Ayurveda in engaging increasing attention of people around the world
Dr Ajit S – 
A majority of people these days lead a hectic lifestyle, juggling commitments between work, leisure and family. With so many demands on our time, none of us can afford to get sick and hence we constantly search for various ways to keep ourselves and our families fit and healthy.
Some of us run regularly or exercise every day at the gym while others advocate eating only organic raw foods or drinking three litres of water every day. There are also people who recommend meditation, a silent retreat or yoga as the path to health.
Despite these efforts, we suffer from a range of physical and mental ailments.
The answer to these problems is closer than we think.
Complementary Medicine
Ayurveda, the ancient holistic health science of India, offers a simple explanation to these problems. It tells us that until an integrated approach to balancing the body and mind is followed these problems will persist.
As a complementary medicine, Ayurveda focuses on how we can achieve good health by maintaining a state of balance through our own efforts.
These include increased awareness towards each of our actions, whether it is work, relationships or play. This is achieved by understanding how our lifestyle, dietary choices, thoughts, behaviours and even the seasons can impact on our bodies and create imbalances that impact on our health.
Ayurveda also provides a unique range of remedial methods to improve health by returning the body to balance.
Unique method
What makes Ayurveda unique is its ability to offer practitioner’s a simple but integrated pathway to health that focusses on achieving balance for their clients at the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.
Ayurveda, with its holistic focus on health, is the world’s fastest growing complimentary health science. Apart from its homeland India, it is now practiced in India several countries of the world, including Australia, Holland, Japan, Russia and USA.
Biggest challenge
However, the biggest challenge to Ayurveda is its own people.
Unfortunately, not many of us understand its true scope and extent and consider it just herbal modality like the ‘Jadi Booti’ system when in fact Ayurveda is a philosophy of life.
Sadly, many do not understand the Science or believe in it. Many in our own community are reluctant to take a holistic approach to health, until it is too late.
I have no hesitation in stating that it gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction to see the respect and acceptance that people of other ethnicities have given to Ayurveda.
In the last 20 years, I have seen thousands of patients at my Wellness Centre. These people appreciate the benefits Ayurvedic lifestyle and its philosophy. As more and more people follow a healthy lifestyle and a holistic approach to wellness, attitudes will also change.
Western Medicine
None of the above would however mean that we should ignore or discard the Western system of medicine. Ayurveda teaches us to prevent becoming slaves to drugs and how we can make the right choices in our life to enjoy good health.
According to Ayurveda, health is not defined in terms of taking pills at breakfast, lunch and dinner, taking anti-depressants or having a knee replacement.
Understanding and following the teaching of our Vedas will help us to achieve our goal.
I am happy that through this Column, I would have opportunities to share with you the value of this ancient science.
Dr Ajit (BAMS, PCAS) is Director of Planet Ayurveda, one of the largest Ayurvedic clinics in Australasia. He has been serving the Indian community for the last 20 years providing Ayurvedic consultations and treatments from his clinic in Auckland.
Dr Ajit is also a specialist in Panchakarma therapy and his Centre in Auckland is one of the few therapeutic Panchakarma Clinics outside India.
He can be contacted on (09) 5225390. Email: drajit@planetayurveda.co.nz
