Ayurveda was conceived and developed by vedic yogis and natural scientists through centuries of observations, experiments, discussions, and meditations. For several thousand years their teachings were passed on orally from teacher to student; and around the fifth to sixth century BC, elaborately detailed texts were written in Sanskrit.

In India today, Ayurvedic practitioners now receive state-recognised training in parallel to their physician counterparts. What’s more, there is now a rapidly developing global drive to prove that methods such as Ayurveda can work alongside general medical practice and offer the user a natural, safe and beneficial alternative.

Modern scientific research is fast proving that Ayurveda, the science of life, and Yoga, the science of self realisation, can have a far-reaching impact on both the physiological and psychological causes of many health complaints. Published studies have documented reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and reaction to stress in individuals who practice Ayurvedic treatment and lifestyle methods.

Laboratory and clinical studies on Ayurvedic herbal preparations and other therapies have shown them to have a range of potentially beneficial effects for preventing and treating infectious disease, treating diabetes, relieving structural problems, promoting health, reducing the signs of aging – and much more. Recently, it was revealed that the famous Ayurvedic medicine Triphala has been found to have anti-cancer properties.

The past 50 years has seen a rapid growth in Ayurveda, after being put on the back-burner for well over a century. Western advocates such as Deepak Chopra, David Frawley and Atreya Smith have helped to catapult Ayurveda into the Western spotlight but the journey hasn’t ended there. In India, not only does Ayurveda run parallel to western medicine, but the solutions it offers is now provided by medical GPs, hospitals and pharmacies, who are increasingly turning to Ayurvedic methods to deliver effective patient treatment protocols. The coming years will be a defining point for Ayurveda to have the same impact on a global scale.

The basic premise of Ayurveda is that the entire universe is part of one singular absolute. According to the theory, everything that exists in the universe also appears within the human body.

Ayurveda emphasises prevention of disease, rejuvenation of our body systems, and extension of life span.

The profound premise and promise of Ayurveda is that through certain practices, not only can we prevent heart disease and make our headaches go away, but we can also understand ourselves and the world around us better, live a long healthy life in balance and harmony, achieve our fullest potential, and express our true inner nature on a daily basis.

Ayurveda provides an integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions, natural therapies and medications. It is based on the view that the elements, forces, and principles that make up all of nature – which holds it together and makes it function – are also apparent in human beings. In Ayurveda, the mind (or consciousness) and the body (or physical mass) not only influence each other – they are each other. Together they form the mind-body. The universal consciousness is an intelligent, aware ocean of energy that gives rise to the physical world through our five senses. Ayurvedic philosophy and practices link us to every aspect of ourselves and remind us that we are in union with every aspect of nature, each other, and the entire universe.

There can be no mental health without physical health, and vice versa. In Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases that could be categorised as mental thoughts or feelings are just as important as symptoms and diseases of the physical body. Both are due to imbalances within a person, and both are treated by restoring the natural balance – mentally and physically. In Ayurveda your whole life and lifestyle must be in harmony before you can enjoy true well being. Lifestyle interventions are a major part of Ayurveda’s preventative and therapeutic approach.

According to Ayurveda, because we each have a unique constitution, our health prescription must be unique to us. This means that in order to be healthy, you need to eat certain foods that are beneficial for your body type and stay away from others. Your exercise program must be personally suitable as well. Your constitution determines a lot about you – your body, your personality, even down to how you relate to other people. Understanding it lets you know what you need to do in order to be healthy.

Ayurveda holds that specific disease conditions are symptoms of an underlying imbalance. It does not neglect relief of these symptoms, but its main focus is on the big picture: to restore balance and to help you create such a healthy lifestyle so that the imbalance won't occur again.

Living in health and balance is the key to a long life free from disease.

Perhaps the most important lesson Ayurveda has to teach is that our health is up to us. Every day of our lives, every hour of every day, we can, and do, choose either health or illness. When we choose wisely, nature rewards us with health and happiness. When we persistently choose unwisely, nature, in her wisdom, eventually sets us straight: She makes us sick and gives us a chance to rest and rethink our choices.