A major paradigm shift in healthcare is currently taking place worldwide. Ayurveda, or commonly called as Ayurvedic medicine, a treatment method that promotes health using natural, nontoxic ingredients and acknowledges the significant role of the mind and emotions, is at the center of this transition.
Let's understand and comprehend what a paradigm shift is and how the Ayurveda’s philosophy is influencing the healthcare paradigm??
The best illustration of "paradigm shit" is in the science of physics. Quantum physics, superstrings, and field theory have now supplanted the traditional Newtonian explanation of the world, which was accepted as fact for 200 years.
The paradigm shift in healthcare that we are currently going through is a move in the direction of holism, similar to the concept of Ayurveda. The outdated medical paradigm divided the mind and body into different categories and saw the human body as a machine with discrete systems, organs, and tissues. The new paradigm recognises the connection of the physical body, the mind, the emotions, and the environment in causing both health and disease. And also the essence of Ayurveda is that everything is interrelated.
The doctor no longer has sole authority under the new paradigm, which has been redesigned as a model of shared responsibility between patient and doctor, much like how an electron creating a link is shared between two nuclei. In order to avoid sickness and to advance wellbeing, longevity, energy, and happiness, Ayurveda is said to be holistic since it attempts to integrate and balance the body, mind, and soul.
Origin Of Ayurveda & Modern Revolution:
The ancient Indian Vedic culture is where Ayurveda first emerged. For more than 5000 years, disease prevention, health promotion, and treatment have all been accomplished using, this Ayurveda’s, all natural, holistic healthcare system.
This ancient Vedic expertise, which is often referred to as Ayurvedic Medicine, is regarded as one of the oldest therapeutic sciences and has persisted up to the present day through many centuries of tradition. Ayurveda, also referred to as the "Mother of All Healing," has its roots in India and dates back thousands of years. Its name derives from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge), and it literally translates to "the science of life," emphasizing the need of achieving harmony and balance in all facets of life, including the mind, body, and spirit.
Ayurveda is not just a medical system; it also refers to a way of life that strives to lengthen life by slowing or stopping the ageing process. Its goal is to promote optimal health and well-being through a multifaceted strategy that takes into account the mind, body, behavior, and environment. Traditional and ayurvedic remedies are being researched and validated using scientific procedures, which are used in modern medicine, as a result of a technological revolution in the healthcare industry. The golden triangle formed by conventional medicine, contemporary medicine, and modern science can serve as an illustration of this merging of the old and new approaches.
Traditional herbal and ayurvedic medicine manufacturers now employ stringent quality control (QC) procedures to guarantee the uniformity, safety, and effectiveness of their herbal-derived medication preparations. Due to the complexity of the chemical components in herbal medicines, metabolite profiling and quantitative analysis of the selected marker compound are two Quality Control procedures that have been taken into consideration. Every step of the production process, including receiving raw materials, extractions, in-process control, final goods, and maintaining samples, is subject to quality control. In-house QC labs thoroughly test herbal medications for heavy metals, pesticides, toxic metabolites, microbial toxins, pathogenic bacteria, and other foreign substances.
It is hoped that this fusion of old wisdom and cutting-edge scientific methods would usher in a new era where traditional medicine and contemporary medicine will work in unison to offer affordable, readily available health to each and every member of the world's human community.
Must Read: Ayurvedic Healthcare System: Medicine, Techniques, and Therapies
Modern Concept of Personalized Medicine (PM) Vs. Ayurvedic Concept of Prakriti (Human Constitution):
PM, also known as individualized medicine, is a therapeutic strategy that is quickly advancing because of its potential to improve and revolutionize the healthcare system. The fundamental tenet of PM is to customize the therapeutic approaches according to each patient's clinical, genetic, epigenomic, proteomic, and environmental profiles.
The idea of personalized medicine is derived from traditional Ayurvedic medicine, which uses a tiered approach as its fundamental tenet for tailored treatment planning. According to Ayurveda, each person's basic psycho-physiologic constitution, or Prakriti, is developed at birth and differs from that of other people while being constant throughout the course of a lifetime. Therefore, each human should be viewed as a unique entity. Each person's Prakriti affects how they will react differently to the identical stimuli, which distinguishes each person as a unique being.
While in Ayurveda, a person's Prakriti (psycho-physiologic human constitution), which is independent of racial, ethnic, or geographic factors, separates and distinguishes them from others based on morphological, physiological, or psychological traits, modern medicine divides and categorizes the human population according to geographical origin, ethnicity, race, and other factors.
The Concept Of Health In Ayurveda:
Ayurveda views health as more than just the absence of disease. This concept of health is known in Ayurveda as Swastha (Swa- means Self and Astha- means established). A healthy person is one who is established in his/her own “Self”, which entails having the same basic psycho-physiologic constitution (Prakriti) that was created at the moment of birth.
The land and seed concept is one of Ayurveda's health theories. Organisms or other elements that cause disease are thought of as the seed, while the physiology is thought of as the land. If physiological balance is preserved, the soil is sterile and the seed cannot develop (i.e., the disease process cannot occur even if there is an organism or other causative factor present in the body). If the equilibrium is upset, the resulting imbalance offers the seed a favorable environment to flourish. In this circumstance, the illness process can start and develop. By preserving balance in the physiology, as well as in the mind, behavior, and external environment, Ayurveda aims to prevent disease from developing.
Health Care Systems: Allopathic vs. Ayurvedic:
Allopathy, which is currently the dominant branch of medicine, typically only manages the disease's symptoms, leaving its underlying causes unaddressed. It treats acute disorders and injuries with remarkable results, but it is unable to prevent the recurrence of chronic ailments. Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are all chronic conditions that can only be managed or treated symptomatically.
Ayurveda's core principles include avoiding needless suffering and maintaining good health for a long time. Ayurveda can help to treat these chronic diseases by using natural methods such as diet, herbs, spices, minerals, exercise, meditation, yoga, mental hygiene, sounds, smells, and mechano-procedures to remove the disease's root cause by restoring balance and at the same time create a healthy lifestyle to prevent the recurrence. In this way, Ayurvedic treatment approach is in contrast to allopathic medicine, which primarily uses synthetic chemicals designed for specific target receptors and primarily provides symptomatic relief. It incorporates all medical specialties and aids in obtaining an integrated solution to the issue based on the individual's distinctive bodily composition, or Prakriti.
Must Read: Ayurvedic Healthcare System: Medicine, Techniques, and Therapies
Principle Of Ayurveda's Healthcare System: The Three Energetic Forces Of Nature:
According to Ayurveda, the cosmos is made up of the five elements ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. These five components are hence the foundation of life and are said to comprise the living microcosm (human beings). When Paired, these components are thought to create three separate types of energy that flow throughout our body.
In Ayurveda, these energies called as Doshas. These are:
- Kapha Dosha
- Pitta Dosha
- Vata Dosha
Prior to delving into the intricacies of each of the three doshas, it is important to comprehend their fundamental make-up and their overall function in the natural world.
The Doshas' Elemental Makeup:
As with everything in nature, all of the doshas are made up of all five elements, although they are mostly made up of two.
|
Dosha |
Primary Elements |
|
Vata |
Air + Space |
|
Pitta |
Fire + Water |
|
Kapha |
Water + Earth |
The three doshas are regarded in Ayurveda as being universal principles that govern all facets of material creation, including the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms, the hour of the day, the seasons of the year, and even the planets and galaxies. The human physiology is thus inextricably linked to all of existence.
A person's Human Constitution, or Prakriti, is represented by these, which are collectively referred to as "Tridoshas." At the time of birth, each person has a certain balance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha; this balance is known as their psychophysiologic constitution, or Prakriti, and it affects both the physical and mental characteristics of a person. The individual will remain in good health as long as the Prakriti is preserved. However, an imbalance in the ratio of doshas, which shapes individual Prakriti, can result from poor nutrition and lifestyle choices as well as other aspects of day-to-day living; this imbalanced ratio is known as Vikriti or disease.
The Doshas' Qualitative Character
Each dosha is identified by a group of qualities that reflects its nature and distinct energies:
|
Dosha |
Nature |
Qualities |
|
Vata |
Wind (Air) |
Dry, Light, Cold, Rough, Subtle, Mobile, Clear |
|
Pitta |
Fire |
Hot, Sharp, Light, Liquid, Spreading, Oily |
|
kapha |
Water |
Heavy, Slow, Cool, Oily, Smooth, Dense, Soft, Stable, Gross, Sticky |
These characteristics make balancing the doshas highly intuitive because, in Ayurveda, opposites balance and like increases like. In general, we can encourage a restoration to equilibrium when one of the doshas is disturbed by lessening the effect of that dosha's traits and favouring their opposites.
The few opposites that are most frequently mentioned in Ayurveda are listed in the table below.
|
Ayurveda’s few Pairs of Opposites: |
|
|
Cold |
Hot |
|
Oily |
Dry |
|
Smooth |
Rough |
|
Dense |
Liquid |
|
Soft |
Hard |
|
Stable |
Mobile |
|
Gross |
Subtle |
Furthermore, if we are aware of the exact traits that are exacerbated, we can concentrate on calming them specifically while selecting meals, herbs, and situations that magnify their opposing energies.
The Doshas, Their Typical & Intricate Functions
The doshas are present throughout nature, but they are most helpful in comprehending living things, including us. The specific combinations of elements and attributes that each of the three doshas possesses give each one of them a distinct personality. Each dosha naturally controls a certain set of physiological processes, at least in theory. Each of the doshas disturbs the body in its own distinct way when it is irritated. Therefore, each of the three doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—is linked to a specific set of health issues and tendencies for disease.
We will therefore examine their primary roles in the context of human physiology.
- The Vata; Optimal Functioning And Imbalance
- Optimal Functioning: Vata is frequently linked to wind because it represents the energy of motion (and the air element). Vata regulates all movement, including all muscle contractions, tissue motions, cellular mobility, and communication within the mind and nervous system. It is associated with creativity and flexibility.
- Imbalance: Vata has a tendency to produce fear, anxiety, loneliness, and weariness when it is out of balance. It can impede effective communication, result in physical and emotional exhaustion, and create a variety of aberrant motions in the body, including involuntary movements, tremors, and muscle spasms.
- The Pitta; Optimal Functioning And Imbalance
- Optimal Functioning: Pitta is intimately associated with the fire element since it signifies the energy of transformation. However, pitta is mostly a liquid in living things, which is why water is its secondary ingredient. Pitta spreads even though it is neither mobile nor stable, much like how a fire's warmth permeates its surroundings or how water moves in the direction determined by the ground. Pitta regulates body temperature, metabolism, nutrition, and the light of knowledge; it is strongly tied to intelligence, knowledge, and the digestion of foodstuffs, beliefs, emotions, and experiences.
- Imbalance: Pitta produces flamboyant, reactive emotions like annoyance, rage, jealousy, and criticism when it is out of balance. Inflammatory illnesses, which can damage organs and tissues throughout the body, are frequently caused by an unbalanced pitta.
- The Kapha; Optimal Functioning And Imbalance
- Optimal Functioning: Kapha is primarily related to the earth and water elements since it gives everything structure, solidity, and cohesion. The watery qualities of love and compassion are likewise embodied by kapha. This dosha supports immunity, lubricates joints, moisturises skin, hydrates all cells and systems, and safeguards tissues.
- Imbalance: When kapha is out of balance, it can produce stubbornness, lethargy, and aversion to change as well as feelings of attachment, avarice, and possessiveness. On a physical level, kapha tends to encourage stagnation and congestion in all of the body's organs and tissues, including the mind.
Must Read: Ayurvedic Healthcare System: Medicine, Techniques, and Therapies
Conclusion:
The Ayurvedic healthcare system, which was developed over 5000 years ago and is still utilized today for disease prevention, promotion of good health, and treatment, is the focus of the current paradigm shift in global health care. To assure the consistency, safety, and effectiveness of their medicinal preparations made from herbs, traditional and ayurvedic medicines are being researched and validated using scientific methods as part of the healthcare industry's technological revolution. Ayurveda, a form of ancient Indian medicine, has its roots in the idea of a fast evolving therapeutic strategy known as PM or individualize medicine. Ayurveda includes a fundamental philosophy for tailoring the therapy in accordance with the individualized approach premise.
Ayurveda's five fundamental elements—which serve as the universe's building blocks—are thought to combine to create the three distinct types of energy known as doshas. The manifestation of these elements through the doshas is what gives rise to our various constitutions, even though this basis unifies all humans. What distinguishes each of us from one another is how the three doshas manifest and in what proportion.
The ratio of each of the three doshas constantly changes as we go through life depending on your surroundings, nutrition, seasonal and climatic conditions, age, and a variety of other factors. Knowing and appreciating our dosha is essential to understanding who we are. It offers suggestions on what to eat and what to do when our energy levels start to fluctuate. It will be simpler to balance certain reactions and tendencies the more we are aware of their potential causes.
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