NEW DELHI: Ayurveda speaks a different language. It is a layered, individualised alternate practice that amuses as well as puzzles people. Despite having been around since the Indus Valley Civilization, the science is not free of scrutiny. And specially in the last few decades, Ayurveda is facing a terrible crisis of skepticism. It’s as though the intellectualism of modern medicine has reduced this ancient wisdom to a handful of herbs and potions. Coupled with this, its jargon heavy vocabulary has kept people out of its healing embrace. Here is an attempt to simplify the philosophy and to re-think its relevance today.
Curtailment that leads to confinement
So what really happened to Ayurvedic discourse? The main reason it couldn’t make exponential headway is that knowledge about its method was kept tightly under wraps. “Families who practiced Ayurveda would pass the knowledge only to their own children. Because they kept it limited to just their family systems, the learning couldn’t disseminate widely,” says Dr Vivekanand VR from the IAIM Healthcare Centre, Bangalore, who was in Delhi recently to speak at an Ayurvedic conclave organised by Kama Ayurveda, an Ayurvedic beauty and wellness brand.
Shifting practices
Gradually, Ayurvedic teaching opened to students outside the family system. This lead to widespread study of the subject both in India and the West. But at the same time, it could never ever measure up to evidence-based medicine. Things, however, are changing as we notice an interesting phenomenon developing. When people fail at the hands of western medicine, they come back to alternative healing systems, Ayurveda being one of the most preferred ones.
Knowing that the science has answers for everything from the common cold to coronary circulation disorders, comes as a reassuring thought. “Ayurveda is still not the first option, however. Probably because this pill-fed generation cannot fathom something as small as ashwagandha curing them. Only when you have a fancy prescription given to you in a fancier hospital, do you believe the treatment,” says an Ayurvedic healer from Delhi.
In the matter, Dr Sanand Ratnam Thekkayil, Chief Medical Officer, Sree Subramania Ayurvedic Nursing Home has much to say. Ayurveda is a simple lifestyle ideology that has the power of treating even diseases like AIDS. “The line of treatment is to correct the tissue metabolism for which metabolism ayurvedic panchakarma treatment is prescribed. Once the dhatu agni (seven tissue agni) is back to normal, all tissues are nourished. Thereafter brahmana therapy is prescribed to improve muscle strength,” he says.
Uncertainty looms
Despite the slow but steady progress that Ayurveda has been making, the ambiguity over credibility of practitioners looms. As the market explodes with extracts such as palmetto for respiratory issues, ginkgo biloba for dementia, goksura for urinary tract diseases and among, people want to understand what they’re consuming. It’s difficult to ascertain the background of doctors but reputed colleges which offer professional courses in Ayurveda are now coming up. “Many research publications are available to validate the scientific application of this ancient science.
Ayurveda is now a part of many allopathic hospitals and the current trend is that of integrative medicine where all sciences come together for the best possible treatment for a patient,” says Dr Partap Chauhan, an Ayurvedic physician and an author. He emphasis that those seeking a career in Ayurveda should look beyond the medicinal part to things such as life coaching, corporate wellness teachers, food businesses, rehabilitation and wellness retreats.
In the final analysis
Ayurveda fights to be acknowledged as a mainstream healing theory. Colleges don’t get enough admissions nor are there sufficient researchers. Having said that, an area Ayurveda is giving hope to millions is rural households. Everything is derived naturally at an affordable cost. The need of the hour is leadership to navigate this ship to its desired shore.