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Ayurveda & Yoga
Ekam shastramdhiyano na vidyashastra nishchayam
Tasmad bahushruta shastram vijaniyachikitsaka ll
Su.Su. 4/6
By knowing one science alone, one cannot arrive at an
accurate scientific assessment. Therefore, a physician should study other
sciences in order to arrive at correct diagnosis.
Ayurveda
is a science of self-healing aimed at relieving the diseases of body and
mind.
Yoga is the science
of self-realization.
It provides the key to spiritual development. It teaches
us how to move from our outer bodily and ego-bound identity to our
immortal self that dwells within the heart.
Yoga and Ayurveda
originated together as part of the Vedic science passed on from the
ancient sages of India. Both evolved from the same culture and philosophy
and integrated with one another.
Ayurveda considers life a psycho spiritual as well as
physical phenomenon. It aims at ending suffering so that every individual
can accomplish all four goals of life-
1. Purpose (dharma)
2. Wealth (Artha)
3. Enjoyment (kama)
4. Liberation (moksha)
In dealing with liberation Ayurveda enters into
the field of Yoga and
spirituality.
It practices hatha yoga and its understanding
of posture, breath and awareness.
It uses mantra yoga
as means for healing Ayurvedic therapies along with chanting and mantras.
It recommends bhakti
yoga as one of the main tools of healing the heart.
It recommends janyan
yoga or the yoga of knowledge, as Ayurveda is a
self-healing science, which is only possible through self-knowledge.
It should be practiced as Karma yoga as a form of service to living beings.
Ayurveda accepts the yogic principle that health of the
body depends upon health and balance of the mind. Mind is very unstable
and can be easily agitated and disturbed. It must be kept calm and
controlled by restraining emotions like anger, fear, greed which will
lead to psychological as well as physical problems through incitation us
to various wrong actions.
Regular
yoga asana and practice of pranayama or yogic breathing techniques helps
us control the mind and is used for this purpose in Ayurveda.
Without proper physical and mental health we cannot
effectively pursue the spiritual life. Moving into the filed of health,
yoga enters the domain of Ayurveda. For maintaining health, yoga
recommends a diet and lifestyle following ones Ayurvedic constitution
The combined study of Ayurveda and Yoga is of great
importance for
self-discipline and it helps us understand the potential of
life addressed in such a profound manner. Together Ayurveda and yoga is a
complete discipline, which can transform our existence from the physical
to the deepest spiritual level with creativity on all levels.
Both these sciences have anatomy, physiology and treatment of the human
body in the same manner. They accept the samkhya philosophy and its 24 tattvas.
Both the sciences use the same terminology and approach based upon the
three gunas- Sattva,
Raja & Tama. Ayurveda emphasizes on developing the
Sattva guna by understanding the physical body through five great elements
and Yoga by understanding the subtle body and the chakras.
Ayurveda works at healing and purifying the body and
mind while yoga aims at taking us to self-realization, which depends upon
a purified body and mind. The foundation of Yoga is Ayurveda and the Fruit of Ayurveda is
Yoga.
Links to Yoga studios in Michigan-
www.myspiritrising.net
www.northvilleyogacenter.com.
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