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Sri Lanka Ayurveda Tours
Sri Lanka Ayurveda Tours
“Ayurveda” is not only a form of medication – it is a total
way of life know to generations of Sri Lankan for over 3000 years. It is
a gentle method of treating the root causes of illness in both mind and
body.
The health conscious today are searching for effective alternatives to the
spiraling costs and side effects that at times result from the use of modern
medicine.
In Sri Lanka, we have had for the last couple of millennia a “user-friendly
“ traditional medicine – Ayurveda” which over 75% of the
island’s population depend on because of its reliance on natural
plants, herbs and oils. Nature’s way to good health, the efficacy
of “Ayurveda” has been proved by 3,000 years of successful caring
and curing…
What is Ayurveda? It is an ancient system of medicine developed in our
part of the world, long before the “father of medicine”, Hippocrates,
was even born. The name comes from two conjoined Sanskrit words “Ayuh”
(life) and “Veda” (science or knowledge). Basically a science
of healthy living, Ayurveda has two aims – to preserve health and
to cure a body afflicted by disease.
One of the fundamentals beliefs of Ayurveda is the doctrine of “Tri
Dosha” or the Three Vital Forces – Vayu, Pita and Kapha. Generally
translated into Wind, Bile and Phlegm, a more accurate interpretation
of Vayu is the transmission of energy within the body; in modern medical
terms, nerve impulses, muscle contraction and hormonal activity. Pita
may not be confined to bile but signifies the whole scope of metabolism
and internal heat production while Kapha means mucus, often described
as “The Protective Fluid”. The modern concept of mucus as an
antibody containing liquid which coats and protects internal linings of
the body, seems to fit in with Ayurvedic thinking.
When the three, “Doshas” are balanced, the body is in good health.
When this equilibrium is disturbed and the balance of these complementary
forces become unbalanced and upset, then illness results.
Ayurvedic practitioners study the patient as a whole with the object of
restoring balance, getting to the root of the problem and treating it. Local
folk have been known to say that while western medicine classifieds germs
and attempts to destroy them, Ayurveda classifies human beings and attempts
to save them.
The dive-pronged evacuative therapy – “Pancha Karma” is designed
to rid the body of toxins and is achieved by special diets and herbal decoctions.
The five elements of medical herbs: leaves, flowers, barks, roots and berries
are used to cleanse the blood and the body of impurities.
The preparation of Ayurvedic medications is usually a long process with
ingredients being ground in a pestle for a prescribed period of time. Juices
and extracts of plants are simmered until they are reduced to a fraction
of their original volume. Besides decoctions, wines, pills and powders for
internal use, Ayurveda also uses poultices, pastes, ointments and oils for
external application.
Massage with herbal oils, steam baths and bathing in herbal waters are said
to be particularly beneficial to patients with migraine, insomnia and arthritis.
Methods of treatment vary – while one might have herbal oil dripping
from a suspended clay pot onto a patient’s head, another would place
the patient in a steam bath like an ancient wooden chest with perforations,
in which he or she lies relaxed, benefiting from the vapours of various
steamed herbs wafting up from underneath.
Herbal teas are now available and gaining in popularity worldwide. Their
ingredients vary. While some might invigorate and energize, others would
relax and calm both mind and body.
The preventative aspects of Ayurveda recommend codes for healthy living
which include dietary and social-cultural norms. Certain foods are considered
good while partaking of others such as red meat is discouraged. Vegetarianism
and the consumption of dairy products such as milk and curd are smiled upon
while drinking alcohol and smoking are frowned on.
“Ayurveda” is a cure for a lifetime and a way of life; after all,
generations of Sri Lankan have been using these age-old remedies, and obtaining
relief from their illness, living to a ripe old age in excellent physical
condition.
It is a gentle and relaxed treatment for both mind and body, one that leaves
you feeling light, tranquil, yet filled with the zest and energy that our
ancestors experienced and benefited from.
“Ayurveda” is nature’s way of caring and curing for a
lifetime…
