‘Ayurveda’ is generally understood as the ‘Science of life’ translating ‘Ayuh (r)’ as life and ‘Veda’ as science. Ayurveda is an ancient life system and the oldest surviving medical system in the world. Dating back almost 5000 years, it is also considered an ancient healing science that enhances longevity. It has evolved from the quest to have a happy life, through a deep understanding of creation and its maintenance, perceived and conceived by the rishis or seers of ancient India. Ayurveda emphasizes life in general with a bit more emphasis on human life.

    Its influence can be found in many ancient traditional methods of healing including Tibetan, Greek, and Chinese medicines thus making it the ‘mother of healing.’

   The fundamentals on which the Ayurvedic system is based are essentially true for all ages and so can be easily adopted time after time, century after century. The philosophy of Ayurveda teaches a series of conceptual systems characterized by balance and disorder, health and illness. It teaches that a person’s mental, emotional, and spiritual being are all interconnected, and any kind of imbalance between them results in health disorders and diseases. Therefore, to be healthy, harmony must exist between the purpose for healing, thoughts, feelings, and physical action.

  Health and disease are defined in a very special way in Ayurveda. Ayurveda’s central tenant is that life is a manifestation of mind, body, soul, and spirit. Body and mind are prone to suffering while the spirit is free of any such trappings of life. Thus, to remain healthy and happy, efforts must be made toward maintaining harmony among all these elements. Only then can one get closer to the goal of longevity and disease-free life?