There is rarely anything comparable. An Ayurvedic healing ceremony makes you forget about the world; it leads to deep relaxation, inner harmony and brilliant balance. A general cleansing is carried out inside and out. Panchakarma is the name of this magical formula, the ingredients of which also have a medical purpose: Ghee – a naturally prepared liquid butter, as well as other remedies made from plants and minerals begin the inner cleansing. This is followed by wonderful massages and treatments with essential oils (full body) or the herbal steam bath “Svedana”, where even those who sweat can keep a cool head. During many deep relaxation rituals, the cells and cell walls are freed from deposits and toxins and give the feeling of having emerged from a “fountain of youth”. Of course, a healthy and wholesome diet à la Ayurveda, which is individually adapted and prepared according to the needs and wishes of the person undergoing the treatment, has a supportive effect.

Ayurveda, the traditional natural medicine of India, has become almost a magic word in recent years. The healing secrets and wisdom of the ancient science of long and healthy life fascinate more and more people. Many questions are asked: What is Ayurveda really? What meaning does this healing and life science have for us here in the West? Isn’t it all very Indian, does it fit with our lifestyle? What kind of person am I? And finally: How should I eat according to Ayurveda according to my type? Above all, the focus will be on Ayurvedic nutrition and its extremely tasty, healthy and wholesome vegetarian cuisine. In ancient Vedic medicine (and not only there!), proper nutrition is considered one of the most important foundations for health, happiness and long life. Above all, Ayurvedic nutritional principles give us practical and directly tangible access to the universal concepts and ideas of this medicine.

The Origin of Ayurveda

The common answer to the question: where does Ayurveda come from is, of course, India. Historically and geographically, this is initially correct. Ayurveda, as part of the comprehensive Vedic science, dates back to the time of the seers and sages of the Vedic civilization, which flourished at least 7,000 years ago and fertilized the most important countries and cultures of the Asian cultural area. It is said that Chinese medicine was significantly influenced by Ayurveda. The knowledge of the medicinal effects of certain vital points, the acupuncture points, is already written in the oldest Ayurvedic texts, there called Marma points, and even today there is a tradition in India that uses an almost identical system of points and meridians to treat diseases as the traditional Chinese school has placed at the center of its therapies.

We also find Ayurvedic concepts quite prominently in the natural medicine of Tibet, as well as in ancient Greek medicine, especially with Hippocrates, in ancient Egypt and Persia, but also with the Incas of South America (migration of indigenous tribes across the Bering Strait), with shamans and with the healers of the Middle Ages, such as Paracelsus or Hildegard von Bingen. Finally, Rudolf Steiner incorporated important elements of Vedic philosophy into his study of human nature and based it on anthroposophic medicine.

Knowledge loss and comprehensive renewal

Throughout its long history, there have been times of prosperity, but also periods when valuable knowledge was lost. At the end of the last century, the Indian government called for a fundamental revision of Ayur-Veda. There have been a few approaches, but this only became truly successful nearly two decades ago, when the Vedic scholar Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a monk and physician who came directly from the tradition of knowledge that also produced Ayur-Veda and other Vedic branches of knowledge, became a leading expert. We were able to attract Indian and Western scientists and physicians to this project. Under his leadership, Ayur-Veda was completely renewed, integrated with numerous forgotten or modified therapies and formulated in a contemporary language. This version, based on the classical texts, is called Maharishi Ayur-Veda or Maharishi Vedic Medicine. It has recently been described by the professional organization of Ayurvedic physicians in India as an original and authentic form of Ayurvedic medicine of the highest quality.

Ayur-Veda is the timeless knowledge of life within people themselves.

Among other things, a very important aspect of Ayur-Veda has been corrected. Ayur-Veda is not just a herbal medicine from the Indian subcontinent, it has a completely different dimension. According to the ancient Vedic texts, the true source of Vedic knowledge and healing lies within man himself, deep within himself, at the origin of his thoughts, actions and feelings, at the most peaceful level of his own consciousness. To do this, imagine the following: you are sitting comfortably, closing your eyes and now allowing your mind to become completely still, as if in meditation. In a moment of complete silence without any thought, they now experience their own inner infinity. You experience yourself as pure inner consciousness, entirely grounded in yourself, perhaps only for a moment, but quite impressive. And now let us suppose that you can perceive more subtle qualities in this state of consciousness, which we can call transcendence, beyond all agitation and changeability. Then you would Vedas experienced as a silent but organizing intelligence within you, as an area of pure knowledge that is at the base of your organism as an immaterial project.

This is the original knowledge of the Rishis, the seers and sages, who saw the Veda within themselves and wrote it down in the written language of Sanskrit in the various texts that we have available today as extensive Vedic literature.

Veda Ham – I am Veda

The true origin of Ayur-Veda and the other branches of Vedic knowledge is not India or any other country in the world. It is life itself. The Veda and, of course, Ayur-Veda, as the healing and health-preserving aspect of the Veda, are in reality the property of all people and not of a “mere” Asian natural medicine, perhaps with foreign ideas and content. Ayur-Veda is ourselves! “Ham Veda – I am Veda”, is the famous Vedic quote. Every cell is an expression of this inner intelligence and cosmic blueprint that exists in the form of primordial sounds at the basis of our physical existence. Ayur-Veda is the inner physician, the cosmic intelligence, which strives at every moment of life to maintain the highest order of the organism and its cosmic harmony. The eternal books of knowledge are within us.

More topics about health and medicine