Definition
“Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine and health care which originated in the Indian subcontinent. The term Ayurveda denotes “knowledge of life”. It is a compound of two words, “ayu” (life) and “veda” (knowledge). The discipline encompasses the physical, psychological, spiritual and social dimensions of life, deals with dynamic concepts of well-being, harmony, health promotion and longevity, and concerns itself with healthy, beneficial and advantageous aspects of human life as well as its unhealthy, deleterious and disadvantageous aspects”
“A form of alternative medicine that is the traditional system of medicine of India and seeks to treat and integrate body, mind, and spirit using a comprehensive holistic approach especially by emphasising diet, herbal remedies, exercise, meditation, breathing, and physical therapy”
Ayurveda means “science of life‟. The principal objectives of Ayurveda are maintenance and promotion of health, prevention of disease and cure of sickness. Ayurveda is a famous practice in North India. It is a system of traditional Indian medicine, based on 5 elements – space, air, fire, water and earth; and treatment concept based on balance of the three elemental substances. These elemental substances combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, the Doshas. The Doshas consist of Vata (Kinetic energy), Pitta (Thermal energy), and Kapha (Potential energy) that governs physiological and psychological functions of the body. An equal balance of the 3 doshas leads to health, while imbalance in them leads to disease. Ayurveda emphasises on Dietary Principles (Ahara Niyma), Daily regimen (Dincharya), Seasonal regimen (Ritucharya), Good conduct/social behaviour (Sadavritta), the use of plant-based medicines and treatments.
(Variables definition, National Health Morbidity Survey, 2015)
