🪷Ayurveda for Self-Realisation

Ayurveda, with its dual objectives, serves two primary purposes:

Preservation of Health: Focused on maintaining the well-being of individuals who are already healthy.

Alleviation of Suffering and Ultimate Life Goal: Addresses the well-being of those facing ailments, aiming to cure diseases and guide individuals towards the ultimate life goal of complete liberation or Moksha.

This is achieved by adhering to the four principles of life:

• Dharma: Performing actions that contribute to personal and societal well-being.
• Artha: Attaining sufficient wealth to fulfil one’s Dharma.
• Kama: Seeking satisfaction in appropriate desires and passions.
• Moksha: Achieving salvation through liberation and self-realisation.

Ayurveda, originating from the Vedas, evolved from a mystical and religious perspective to a more scientifically grounded approach. The Sanskrit texts categorise Ayurveda into eight limbs:

• Kāyachikitsā: General medicine.
• Kaumāra-bhṛtya: Paediatrics.
• Śalyatantra: Surgery.
• Śhālākyatantra: Ears, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery.
• Bhūtavidyā: Psychiatry, dealing with negative energies.
• Agadatantra/Vishagara-vairodh Tantra: Toxicology.
• Rasāyantantra: Science of rejuvenation.
• Vājīkaraṇatantra: Science of aphrodisiacs, sexual energy, and treatment.

The healing practices under Ayurveda encompass a wide array of methods, including herbal medicines, yoga, specific diets, meditation, self-enquiry, Ayurvedic psychology, and massage. Approximately 80% of the population in India and Nepal actively engages with Ayurvedic medicine.

For those intrigued by Ayurveda, a comprehensive course will be offered next year to delve deeper into its principles and practices. If you’ve read this far, it might be the opportunity you’ve been seeking: Yoga & Ayurvedic Healing for Self-Realisation