What is Ayurveda?

The Sansrkit word "Ayurveda" comes from Ayu - life - and Veda - science. This "Science of Living" developed over 3,000 years ago in India, side by side with yoga. Ayurveda is the oldest continuously-practiced health system in the world, yet it includes most of the branches of modern medicine, even plastic surgery!

Ayurveda has much to offer the modern world of today. At the heart of Ayurveda is the basic principle that "opposites decrease." Excess of a quality, such as heat or congestion, initiates a pathological condition. When a certain quality has been allowed to increase excessively, causing disease, then application of the opposite quality will reestablish health.

According to the system, there are three main body types: Vata (air + space), Pitta (fire + water), and Kapha (Earth + Water). These inherent qualities are behind both our attributes and our weaknesses, and explain why each person reacts differently to certain substances or environments. Ayurveda takes into account the whole picture before considering the particular health issue.

Ayurveda addresses the person, not just the disease.

Learn how we use Ayurveda to treat you