Traditional form of Indian medicine and widely regarded as the oldest form of health care in the world, Ayurveda is a complicated medical system that had originated in India thousands of years ago. It is attributed to Dhanvantari, the physician to the gods in Hindu mythology, who recieved it from Brahma.The essentials of Ayurveda can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom. The Rig Veda, which was written over 6,000 years ago, contains a series of prescriptions that can help humans overcome various ailments. Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individuals body, mind and spirit in perfect balance with nature. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term, made up of the words "ayus" and "veda." "Ayus" means life and "Veda" means knowledge or science. The term "ayurveda" thus means the knowledge of life or the science of life. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" comprises the mind, body, senses and the soul. It analyses the human body in terms of earth, water, fire, air and ether as well as the three bodily humors.

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". 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. 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.

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 represent all these energies and are found in our environments at every moment on every level. When people become aware of these qualities within themselves, they take the first steps toward creating a healthy life. Ayurveda assists in identifying these energies in a person`s body and shows them how to more fully experience these gifts and gain freedom from their limitations. By working with the body`s unique nature, true health can be created.

Ayurveda names these basic energies as Vata, Pitta and Kapha . In the Ayurvedic approach to life and health, it is recognized how these energies work at each moment in people`s bodies and minds. When these energies are recognized, countering the destructive forces with positive actions can create balance.

Elements of Ayurveda
Ayurvedic system is based on the interaction of the body, mind and spirit. In Ayurveda the origin of all aspects of existence is consciousness. Matter and Energy are one. Matter is manifested in five elements. Ether (Space), Air (Vayu), Fire (Agni) , Water and Earth.

Concepts and Principles of Ayurveda
For a detailed understanding of what is naturally healthy living the principles of Ayurveda are an invaluable link. People, the world over, are realizing the importance and benefits of taking personal responsibility for one`s own well-being. Ayurveda, therefore, is the perfect system to help achieve this goal.

According to ayurvedic philosophy an individual bundle of `spirit`, desirious of expressing itself, uses subjective consciousness or Satwa to manifest sense organs and a mind. Spirit and mind then project themselves into a physical body, created from the five (Pancha) great (maha) eternal elements (bhutas) - together called the Panchamahabhutas -, which arise from Tamas. The body becoming the minds vehicle, its physical instrument for intellectual satisfaction.

Development of Ayurveda
The birth of Indian Medicine can be traced back to the days of the famous Indus -Valley civilization of 2700-1500B.C We note Sanskrit writings of mythico-religious hymns related to the civilization in Vedas. Atharvaveda and Rigveda definitely provide us with data of medical practices.The Golden Age of Ayurveda is from 800-1000B.C.It is marked by the evolution of medical texts like Charaka-samhita, Susruta-samhita, Madhava-nidana, Sarangdhara-samhita,etc.

History of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient system of health care.Ayurveda is the oldest and most holistic medical system available on the planet today. It was placed in written form over 5,000 years ago in India, it was said to be a world medicine dealing with both the body and the spirit. Before the beginning of writing, the ancient wisdom of this healing system was a part of the spiritual tradition of the Sanatana Dharma (Universal Religion), or Vedic Religion. Veda Vyasa, the famous sage, shaktavesha avatar of Vishnu, put into writing the complete knowledge of Ayurveda, along with the more directly spiritual insights of self-awareness into a body of scriptural literature called the Vedas and the Vedic literatures.