Ayurveda in Kerala

Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests (with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants), and the cool monsoon season (June - November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages. In fact, today, Kerala is the only state in India which practises this system of medicine with absolute dedication.

History of Ayurveda

Ayurveda evolved around 600 BC in India and was founded upon a medicinal approach of preventing body ailments, whilst curing them. Ayurveda today is a unique, indispensable branch of medicine - a complete naturalistic system that depends on the diagnosis of your body's humours - vata, pitta and kapha - to achieve the right balance. Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but the individual as a whole, ensuring it is the natural way to a refreshed soul, free of toxic imbalances - a key to better health and resistance to disease.

Ayurveda (pronounced eye-yer-vay-duh) is the art of healthy living that enables you to create harmony in daily life by applying self- knowledge and self-care. The word, Ayurveda, is from the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, and literally means "Knowledge of Life". Inherent in Ayurvedic principles is the concept that you are capable of taking charge of your own life and healing. Ayurveda may come from ancient texts, but these principles are just as applicable today in our society as they were when they were originally recorded in India. Ayurvedic living occurs when you recognize your basic nature and live according to this true self.

The Ayurvedic approach to life involves listening to and addressing the unique needs of your body, recognizing and balancing your mental and emotional states and deepening your connection with your spirit your essential self. You are the only one who can do this, because you are the only one who will truly benefit from your actions or suffer from your abuses.
It all begins with knowing yourself...
Ayurveda recognizes three main energies that combine to form all things in the universe. These are recognized as being fundamental to all life and are seen in the processes of growth, maintenance, and decay. Their actions are named anabolism, metabolism, and catabolism in the western sciences. Life, light, and love exemplify all these energies and are found in our environments at every moment on every level.

These energies combine in limitless ways to create the unique qualities of each individual. When you become aware of these qualities within yourself, you take the first steps toward creating a healthy life. Ayurveda assists you in identifying these energies in your body and shows you how to more fully experience their gifts and to gain freedom from their limitations. By working with the body's unique nature, you are able to create true health.

Ayurveda names these basic energies Vata, Pitta, and Kapha . In the Ayurvedic approach to life and health, we recognize how these energies are at work at each moment in our bodies and minds. When we recognize this, we can begin to create balance for ourselves by countering the destructive forces with positive actions.

How does this work ? With Ayurveda, we acknowledge that beneficial daily habits are different for each person, because each person is a unique combination of these three energies. Everybody has all three energies- though people experience each of them to a greater or lesser degree. Ayurveda can be a mirror that reflects our true nature and maps out the path for a return to the lives of vitality that we are meant to have.