Anjali Yoga and Massage
What is Ayurveda
Ayurveda is the science of life.
Ayu = life
Ved = scripture
When we combine ayur with veda we get a book of life science that teaches us how to live life healthily and naturally, using natural elements to balance ourselves.
Ayurvedic medicine -- also known as Ayurveda -- is one of the world's oldest holistic (whole-body) healing systems. It developed thousands of years ago in India.
It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. But treatments may be recommended for specific health problems.
Ayurveda Concepts:
According to Ayurvedic theory, everything in the universe -- living or not -- is connected. Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe. A disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness.
For followers of Ayurveda, anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe. Some things that can cause a disruption include:
genetic or birth defects, injuries, climate and seasonal changes, age,emotions.
How your body works to keep you healthy and your unique physical and psychological characteristics combine to form your body's constitution, or prakriti. Your prakriti is believed to stay the same for your entire life. However, how you digest food and eliminate waste can influence it.
In Ayurveda, everything is made up of the pancha mahabhutas or the five elements—ether (akasha), wind (vayu), fire (agni), water (jala), and earth (prithvi).
These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. The three doshas are:
vata dosha (space and air)pitta dosha (fire and water)kapha dosha (water and earth)
Living beings have an additional element which is prana. Prana can be translated as lifeforce, chi, or primordial energy. It is pivotal in creating physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellbeing.
Prana is also translated as “breath” in Sanskrit. It is understood to be the vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and the vital energy in all natural processes of the universe. A central concept in Ayurveda and Yoga, prana flows through a network of fine subtle energy channels called nadis.
Pranic energy we get from food, drink, sunlight and breath, circulates throughout the body and gives life and animation to the living organism. When improper foods are ingested, lifestyle imbalances occur, or disease begins to set in, the flow of prana meets with blockages as it travels through the various energy channels.
Ayurvedic Massage is a therapy that helps remove these blockagess and aids in the circulation of vital energy in the body.
History of Ayurvedic massage
The history of Ayurvedic massage dates back several centuries to healers who worked miracles with their hands. Massage, as a healing therapy, is known to have been practiced by the ancient Indian physicians Sage Charaka, Sage Sushruta, and Sage Vagbhata. Warriors and soldiers underwent mandatory massage routines during their training as massage helped develop strength and improve agility in general.
Throughout the generations, mothers in India have given herbed oil massage to their children since infancy to promote healthy development, immunity and strength as they grow.
As well, adults give self massage with oil before bathing, especially in winter to keep warm, maintain good circulation and increase strength. Elders receive massage in the home to keep joints pain free and mobile well into their later years.