and family are causing a major impact in the health of human beings. When a new disease originate, the poor immunity makes them susceptible to infection and thus their mind and body gets weak. 

Ayurveda is a way of life that people can adopt to lead a healthier and happier life. This science teaches you how to choose food according to your body constitution (Prakruthi), what daily and monthly regimen you can practise to cope up with climatic changes, types of Detoxification you can follow to eliminate the toxins and achieve better immunity. The efficacy of rejuvenation therapies to relieve the stress and to prevent the oxidation has been widely accepted. 

Medicines that are mainly herbal extracts gained good recognition as it showed to be safer when taken under medical supervision. The immunomodulation potency of Ayurveda drugs has showed its efficiency in the prevention as well as the wellness.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AYURVEDA AND NATUROPATHY?

Ayurveda and Naturopathy look similar by the way of their approach towards healing. Both the sciences adopt natural remedies for the cure, focus on detoxifying the body, encourage abstinence from unhealthy lifestyle and promote using food as the medicine.

The main difference comes in the way foods are chosen. Naturopathy says food must be consumed as raw or half cooked. The nutrients in the food should reach the body as such for the body to get the benefit. While Ayurveda advocates food to be cooked with spices to impart good assimilation and reward better health.

Naturopath tries to heal the disease and remove the toxins by choosing the dietary regimen and natural products like mud, clay, water therapies while Ayurveda give importance to herbal remedies along with dietary regimen. It must be understood that both Ayurveda and Naturopathy are complimenting to each other for attaining a healthy lifestyle irrespective of the ideology.

HOW DOES AYURVEDA CAN BE COMPLEMENTED WITH WESTERN MEDICINE?

Ayurveda has a wide role in supporting western medicine. The science that showed existence since the Vedic age has a natural and holistic approach to treat diseases along with adopting a healthy lifestyle by choosing appropriate diet and Pranayama exercises. This method doesn’t conflict with western medicinal system but compliments better health and strength to body and mind. In fact, the immune modulation capacity of the herbal drugs can contribute synergistic action by safeguarding the body organs from the ill-effects of the other. 

Patients who undergo surgeries can resort to improve their health during the convalescence period by following Ayurveda. Those who are advised to take lifelong medications for lifestyle diseases and those who take immunosuppressants for a prolonged period can rejuvenate their body functions through Ayurveda medication. 

Stress that has become a common word among employed and unemployed generation, must be given a new dimension by paving them the right path to battle this out. It has become evident that people under psychoactive drugs could bring down their dosages by complimenting Ayurveda medication and procedures. In short, irrespective of the age groups, Ayurveda plays a vital role in present day World by guaranteeing a Healthier community with better immunity and better lifestyle.

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AYURVEDA DOCTOR

DR.D.HARSHAD

Day by day, I started to understand that Ayurveda is more than a subject it is a science that helps you to remould yourself to get in evenness with the nature outside.

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