Maureen Allysandra J.

Gamboa RPh
OBJECTIVES
• To describe the origins of Indian medicine
• To enumerate the different Ayurvedic therapies
• To describe the diagnostic procedures in Ayurveda
INTRODUCTION
AYURVEDA
Science of Life
INTRODUCTION
AYURVEDA
/āyus/
“life”
INTRODUCTION
AYURVEDA
/veda/
“knowledge”
ORIGIN
• Around 6000 BC
• shlokas
• Sushruta Samhita
ORIGIN
Eight specialities have developed within ayurveda:
1. General surgery (shalya tantra)
2. Ear, nose and throat (shalkya)
3. Medicine (kaya chikitsa)
4. Psychiatry (bhutvidya)
5. Obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics (kumar-bhritya)
6. Toxicology (agada tantra)
7. Geriatrics (rasayans)
8. Fertility and sterility (vajikaran)
THEORY
Samkhya
The main beliefs are as follows:
• There is a close relationship between humans and the
universe.
• Cosmic energy is manifest in all things, both living and non-
living.
• There are 24 elements of the universe.
• Cosmic consciousness is the source of all existence present
as male (shiva, purusha) and female (shakti, pakritt) energy
THEORY
The general ayurvedic approach is threefold:
1. Determine the elemental constitution of the patient.
2. Identify the cause of the illness.
3. Apply therapeutic recommendations to balance any
disharmonies.
THEORY
The body is thought of as being composed of five basic
concepts:
1. The five basic elements of life
2. The three doshas (or humours), made up of the five basic
elements of life
3. The seven tissues (dhatus)
4. The three waste products (malas)
5. The gastric fire.
The 5 Basic Elements Of Life
The 5 Basic Elements Of Life
The 5 Basic Elements Of Life
The 5 Basic Elements Of Life
RESULTS
• Here’s a guide to your Ayurvedic type:
Most ticks for Checklist A in Table 5-1 means that you’re
predominantly a vata type. This means that you are always
doing something and tend to suffer from stress, anxiety,
and digestive problems like IBS (irritable
bowel syndrome).
RESULTS
• Here’s a guide to your Ayurvedic type:
Most ticks for Checklist B means that you’re predominantly
a pitta type. This means you’re quite a dynamic and fiery
person with a quick intelligence but you don’t suffer fools
gladly and may be domineering. You may suffer from
digestive problems and headaches.
RESULTS
• Here’s a guide to your Ayurvedic type:
If you have most ticks for Checklist C, then you’re
predominantly a kapha type. This means that you’re
practical, down-to-earth, and resilient but also tend to be a
bit lethargic and may suffer from fatigue, bloating, sugar-
cravings, and water retention.
Physical Constitution
Praktriti
• pra means “before” and akriti means “conception”
Mental Constitution
• Guras/temperament
1. Satvas: people with a satva temperament have healthy
bodies and pure behaviour. They are often very religious,
compassionate and loving.
2. Rajas: people who are interested in business, prosperity,
power and prestige. They enjoy wealth and are extroverts.
3. Tamas: people who are ignorant, lazy, selfish and show
little respect for others.
The 7 Tissues
1. Plasma or cytoplasm (ras)
2. Blood (rakata)
3. Muscles (mamsa)
4. Bone and cartilage (asthi)
5. Bone marrow and nerves (majja)
6. Fat (medas)
7. The sex hormones and immune system (shukra)
The 3 waste Products
These are:
• sweat (svet);
• faeces (poorish); and
• urine (mutra)
These must be produced in appropriate amounts and
eliminated through their respective channels.
The Gastric Fire (AGNI)
The final element important for healthy life is agni,
the ‘fire’ that sustains vitality.
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
The voice (sabda)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
The voice (sabda)
The skin (sparsa)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
The voice (sabda)
The skin (sparsa)
Vision (drka)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
The voice (sabda)
The skin (sparsa)
Vision (drka)
General appearance (akrti)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
The voice (sabda)
The skin (sparsa)
Vision (drka)
General appearance (akrti)
Urine (mutra)
DIAGNOSIS
Astavidha pariksha (8-fold examination)
The pulse (nadi)
The tongue (jihva)
The voice (sabda)
The skin (sparsa)
Vision (drka)
General appearance (akrti)
Urine (mutra)
Stools (mala)
THERAPIES
These may all be used alone or to complement each other
and include:
• dietary advice
• administration of medicines
• aromatherapy
• enemas
• massage
• mind–body interventions
• surgery
THERAPIES
Pancha karma
1. Therapeutic vomiting
2. Purgation
3. Enemas
4. Nasal aspiration of herbs
5. Therapeutic release of toxic blood
THERAPIES
• Dietary
• Ayurveda identifies six tastes and says that each taste is
associated with an organ in the body and, when found in
excess, will adversely affect the organ. The six tastes are:
1. Sweet: spleen, pancreas
2. Salty: kidney
3. Sour: liver
4. Pungent: lungs
5. Bitter: heart
6. Astringent: colon.
THERAPIES
• Vata is aggravated by astringent, bitter and pungent tastes,
and balanced by salty, sour and sweet tastes. Generally most
sweet fruit (including dates, figs and papaya) are found to be
beneficial.
• Pitta is aggravated by pungent, salty and sour, and
balanced by astringent, bitter and sweet. Sweet fruit (e.g.
apples, cherries and ripe mangoes) are beneficial here too.
• Kapha is aggravated by salty, sour and sweet, and balanced
by astringent, bitter and pungent. Cranberries and other
astringent or sour fruit are beneficial.
NEXT MEETING
QUIZ: AYURVEDA

BRING: Comfortable clothes (jogging pants and loose shirt)

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