The word “Ayurveda” is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Ayuh (r)’ means life and ‘Veda’ means knowledge or science. Thus, Ayurveda is ‘Knowledge/Science of life’. Ayurveda has a rich history which is almost 5000 years old and have been recorded in Sanskrit, in the four sacred texts called the Vedas: the Rig Veda (3000-2500 BCE), Yajur Veda, Sam Veda, and Atharva Veda (1200-1000 BCE).

In Ayurveda, a perfect healthy life is defined as "a balance between body, mind, spirit and social wellbeing." It believes that an individual’s mental, emotional and spiritual well being is all interconnected and any kind of imbalance between them results in various health disorders and diseases. However, Ayurveda's inter connectedness extends far beyond the individual, reaching into the universal co-existence with nature.

The philosophy of Ayurveda emphasizes the unshakable connections between the internal body system and it’s day to day interactions with the outside world. The same can be understood from the below principles derived from various Ayurveda practices:

All existence in the universe, both living and nonliving, are interconnected. They are actually made of the same five elements i.e. space, air, fire, water, and earth.
There is a deeper connection between the self and the environment we live in.
We as an individual interact with people surrounding us, to our immediate environment, and to the universe through our daily activities. This requires a balanced approach to ensure physical, social and mental well being.
This balance is often disrupted by our lifestyles including choices about diet, exercise, profession, and relationships with the society and other beings. We are responsible for the choices we make and interactions we have with the nature. We can attain and maintain a perfect health if we make balanced choices that promote connectivity and harmony among all that exists in this universe.
The concepts of Prakruti and Doshas (Pic 2: Representing concept of Doshas)

Ayurvedic philosophy believes that every individual is born with a specific constitution of body known as the prakruti as a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics leading to individual's physical makeup and personality. An individual's underlying prakruti remains the same always. However, it is greatly influenced by various internal, external, and environmental factors like social interactions, seasonal changes, diet, lifestyle choices, and many more.

Ayurveda considers that three qualities, called doshas, form important characteristics of the prakruti, or constitution. These are named as Vata,Pitta, and Kapha, and each person has an individual, "unique" balance of all the three doshas. Most people have a combination of doshas, with one type usually being predominant.Any imbalance in doshas lead to manifestations of symptoms of a disease.

Ayurveda as a practice

Ayurveda is a holistic approach towards life. Various Ayurvedic practices can be considered to maintain good health, reduce stress, and improve flexibility, strength, and stamina of your body. Practices like yoga and meditation are very helpful for people with diseases such as asthma, stress, high blood pressure, arthritis etc.

Ayurveda also stresses upon proper diet for maintaining a good health and disease-free life.

ssDifferent Ayurvedic medicines are also prescribed and given based on the person's dosha type and imbalances observed. Different ways in which people use Ayurvedic medicine are as varied as the users.

Many of them use it to complement or supplement their conventional allopathic treatments. They slowly switch to Ayurveda if they get better results.
Various people "recharge” themselves through Ayurveda programs to get a renewed body and mind.
Various others follow Ayurvedic diets and supplements to keep themselves naturally fit and disease free.
Is Ayurveda Safe?

Since the ages, Ayurveda has been in existence helping people live better and disease-free life. This clearly indicates that system has its own strength and well described in its texts. Like any other methods of treatment, we should always seek advice from a qualified, registered, and experienced practitioner to get the best result from Ayurveda.

During the recent pandemic, various bodies including WHO has recognized Ayurveda as an alternative system of medicine which has its own advantages in preventing and curing various diseases and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Govt of India has a separate body named “AYUSH” to regulate and maintain alternative system of medicines in India with an aim to take it on Global stage. We have already achieved success in making “YOGA” a global phenomenon now. Time is not far for Ayurveda to get global recognition and respect it deserves since ages.