Ayurveda home remedies. Vasant Lad
Introduction. The need for healing.
Ayurveda is the art of daily living in harmony with the laws of nature. It is the science of life, the ancient wisdom of health and healing. The goals and objectives of this science are to preserve and maintain the health of a healthy person, and to heal the sick. At the same time, both prevention (maintaining good health) and healing are achieved through natural means.
According to Ayurveda, health is a perfect state of balance of the three fundamental energies of the body, or doshas, ​​combined with balance of body, mind and spirit (consciousness).
Ayurveda is a science covering all aspects of life, correlating the life of an individual with the life of the Universe. This is a holistic healing system. Body, mind and consciousness are in constant interaction with other people and with the environment. In working to build health, Ayurveda takes into account all these levels of life and their relationship to each other.
For self-healing, Ayurveda provides recommendations on diet, lifestyle, exercise, rest and relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises and herbal medicines, as well as offers cleansing and rejuvenation treatments. In addition, there are numerous auxiliary methods, such as sound, color and smell therapy. The purpose of this book is to introduce you to a range of natural methods so that you can build a lifestyle that is best for you in terms of restoring and maintaining health.
The word "Ayurveda" in Sanskrit means "the science of life and longevity." According to Ayurveda, each individual is simultaneously a creation of cosmic energies and a unique phenomenon, a personality. Everyone has an individual constitution, which is a psychobiological warehouse. This individual constitution is created from the moment of conception by the universal energies of ether, air, fire, water and earth.
These five elements combine to form the three fundamental energies, or doshas. The combination of ether and air constitutes vata, which is the energy of movement; fire and water make up pitta - the principle of digestion or metabolism, the transformation of matter into energy; water and earth form kapha, the energy of structure and lubrication. When a male spermatozoon and a female unite at the time of fertilization egg, then the doshas prevailing at that moment in the bodies of the parents (depending on the season, time of day, emotional state and quality of the relationship of partners) form a new individual with a certain set of qualities.
In modern parlance, we call this "working blueprint of the individual" the hereditary genetic code, while Ayurveda has called it prakriti since ancient times, or the individual constitution, which does not change throughout life. This is our unique energy pattern, an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics.
Although the fundamental structure of our prakriti remains an unchanging reality, our inner or essential individuality, the balance of the doshas in the body is constantly affected by many forces. Age-related changes in the body, changes in the external environment, the alternation of heat and cold with the change of seasons, our constantly replacing each other thoughts, feelings and emotions, as well as the quality and quantity of food we consume, continuously have one or another effect on us. Improper diet, excessive stress, lack of rest or exercise, suppression of emotions - all this upsets the balance of the doshas. As a result, depending on the nature of the changes and the individual constitution of a person, various diseases can develop:
• Vata imbalance can manifest as constipation, bloating, sciatica, insomnia along with mental symptoms such as fear, anxiety and insecurity.
• An individual with a Pitta constitution may become critical, perfectionistic, angry, or may develop physical symptoms such as acid indigestion, heartburn, diarrhea, dysentery, hives, rashes, acne.
• Kapha disorder is manifested by disease conditions such as colds, congestion and allergies, as well as a tendency to attachment, greed and hoarding.
Diseases begin with changes in the internal ecology of the body that disturb the balance in the body. The imbalance causes subtle biochemical changes that ultimately lead to disease.
If we want to stay healthy, then with any changes in living conditions, we need constant adjustment to maintain balance. Mostly this adjustment happens automatically, thanks to the amazing wisdom with which our bodies were created, but a lot also depends on us, on our choice of certain actions.
In order to maintain health and balance, we have to control the three doshas by taking steps to increase or decrease vata, pitta and kapha as conditions change. This requires constant awareness of one's condition and its adjustment.
Thus, self-healing is a harmonious, conscious existence in the fullness of the present moment. It's a way of life. Ayurveda is not a passive form of therapy; rather, it invites each individual to take responsibility for their daily lives. Through our diet, our work, our relationships with others, and other aspects of daily life, we can take actions to prevent and heal disease, to gain wholeness, and to grow towards fulfillment.
Ayurveda is part of a vast knowledge of man and the universe, and as such is based on the fact that our life has a purpose. Simply put, this goal is to know and realize the Creator (Cosmic Consciousness) and understand our relationship with That which will completely transform our daily life. This great goal can be achieved by balancing the four fundamental aspects of life: dharma - life's purpose, artha - material well-being, kama - creative desire, and moksha - spiritual liberation. They are called the four purusharthas, the four great goals or achievements in the life of any individual.
Health is the basis of all these facets of life. In order to keep the dharma and fulfill our duties and responsibilities towards ourselves and others, we must be healthy; good health is also necessary for wealth creation and success in business.
To have a creative, positive desire, we need a healthy mind and consciousness, a healthy body and a healthy perception. (Desire - kama - is sometimes interpreted as sex and correlated with family life and procreation, but in reality it is a positive energy or force that generates and nourishes any creative activity). And moksha is nothing but the perfect harmony of the body, mind and consciousness (soul). Thus, every possibility Achievement and fulfillment in life is based on good health.
In my quarter century of medical practice, I have been involved in surgery, gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics, as well as general medicine, and have treated people from all walks of life and all ages. I have repeatedly noticed that such components of life as diet, exercise and daily routine can be an effective source of healing. On the other hand, many health disorders turn out to be closely related to the stresses of daily life, problems in relationships with other people, worries about work and money, or consumption of inappropriate food and lack or excess of physical activity.
I also increasingly began to realize that illness brings an invitation to self-transformation and provides us with the opportunity to reconsider our thoughts, feelings, diet, lifestyle and general attitude towards ourselves and our lives. It never ceases to amaze and amaze me how quickly and effectively you can get your life back in order and balance with just the right diet, herbs, meditation, proper exercise, and other natural remedies.
The methods and tools presented in this book are based on my own clinical experience and on principles and practices that have evolved over the centuries in the Ayurvedic tradition spanning over five thousand years. This is not some newly developed "alternative healing" system, but a time-tested science of life that has not lost its integrity over the years. You can imagine how much wisdom and practical knowledge has been accumulated over five millennia!
About three thousand years ago (about 900 B.C.) the long oral tradition of Ayurveda took on a new form when three great scholars, Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata, first wrote down the principles of this ancient wisdom. Their textbooks are still used by students, practitioners and teachers in Ayurvedic medical schools and colleges throughout India.
In a sense, Ayurveda is the mother of all healing systems. From its eight main branches (pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, geriatrics, otolaryngology, toxicology, general medicine and surgery), the main directions of modern practical medicine, as well as many of the treatments used today, including massage, diet and nutrition, herbal medicine, plastic surgery, psychiatry, polar therapy, kinesiology, shiatsu, acupuncture and acupressure, color and gemstone therapy, and meditation. All of them have roots in the philosophy and practice of Ayurveda.
The great physician and sage Charaka, one of the founders of Ayurvedic medicine, said: “No matter how experienced the doctor is in the knowledge and treatment of the disease, if he does not bring the virtue of light and love to the heart of the patient, he will not be able to help him heal.” I have followed this advice to the best of my ability and I want to encourage you to follow it as well, using the knowledge of Ayurveda for self-healing and helping others.
Love is the essence of our life. I wrote this book with love and in the hope that the advice it contains will certainly help you in self-healing and maintaining well-being.
Part I. KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE

Chapter 1 Ayurveda: body, mind and spirit
Like other great ancient civilizations, India does not separate science from philosophy and religion. All knowledge is considered as part of a single knowledge of happiness, health and human development.
Philosophy is the love of truth. Science is the discovery of truth through experiment. Religion is the direct experience of truth and its application in everyday life.
Ayurveda is both systematized knowledge and practical