Ayurvedic Way of Life by Dr. P.N. Hari, Trustee & Deputy Director of the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy AsisMassage.com Ayurveda, a ‘science of Life,’ is a 5000 year old wisdom passed down from sages with origins in the Asian subcontinent teaching us that life is lived at its fullest by balanced health. According to Ayurveda, health is a state of mind with the body and mind working together in harmony. Ayurvedic principles are guided by the belief that what is within is that which is without (i.e the universe). Our body has all the five basic elements found in the Universe like the Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. When all these elements are in balance and working together, the mind and the body achieve the highest state of existence. Ayurveda divides the 5 basic elements into three body types, or ‘Doshas,’ comprised of Vata (from ether and air), Pitta (from fire and an aspect of water) and Kapha (from water and earth). The modality facilitates a balance of the Doshas with the individual so that greater health can be attained. Ayurveda treats every individual different, so every treatment regime is different. Diet and lifestyle would be formed around a person’s prakruti, or physical constitution, and his dosha’s at the time of birth. Ayurvedic treatments are geared towards cleansing the person from within via reducing toxins, hence enhancing metabolism, strengthening the immunity and regulating bowel movements. Ayurveda therefore promotes the ability to fight the everyday stresses and diseases of human life so that the possibility of a cure from within is more permanent. Research demonstrates that nearly 80% of chronic conditions are brought on by improper lifestyle choices and improper management of stress. Clinical practices have shown that with a proper regime of ayurvedic therapies, a reversal of chronic conditions towards homeostasis can occur. In Ayurveda, both physical and mental health plays an important role for the person’s vitality. Meditation and yogic practices are a part of the everyday routine to keep the physical and mental health in stability. In Ayurveda, we explore how food can be your medicine and which simple lifestyle changes bring wellness as the most important part of the education. Authentic Ayurvedic treatments lead us to physiological and cellular cleansing, purification, regeneration and rejuvenation. Ayurvedic treatments found in our spas and now becoming popular in the West. Abhayanga (Authentic Ayurveda massage therapy) Ayurvedic massage and Bodywork therapies help your body detoxify gently and develop a sense of calmness and relaxation throughout the body both physiologically and psychologically. Different aspects of massage and body work which encompasses the variety of different marma points, and cleansing of our subtle energy channels called the nadi’s. The usage of potent herbs and oils brings in healing. Shirodhara (warm herbal oil will be poured on the forehead brings great deal of relaxation and awareness) Popularly known as the third eye treatment, this method involves gently pouring warm sesame oil on the forehead. It’s highly recommended for insomnia, memory loss, eye diseases, sinusitis and results in more increases awareness, clear thinking & decreases anxiety. Numerous physiological and psychological changes take place. Mukha Abhayanga (Ayurvedic Facial Massage) Ayurvedic Skin and beauty treatments with the use of potent herbs and facial massage techniques enhances the blood flow, purifies the skin and makes the skin glow. Mukha Swedanam (Hot steam treatment before the facial for your face) & Full Body Swedhana (sweating - relieving excess dhosha from your body) for detoxifying help & to bring balance to our bodies with use of herbs. Udvarthanam (Scrub with herbal powders for skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis) Utsadanam (Beautification treatment like a wrap for the whole body with herbal oils and herbal powders) Shirovasthi (warm herbal oil treatment for headaches, and stress management) Nasya (administration of herbal oil through the nose, cleansing your sinus and clearing the mind) Kizhi (Massaging the body with a bundle of herbal powders & with warm herbal oil to sooth the nerves. Relieves back aches and pain in the body) Pichu (Warm herbal oil treatment on the head has a soothing effect that relieves stress & increases wellbeing) Ayurveda believes humans need to live not just exist. A balanced mind and body would bring in harmony and life. A new beginning a new being. Massage therapists and spas looking to offer this modality are encouraged to enroll in the 5 day Ayurvedic massage workshop at ASIS’s beautiful retreat-like facility in Clarkdale, AZ, over-looking the Sedona red rocks, Verde River and Tuzigoot National Monument. Please call ASIS Massage Education at 866-334-3348 regarding the September 24- 28 Ayurvedic EduVacation. For more information see this page. Dr. P.N. Hari is the Trustee & Deputy Director of the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, a leading and well known Indian Ayurvedic Center, Coimbatore, India. The center is headed by Dr. Krishnakumarji who was recently awarded the prestigious and coveted Padmashree (highest civilian award) for his great and noble work in the Ayurvedic field by the President of India, Smt. Prathibha Devisingh Patil, in 2009. The center has 38 hospitals worldwide, 80 direct branches, and over one thousand Ayurvedic drug stores with resident physicians. Responsible for academics, clinical practice and administration of the Arsha yoga trust for the past 16 years, he has traveled worldwide teaching Ayurveda and yoga. Has treated more than 50,000 patients from all around the globe, that he personally attended to. RETURN TO OMPLACE HOME