Ayurveda is a cool way of living.
The general perception of Ayurveda is like that of a rigid, self-righteous, strict moral science teacher who says ‘no pain, no gain’ and all that.
With all the talk and instructions about DOs and DONTs, pathyas, must and shoulds, bitter medicines, etc., isn’t it true?
One may ask. I beg to differ.
Ayurveda, though received with respect and followed with fearful veneration by the ‘believers’ is often misunderstood and alienated as a hard task master.
When embraced gently and lovingly, Ayurveda turns out to be a gentle friend for life, through thick and thin.
What do you call someone who tells what you are actually like and what you can do/how you can be, to get the best out of your life? “Best friend??”
When I first started at the Ayurveda college, I was totally bewildered by the classics. They spoke about elementary stuff. Learning how to brush and clean your tongue (Dinacharya) is not what you expect in your medical college.
And I thought ‘what did I get myself into?’. But, over the years, as I explore with patience and awe, Ayurveda unravels beautifully, not just as a medical science, but as a life science, leading, protecting and supporting as a guiding light in every walk of life.
Ayurveda is probably the only life science which explores every aspect of life of a common man.
And the purpose is not to deprive, but to enable and empower us to fulfill the purusharthas- Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. It is not a restrictive path; it is path of understanding and a journey into oneself for personal enlightenment.
Ayurveda celebrates the uniqueness of each individual by identifying the type (Prakriti) and providing guidelines to the well-being of every kind.
Based on this knowledge, I have suggested some small, easy and doable things to my patients, and they find the results astonishing.
For instance, when patients with Vata predominant prakriti are convinced to include cow’s ghee in their diet, they find it unbelievable to see how their perpetually dry skin looks moisturized naturally.
Some of the regimens mentioned in the classics are so powerful that, even doing 10% of it yields results. For instance, whenever I mention Abhyanga (Self oil massage), patients always complain that it is time consuming and impractical.
When I push them to try a shorter version of application of oil on the body just 10 mins before bath and using a suitable hair oil at least twice a week, even if it is for half an hour before washing, they come back impressed with its effect on their skin and hair.