Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of healthcare that has been practiced in India for over five thousand years. Ayurveda defines health as a balance of body, mind, and spirit. When imbalance occurs, illness can result. To restore balance, Ayurveda utilizes natural therapies with a highly individualized regimen. To determine whether an imbalance is present, Ayurveda refers to the patient’s body-type or constitution (dosha) to make an assessment. Our dosha is made up of a combination of the five elements – space, air, water, fire, earth. Each person contains aspects of all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) in a unique balance, with one predominating. Ayurveda acknowledges that these universal elements are also found in the food we eat and in our environment. Therefore, our diet and surroundings play an integral part in our health and healing.
Ayurveda is thought to be the world’s oldest healing system and is commonly referred to as “mother of all sciences.”
In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “science of life” (ayu means life, and veda means knowledge of). Rooted in ancient books ofwisdom, the Vedas, Ayurveda is deeply spiritual and encompasses life in its totality. It epitomizes a true body-mind approach to health and wellness.
Ayurveda is a healing regimen as well as a health maintenance program. And, since imbalances can be detected before illness manifests, Ayurveda is an effective prevention program as well. Prevention is a main focus of Ayurveda. Overall, Ayurveda is a way of life – a path to fulfillment, health, happiness, harmony, and bliss. These workshops will assist you in developing a solid grounding to achieving that balance.
The mission of the IAAS is to offer courses in Ayurveda to ground students in the traditional art and science of Ayurvedic philosophy. And, at the same time, to research new formulations of traditional Ayurvedic modalities that can be used to adapt to our changing environment so that an outcome of balanced health and wellness can still be achieved. Ayurveda, the mother of all sciences, has a solid foundation on which this evolving research can embark.