Overview of Ayurveda
Select Page: 1,2,3

Ayurveda, translated as “the science of life”, is a traditional medicine of India, although it has been influenced by other cultures over the past 4,000 years. It is claimed that Ayurveda originated before 2000 BC (Frawley, 1992) and was codified in primary texts, said to date from the 6th Century BC. In these texts, the concept of health can be summarised as “soundness of body, mind and soul”.

Ayurveda incorporates eight areas of medicine, including internal medicine, which uses substances derived from plants, animals and minerals. Traditional Indian surgery, one branch of Ayurveda, provides the initial information for this research. References have been found in classical texts which discuss marman (acupoints) and support contemporary Indian theories of marman therapeutics. The word marman, from the Sanskrit root “m.r” means “a mortal spot, a vulnerable point of secret quality and hidden meaning” (Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon). Marman are influential in the human body through their associated channels called nadi. The Sanskrit word nadi is translated as “stream” (Macdonnell and Keith, 1989). These “streams” or channels are thought to carry fluids and the life-force, the active energy of the body, which is called prana. Prana appears to share the attributes assigned to qi in the Chinese system and is believed to make possible metabolic functions within the human body. When interpreted as “nerve impulse” (Nair, interview, 14/9/1998), prana is claimed to be the mechanism which normalises nervous disorders and is therefore a key feature of marman (acupoint) massage. The stimulation of these vital points is believed to affect the prana of a patient and thus effect a recovery from disease. Stimulation is achieved through massage, by indirect methods such as heating the marman points (similar to Chinese moxibustion), or by directing vital energy through breathing exercises that may be compared to qi gong – Chinese breathing exercises.

The Vedas are the earliest extant writings of ancient India. In one, the Atharva Veda, there are references to the medical system Ayurveda, incorporating layers of information, commentaries and experiential observation by practitioners over many centuries. Primary to the philosophy of classical Ayurveda is the concept of “unity and the sacred nature of all life” (Frawley, 1992, p xix). Vedanta Sutra refers to this concept as “One absolute truth” (Bhaktivedanta, 1987).

continued here