You must have heard that drinking warm water with 3-4 drops of lemon juice every morning can aid in weight loss! Yes. You can start your weight loss journey with a drill as simple as this. Along with weight loss, it also helps detoxify your digestive system and restore lost fluids to rehydrate your body.

1. Why 3000-year-old Ayurveda is still
among the Best Medicinal Practices?
You must have heard that drinking warm water with 3-4 drops of lemon juice every morning can
aid in weight loss!
Yes. You can start your weight loss journey with a drill as simple as this. Along with weight loss,
it also helps detoxify your digestive system and restore lost fluids to rehydrate your body. Like
this, many simple medicinal practices can help you heal seamlessly without any side effects.
And if you do some research, you will find that a majority of these practices have their roots in
Ayurveda.
Regarded as one of the oldest medicinal practices, the worldwide popularity of Ayurveda has
increased multiple folds over the past few decades. Reports show that the demand for
Ayurvedic medicine could reach $6 billion by 2026. However, despite its increasing popularity,
there is still a large group that doesn’t know much about Ayurveda and its benefits. If you are
also one of them, this blog is for you.
In this blog, we’ll shed some light on what exactly is Ayurveda and how it is still a relevant
medicinal practice.
To begin, we’ll see “What is Ayurveda?”

2. Deemed as a 3000-year-old practice, Ayurveda has its origins in India. The word ‘Ayurveda’ is
acquired from two Sanskrit words Ayur (meaning life) and Veda (meaning science or
knowledge). So literally, it translates to the science of life. Ayurveda works on the notion that
the root cause of a disease is stress or imbalance in someone’s consciousness. And according to
the disease, Ayurveda assists with natural therapies and subtle lifestyle changes to help the
person maintain a perfect balance between body, mind, and the environment.
Typically, Ayurveda is classified into two types i.e. Maharishi and traditional. Maharishi is
another version of traditional Ayurveda based on the translated texts by Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi. However, there are many things common in both these types. Both types of Ayurvedic
practitioners advocate the usage of herbs, believe that diseases rise due to an imbalance in
doshas (basic types of energy), and often use common remedies to treat different diseases.
How does Ayurveda work?
According to Ayurveda, each person has a distinct energy pattern known as doshas. These
energy patterns combine a person’s unique characteristics—physical, mental, or emotional.
Here are the three types of doshas:
1. Vata: Vata is Ayurveda practitioners who believe this to be the strongest of the three
doshas. Vata is said to control the functions of your mind from breathing and heart
functioning to even getting rid of the waste through the intestine. Several habits like
staying up too late, grief, eating quickly after a meal, etc. can disrupt Vata. If Vata is
dominant in your body, you are likely to have skin problems, asthma, anxiety, heart

3. diseases, etc. However, if it is in balance, it can aid your creativity, flexibility, and
swiftness in action.
2. Pitta: Pitta is generally translated as fire. This energy is said to control your
metabolism, digestion, and some hormones related to your appetite. The imbalance
of Pitta can cause anger and over-excitement. This can lead you towards rash
decisions and self-destructive behavior. On the other hand, if your pitta is in balance,
it can help you in leadership. You become more competitive, confident, willing, and
focused.
3. Kapha: Kapha is the energy that is responsible for the growth of the body. It is the
densest dosha and is known for moisturizing the skin, supplying water to all parts of
the body, and maintaining the immune system. Kapha imbalance can cause excessive
weight gain, a tendency to hold onto things, disinterest in new activities, more
fatigue, etc. However, balanced Kapha can make you comfortable to stick to a
routine, get emotionally involved in things, etc.
Now if you are wondering whether you have vata, pitta, or kapha energy, you might be wrong.
Because everyone has all these energies, it’s just that one or two of these are dominant.
Remember that your daily routine—sleep cycle, food timings, stress, etc.—can affect these
doshas big time. And the disturbance in them further develops into diseases.
Ayurvedic treatments bring these doshas back into balance and reduce the probable risk and
impacts of the disease. Stress relief is one of the techniques Ayurveda uses to cure people. That
is why meditation has significant importance in Ayurveda. Many studies over the years have
shown that meditation is a proven way to reduce stress. Moreover, Ayurvedic treatments focus

4. on regulating blood pressure and cholesterol to slow the aging process as well as speed up
recovery.
Components of an Ayurvedic Treatment
As mentioned above, the Ayurvedic treatment mainly focuses on balancing the doshas. When
you visit an Ayurveda practitioner for the first time, he will check your medical history, pulse
rate, as well as examine your abdomen, tongue, nails, eyes, skin, etc. He will ask you about your
daily routine and lifestyle, emphasizing your diet, surroundings, daily schedule, etc. Based on
these questions and the following ways, he will diagnose the disease.
• Naadi (pulse)
• Mootra (urine)
• Mala (stool)
• Jivha (tongue)
• Shabda (speech)
• Sparsha (touch)
• Druk (vision)
• Akruti (appearance)
After the disease is diagnosed correctly, one of the following therapies is used for Ayurvedic
treatment.
• Dietary Changes:
You must have heard a popular saying, “You are what you eat.” Ayurveda and the treatments
alike also focus heavily on diet and its importance. An Ayurvedic practitioner will always

5. recommend you to have a balanced diet and include all the necessary ingredients like cereals,
green vegetables, fluids, etc. based on the type of disease.
• Herbal Medicines:
Historically, natural herbs have proved to be effective over several allopathic drugs. Ayurveda
promotes the usage of herbs to cure diseases organically and permanently. A majority of
Ayurvedic medicines have their origins in such herbs that heal disease from their roots.
• Ayurvedic Acupuncture:
Ayurvedic acupuncture is a process that involves the usage of needles at various pain points or
acupoints in the body to balance the prana (life force). This type of acupuncture is also called
marmacupuncture. The needles that are penetrated in the body can be normal needles or
medicated needles.
• Massage:
The effectiveness of physical massages is something we all know. Today, there is an abundance
of different types of massages and the massage parlor business is on boom presently. In
Ayurveda, too, different massage techniques can precisely focus on the pain and help you heal
permanently rather than quickly.
• Meditation:
Sitting calmly in a serene place for a while can give you the peace that no expensive therapy can
offer. Meditation is a proven way to enhance your mental well-being and increase your

6. emotional intelligence as well. It not only aids in cleansing your cluttered mind but also helps
you instill a positive attitude.
• Breathing Exercises:
Just like meditation, breathing exercises also focus on healing you from within. With specific,
rhythmic breathing patterns, these exercises help you achieve stability in your thoughts. If you
are into Ayurveda, you must have heard about pranayama, a set of different breathing
techniques you can perform for physical as well as mental healing.
• Panchkarma:
The process of Panchkarma (translated as five actions) has a lot of importance in Ayurveda. It
is a specialized technique consisting of five processes—Vamana (Emesis), Virechana
(Therapeutic purgation), Nasya (Nasal Medication), Anuvasana Basti (Medicated oil enima),
and Niruha Basti (Herbal decoction enema). All these processes help in cleansing and
detoxifying the body to percolate a relaxing and calming effect.
• Sound Therapy (Including mantras):
If you have ever attended a Hindu wedding, you must have heard a set of mantras that are
chanted as an important ritual. Various studies over time have shown that the sound waves
created during mantra chanting have a positive impact on the minds. The sound waves at
certain frequencies do all the magic.
• Yoga:
Last but not least; yoga is one of the most important treatments in medicine. The benefits of
yoga are well-known and we have recently started recognizing the benefits by celebrating
International Yoga Day on the 21st of July every year. And with more people realizing and
reaping its advantages, it is only expected to grow in importance over the near future.

7. All these aforementioned treatments can treat a myriad of diseases ranging from anxiety,
asthma, arthritis, and digestive problems, to Eczema, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
levels, rheumatoid arthritis, and stress.
These were the basic components and treatments in Ayurveda. But this is not the only thing
you need to know. As the popularity of Ayurveda has increased over time, several rumors and
myths surrounding the treatment have also been developed. Let’s bust some of these myths
with actual facts.
Debunking 4 Common Myths about Ayurveda
1. Ayurvedic treatments take a long time to show an impact
This is probably one of the most common myths you must have heard. People that don’t go for
Ayurveda often give this as the reason. Some Ayurvedic treatments do take time to show their
effect, however, it is not the case every time. Moreover, if you compare Ayurveda with
Allopathic treatments, you will find that the former has fewer to no disadvantages or side
effects, which is good in the long run.
2. Ayurveda is only for vegetarians
You might well have heard someone saying you should quit the non-vegetarian diet if you are
following Ayurveda, but it is a misunderstanding. Of course, Ayurveda encourages and

8. advocates a vegetarian diet. However, it is not a rule. Do remember that non-vegetarian food is
not at all prohibited in Ayurveda.
3. Ayurvedic medicines do not have side effects
This is a misconception people who fondly follow Ayurveda create. If we look closely,
Ayurvedic medicines have lesser side effects as compared to allopathy or homeopathy.
However, some sorts of side effects do exist in these treatments.
4. Only herbs are used in Ayurvedic treatments
Many people think that only herbs are used in Ayurvedic treatments. Many also get confused
between Ayurveda and naturopathy. However, there is much more to Ayurveda than only
natural herbs and natural treatments. Ayurveda is a large branch that has various concepts.
Many times, these techniques can heal you without any medicine as well.
Ayurveda vs. Allopathy: The Longstanding Debate
Although Ayurveda is getting more recognition presently, many people still prefer allopathy
over it as it gives quick results. Both have their advantages, applications, and disadvantages as
well. And choosing between the two is not about this. It’s just about what suits you and your
body. So, analyze your body type and its requirements and decide which way you want to go.

9. So, this is all we have for you in this blog. To read more interesting content, keep visiting
thelifesciencesmagazine.com.