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  AYURVEDA PRACTITIONERS

What is it?
DEFINITION AND EXPLANATION OF AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONERS
Ayurveda is a 4,000 year-old Indian method of healing that includes diet, natural therapies and herbs prescribed according to body type. The word "ayurveda" is made up of two roots: ayur meaning “life “and veda meaning “knowledge.”  Physicians and practitioners of ayurveda place equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit, and strive to restore the innate harmony of the individual.

In India, ayurveda is practiced as primary care medicine. In the West, ayurveda is complementary or alternative to allopathic medicine. Ayurveda has a legacy of using herbal preparations that have been clinically tested and are now being scientifically validated. Other commonly ayurvedic treatments include dietary changes, meditation, massage, oxygen therapy or breathing exercises, yoga, and music therapy.

What is it used for?
CONDITIONS AYURVEDA MAY BE HELPFUL FOR
Using natural, noninvasive modalities, practitioners treat all manner of chronic and acute disorders and advise on maintaining balance and wellness.

Where did it come from?
HISTORY OF AYURVEDA
Ayurvedic medicine is native to the Indian subcontinent and is used daily by people in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.  It has been a large influence on Unani, the ancient Greek system of medicine based on the four humors, and on Chinese and Tibetan medicine. The eight branches of classic ayurvedic medicine practiced in India today are:

- Internal medicine
- Surgery
- Ears, eyes, nose and throat
- Pediatrics
- Toxicology
- Purification of the genetic organs
- Health and Longevity
- Spiritual Healing/Psychiatry

Documented references to the precise timing of the origins of ayurveda are not known. Hinduism attributes the genesis of ayurveda to Lord Brahma and various gods, passed as divine knowledge and realized by ancient sages. This knowledge is traditionally thought to have entered the human sphere by a complex system of mnemonics passed from guru to student over many years of study. Evidence of ayurveda first appeared during Vedic times (second and first millennium B.C.E), compiled as a text by an ancient Indian sage named Agnivesha in a book "Agnivesh tantra."

The book was later revised by Charaka, and renamed "Charaka Samhita" (Encyclopedia of the physician Charaka.) Another early text was written by a surgeon named Sushruta in his "Sushruta Samhita " This contains 184 chapters and description of 1,120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources.

Verses dealing with ayurveda are included in the Hindu sacred Vedic text the "Atharvaveda," which implies that some form of ayurveda is as old as the Vedas. Ayurvedic practices have also evolved over time, and some practices may be considered innovations upon earlier Vedic practices, such as the advances made during the Buddhist period or "Golden Age of Ayurveda" in India, 800 - 1000 B.C.

Ayurveda has been preserved by the people of India as a traditional "science of life", despite increasing adoption of European medical techniques during the time of British rule. For several decades the reputation and skills of the various ayurvedic schools declined markedly as Western medicine and Western-style hospitals were built. However, beginning in the 1970s, a gradual recognition of value of ayurveda returned, and Today hospitals and practitioners are flourishing throughout India. The production and marketing of ayurvedic herbal medicines has dramatically increased along with scientific documentation of benefits. Ayurvedic medicines are available throughout the world.

Interest in ayurveda in the U.S. began in the 1970's largely as the result of efforts by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi organization of Transcendental Meditation. Interest grew as Indian physicians came to the U.S. in the 1980's, including Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. Sunil Joshi and Dr. B.D. Triguna. In the late '80s Dr. Deepak Chopra raised Western awareness of ayurveda with his book "Perfect Health." Dr. David Frawley of the American Institute For Vedic Studies and Dr. Robert Svoboda, who completed India's Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) program also helped attract attention to ayurveda and influence its growth in the States.

What is it based on?
THEORY OF AYURVEDA 
In the ayurvedic view, human beings are considered a microcosm of nature.  When all systems are properly balanced, health is maintained.

According to ayurvedic philosophy, every human being was created by the cosmos as male energy, Purusha, or female energy, Prakruti. Purusha is pure consciousness associated with the "true self," while Prakruti is related to the senses and intellectual facilities of the material world. Structurally, the human body is composed of five basic elements: space (ether), air, water, fire and earth. Functionally, however, there are three body types, or doshas, that explain the actions, gestures, and metabolic activities of an individual. These three body types are analogous to Western medicine's body types of thin (ectomorph), muscular (mesomorph) or fat (endomorph.) 

The Vata Body Type:
The primary characteristic of the vata metabolic type is changeability, unpredictability, and variability in size, shape, mood, and action. Vatas rarely suffer from inertia; their energy vacillates back and forth, their sleeping patterns are erratic, and they seek exhilarating activities. Most vatas are thin, moody, exuberant, and rambunctious. They may suffer from psychological disorders, including anxiety, nervous disorders, phobias. Vata is associated with the elements of ether and air together.

The Pitta Body Type:
This metabolic type is more predictable compared to the vata type. A person with a dominant pitta body type usually has a medium build, is strong, has stamina and endurance, and maintains a stable body weight. Pittas are generally intelligent, quick-witted, and sometimes critical. They possess little patience, a short temper, and may erupt from time to time. Pitta is associated with water and fire.

The Kapha Body Type:
A person with a dominant kapha metabolic body type is easy-going. laid-back, and relaxed. They have a tendency to be overweight because they digest rather slowly and may have a low metabolism. They tend to be slow and methodical at things they do, contrary to vatas who are always on the run. They move slowly, eat slowly, act slowly, think slowly, and are slow to anger. Kapha is associated with water and earth.

Each individual has one dominant metabolic body type (dosha). Most people are a mixture of dosha characteristics (such as vata-pitta).  Practitioners base treatments on the constitution, or dosha profile, of the patient,

How is it done?
WHAT A SESSION WITH AN AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONER IS LIKE
Because Ayurvedic practitioners are relatively rare in the U.S., many travel to hold in-person consultations and treatments at holistic health centers or clinics in different cities or offer online consultations as well as maintain offices.

Prior to the first consultation, the client fills out a health history form, possibly including related medical forms provided by other practitioners.  Much of the consultation is spent going over the client’s past health history and life story so the practitioner has a good picture of the client, and their constitution and health status according to ayurveda. Some clients consulting by phone are asked to send a photograph.

Traditional ayurvedic assessments include taking the pulse, examining the nails, tongue, face, eyes and body frame. Modalities advised may include changes in diet, lifestyle, daily routine, education, cooking classes, herbal formulas, fomentation for respiratory conditions, yoga postures, traditional detoxification procedures called "Pancha Karma," or referral to other specialists.

Occasionally clients may be asked to keep record of symptoms or health status between follow-up appointments. These help to document progress or illuminate program changes that may be necessary.

Who does it?
AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONERS
Many practitioners study in India, where there are more than 150 undergraduate and 30 postgraduate colleges for ayurvedic medicine and training can take 5 years or longer. Students may earn a bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, BAMS) or doctoral degree (Doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, DAMS).

In the U.S., there is no national standard of required compliance for ayurvedic colleges. Each institution creates its own guidelines for training and certifying practitioners. Training programs in the U.S. fall into four categories: (1) correspondence programs, (2) correspondence with classroom training programs, (3) on-site training programs without state certification (4) on-site training programs with state certification. Unless they also hold a medical license, U.S. ayurvedic practitioners primarily offer non-medical complementary or alternative therapies.