AYURVEDA AND HERBS :

In various traditional healing practices like Naturopathic, Homeopathic, Native American Indian, Ayurvedic and traditional oriental medicine, medicinal herbs have been used since a very long time. But among all these remedial methods it is the Ayurvedic treatment which is popular for the use of herbs for curing all kinds of ailments. It functions by focusing exclusively on food and dietary discrepancies and so relies heavily on herbs like sesame, turmeric, Indian gooseberry, ashoka, grounded spices and other natural edibles. It is difficult to pin point the exact time when Ayurveda came into being but majority of the historians have unanimously agreed that it was discovered 3500 to 5000 years ago by the saints and sages of India. It was then treasured in the Vedas, the sacred texts considered to be the oldest writing of the world and forwarded to the future generations.
According to the Ayurvedic principle, the physical constitution, vulnerability to diseasesand the mental set up of a human being can be determined by examining the balance of his prakriti/doshas in relation to that of the existential state of the universe. Air, ether, fire, water and earth are the five elements of nature that combine in pairs to form the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Further, in Ayurveda these three doshas are recognized as three units the imbalance of which paves the way for different ailments to take root in the body. The herbal treatment is aimed at harmonizing the human state to the entire universal cosmic realm and by taking its performance into account herbs are classified into these three specific categories; namely, Shaman, Kopan and Swasthahita.
In Ayurveda, the herbal therapy works by providing nutrition to the body which further energizes and revitalizes it. Some herbs are naturally inclined towards treating particular organs but others work equally on the whole body as general medicines. Herbs are used internally as well as externally. Tinctures, essential oil dilutions, flower essences, encapsulated herbs, fresh herbs, tinctures, teas etc are the internal use of herbs. External use includes herbal and essential oil blends, salves and lotions. Domestically, herbs are used as extracts, powder and paste.
Ayurveda promotes the use of nutritious natural food to fight diseases. Mehasini; the natural herbal food is considerably used in Ayurvedic treatment as an effective cure for diabetes. Herbal steam bath, massages and tonics are also indelibly attached to Ayurvedic healing. In shirodhara, the steam of boiled herbs when applied on the patient accelerates blood circulation through the periphery and removes bodily impurities. Nasya treatment is carried out by applying oil massage to the head, neck and shoulders. Triphala, the ayurvedic tonic for general health contains Indian gooseberry as the primal ingredient and certain tonics prepared by using ashoka in large scale are used in the treatment of the female reproductive system
The Ayurvedic herbal treatment has evolved and established itself considerably over the years throughout India. Presently, in spite of the towering presence of allopathic medicines, two thirds of the 70% Indian population that live in rural areas still bestows their trust on medicinal herbs to meet their health care necessities. Because of its reasonably priced treatment devoid of side-effects the government has encouraged Ayurveda as a worthy substitute to western medicines.
Ayurveda is also very popular abroad as countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have been practicing Ayurvedic treatment for centuries. In China & Greek too it shows its influence on Chinese Unani and Greek humoral medicine. For its efficacy against diseases this ancient form of Indian healing has marked itself as one of the best ways of healing throughout the world.

MEDICINAL HERBS :

The discovery of the healing effects of herbs dates back to the pre-civilization era. Due to the unavailability of any standardized method of treatment man in the early period turned to nature for any major or minor illness that befell him. While hunting wild- animals man succumbed injuries, used plant parts to heal wounds and in the process acquired knowledge about their therapeutic values. From treating cuts & bruises to the prevention of major ailments herbs were significantly relied on and their soothing effect was put to considerable use. Presently with scientific advancement at its peak, laboratory experiments like distillation, purification and extraction conducted on different plants have led to a large-scale detection of medicinal herbs.

HERBS : AN INTRODUCTION

Mother Nature has provided human, the favourite creation of God, with all that he needed to live on this earth: water to quench thirst, air to breathe, grains to hunger, fire to light and so on. Human body is the microcosm of the entire cosmos and the answer to all human problems lies in maintaining harmony with the cosmic rhythm. Nature has offered the means to maintain that balance. Herbs. Yes herbs are one such means. A herb is a plant or plant extract, including leaves, bark, berries, roots, gums, seeds, stems and flowers which is bestowed with nourishing and healing elements. Herbs are the endowment of Mother Nature which has been used for healthcare through out different ages and cultures of human history.
Being negligent to the value of herbs due to chemical medicines, human lost synchronization to the rhythm of Nature and thus suffered various side effects. Herbs have the elements that help the human body to live in harmony with nature and its laws. According to the most ancient system of natural medication, Ayurveda, herbs work depending on the Self Correcting Mechanism and balance of three elements “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kaplan” in the human body. Herbal treatment not only heals but also looks after the body to live a healthy and fruitful life. Herbs have been used for healthcare through out the human history and are once again being recognized for their true value. Herbal medicine and herbal extracts are the foremost component in all traditional medicine including Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. Now is the time when modern human should appreciate the goodness of medicinal herbs by incorporating them into their life style thereby, living a balanced and healthy life.
Herbs are the most natural way to cure all kind of diseases, from minor ailments to the most life threatening ones. Study shows that about 25 percent of the prescription drugs dispensed in the United States contain at least one active ingredient derived from herb material. Some are made from herbal extracts; others are synthesized to imitate a natural herb compound.
In herbal medication, herbs are used for their therapeutic or medicinal value. Herbal medicines and treatment can be divided into eight branches in Ayurveda; General medicine, Surgery, ENT & Eye Disease, Toxicology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Sexology & Virility. There are so many pearls lying in the deep ocean of the vast knowledge of this system, we just need to dive in and search the herbs which are valued for medicinal, aromatic or savory qualities that act upon the body and bestow a healthy soul in a healthy body.