Siddah Kaya
One who has attained
complete discrimination
between the subtlest level
of Mind and the Self has
no higher knowledge to
acquire. This is dharma
megha samadhi--the state
of the Unclouded Truth.
- The Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali, 4:29
The thoughtless
glutton who
gorges himself
beyond His
digestive fire's limits.
Will be consumed
by limitless ills.
- Tirukkural 947  

Siddah Kaya = Perfected Body

What is Ayurveda?
Ayurvedic medicine is one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world.
It Originated and Practiced in India, many  records  were handed down by word
of mouth. Two ancient books, written in Sanskrit more than 5,000 years ago, are
Caraka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita.
The texts describe eight branches of Ayurvedic medicine that includes:
Internal Medicine,Surgery,
Treatment of Head and Neck Disease
Gynecology Obstetrics, and Pediatrics
Toxicology, Psychiatry,
Care of the Elderly
Rejuvenation
Sexual Vitality
The term "Ayurveda" combines the Sanskrit words Ayur (Life) and
Veda (Knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda means "The Knowledge of Life."
Ayurveda works with keeping the Body, Mind and Spirit in balance.
Ayurvedic medicine uses Herbs,Spices, Specialized Diets and Massage,
Panchakarma Techniques to cleanse the body of toxins and restore balance.
Ayurveda  helps with happiness and health, and to help prevent illness.
Ayurveda also helps specific physical and mental health problems.
Ayurveda has several important foundations to health and disease.
These concepts have to do with universal interconnectedness.
The Body's Constitution
What Your Born with= (prakriti),
Life Forces/Faults= (doshas).

Ideas about the relationships among people, their health, and the universe form
the basis for how Ayurvedic practitioners think about problems that affect health.

All things in the universe (both living and nonliving) are conected.
Every human being contains elements that can be found in the universe.
Health will be good if one's mind and body are in harmony,
and one's interaction with the universe is natural and wholesome.

Disease arises when a person is out of balance with the universe.
Disruptions can be physical, emotional, spiritual, or a combination.
Ayurveda also has specific beliefs about the body's constitution.

Constitution refers to a person's general health,
The likelihood of becoming out of balance,
and the ability to resist and recover from disease.

The prakriti is a person's unique combination of physical and psychological
characteristics and the way the body functions to maintain health.
It is influenced by such factors as
digestion and how the body deals with waste products.
The prakriti is believed to be unchanged over a person's lifetime.
Important characteristics of the prakriti are the
three life forces or faults called doshas
which control the activities of the body.

Dis-ease is viewed primarily as an imbalance between the 3 doshas
A  person's chances of developing certain types of diseases are thought to be
related to the way doshas are balanced,
the state of the physical body, mental and lifestyle factors.

Ayurvedic medicine holds the following beliefs about the three doshas:
Each dosha is made up of two of five basic elements:
As in nature when there is an excess or depletion
of one or more of these elements, there is dis-harmony,
so it is within our own bodies, mind and emotions.
Ether
Air
Fire
Water
Earth
Each dosha has a particular relationship to bodily functions
and can be upset for different reasons.
Each person has a unique combination of the 3 doshas,
although one dosha is usually prominent.

Doshas are constantly being formed and
reformed by food, activity, and bodily processes.

Each dosha has its own physical and psychological characteristics.
An imbalance of a dosha will produce symptoms that are unique to that dosha.
Imbalances may be caused by a person's age, unhealthy lifestyle,
or diet too much or too little mental and physical exertion,
the seasons, inadequate protection from the weather, chemicals, or germs.

The doshas are known by their original Sanskrit names:
Vata,
Pitta,
Kapha

The Vata dosha combines the elements Ether and Air.
It is considered the most powerful dosha because it controls very basic body
processes such as cell division, the heart, breathing, discharge of waste, and the
mind. Vata can be aggravated by too much wind Air that can cause dryness or
rough skin,constipation, fear, grief, staying up late at night,fatigue, eating dry
fruit, or eating before the previous meal is digested.
People with Vata as their main dosha are thought to be especially susceptible to
skin and neurological conditions rheumatoid arthritis,
heart disease, anxiety, and insomnia.

The Pitta dosha represents the elements Fire and Water.
Pitta controls hormones and the digestive system.
A person with a Pitta imbalance may experience negative emotions such as anger
and may have physical symptoms such as heartburn within 2 or 3 hours of eating.
Pitta is upset by, eating spicy or sour food, fatigue, or spending too much time in
the sun. People with a  Pitta constitution are thought to be susceptible to
hypertension, heart disease, infectious diseases, and digestive conditions as
Crohn's disease, irritability, frustration, acidity,rashes

The Kapha dosha combines the elements Water and Earth.
Kapha helps to maintain strength and immunity and to control growth.
An imbalance of the Kapha dosha
may cause nausea immediately after eating,nasal blockages ,obesity, lethargy.
Kapha is aggravated by, greed, sleeping during the daytime, eating too many
sweet foods, eating after one is full, and eating and drinking foods and beverages
with too much salt and water (especially in the springtime).
Those with a predominant kapha dosha are thought to be vulnerable to
diabetes, cancer, obesity, and respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

Ayurvedic treatments
are tailored to each person's constitution.
Practitioners expect patients to be active participants
because many Ayurvedic treatments
require changes in diet, lifestyle

Ayurvedic practitioners  first assesment,
determines  the patient's primary dosha and the
balance among the three doshas by:

Assessing  the diet, behavior, lifestyle practices,
recent illnesses (including reasons and symptoms),
and resilience (ability to recover quickly from illness or setbacks)
Observing such physical characteristics as
tongue, skin, eyes, nails and overall appearance
Checking the patient's pulse
(each dosha is thought to make a particular kind of pulse).

Ayurvedic treatment goals include
eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms,
increasing resistance to disease,
and reducing worry and increasing harmony in the patient's life.
There are a  variety of methods to achieve these goals:

Panchakarma eliminates impurities.
A process called panchakarma is intended
to cleanse the body by eliminating ama.
Ama is described as an undigested food that sticks to tissues,
interferes with normal functioning of the body, and leads to disease.
Panchakarma focuses on eliminating ama
through the digestive tract reducing symptoms.
The practitioner may suggest various options, including physical exercises,
stretching, breathing exercises, meditation, massage, lying in the sun, and
changing the diet. The patient may take certain herbs often with
Honey, Ghee (clarified butter) to make them easier to digest.
Sometimes diets are restricted to certain foods.

The practitioner may combine several herbs, proteins, minerals, and vitamins in
tonics to improve digestion and increase appetite and immunity.
These tonics are based on formulas from ancient texts.

Ayurveda is also the sister science of Yoga

Ayurvedic medicine emphasizes mental nurturing and spiritual healing.
Practitioners may recommend avoiding situations that cause worry and using
techniques that promote release of negative emotions.
Reducing  Worry
Increasing Harmony