Natural Future

Ayurveda

“Life science” is what Ayurveda means in Sanskrit. It is derived from the two words ‘Ayu’ meaning life and ‘Veda’ meaning knowledge or science. Ayurveda is not just a preventive health care system; it is a way of life that found its origins in ancient India 5,000 years ago.

According to this system, health is determined by three biological principles, called ‘Doshas’. The three ‘Doshas’ are Vata, Pitta and Kapha, each controlling movement, metabolism and structure.

The body, mind and spirit is free of disease when the ‘Doshas’ are in equilibrium. Disease strikes when there is an imbalance or disequilibrium in even one of these ‘Doshas’. Balance is the key. Improper diet, pollution, unhealthy habits are just some of the reasons that lead to an imbalance.

Ayurveda emphasizes the use of mind, body and spirit to prevent and fight diseases. Thus it strives to restore the innate harmony of the individual. The main thrust of Ayurveda is to synchronize and coordinate the various bodily functions by identifying the imbalance in the body. The underlying principle is that if the roots are watered well, the plant will flourish. Sleep, diet, internal cleansing and lifestyle are given as much or perhaps more importance than herbs and potions.

Ayurveda places a lot of importance on learning. In this method, treatment is based on the physician’s awareness of the world. Insights are gained by seeing, smelling, tasting and listening. Ayurveda seeks to restore a person’s health by bringing him into equilibrium with his true self. Thus the aims of Ayurveda are:

-To maintain the health of healthy people,
-To cure diseases of ill people.

Ayurveda is rightly enjoying widespread resurgence all over the world. With healthcare becoming exorbitant and fraught with risks, health-conscious individuals are taking more responsibility for their own health and well-being. People have started realizing that alternative holistic health systems like Ayurveda will help them lead a healthy life and prevent diseases even before they occur.

Ayurveda has offered an interesting theory of disease. Effective digestion is crucial to health, and any problems in the digestive system causes toxins to build up within the body and clog the channels in the body. This weakens the physiology and creates the right conditions for disease and infection. Rejuvenation is possible only through cleansing programs like Panchkarma. These programs are designed to flush toxins from the body.

Ayurveda depends a lot on herbs, roots, grass and other natural products. Ayurveda also pioneered the science of herbal combination – a happy blending of a variety of herbs to produce a medication that offers the dual benefits of synergy and balance. Sometimes, an Ayurvedic formulation may contain over twenty or more spices and herbs. The combination of primary herbs, balancing herbs and supporting herbs expedite the healing process.

The ayurvedic approach is rising in popularity because it is comprehensive and gentle. Instant cures through pill-popping are foreign to Ayurveda. Patience and persistence pays because Ayurveda seeks to correct the source of the problem. For those who can commit themselves to the effort Ayurveda offers effective, cumulative health benefits and can lead to a happy, healthy and joyful life.

Yoga is a generic term for the various spiritual disciplines in Hinduism and Buddhism. It is practiced throughout South Asia. Its prime aim is to pave the way to higher consciousness through liberation from suffering, ignorance and rebirth. Vedic and Buddhist literature is strewn with stories of yogis who attained miraculous prowess by practicing various kinds of meditations and austerities. Today, yoga is usually practiced under the guidance of a guru or a spiritual guide.

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit where it means ‘to unite’. Therefore yoga connotes an exercise in mental and moral cultivation that generates excellent health and contributes to longevity in life. The total and intrinsic discipline exercised by a yogi culminates in positive and perennial happiness. It is a science which affects the conscious as well as the subconscious aspect of the mind.
There are some misconceptions about Yoga. Yoga is NOT black magic, sorcery, white magic or mental or physical debauchery. Some consider yoga to be a dangerous practice that should be engaged by those who have renounced the world. Some even think of it as a kind of mental acrobatic that is fit to be practiced only by certain sections in the world.

Yoga is an all-encompassing science that depends on mental discipline. It ensures the purgation of the soul and removal of the ignoble which will bring forth what is most noble in man. Irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion yoga embraces all of human life. The believer and the non-believer, the sick and the healthy, the literate and the ignorant, the young and the old – everyone can embrace yoga. One can begin practicing yoga at any age and continue doing so throughout life.

For a person practicing yoga, there is an emphasis on restraint from vice through observance of virtue, purity and controlling of uncontrolled desires. The main technique used in yoga is ‘asanas’ or postures. This along with ‘pranayama’ or breath control helps to calm the body and draw vital energy forces into the body. Detaching the mind from the external mind through the withdrawal of senses is done through ‘dhyana’ or meditation. A common feature of yoga is intense concentration on a single point, be it a diagram, a part of the body, the breath or even a mantra.

In the modern world, it is almost impossible for man to achieve the mental prowess of the ancient yogis. Therefore, yoga cannot be seen as an alternative to medicine. But when teamed with Western healing practices, yoga is amazingly effective. Yoga is very effective in helping patients overcome pain, and the anxiety or depression associated with pain.

Yoga is not just a medical science; it’s a complete way of life. It lays down strict dietary recommendations and lifestyle practices that helps one achieve and maintain good health. Yoga has been adopted by people for the treatment of various conditions like constipation, back pain, indigestion, diabetes and blood pressure. Exercises prescribed by yoga are excellent if you want to lose weight and gain control over your body. One of the greatest benefits of practicing yoga is that it makes you aware of the various muscles in your body and teaches you how to control any PARTICULAR set of muscles.

Thus Yoga as a way of life and as a holistic therapeutic science has gained a lot of acceptance in the world today. Even though a person practicing yoga may never reach the heights of a yogi, they can learn to live a richer and happier life by practicing these techniques.

Sound therapy, also known as music therapy or sound healing, is an automatic process of deep inner healing set in motion through the right combinations of sounds that resonate within and fill the space around us. Since we are a product of our immediate environment, Roop Verma’s music aims to treat the environment first, with music based on the chemistry of sound from the ancient sacred music of India. From the hands of a true master of sitar, people around the globe have experienced Roop Verma’s music as healing, enjoyable, relaxing, calming, meditative, therapeutic, transforming, elevating, and of course stress reducing. His music is a perfect compliment for therapists of different disciplines, yoga practitioners and teachers, meditators, parents to soothe children and themselves at bedtime, people who prefer gentle music to wake up to, and even for busy professionals who need to unwind. It creates a relaxing atmosphere for any type of activity.

The ancient musicologists and mystics of India, who developed sound therapy, observed that Sound has an invincible power. Nothing is an exception to its laws of natural harmony. Sound therapy is an arrangement of sounds, in a specific order and design, to invoke different feelings that influence our very DNA. Much scientific study has been done relating how our feelings affect our bodies and minds. When sounds are arranged according to the principles of the ancient music of India, which are based on the natural scale, they are naturally therapeutic. A master musician, like Roop Verma, can help the listener experience sound healing.

The music therapy of India is a ‘science of awareness’ and a vehicle to still the mind. Therefore, the system of Nada Yoga was born - the science of using sound vibrations to bring the moving pendulum of mind to a "stand-still."

Musical sounds have a natural harmony between them. When combined in a specific manner, they have a dynamic and powerful effect in balancing the energies of the body. Therefore, the arrangement of tones for different times of day, night and seasons, and how they relate with the changing states of body chemistry, were at the very center of study for ancient Indian masters of ‘sound’ and ‘music’.

The human body is like a musical instrument, expressing numerous frequencies and rhythms in a constantly changing spectrum of life. It responds and resonates in consonance with music, sounds, speech and thought from the environment, and undergoes changes of heart beat, breathing, blood chemistry and circulation of energy in various organs of the body.

Certain sounds have negative and destructive effects over the body. When such sounds are received and registered by the Chakras (The Energy Centers) and cells, the balance or equilibrium of the energies is disturbed. This abnormality produces a pressure over various organs, systems and cells and ultimately over the entire body.

In this system of Sound Therapy, specific sounds are used that deal directly with the root causes of imbalance by:
--Purifying and re-organizing the energy patterns that surround the individual in the form of an ever-expanding and contracting magnetic field (AURA).
--Penetrating the human body through the skin, the chief sensory organ, and balancing the frequencies of Chakras and cells, thereby regulating the flow of energy throughout the entire body.

Music therapy deals with problems related to the mind and its complexes; to emotional imbalances; and finally to physical problems.

Chromotherapy or color therapy is said to have its roots in ancient Egypt where patients were kept in specially built solarium rooms with tinted glass. The use of colored gels, colored cloth filters and colored water was also prevalent in ancient Egypt. Down the centuries, color therapy has conquered a lot of skepticism and is now being used as an alternative method of healing.

This holistic healing approach seeks to correct the imbalance in the body through colors. In this context it is important to realize that all holistic or alternative healing sciences believe that ‘dis-ease’ occurs when there is some disturbance in the balance of the body. Once this imbalance is set right, wellness and health is restored.

In color therapy , a trained therapist uses the different colors of the spectrum to balance and enhance the body’s energy centers (also known as ‘Chakras’).

Does color therapy have the backing of science? To a big extent, yes. Scientists, who have extensively researched color and light, agree that color brings out unexpectedly acute emotional reactions in man, be it physical, emotional, spiritual or mental. It shines upon us from the sun and is emitted by every single cell in the human body. What is even more interesting is that each person reacts differently to the same color. So, while the color red may make you angry, it might make another person feel romantic!

Throughout our lives we are continuously associating meanings and feelings with colors. Thus, we easily build up prejudices towards colors and attach happy and sad connotations with colors.

What cause this attraction or aversion to colors in individuals? It is believed that just as the body signals vitamin deficiency by causing food cravings, so also an individual is attracted to a particular color when the energy flow in a particular area is blocked. Color is absorbed by the skull, skin and the eyes and thus affects every single cell in the body. The healing journey starts when we understand why certain colors affect us favorably while others bring out the worst in us.

Man’s well being is not a purely physical issue. Color therapy helps to re-balance the imbalance in our chakras by applying the appropriate color to the body. So color therapy is effective because practitioners believe that a healthy human is the combination of body, mind and spirit working together.

Color therapy is a catalyst to the healing process and when used in combination with orthodox medical treatment, is found to be very effective. For instance, a recent announcement made by CNN discusses the application of blue light to the back of the knees to help people overcome jet lag.

A qualified therapist is able to decide what colors need to be supplied to the individual to make him better. The methodology of treatment varies from doctor to doctor. The most commonly used method is a light box. Other methods include meditation with color, color breathing, solarized water, using colored silks and directing colored light to the body.
Over the years, researchers have managed to identify the colors associated with certain ailments. Thus color therapy is coping very well with different illnesses. Although scoffed at by medical experts in the beginning, color therapy is slowly being recognized as a legitimate healing method.