When we are considering possible relation between Ayurveda and Traditional Hellenic medicine it always highlights the term ‘Ancient’. It’s ancient science which deals with maintaining the health of the people in natural way. What is common in both the pathies are constituation body. In ayurveda body is made up of Vata, Pitta and kapha which is combination of five elements (panchamahabhoota), these five elements in the body forms dosha (called as energies).

Combinations of these «panchamahabhoota» are as follows:

  • Air and Space forms ‘Vata’
  • Fire and Water forms ‘Pitta’
  • Water and earth forms ‘Kapha’

So vata ,pitta and kapha are three energies in the body which is responsible for formation and maintainance of the body.

Out of these three energies one will be dominant in the body, followed by second less dominant and third which isleast dominant. This combination is different in different people. Which is called as ‘prakruti’(balanced body type).

In these energies all are responsible for particular action or work, like

  • Vata responsible for movements
  • pitta formetabolism
  • kapha for nourishment and stability.

These doshas are working in the body with their specific qualities and when there is disbalance in the body there should be disbalance in their qualities too. In Ayurvedic treatment, it’s important to find out cause then disbalnce dosha with their qualities and then to decide the line of treatment.

Causes for disbalance are:

  • Wrong food
  • Hectic (bad) life style
  • Stress
  • Seasonal changes or climate
  • Karma(what wrong things you have done in the past)

If your body is affected with any of the above cause then your balance body type turns into disbalance and which cause different diseases. We called it asvikruti ( disbalance body type).

So when we want to treat the disease we have to treat the disbalance dosha, means qualities of the dosha. That is how the treatment becomes different in different diseases.

Concept of ‘Agni’– Agni term is used in sense of digestion of food and metabolic products. Agni converts food in the form of energy, which is responsible for all nourishment and vital functions of the body. It has significant role to maintain body functioning and metabolism of the body.

Concept of ‘Ama’ – this is undigested food in the stomach which is root cause of the diseases. For this purification and improvisation of the digestion are the treatments.

Line of treatment

When we are treating the disease we are focusing on diet, yoga, herbs and therapeutic procedures.

  • Diet– what food is suitable for you, about vegetables, fruits, spices, lentils, beans etc.
  • Yoga and breathing – what specific type of breathing and yoga will be good for you according to disbalance.
  • Herbs – different plants with their extremities like fruits, flowers, bark, leaves extracts etc can be used in different diseases.
  • Therapeutic procedures – different oil massages, procedures like shirodhara, different enemas with oil and special decoction and many other things are being used in the different diseases as an ayurvedic therapy.

Some similar concept in Ayurveda andtraditional Hellenic medicine:

In traditional Hellenic medicines there are four humours (like energies in ayurveda) these are:

  • Phlegm– having similarities like kapha having cooling moisture, nourishment and lubrication.
  • Choleric – having similarities like pitta. It deals with digestion, transformation and metabolism.
  • Blood– again having similarities like pitta which represents health, youth, vitality.
  • Melancholic– having similarities like vata, dominated by air and space, mostly prone to pathology to cause the disease

Some other concepts in Hellenic medicines which shows simiaritis in ayurveda are:

  • Crudities – similar like concept of ama as we discussed earlier which is related with undigested food.
  • Pneuma – similar like prana vayu in ayurveda which is one of the vital principal related with breathing , supports growth of body and importantly known as sign of vitality.

Summary:

Ayurveda and Traditional Hellenic medicines are having some similar concepts which deals with health of the indivisuals traditionally. Both pathies are having therapeutic similarities, some concepts which are important to form the diseases. but in the end both are leading the human beings for healthy body and healthy mind concept.

Hope all of you be well,

Om Shanti

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